03-12-2009Artist focus - Bleaklow
From out of the baron moorland comes the Sheffield ambient noise crew
Part of music main attraction is being able to get together with a few friends at any given time and play for the sheer hell of it. With a few bands these jam sessions take on a more serious route and the songs that are written need to be released in some way. This is definately the case with Bleaklow who consist of three members and a basement to rock out in. Having released a few sketchy recordings to the internet a buzz began to develop and very quickly they released their split EP with Naisian to which they each contributed two songs.
The EP itself is well worth a listen, low budget but high in quality the first song from Bleaklow is a rumble through the tumult of dirty sounding guitars, softer muted chord build ups and eloquently twinkling tapped guitar riffs. The instrumental song lasting at over eight minutes is long enough to be considered epic without once making you want to switch for the skip button. It has a good blend of dark overtures alongside more straight up rock sensibilities and swirls in and out attempting to evoke different emotions with each section of the song. In Vineland opens with a rolling drum and although the sound isn't anything like as monsterous as that of a major label production the grain and the grit work to this songs advantage. Listening to this I'm thinking shades of Isis, Jesu and even elements of the legends Godflesh.
The band are looking to play as many shows as possible over the coming months and you should definately check these guys out if they come through your neck of the woods, sit for a moment and get lost in the instrumental imagination of these three diverse and talented Sheffield based rockers. The band have taken a few moments to answer some of our questions. For further information check out the band on their [http://www.myspace.com/bleaklowband]MySpace[/url]
Hey guys if you could start by introducing yourselves...
We're Bleaklow, 3 students from Sheffield who make music in our basement.
How long has Bleaklow been about and what was your intent with starting the band up?
We got together in October 2008, wanting to write noisy instrumental music and play around with loop pedals and distortion.
You feature ex members of other prominent underground UK bands, has this helped you in starting out?
Not really, we're very different from Architects, and although it helps to get people to pay attention to us at first, it doesn't really mean much.
How would best explain the sounds of Bleaklow?
Kind of slow and pretty heavy, with lots of tapping and nice bits.
What bands to do take influence from or aspire towards?
We all take influence from very different bands, such as Tool, or Mono, but particularly Russian Circles and Young Widows.
You have just released a split EP, how do you feel about how it has turned out?
Well, we sold all of our copies within a month or so, and Naisian are awesome, so we're pretty pleased!
What would you say to the RS readers to encourage them to go out and get a copy?
Our songs are something a bit different, and the Naisian side of the split is particularly good. Plus, our tracks are available for free download along with songs from The Gold Coast and Cadences.
Any touring plans for the summer months?
We had planned a UK tour with the awesome Mountains Became Machies, but reasons out of our control mean that unfortunately we won't be able to play the majority of those dates. However this does mean we are open to anything going, so get in touch if you'd like to see us!
How do you see the UK underground scene at the moment, are you encouraged by the successes of other bands?
There is a huge difference in the number of people listening to slow, heavy music as opposed to, say, metalcore, but the success of awesome bands like Manatees and Latitudes means someone out there likes that kind of music, so they should listen to us too!
Live, what is a Bleaklow show all about?
Technical difficulties. We hardly go a show without breaking something. Other than that, our shows are loud.
What bands do you guys think (asides from you guys) that our readers should give a listen to?
Naisian, Mountains Became Machines and Manatees are all epic and noisy, but for the hardcore kid in each of us The Gold Coast are awesome.
Joe
