New York electronic trio House of Blondes never do anything in half measures. Their live-wire circuital approach to electronic experimentation allows for the incorporation and execution of dozens of influences and musical genres, sometimes within a single song. Coming together in 2010, John Blonde, Chris Pace, and Brian McNamara found among themselves a common musical thread—one which led them to form House of Blondes shortly after meeting. They released a lone single in 2011, which was soon followed by their 2012 debut LP, Clean Cuts. That album brought together blossoming synths, icy dancefloor atmospherics, and a subtle pop influence to create something that defied electronic convention while still giving fans enough brightly-lit textures and intricate rhythms to satisfy the most die-hard beat junkie.
For their latest release, a digital 7” featuring two new songs, the band eschewed their normal production to focus a bit more on guitar-driven dynamics. That’s not to say that the band completely drops their distinctive approach to electronic music, but it skews further to the left on these two tracks. When talking about the inspiration for A-side “Adam,” frontman John Blonde says, “I wrote “Adam” thinking about my friend and dreaming about what it might have been like to be a teenager in the UK in the ‘80s.” Replete with surprisingly relaxed rhythms, shimmering guitar lines, and dream-pop synths that invert the song around them, “Adam” feels like the very definition of intelligent electronic music. B-side “Summer In Reverse” drags out a frayed and tattered beat, combining warped synths and thudding beats with spiked guitar work to produce something redolent of each member’s influences while still allowing the band to maintain an insular musical identity. By taking some of the best parts of their debut LP and running them through a series of filters, condensers, and modulators (not to mention a couple of guitar amps), the band has taken the next step in the development of their own inimitable sound.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere the “Adam”/“Summer In Reverse” 7” digital release from House of Blondes.
