White Hills add Industrial technique to their psychedelic stylings on the NYC band’s upcoming LP Splintered Metal Sky due out October 23rd via God Unknown Records. Inspired by the city they live in, Ego Sensation and Dave W set about recording the urban environment around them capturing sounds from the “subway, drills, jackhammers, people in parks, traffic, mayhem, and the occasional silence.” The audio was then manipulated and used as rhythmic elements with the duo seeking to reflect the jumbled cityscape and its psychic effects.
Splintered Metal Sky was also influenced by a collaborative approach that first resulted when Ego Sensation invited fellow Only Lovers Left Alive alumni, Lebanese singer, Yasmine Hamdan to sing on the track “Rats.” The success led White Hills to seek out other friends for participation on the new record including filmmaker and musician Jim Jarmusch, Simone Marie Butler of Primal Scream, and former Cop Shoot Cop and current Human Impact member Jim Coleman. Additionally, Dave’s longtime friend, the artist Johnny Brewton (XRay Book Co, XRay Magazine, Bagazine), created the collage for the album’s cover.
“Illusion” is the closing track on Splintered Metal Sky, and it includes Jim Jarmusch providing ambient guitar. Blistering sonics give the cut a feral quality as blasts of guitar rip across the track. Dave H narrates a twisted tale of urban chaos before Ego Sensation joins in the fuzz blasted chorus, “We all fall down.”
While you’re at it, don’t miss White Hills’ Live Eye Tv performance video for their track “Dead” recorded at the Chop Suey in Seattle back in 2013.
