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Recommended by us on 9th September 2010
...according to our Business Lady on Thu 09 Sep, 2010.
Seeland have been doing the rounds for a while now. Their debut 'Tomorrow, Today' was a pretty nifty listen and it would appear that the follow up is an even tastier proposition. Seeland feature ex-members of Broadcast and Plone so you know they've got the pedigree and here the lads explore new territory to create a comforting sound that balances the pop sensibilities of Super furries with the propulsive dynamic of Neu and Stereolab. This is certainly a lot poppier than their last effort with occasional songs verging on the ultra pop sounds of say Silver Apples or They Might Be Giants. I guess it's an effort on the bands part to balance classic 60's pop songwriting sensibilities with early 80's synth-pop aesthetics. This they do with impressive ease. Tasteful sounds in a semi-hautological style that wouldn't sound out of place on the Ghost Box roster (includes artwork by Julian House too). Definitely worth a listen.
‘How To Live’ is Seeland’s follow up to their critically acclaimed debut ‘Tomorrow Today’. Moving away from the heavy drum machine dominated sound of their debut, ‘How To Live’ is an altogether creamier confection. There are still chugging Neu grooves and soft focus psychedelic electronics but the sound is now more all encompassing, more organic, like slipping into a hot tub with a glass of homemade lemonade. Recorded using a wide variety of vintage synths and old analogue equipment, each sound has been painstakingly passed through numerous pre-amps and filters to create what can only be described as the Seeland sound. Mixed by Brian Duffy of Modified Toy Orchestra ‘How To Live’ has a sound at the same time ancient and modern, like Joe Meek meets Kraftwerk or The Blue Nile produced by White Noise. Sharing the hallucinatory vibes of Exotica with bands like Ducktails and Javelin, there is something almost spectral about the Seeland sound, like music beamed from a parallel universe that is audible but not visible. In some ways an English equivalent of the new American psych sound of bands like Beach House and Neon Indian, ‘How To Live’ effortlessly blends early 80’s synth-pop with 1960’s garage pop to create something unique and undeniably new.
Seeland are Timothy Felton, Billy Bainbridge and Neil McAuley, sonic pioneers associated with Birmingham’s ‘Retro Futurist Electronic Scene’. The band was formed when Tim and Billy left their respective bands (Broadcast and Plone) and started writing songs together that could express the sounds of their minds.
Now often mentioned alongside Ghostbox artists like The Advisory Circle - who they have recently remixed – and Mordant music as part of a scene sometimes referred to as ‘hauntology’, the new album will once again feature artwork by Julian House, the perfect wrapper for a classic platter.
01. Black Dot, White Spider 02. Awake in a Dream 03. Afterthoughts 04. Local Park 05. Cardinal 06. How to Live 07. Armour 08. Circles 09. Recall 10. Been So Long
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