Tapping the ambient pop vein, Ivory Seas sew together melodic movement and musical minimalism to create atmospheric tracks ready for the deep icy stills of the British winter. Double A-side with "Mother's Tongue," 'Still Brooding' offers a musical chill with a sound truly evocative of the stillness of an icy landscape.
Ivory Seas, who met and got together at Southampton University, compare themselves to popular electronic minimalists such as Antlers and The XX. With their catchy stripped back melodies underlaid by cool ambient sound scattered with sparse yet bold instrumentals the comparison seems apt.
Stripping sound back to stillness without losing the upbeat vibe is what Ivory Seas do well. With clever use of instrumental space and silence - 'Still Brooding' has ambient sounds rolled over by clever drum beats courtesy of George Batham, sparse undistorted electronic guitar and wintery lyrics that add to the surreal poetics of the track.
'Mother's Tongue' makes great use of tubular bell/xylophone and deeply ambient backing vocals (Adam Heron and Thomas Walker) that transforms a standard bass/guitar/drum set up into something festive and melodic yet subtle and surreal, a dark watery sound that skilfully ripples the surface just enough to make you smile. // Ivory Seas // Buy 7" White Vinyl
