Hermitude - Threads (Album)
» The Three Strikes Tour - Republic Bar and Cafe, Tas - October 19, 2007
» Urthboy, Hermitude & The Tongue - Gaelic Club, The, NSW - October 12, 2007
» Hermitude - Stepping out of the fortress of solitude - October 30, 2007
» Hermitude - Entrepreneurs of groove - September 9, 2005
A revitalised Hermitude unveil their most dynamic record to date, a synth-entangled and beat drenched masterpiece, Threads. Light years away from their instrumental hip hop origins, Hermitude blaze a trail into darker and more complex territory where drums and melody rule the Earth.
Hermitude formed in 2001 with the musical partnering of Blue Mountains lads Luke Dubs (Luke Dubber) and Elgusto (Angus Stuart). They’d performed in jazz and funk bands together since 1994 (Dubs was 16 and Elgusto was just 11) as well as in the live hip hop of Explanetary (featuring a younger Urthboy).
With their fifth album Threads, Hermitude have established their reputation for brilliant studio productions with an engaging and innovative live show, incorporating a confident, almost effortless musicianship with a deft grasp of technology.
New People is a regular reggae song, and Cartridge Kings is a thrilling pursuit of computer game-esque electro. 44 Gallons starts with jungle drums and the high-pitched whine of the electric mosquito before dropping the bass. By the time guest vocalists Urthboy and Elana Stone have appeared, a peppy, cheeky romantic duet between the two seems like an entirely natural progression.
The song Your Call is a quirky and upbeat pop song about the two exchanging phone numbers and wondering who should be the one to call. He’s thinking about whether using his mobile too much is going to give him cancer and she’s thinking about the downsides of dating a rapper. “You play in a hip hop band / I’m not looking for a one-night stand / with your groupies / what if you’ve got herpes?” It’s one of the high points of a varied album where you’ll find a little bit of something for everyone.
Hermitude have simultaneously increased the live instrumentation whilst short circuiting it with bass-heavy electronics. Hermitude's arrangements never remain stagnant, they mature with each minute, counter melodies enriching compositions layer upon layer.
Slychain is a chilled out banger encompassing a slightly latin influenced beat, mean synth samples and some tight scratches. There are multiple layers to this beautifully arranged track and it’s the inclusion of subtle samples, like the piano riff and additional percussion and vocals, that really complete it.
During an interview, Hermitude, where asked "You’re stranded on a desert island with a fat soundsystem and 1,000 people looking to party. You’ve got to work ‘em with just three records. What’s in your arsenal?", and it would have to be their answer that best describes what's in store for all the punters out there, "Three records?! We just need one. Our latest record, Threads! It’s gonna tear dancefloors up round the globe."
Threads is released tomorrow, all 11 tracks of impeccable Hermitude exquisiteness. Instrumentally focused with some rare but choice vocals: warm, dark and complex, like wine and chocolate and a massage.
