The two gentlemen behind Quite Village are Matt Edwards and Joel Martin. In the electrnoic world Matt is known for his label ReKid / Radio Slave. Both Matt and Joel appear to be pretty well known in the electronic scene but their new upcoming album, Silent Movie, due out May 12th on iK7 records in the states appears to be in a genre all on its own. With all the genre bending going on these days, this is not a rare occurrence.
I have yet to hear the new album but the one song, “Circus of Horror”, is available for download so I’ve had some time away from the computer to soak it in. From an instrument standpoint, everything but the kitchen sink is basically thrown into the mix – flute, guitar, bass, chorus, horror film screams, sirens, strings. The glue of the song is a deep, thick guitar riff that opens up the track. Joel and Matt continue to layer this riff with the plethora of sounds from the instruments mentioned above. Adding a scream and siren here and there.
One true testament of a great song is the feeling associated with every listen. If a song can create certain sensations that never seem to die off with each listen, you know you’ve got something. With “Circus of Horror” the feeling is both of vintage horror and James Bond cool. I’m not a die hard fan of vintage flics but I do find them intriguing and the 1960′s era movie soundtracks basically blow away any modern day attempts. It’s clear that Matt and Joel are fans of the vintage flics. In fact, one of their inspirations was Italian film soundtracks along with acid rock, soul, orchestral music and even their own electronic influences. The album title itself came from the inspiration of Martin Denny’s Exotic Sounds album.
What is Martin Denny doing these days? Lives in Honolulu, HI and has his band, Martin Denny Combo. Give them a listen on their myspace page and you’ll understand where Matt and Joel are coming from.
Blair over at Music for Robots gets the credit for introducing me to Quite Village. And according to Blair who’s listened to the full album it’s full of masterpieces like “Circus of Horror”. And according to Pitchfork, it’s a stoners dream record. Either way, stoner tunes or more freaky vintage chill outs, I’m in line on May 12th to get my copy.
Download: “Circus of Horror”
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Visit their official website – http://www.quietvillage-silentmovie.com/ and:
- See tracklist
- Sign up for updates
- Stream five tracks from album
- Watch an interview with Matt and Joel
Catch Quite Village on tour this summer:
- London – Stag & Dagger: 5/15
- Montreal – Mutek Festival: 5/28 – 6/1
- Barcelona – Sonar Festival: 6/19 – 6/21
