The debut full length from experimental hip-hop group WAKE was unique in its merger of the experimental with the accessible. For all its adventurous production, its many textures and grainy details, Strangers in a Strange Land was chock full of bangers in the classic, golden era sense of the word. It was heady stuff, but man you could groove to it.
“untitled eleven eleven fifteen” is the first single the group has dropped since their LP, and with it WAKE take the opportunity to pursue their more ambitious and exploratory tendencies. The instrumental track is bleak and cryptic; it’s far more concerned with engendering a mood — in this case one of fear, paranoia, and dread — than elevating the listener’s consciousness through the power of poetry. There’s an echo of doom that underlies the cut, deep and foreboding, while noisy electronics unfurl like black plumes of smoke among violent bass stabs and rattlesnake percussion.
Maybe it’s the cover art of a man in shackles, but this feels far more grim and macabre than the defiant, fist-in-the-air spirit that has become so ingrained in WAKE’s aesthetic. If this is a new turn for the band, then it’s a decidedly dark one, but it’s no less compelling.
Listen below.
WAKE will perform on Wednesday, September 14 at 529 in support of Dillon and Moyamoya. Fellow locals Cinema Novo will open the show. Door open at 9 p.m. Admission is $7.
More Info
Web: wakeatl.com
Bandcamp: wakeatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wakeatl
Instagram: @wakeatl
SoundCloud: @wakeatl
Twitter: @wakeatl
Tumblr: wakeatl.tumblr.com