Belfast newcomers CHALK share scintillating effort 'Static'.
Belfast post-punk/electronic trio Chalk share scintillating new effort ‘Static’, out today making the first reveal from the band’s debut EP arriving in the spring.
Formed after meeting at film school and Influenced by their love of film and the emerging Belfast dance scene, the band have already been championed by the likes of Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music) and Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1), and are one of the only Irish acts ever to be announced in the First Fifty of legendary showcase festival The Great Escape; Chalk's rise has felt less like a whirlwind and more like a plan falling into place.
New single 'Static', out today (February 9th), is a cinematic showcase of all things Chalk. Buzzing, distorted acoustics meld with a now customary aggressive vocal performance, culminating in a John Cale-esque final project that swamps listeners in the unique Chalk aural experience.
Lyrics tackle brutally honest introspection and tense topics, unafraid and unabashed by perception and public gaze. The emotional horizon of the crashing choruses is a swirling hellscape of cold, isolated melodies and malevolent, brooding percussion.
Speaking about the single, Ross Cullen of Chalk:
“We wanted to explore the feeling of not knowing your place in the world. Living within order & regime, following instructions. “Stand up straight, a pre-owned smile” / “There’s been a knock at my door, they’re gonna try and burn me down” But then subverting from the social norms and gaining control. Creating a path for yourself, confronting the uncertainty and risks.
“Searching for something to do, just to keep myself right” Reaching the end of that path and waiting for fulfilment but you’re not sure when it will come or if it will at all. “I could have sworn that I’d cut the cord".
Produced by collaborator Chris Ryan (NewDad, Just Mustard), this is a release full of purpose and of intent. One that sets the tone and establishes the mission statement for the coming year, in which you'll be pulled inside the dense and atmospheric chambers of Chalk's explosive congregation.
Photo by Sienna Lillie Munn
Chalk’s ‘Static’ is out now and available here