Doldrums - Egypt (12" vinyl)

“Doldrums are a band who like to confuse, baffle and get you grooving a million different grooves simultaneously” (Best of SXSW review) – Huw Stephens, Clash

With the debut full band live shows taking SXSW by storm last month & hitting the critical lists, DOLDRUMS has signed to Souterrain Transmissions (EMA, Crocodiles, Zola Jesus, Moon Duo).

Ahead of a European tour with Grimes and appearances at The Great Escape & Dot to Dot festivals, Doldrums - the musical venture produced by Canadian artist Airick Woodhead - will release a 3 track single of brand new material on limited edition 12” vinyl out June 4th. The title track, 'Egypt' is the first single from his upcoming debut album, to be released later this year. Recontextualing the bombshelter desperation of the Montreal noise scene into an 8 minute warehouse club jam that's far more ambitious, sophisticated, and accessible than anything he's attempted before, Egypt takes from UK and European electronic music but places an unmistakably North American attitude at its core. Doldrumsʼ music deals with the loss of the individual, a bodiless, Soma-fried peeling back of surface emotions to expose an attitude both utterly bleak and mesmerizing. On 'Egypt', his androgynous voice comes across mid-panic attack, floating in a sea of chopped up samples, disembodied vocals and primal percussion that almost does bring to mind an ancient, crumbling civilization.

As a member of the last generation to remember life pre-internet and 24 hour status updates, Doldrumsʼ music deals with the loss of the individual in an increasingly altruistic society. His androgynous voice comes across mid-panic attack, floating in a sea of chopped up samples, disembodied vocals and primal percussion. Spearing between electro-hallucinogenic freak outs and languid nostalgia, his tracks somehow manage to elevate classic pop melodies above a sample saturated sound collage.

Doldrums began in 2010 by posting videos and designing websites by fictional bands under a variety of different band pseudonyms, 'Doldrums' being one of them, the name taken from a favourite children's book, Norton Juster 's “The Phantom Tollbooth". He gained notoriety in his native Toronto through performances at Everlasting Super Joy, his studio and DIY venue corun with members of DD/MM/YYYY, as well as involvement in flash parties in abandoned spaces. 2010 saw the release of a number of 7"s including a split with DD/MM/YYYY and a VHS mixtape of his own music videos.

In 2011, after hearing his interpretation of their song ʻChase the Tearʼ, Portishead released his song as the b-side to their single. At the same time, new tracks fell into the hands of cult London indie label No Pain In Pop, and were quickly confirmed for release as ʻEmpire Soundʼ, his debut EP.

TRACKLISTING:

A1. Egypt

B1. Jump Up

B2. Copper Girl

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