Gentle People - Journey (Aphex Twin Care Mix)

Carmen Villain (Actress Remix)

One year on from their debut, Rainer Veil explore deep, brittle rave variants on their 2nd EP for Modern Love. The five tracks of 'New Brutalism' are a product of their Northern environment, making pointed reference to the kind of deep-rooted rave heritage documented in Mark Leckey's 'Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore' soundtrack through a prism of angular, vulnerable club music. Conceptually, It adopts a similar perspective on British nightlife to Burial or Lee Gamble, surveying the 'floor as if during an out-of-body experience or through closed eyes from a corner of the club at 5am. Opening track, 'UK Will Not Survive' captures that sensation beautifully with its tape-saturated layers of wistful vocal, woody 2-step and daubs of Reese bass, whilst 'Three Day Jag' isolates that curious blend of hedonism and introspection innate to early UK 'ardcore, albeit without the narco-sweats. Closing number 'Run Out' doffs a cap to grey building sites and strobe-lit clubs alike, channelling diffuse field recordings and half-heard breakbeats with a bleary-eyed, tired and emotional quality.

UK Will Not Survive

Nachthorn

Infinite End

Here is the debut, self-titled album from a.s.o., singer/songwriter Alia Seror-O’Neill, and producer Lewie Day. ‘a.s.o.’ is a thematic consolidation of the previous two singles and an impressive artistic progression. Day and Seror-O’Neill show they’ve mastered the format of the radio-friendly pop song and found how to subvert it completely. Across eleven songs, they have built a rich and compelling body of work.

We know where we are now, emotionally complex, trip-hop torch songs for club freaks. But the palette has broadened to encompass ethereal dream pop à la Cocteau Twins, slow-burning AOR-soul, and dubwise stylings. As a result, ‘a.s.o.’ is a satisfyingly coherent listen but never a musical monoculture. Variously there are nods toward Julee Cruise, Fleetwood Mac, and the uneasy listening of Portishead. It’s an album that wears its influences lightly, is never weighed down by them, and always sure of its own identity.

It’s anchored by Alia’s unique voice. Her words speak of restraint and release, taking us from the elegiac to the euphoric. This elegantly crafted, perfect pop music sounds like it has had enough of your shit. And Day’s music is the perfect foil; deep, slightly menacing, restrained, and powerful. The album has a cinematic texture, as with David Lynch; the seemingly familiar becomes uncanny and strange the closer we look. a.s.o. take our emotions for a joyride before leaving us floating in space.

‘a.s.o.’ is a journey; by its end, we all are changed.

Written and recorded by Alia Seror-O’Neill and Lewie Day at Quintagon Studios, Berlin and Palmerston Studios, Naarm/Melbourne in 2020-2023.
Mixed by Lewie Day except for Track 9 “Understand” mixed by Thomas McAlister
Mastered by Mikey Young
Artwork by Dylan Batelic
Words by Piers Harrison

2023 Low Lying Records
Cat. No. LLRLP001 – All rights reserved
www.itsaso.bandcamp.com

01 - Go On

a.s.o.