Genre-splicing Hull four-piece bdrmm return today with , the third song to land from their upcoming third album Microtonic landing February 28th on Mogwai’s Rock Action label. (pre-order)
Following on from the pulsing, late night atmosphere of ‘John on the Ceiling‘ and ‘Infinity Peaking‘, the blistering electronics of the third single ‘Lake Disappointment‘ are the sound of a band not only subverting their sound but unafraid to bite back. Being asked to support Daniel Avery, along with a trip to Field Day for a group rave, were both instrumental moments in the band deciding to incorporate more dance music elements into a sound that had already been moving steadily towards across recent releases.
Guitarist and vocalist Ryan Smith had the following to say about their latest release:
“Lake Disappointment is probably the most aggressive and exciting song we’ve conjured up. I remember sending it to Alex (our producer) and I’ve never seen him so excited about a track. It was such a dream to work on. I feel like within all the melancholy of the record there is a lot of anger too. This is us getting that out, and saying fuck you to the wrongdoers.
I will always hold such a great memory of shooting the video. We ventured to an abandoned warehouse in Sheffield and recruited an amazing production team and created our own dystopian TV shopping channel (under strong orders our bosses at MicroTech). We must have been sick for a week after from being stood around in the cold for 12 hours in hospital gowns, but it was worth it. No pain, no gain (we’re still waiting for the gain).”
The 10 song Microtonic recorded with long-term band collaborator Alex Greaves and featuring guest appearances from Sydney Minsky Sargeant of Working Men’s Club and Olivesque of Nightbus, is unquestionably a bold leap for the group, who have embraced a fuller spectrum of tones and atmospheres. “I felt very constrained writing a certain type of music to fit the genre [we were known for] but something lifted and I felt more free to create what I want,” says Ryan. “And what I seem to be doing at the moment is a lot of electronic music – taking influence from different spans of electronica, from dance music to ambient and more experimental sources.”
bdrmm’s trademark sound hasn’t disappeared by any means, the band’s more guitar-heavy beginnings a blueprint and influence on many of the groups breaking through in the here and now, a time when shoegaze is enjoying its strongest revival since its inception in the 80s, but those guitars are now incorporated into a broader, more expansive and varied sonic palette.
Microtonic follows 2023’s I Don’t Know” an album that arrived to critical acclaim. We at GIITTV chose it as one of our Albums of the Year “saying, “Each track is expertly crafted- gleaming with cohesive complexity with each sonic layer raising the track to another level….Together they have set the bar sky high and created one of the albums of the year,” a sentiment that was echoed across the board.
Upcoming album, Microtonic will be available on digital, CD, classic black LP and on indie stories exclusive coloured LP. You can pre-order the album now via Rock Action: bdrmm.lnk.to/microtonic
The band will tour across March in support of the album:
LIVE DATES
MARCH
6 -Wylam Brewery, Newcastle UK
7 -The Welly, Hull UK
8- Project House, Leeds UK
9- Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow UK
11- Gorilla, Manchester UK
12- Rescue Rooms, Nottingham UK
13- The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham UK
15 -Hove Old Market, Brighton UK
16- Papillon, Southampton UK
18- The Fleece, Bristol UK
19- Electric Ballroom, London UK
22 -Club Volta, Cologne GE
23- Säälchen, Berlin GE
25- Bogen F, Zurich SWI
26- Santeria Toscana 31, Milan IT
27- TPO, Bologna IT
29- Trabeno, Paris FR
30-Botanique – Orangerie, Brussels BE
31- Melkweg OZ, Amsterdam NL
Tickets are on sale now via bdrmm.co.uk
PHOTO CREDIT: STEW BAXTER
