Sunken Seas
I’ve only seen Sunken Seas play once. It was in their hometown Wellington and the stage was backlit with white light and infiltrated by billowing clouds of dry ice. The band were silhouetted and threw giant lurching shadows out into the crowd. It was a perfect combination of mystery and menace from a band whose sound is untouchable post-industrial noise. Less shoegaze/ dream-pop and more skygaze/ fever-dream-pop.
Their most recent music is on the EP ‘Cataclysm’ released late last year via the always-reliable Muzai Records – a label consistently flying ahead of anyone else when it comes to forward-thinking music in New Zealand. It’s a great slice of atmospheric moody and beautiful noise. They opened for Bailter Space last year and represent a perfect new development of the Bailter Space template of sonic sculpture. However the music of Sunken Seas is more emotionally resonant – and human – than Bailter Space. The slower pace and big wide atmospheric space is also often more reminiscent of the best of High Dependency Unit/ HDU.
Sunken Seas play as part of Last Exit To Muzai – an event celebrating 5 years of Muzai Records – at Auckland’s Wine Cellar on Saturday 17 May 2014. Tickets are available for $10 from Muzai here.
Pop Lib 