"...they all forgot what their pitchforks were for..."
When it comes to the mind bending track "Homely Raya" by art rock / alt pop duo Late Cambrian (the creative and romantic partnership of John Wlaysewski and Olive Hui) it is easy to fall hard fast. From the distorted textured bass thump (stalking and somehow funky as well), to absolutely cleanly potent drums and, at only 30 seconds in, an amazing lead guitar lick that is exquisitely cool as it serves as a repeated part of the rhythm. I don't want to understate the artistry of this lead lick. It is up there with Jonny Greenwood's C diminished scale octave licks up the neck on "Just" (Radiohead circa 1995). It is one of those licks that will have musicians go and get their guitars to figure it out. It is not only that it is alt rock cool but that it has that kind of swagger between a winking Prince and a brooding Queens Of The Stone Age.
AND that isn't all. The vocal aesthetic partially as harmonized (and maybe pitched cloned) others gives the track an avant garde nature as if aliens are giving their two cents in within a vague mystifying parable of sorts (digging the lyrical context). I also feel an artful synergy between John Wlaysewski and Olive Hui like they can read each other's minds when it comes to this sonic gift they have and that is a special thing.
This glimpse of their new album "Future Snacks" ( and as press notes indicate):
[Late Cambrian—have crafted a work of art that explores the many facets of modern social consciousness while still giving listeners a reason to dance. From the fear of impending technocracy and corporate-sponsored nostalgia to the uncertainty of the future and long-term emotional effects of the pandemic, Future Snacks is a record that is concerned with ideas and questions, with the acceptance that answers may be hard to find.]
AND
[The record was recorded in Wlaysewski and Hui’s Brooklyn apartment, with Wlaysewski acting as the primary songwriter, producer and arranger, and Hui acting as a production consultant and editor while also contributing vocals, lyrics, and keys throughout the record.]
“I played 98% of the music on this record, but Olive’s input is so important,” says Wlaysewski. “When we write, Olive plumbs the depths of her unorganized imagination and then I try to organize those ideas into something that has rhythm and melody. I tend to be more rational, which drives the sound of the songs, but then sometimes some barriers need to be broken, and that’s where Olive comes in.”
“I played 98% of the music on this record, but Olive’s input is so important,” says Wlaysewski. “When we write, Olive plumbs the depths of her unorganized imagination and then I try to organize those ideas into something that has rhythm and melody. I tend to be more rational, which drives the sound of the songs, but then sometimes some barriers need to be broken, and that’s where Olive comes in.”
Damn, time to grab my guitar and figure out that scintillating lick.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://www.instagram.com/latecambrian/
https://soundcloud.com/latecambrian/late-cambrian-its-just-me-quarantine-mix
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5HkefJhMRmCYoz6CV8yXCR
https://www.tiktok.com/@latecambrian
https://www.instagram.com/latecambrian/
https://soundcloud.com/latecambrian/late-cambrian-its-just-me-quarantine-mix
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5HkefJhMRmCYoz6CV8yXCR
https://www.tiktok.com/@latecambrian
https://www.facebook.com/LateCambrian/
“Future Snacks started almost as an intellectual pursuit, trying to capture the feeling of a few of our earlier songs on something new,” says Wlaysewski. “It’s kind of like our past life meeting our current life,” adds Hui.
As for the future, there’s no telling what it may look like, but Late Cambrian are ready to provide the soundtrack.
Future Snacks is out NOW via Mifflin Street Music.
** At this particular time we find ourselves in a financial pinch due to many factors. We want to keep AP going. It has been a passion project for over 13 years. PLEASE consider donating, we could really use the support. Thanks so muchLate Cambrian first formed over a decade ago after Wlaysewski and Hui met while working on set on an episode of Nurse Jackie. Almost immediately, the duo started writing and releasing music together, and released four LPs over the course of seven years. Now, with Future Snacks, Late Cambrian have built on the legacy that they have created, often taking inspiration from their own past works to inspire themselves in the present.
“Future Snacks started almost as an intellectual pursuit, trying to capture the feeling of a few of our earlier songs on something new,” says Wlaysewski. “It’s kind of like our past life meeting our current life,” adds Hui.
As for the future, there’s no telling what it may look like, but Late Cambrian are ready to provide the soundtrack.
Future Snacks is out NOW via Mifflin Street Music.
Late Cambrian, art rock, alt rock, indie rock, art pop, alt pop, space rock, John Wlaysewski and Olive Hui, singer songwriters, multi-instrumentalists, Brooklyn, new album "Future Snacks", single, "Homely Raya",
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