Pleasurefields’ mix of acoustic instrumentation, electronic lushness and really accomplished vocals combine into a sublime cocktail.
Instantly lovable, and unforgettably catchy
Do you remember when or where you were when you first heard The Chemical Brothers? It was around 1994/5 for me; the first album had come out, and I got to see them perform live in Cork and Glastonbury. They had this new but old sound that wasn’t the same as anyone else. Pleasurefields will hit you like that, and are very likely to be an incredible live act. This is released by the quality label Touched Music and Pleasurefields’ own new imprint Pleasure Wax Records.
You can never un-hear some things. “Hands Of Time” will live on in the collective psyche for time to come and can only be a considered a modern classic. When I first got a listen to “Hands Of Time” I was blown away. It’s like The Beatles have come back to jam with The Chemical Bothers. I’ve also heard friends liken Pleasurefields sound to the grooves of the fabulous Beta Band, another strong comparison. Vocals are not usually my thing with electronic music, and I seem to have written these exact words more than once this week! But this is a different kettle of fish. It is like Pleasurefields took notes from the Chemical Brothers collaborations like “Life Is Sweet” with Tim Burgess (The Charlatans), “Out Of Control” with Bernard Sumner (New Order), and “Let Forever Be.” Reminds me that it’s time I went back to listen to all those older Chemical Brothers albums again!
Pleasurefields are a new artist, to me anyway. They seem to have captured the secret formula to being instantly lovable, and unforgettably catchy. They have the uncanny ability to make that rarest of things, electronic music that are songs and not only “tracks.” That for me is the difference between techno and pop music; tracks that are songs, and pop is not a dirty word here. Their mix of acoustic instrumentation, electronic lushness and really accomplished vocals combine into a sublime cocktail. Few artists have managed to deliver with this formula, and when they have, rarely with this much class. All the time sounding cool and interesting. Underworld, Fluke, Leftfield, Massive Attack and the aforementioned Chemical Brothers for me all fall into this category.
These are not disposable pop songs, rather really intelligent and fully inventive songs. I have little doubt these were crafted and refined over many, many late night sessions. There seems to be a world of shared song writing experience here that allowed the duo perfect their craft. These are no new kids on the block, but mature, life experienced musical palettes.
This is just being released in time to give Pleasurefields the chance to be the coolest band no one knows yet in 2022, and they will probably headline a stage in Glastonbury 2023! You heard the prediction here first folks!
Electronic lushness and really accomplished vocals ::
“Shelter” is the title track, and whilst being my least favorite on the release I still really like it a lot. It’s just that the other tracks make me want to sing and dance along so much more. “Within You” has the lush acoustic guitars that make this song just pure bliss; and that chorus line that any synth head would be proud of. Think Depeche Mode meets Miss Kittin and The Hacker, but with the distinctive Pleasurefields voice. “Too Much For This World” has some of the most catchy hooks, over simple arpeggiated mono synth lines layered below the soaring vocal choruses. Then there are the smart guitar lines that Nile Rodgers (Chic) would be proud of. Such a well rounded track. “Haaaaaaands of Timeeeeeeeee” see my gushing above, or better yet check out the video on YouTube. Better still go and grab yourself this release over at Touched Music! There is a 10″ vinyl with the five original track, the CD with those 5 plus 4 great remixes, and of course digital. “Get Where I’m Going” is more Beta Band, some white boy rock, indie, funk-tronics. You can move to this one. Or more realistically you cannot NOT move to this one.
So whilst this album is part remix, part original tracks, the remixers are not only choice cuts but also killer current producers. Inkipak can do no wrong, with strong four albums released in what feels like no time at all, he gets to remix the peach track “Hands Of Time,” injecting a new level of anticipation the original skipped by as it was just too busy being cool and brilliant and itself to worry about that kind of stuff. Buspin Jieber breathes completely new life into the “Too Much For You World” track. If someone told me M83 and Buspin Jieber were related I would not be surprised. They share that keen sense of classic nostalgia whilst making it their own, redefining sounds and turning them into their own brand of beautiful pop injections. Monoform adds a new level of IDM styled rhythmics and blending the sound of Pleasurefields with his own style of classic but modern electronica. Great stuff here from Craig Howell, an artist who I just want to hear more from. You can never know what to expect with exm, except that it will be classy, inventive and typically avoiding the cliche or obvious. Jeroen Bax, that Dutch maestro of the tales of the unexpected, takes us down a darker less traveled path, lifting elements from the original but bringing his own abstracted take on things. Think Picasso with synths and drum machines—just a different way of sonically viewing the subject.
This is a landmark release. I have little doubt this will sell like proverbial hotcakes. I see big things in the horizon for Pleasurefields. Grab this whilst you can; it is going to be a very sought after rarity very soon!
Shelter is available on Touched Music / Pleasure Wax. [Bandcamp]
