Dreaminisfree's Album of the Week this is the long-anticipated sophomore album from psych-pop group, Absolutely Free Aftertouch (out tomorrow via Boiled Records)
Established in 2012 and hailing from Toronto, Canada Absolutely Free have spent the last decade making waves over in Canada and North America, at festivals such as SXSW, NXNE, Pop Montreal, and CMJ. Comprised of Matt King (vocals/multi-instrumentalist), Michael Claxton (bass/synth), and Moshe Fisher-Rozenberg (drums/synth); the band is an offshoot of the now-defunct experimental rock outfit DD/MM/YYYY, whose multi-rhythmic boundary-pushing raison d'être provided a springboard for Absolutely Free to cull from a myriad of influences that span Krautrock, neo-psychedelia, African-inspired polyrhythms, and early forms of electronic dance music. The band cites a lot of listening to Steve Reich and Laurie Spiegel, as well as post-punk bands like A Certain Ratio, Magazine, YMO, (early) Simple Minds, and Talk Talk.”
Where their 2014 self titled debut album has a more indie feel to it, 'Aftertouch' leaves the listener absolutely spellbound. The opening track Epilogue ( After Touch) if you close your eyes you can almost depict your travelling in space. It's a stunning start and this is the opening track!
'Remaining Light' is another favourite of mine - I love the way it builds for 2 and half minutes almost before the vocals come in. It feels right there and then that everything just makes sense.
Known for their varying multi-instrumentalist approaches and experimental live performances, Absolutely Free “wanted to create an album that wasn’t limited by a physical ability to perform it live. This created a means to not only expand our palette, but also an opportunity to consider live performance as something completely separate.”
Absolutely Free: “We have always tried to pull threads from popular music and weave them together into complex patterns. We hope this means that a casual listener can enjoy a catchy phrase, while a deeper listen reveals stranger structures and narratives lying beneath.”
With Aftertouch Absolutely Free have created something truly special. If you're a fan of the avant-garde then this is an album for you - Pre save link
Summing this album up in one word - euphoric!
For fans of Arcade Fire The Flaming Lips Dope Lemon Sunship Balloon Air
Absolutely Free
Aftertouch
1. Epilogue (After Touch)
2. How To Paint Clouds
3. Interface
4. Remaining Light
5. Still Life
6. Are They Signs?
7. Clear Blue Sky
8. Morning Sun
Dreaminisfree always has and always will be free - Any artists looking to collaborate please email debbie@dreaminisfree.co.uk