Ahoy, the holiest of holies there – the Boss SP-303 sampler. So you kinda know what’s comin’…
There’s been a cheeky debate going on with the serious (I Guess I’m Floating) and not so serious (Hipster Runoff) blogs about what to call the burst of sample-based, lightly acid-tinged pop music that exploded with Panda Bear’s Person Pitch and continues with strong work from Lotus Plaza, City Center, et al. I like sampsycore. It’s sort of German in its mindset – make a new word out of three existing ones. So I’ll throw that in the ring. Chillbrocore is good too, though. Anyway, I’m glad Nathaniel at the aforementioned IGIF introduced me to psychedelic pop bro Happy Family, because his new Sound Farm EP helps keep the brain limber.
Happy Family exudes a thick, hazy, classic 4AD vibe by way of Cocteau Twins, with fuuuuunk. That is to say, Happy Family’s songwriting tendencies and general sonic timbre fall somewhere between dub and freak folk, which are two rather disperate genres. Hombre pulls it off well. In addition, the one-man Baltimore-based project also concocts a well-balanced blend of shoegaze, kraut, and 8mm-washed swells of ambience. I tend not to like music with heavy, pervasive beats, but Happy Family’s scratchy, syrupy rhythm section is decidedly distinct and unusual, is somewhat reminiscent of Koushik’s or Forest Swords’ fine astral trips. Recommended.
Happy Family is all up on MySpazz.
For fans of: City Center, Cocteau Twins, Forest Swords, Koushik
MP3 :::
Happy Family – Mindless Pleasures
