here is an impressive track from San Francisco's The Soft Moon {one-man-band Louis Vasquez} called Breathe the Fire off the recently released self-titled album "The Soft Moon" (2010).
one could be forgiven for thinking "The Soft Moon" album is a re-release of some obscure post-punk/dark wave album from early 1980s cold-war era Europe. the slightly worn, De Stijl design influenced LP cover certainly helps to sell the 'authenticity' of The Soft Moon's sound.
from the first distinct bass note on Breathe the Fire it is clear Vasquez has studied the Joy Division/Martin "Zero" Hannett produced recordings meticulously, he has captured the trademark sparse, eerie, spacious sound mix perfectly. the dizzying, pounding reverb/delay on the drums, droning/echoing guitars, driving/growling bassline sound is so hauntingly familiar yet Vasquez manages to put his own unique stamp on it.
Vasquez builds the track up masterfully, starting with a throbbing, prowling, relentless bassline hook, then dominant, pounding reverb laden drums echo around us, the guitar drones et wavers in the distance, slowly becoming more prominent, Vasquez's vocals stay at an icy, serpentine whisper, which then gives way to an epic hallucinatory, jangly, shoegazing guitar solo that continues through till the end. Vasquez lets out an anguished cry of despair into the indifferent void, before the song slowly extinguishes itself.
Breathe the Fire is the perfect soundtrack for a suicidal joyride, tearing full throttle through desolate city streets in the dead-of-night, running into trashcans, knocking over anything in your way, not a care in the world, you've got a death wish, accelerator hard to the floor, you unleash an anguished primal scream as you drive headfirst into a concrete wall, slow-motion impact ... metal, glass, flesh become one ... welcome to J.G. Ballard's dystopian vision of the new crash-body.
MP3: Breathe The Fire
the "The Soft Moon" album is available from Captured Tracks on cd or vinyl! otherwise you can grab it digitally from itunes
you can check out The Soft Moon here: myspace | lastfm | facebook
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