Description
Blondes were last heard demonstrating their transcendent approach to dance music – one favoring analog serenity to digital flare – on the duo’s 2012 self-titled debut album. The evolution of sound systems on which Blondes played created a curve along which Sam Haar and Zach Steinman learned to build a universally impactful sonic experience. After rehauling their gear and settling into a new studio space, Blondes’ busy year ended in an intensely focused production period during which Haar and Steinman sculpted the boldly detailed Swisher. Swisher unfolds as a series of mini-epics rather than a string of banging cuts. Still, the allegiance to the groove remains absolute. Percussive elements are most notably honed, drawing a sharp contrast between Swisher’s rich timbres and the vaporous synth sounds that seep throughout the album. Centerpiece “Andrew” and closer “Elise” enhance the melodic concerns of Blondes early material, mantled now in a maturity that favors gradual force. By focusing on process rather than protocol, Haar and Steinman allow space in each track for dramatically immersive environments. Most tracks on Swisher tread beyond the five minute mark, but always absorb rather than indulge. This cosmic scope aligns Blondes not only with the German synth masters of the 70s who have been a guiding inspiration for the duo since the onset, but also the slow burning dub techno of later day Germany – though ramped up several bpms. The heterogeneous textures throughout Swisher often brood, but ultimately make for a considerate and cathartic brand of dance music. Swisher’s foundation is its tremendously crafted percussive core, and its architecture is the elemental beauty hinted at in prior Blondes work offered, offered now in lucid detail. Track Listing 1. Aeon 2. Bora Bora 3. Andrew 4. Poland 5. Clasp 6. Swisher 7. Rei 8. Wire 9. Elise
