The opening of Pick A Piper‘s self titled album makes you feel like you have fallen into the inner workings of a synth room. Pounding yet tuneful, opening track ‘Lucid in Fjords‘ bricks out the path that Pick a Piper are going to follow.
Pick A Piper is not just a simple side project for Toronto based and Caribou’s drummer Brad Weber. One glance at the bands bio proves that straight away as it states:
‘In recent years songwriters have experimented more widely than ever with beats and bass, but only a few have succeeded in producing results worthy of mention.’
This is only the start of the mission statement before addressing the fact that dance artists need to create songs that work both on the dance floor and in the album format. Each track on Pick A Piper is a perfect realisation of the latter. A high production value in the recording utilising instruments that will not only add driving dynamics to the recorded sound, but when replicated live provides an awe inspiring experience in the same way that Delphic did back before they went RnB.
If you need help imagining, just close your eyes and imagine the scene from the Matrix Revolutions, just soundtracked by PAP instead of Fluke.
The tracks on the album are strong and diverse with each one providing a different experience for the listener. It’s exactly what 65DaysofStatic do but in the case of PAP, the aim is to complement the world, not destroy it with sound as is the case of 65DOS. A perfect example of this is track 4, ‘Once were Leaves‘, a nod to the classical art of building a track on. The pulsating rhythm is something that one would usually find in at a Happy Hardcore event, but that’s something that PAP are trying to do. Combine a great dance event, with a great dance record.
Instrumental breakdowns that aren’t dissimilar to that of Django Django too however flowing waves of Caribou inspired rhythmic filth slowly worms its way into the tracks. Hip breaker ‘All Her Colours‘ could easily be a Caribou track with it’s bongo based beats and ferocious drumming, but what do you expect from the individual who is tasked with creating the backbone for the band. Track ‘South to Polynesia‘ has a trumpet breakdown that Jaga Jazzist would be proud of using.
Pick a Piper’s self titled album is a glowing example of how to be a strong side project. Take inspiration from what you know and build on it; Some may argue that it sounds too much like Caribou and that it doesn’t have its own identity but then one could also say that all rappers sound the same. (Narrow minded…sup)
If you need an experimental slice of pie, then I whole heartedly think you should give Pick a Piper a try. I’ve been listening for days and i’m transfixed.
Opening Track
If you feel yourself hooked by the opening track, follow the links below to download the album from Bandcamp.
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