bdrmm share new single "Lake Disappointment" taken from their new LP "Microtonic" out February 28th on Mogwai's Rock Action.
Genre-splicing Hull four-piece Bdrmm return with "Lake Disappointment", the third song to land from their upcoming third album "Microtonic" landing February 28th on Mogwai’s Rock Action label.
Following on from the pulsing, late night atmosphere of "John on the Ceiling" and "Infinity Peaking", the blistering electronics of the third single "Lake Disappointment" are the sound of a band not only subverting their sound but unafraid to bite back.
Being asked to support Daniel Avery, along with a trip to Field Day for a group rave, were both instrumental moments in the band deciding to incorporate more dance music elements into a sound that had already been moving steadily towards across recent releases.
Guitarist and vocalist Ryan Smith had the following to say about their latest release:
"Lake Disappointment is probably the most aggressive and exciting song we've conjured up. I remember sending it to Alex (our producer) and I've never seen him so excited about a track.
It was such a dream to work on. I feel like within all the melancholy of the record there is a lot of anger too. This is us getting that out, and saying fuck you to the wrongdoers.
I will always hold such a great memory of shooting the video. We ventured to an abandoned warehouse in Sheffield and recruited an amazing production team and created our own dystopian TV shopping channel (under strong orders our bosses at MicroTech).
We must have been sick for a week after from being stood around in the cold for 12 hours in hospital gowns, but it was worth it. No pain, no gain (we're still waiting for the gain)."
"Lake Disappointment" follows the acclaimed first single "John on the Ceiling", playlisted at BBC 6 Music, and the soft euphoria of "Infinity Peaking", songs that have musically laid the groundwork for how they would approach the rest of "Microtonic" and set the precedent for their new record as whole.
The 10 song "Microtonic", recorded with long-term band collaborator Alex Greaves and featuring guest appearances from Sydney Minsky Sargeant of Working Men's Club and Olivesque of Nightbus, is unquestionably a bold leap for the group, who have embraced a fuller spectrum of tones and atmospheres.
“I felt very constrained writing a certain type of music to fit the genre [we were known for] but something lifted and I felt more free to create what I want,”
says Ryan.
“And what I seem to be doing at the moment is a lot of electronic music, taking influence from different spans of electronica, from dance music to ambient and more experimental sources.”
Bdrmm’s trademark sound hasn’t disappeared by any means, the band's more guitar-heavy beginnings a blueprint and influence on many of the groups breaking through in the here and now, a time when shoegaze is enjoying its strongest revival since its inception in the 80s, but those guitars are now incorporated into a broader, more expansive and varied sonic palette.
"Microtonic" follows 2023's "I Don't Know", an album that arrived to critical acclaim with the likes of international media outlets calling it “one of their most enticing successes yet” and Rolling Stone UK describing it as “a chaotic, thrilling evolution”.
"Microtonic" will be available on digital, CD, classic black LP and on indie stories exclusive coloured LP. You can pre-order the album now via Rock Action here.
The band will tour across March in support of the album.
Image by STEW BAXTER
Live Dates
6 Wylam Brewery, Newcastle UK
7 The Welly, Hull UK
8 Project House, Leeds UK
9 Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow UK
11 Gorilla, Manchester UK12 Rescue Rooms, Nottingham UK
13 The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham UK
15 Hove Old Market, Brighton UK
16 Papillon, Southampton UK
18 The Fleece, Bristol UK19 Electric Ballroom, London UK
22 Club Volta, Cologne GE
23 Säälchen, Berlin GE
25 Bogen F, Zurich SWI
26 Santeria Toscana 31, Milan IT
27 TPO, Bologna IT29 Trabeno, Paris FR
30 Botanique - Orangerie, Brussels BE
31 Melkweg OZ, Amsterdam NL