"what was it you said I had to be to get to heaven..."
From the onset, 1st Base Runner's spiraling musical vision "Break Even" feels darkly cinematic and is made even more so by iconic music video director Matt Mahurin (Tom Waits, Alice in Chains, and more). At the creative core and behind the quizzical musical moniker is Austin based Tim Husmann. While the pulsating synths, beautifully heavy ascensions that feel like the dark side of heaven and a beat that feels tethered to ancient grounds stir up a sense of drama and mystery, it is Husmann's vocal aesthetic that draws you in hypnotically, gravitationally. His voice has a cool mystique anchored in an ease, self awareness and confidence that is further anchored in an obvious belief in the music, in the art. This makes for a perfect storyteller voice. You want to sit around the campfire with wide eyes and open ears to absorb the narrative.
Husmann shares:
"This song is about the expectations other people place upon us in life. This could and should include life partners, parents, and authoritarian figures in general. It is written from the perspective of an adolescent trying to find meaning in the world. It attempts to reconcile the void between what is often given as advice and the underlying truths of what it means to be human and to be at peace with one's existence. This is also intertwined with other people's interpretations of a vengeful creator and the pitfalls of projecting anger on the behalf of a deity. The instrumental sections of the song are intended to carry the listener away and into the deeper chasms of meaning and purpose."
The video is, simply put, a trip, dark and gothically drawn. "Break Even" the 3rd track to be released via Universal Music Group is from the forthcoming album 'Seven Years of Silence' (due July 30).
1stbaserunner.com
Music is a compulsion. In another life, Husmann performed with international acts at storied venues all across North America from the Troubadour and the Fillmore to Montreal's St. James United Church, playing drums, synths, and arranging electronic live setups. For the 1st Base Runner mastermind, a hiatus of seven years was necessary to clear out the creative coffers of past projects in order to forge ahead with a fresh new sound. Striking out on his own he sought to coalesce his inspirations into an endeavour that tied together his love of vintage synthesizers, atmospheric musical acts, and surrealist cinema. With all this musical flotsam and jetsam floating around in his head, he was compelled to make his long awaited return to the scene.
Seven Years of Silence is a testament to patience and precise planning. Tim Husmann works with the meticulousness of a Reznor or slow play masters Godspeed You! Black Emperor, wrapping each of his astral post-punk pieces in airy layers of cosmic synthesis. 'Only One' takes clanging eastern bells and repurposes them for a rainy Bristol mood. 'All Thoughts' hits at the essence of gothic pop, brooding crooning over a danceable beat and an infectious melody. 'Pirouette' creates a suspenseful dreamworld scene with Husmann's gravelly whisper offering words of support, like a boxing coach giving last minute guidance before the next round. The record maintains its grainy glow from start to finish enveloping the listener in rich analog goodness.
Born in Amarillo, Texas and residing for most of his adult life in Austin, Husmann now lives in the hills outside of the hip cultural capital. He crafts his concertos conveying the ironies of the human condition from the privacy of his personal studio on the acreage. A highway burn removed from the neon distraction of Sixth Street and the live music crucible of the Red River District, Husmann can channel the wind whistling through the thicket on those vast Texas plains to inspire the airy waves of cascading sonics that proliferate Seven Years of Silence.
Alongside the release of the album, 1st Base Runner is releasing music videos for 'Break Even' and 'Only One' directed by visually-arresting visionary video director Matt Mahurin. Of the music film maestro, Husmann says: “I really respect Matt a lot. I find his technique to be incredibly unique. He has a very wonderful way of combining moving image with painting and still photography. He also does all of it himself at his private studio”. The director is responsible for Sturgill Simpson's 'In Bloom' and Tom Waits' 'Hell Broke Luce' videos. Both feature a striking set of heightened reality visuals and demonstrate a style perfectly tailored to Husmann's cinematic compositions.
1st Base Runner will also release a five-track EP Ellis later this summer with a more pop-leaning dub sound. Seven Years of Silence is out April 8th on limited edition vinyl LP as well as all major streaming platforms.
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