SOTD #79 // Houses: 'Endless Spring'

After years of bland, insipid indie rock, it’s interesting seeing what scenes are shooting out of its landfill offspring. Electro has obviously had a big resurgence with La Roux essentially just swapping guitars for synths to make their music sound fresh. But one genre that has genuinely thrown up some new, challenging music is that of the supposed ‘chillwave’ revolution.

Of course, the name is utterly synthetic – the product of some bedroom blogger’s desperation to coin a phrase, no doubt – but the music at the core of it is undoubtedly brilliant. Hailing from Chicago, Houses are the latest in a slew of artists utilising the elegantly jaded rhythms that have become synonymous with the term, with twinkling electronic samples and almost tribal rhythms being more than reminiscent of some of Four Tet’s more subdued work. It feels like you’re being washed away, the creeping introduction of ‘Endless Spring’ being matched in nous only by the fade out that brings it to a close.

The product of being cut adrift from normal society and inspired by months spent unemployed; it’s a thoroughly modern inspiration for a beautifully contemporary sound. The duo have recently been signed to Lefse records, and if the results are anywhere near as great as ‘Endless Spring’, we’re in for a treat.

Houses: ‘Endless Spring’