Words by Jack Colquhoun
With his latest album Dark Red set to drop in less than a month on April 7, LA’s Shlohmo has today graced our ears with the third single, Beams.
Like Buried and Emerge from Smoke, Beams is dark. That said, while the first two sound like something that might play through a horror film, Beams sounds more nostalgic – and it’s perfectly explored in the accompanying video clip.. Wind chimes start the track off, alongside a slow-building, super-distorted bass, as we see phone footage of Shlohmo riding the back of a train, and shots of who we assume are his friends mucking around. Cymbal driven drums come in at the minute mark, alongside a very Rustie/video-game sounding synth – all the while the bass still building, and the wind chimes heard in the background. It builds more and more, with the drums becoming much more intense, before a final peak, where all elements of the song come together. The video grows more intense, and the climax of the track kicks this all off. At the same pace it builds, the sound starts stripping down until we’re left as we started, just with the bass and wind chimes.
Like the singles before it, Beams demonstrates Shlohmo’s ability to bring together a variety of instruments and sounds so effectively. Though all three have those deep, dark qualities, I can definitely imagine Beams as the final track in a coming-of-age film – which is so different to the other two.
The video makes the song an even more emotional experience. It’s like a collection of videos you made with your friends the summer after you finished high school. It all feels so familiar.
If Dark Red is anything like the three songs he’s put out so far, Shlohmo’s new album is set to be absolutely massive, and hopefully changes the game of electronically produced music.