Tag: P.E.

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“Contradiction Of Wants” is the final single from The Leather Lemon, the new record from my group P.E. Sharp-eared and detail-oriented listeners alike may recognize the seeds of “Contradiction Of Wants” from the Sick, Sad, Fun! mixtape we released with our debut LP Person. What started as a practice-space jam became an explosion of sound in its studio form, and yet another example of why you should always be recording. We’re throwing a record release show in NYC at Union Pool on March 23 with Pop 1280 and DJ A. Savage – get yr tix here! The Leather Lemon is out March 25 via Wharf Cat Records.

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My group P.E. is back with the new single “Tears In The Rain”, co-written and featuring A. Savage of Parquet Courts. Rolling Stone premiered the track, calling it “the perfect soundtrack for a neo-noir”, and it was featured in Stereogum, Under The Radar, and Brooklyn Vegan. Andrew’s been a part of the P.E. family since before the band began – he put out records by both Pill and Eaters on his label Dull Tools, both bands played with Parquet Courts, and I’ve worked on many Parquet Courts records over the years. This song – built around a sample of Jonny Campolo at the piano, and featuring a gorgeous one-take sax solo by Ben Jaffe – was special to us from the beginning, and it was Andrew that helped see it through by writing lyrics for Veronica (and she for him). This is honestly one of my favorite pieces of music I’ve ever worked on, and it was made with some of my closest & long-running collaborators… I hope you enjoy it too. The Leather Lemon is out March 25 via Wharf Cat Records.

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P.E. – my group of electronic-pop weirdos – have announced our new album The Leather Lemon and released its first single “Blue Nude (Reclined)”. The Fader premiered the new song, calling it “soft and a little sleazy”, and the track also appeared on Stereogum (“pushing further ahead into the mutated pop side of their sound”), Brooklyn Vegan (“exploring dance music by way of post-punk and no wave”), and Treble’s “Essential Tracks” (“P.E. have some honest-to-god dancefloor bangers in them”). As I wrote in the press release, “This was one of the first songs we wrote for the new record, shortly after settling ourselves mentally and physically around the country. With all of our tour plans scrapped in the initial wave of the pandemic, the five of us decided to put our energies into writing new material for the next record, trading files back and forth in order to shape our new sound. ‘Blue Nude’ quickly became an inspiration for the rest of The Leather Lemon, something that foregrounded both the song and the sound, as fun as it was abstract.” The Leather Lemon is out March 25 on Wharf Cat Records.

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The Reason For My Love EP – the latest release from my group P.E. – was featured on Pitchfork’s “27 Great Records You May Have Missed: Autumn 2021” list! You can read the lovely review in full below, and head over to Bandcamp to pick up the EP. The Reason For My Love EP is out now on Wharf Cat Records.

Brooklyn-based P.E. don’t merely play the notes on The Reason for My Love as much as they barrel right through them. The quintet refines their post-punk impulses on their 2020 debut Person and transforms them into a body-moving EP. The jittery electronics are still there, but the drum cuts feel sharper and lighter, bringing a sense of structure to what could easily be shapeless. Vocalist Veronica Torres abandons spoken-word and leans fully into singing about poetry, beauty, and the contours of the body. Her lovely vocal stretches fill up the space once occupied by industrial bass drops. Sensuality suits them well. –Kelly Liu

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The Reason For My Love is the new EP from my group P.E. (along with Bob Jones of Eaters and former members of Pill Veronica Torres, Ben Jaffe, and Jon Campolo). Featuring three new songs (including the lead single title track) and two remixes (one by Xiu Xiu, the other by us), this collection is inspired by classic 12″ EPs and is designed for the dancefloor. Bill Pearis from Brooklyn Vegan reviewed the EP in this week’s Indie Basement column, saying “the three new songs here are the band’s most song-like creations yet. And best. While still experimental, there is a pop backbone to all three, not to mention an overt danceability.” The Reason For My Love is out now via Wharf Cat Records.

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P.E. – my psychedelic industrial pop group with members of Pill and Eaters – is back with the new single “The Reason For My Love.” Brooklyn Vegan premiered the track, with Stereogum and Recommended Listen also featuring the new song, “an altered zone of sax pop and asymmetrical synth lines grooving their way around Veronica Torres’ cool faith in the greatest emotion.” It’s the title track from our upcoming EP of the same name, which features two other new tracks and two remixes – one by Xiu Xiu and another by the band. We spent much of 2020 generating new song ideas, and convened at Studio Windows earlier this year to pull everything together. I love this song – it’s one of my favorites P.E. has ever done – and the EP is a dance-floor-ready summer jammer. You can stream the single below, and pre-order The Reason For My Love EP now (available Sept 3 via Wharf Cat Records).

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Photo by Geoff Stanfield

I recently spoke with Patrick King from Ears To Feed as part of their FOCUS series (interviews with people involved in the music industry). We talked about maintaining Studio Windows through the pandemic, staying creative with P.E., working remotely with Liars and Nana Yamato, and my love of cooking. It’s always a pleasure to talk about my work, and I greatly appreciate the kind words… from the intro:

Adding his special touch to albums that have gone on to be huge successes in the indie rock world such as Light Up Gold by Parquet Courts and Lush by Snail Mail, the New Yorker called him “a go-to producer for Brooklyn’s indie-rock elite.” In a 2017 interview with Tape-Op they echoed that sentiment, saying his “passion for excellent record-making is clear, and rewarding for everyone involved.”  

Thanks again to Patrick & Max for taking the time to put together this feature! You can read it and other great music journalism on Ears To Feed.

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Phantom Rhythm Remixed – the new remix album of songs by Chinese/Canadian guitar-and-bass duo Gong Gong Gong – is out now! After being featured in Resident Advisor, Exclaim gave it 8/10 (“fold[s] musical styles across borders of every kind”) and Vinyl District gave it an ‘A-‘ (“An LP as fun as it was unexpected”). Featuring reinterpretations by Yu Su, Howie Lee, and other rising stars from China and abroad, this collection plays more like a well-curated compilation than a classic “remix record”. In addition to producing/recording/mixing the original record, I worked with my group P.E. to rework the single “Ride Your Horse” into what Exclaim describes as “a roaming free-jazz chariot ride through resonant piano chords that dangle over snapping percussion.” Head over to Bandcamp to pick up your own copy, check out the video below, and stream the whole album on your favorite platform. Phantom Rhythm Remixed is out now via Wharf Cat Records & bié.

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Last year, Tom Sanders (of the band Teleman) released his debut solo record, Only Magic, and today sees the release of Only Remixes – a collection of remixes & reinterpretations of songs from that album. My group P.E. reworked the song “Tom Quixote”, and our “Hey, Bye!” remix skews the original into a downtempo groover, resulting in one of my favorites of the last year. Only Remixes is available now via Moshi Moshi Music.

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Chinese/Canadian guitar-and-bass duo Gong Gong Gong return with Phantom Rhythm Remixed! The remix LP was announced today via Exclaim, along with a remix of “Some Kind of Demon” by Yu Su. The original Phantom Rhythm is a highlight of my discography, and these remixes stretch the sound of those songs into new shapes while remaining undeniably Gong Gong Gong. I’m excited not only for fans being able to hear these new versions, but also that my group P.E. has the opening remix on the album – a psychedelic odyssey spun out of “Ride Your Horse”. Phantom Rhythm Remixed is out on June 25 courtesy of Wharf Cat Records – pre-order the record through their site or Bandcamp, and check out the travelogue video for the Yu Su remix below.