I Have Battles In My Life

One of those WTF bands that we see signing to Warp Records (like !!!; WTF since Warp is usually way electronic crazy shit) is a band out of New York called Battles. I caught the Battles wave when they had their first 3 EPs (B EP / EP C / TRAS) released via Dim Mak/Cold Sweat, which were subsequently re-released through Warp. Now they have a new full-length banger set for release in May of this year, entitled, Mirrors, perhaps personally my most anticipated release of the year!



When I first listened to this band, I couldn't categorize it or put it down in words. Even their website has been somewhat ambiguous and enigmatic for the last couple of years. I typically see "math rock" dropped in the band's description, and I know they're like one of those supergroup collaborations. The first three EPs were instrumentally dynamic and sonic sound excursions into noise and rhythm, with some semblance of rock/punk elements.

Apparently the new album will feature vocals for the first time, but luckily Pitchfork has a video/audio sampling of their first single, "Atlas," over at IMEEM. Since I only have their older material, I'm posting a track from one of the first EPs:


Battles - "B + T" (from EP C)

Which brings me to a similar yet altogether divergent (and sadly underrated) band, Holy Fuck, out of Toronto. Their self-titled came out in 2005, and featured eight instrumental electronic (yet ironically analog) punk/rock jams, made completely with live drums and homemade electronic equipment (no actual synthesizers or anything, etc.)! They also provided backing music for Beans (new album Thorns coming out later this year on which he recorded w/ Holy Fuck!) live at a festival last year I think, which would've blown my mind to have seen.




Holy Fuck - "Tone Bank Jungle" (from Holy Fuck)



And lastly, continuing the underrated bands rant, there's Mahjongg out of Chicago whose last release was the full-length RaYDONcoNG from 2005, preceded by the Machinegong EP from 2004, both on Cold Crush Records (what ever happened to these guys?). The EP is definitely one of my favorites. Think !!! (chk chk chk) with more post-punk, more quirk, and maybe more drum machine.


Mahjongg - "Aluminum" (from the Machinegong EP)

*Note: All three artists can in fact be downloaded legally through eMusic.com, so pay up for that subscription to the site, you won't regret it