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Toronto's Bulkhead to Release Debut album June 15 + Shares First Single ROUTE SIXTEEN Today

By: May. 18, 2018
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Toronto's Bulkhead to Release Debut album June 15 + Shares First Single ROUTE SIXTEEN Today  Image

Toronto's Bulkhead are excited to announce the upcoming release of their debut album Aft Pressure. The LP will be out June 15 via 2MR and today they share the first single "Route Sixteen (ft. Joel Eel)" which premiered via Now who call the track, "a hard-edged, EBM-leaning analogue electronic song that skirts industrial, EBM, techno and post-punk...(Eel's) gothy vocals ...perfectly fit the propulsive synth meal plan." Bulkhead note "The inspiration for 'Route Sixteen' came from the desire to escape the mundane; a longing to break free from the monotony of everyday life. We had collaborated with Joel Eel in the past by remixing one of his cuts, and we figured the intensity of his vocal work would lend itself well to our production style. We gave him free reign to do what he wanted, and he more than delivered something unique and special. Also - the obscurereferences in the lyrical content keep things pretty open to interpretation, which is a concept we've always loved in any art form."

Listen to "Route Sixteen (ft. Joel Eel)"

Bulkhead is Pop District and Patrik Benjamin. Both solo artists in their own right, the duo combated 2015's particularly brutal Canadian winter by locking themselves away in the studio to experiment with a medley of hardware. Exploring the polarity of extreme cold and immersive warmth with a distinctly analogue feel, the duo carved themselves an aesthetic. Using a raw, organic palette they repudiate formal structure and polish, opting instead for a freeform blend of unhindered mechanical techno and fuzzy ambience - slambient, if you will.

Debuting in 2016, their Worker's Kampf cassette album on LA imprint Far Away Tapes sold out quickly, warranting another release on 2MR featuring highlights of the cassette on 12' and digital. Continuing with the purveyance of abstract arrangements and machine wizardry, their forthcoming album - Aft Pressure - is a striking exploration of the intersection between frenzied techno and harmonic warmth.

Fragments of techno and EBM mutate without strict guidance, rebuilding themselves into new forms with stunning physical qualities. While many of the tracks might file under dance music, the DIY spirit of the album transcends a nightclub, occupying a peculiar space between the uncensored grit of the post-punk scene and some melancholic form of ambient minimalism. Angular percussion slices its way through dizzying synth leads whilst serene harmonies wander on their own accord. Darting melodies are made all the more powerful by their harsh timbre as drum-less excursions provide a cinematic backdrop.

Aft Pressure is a statement of intent, blurring the parameters of dance music culture with equal doses of insanity and serenity. At the same time, it's also a hell of a lot of fun...



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