Step into a blurry Kodachrome wonderland on Blending Lines In Our DNA Had to Take Control of Us One Day by Perth, Australia's Zero Growth.Why has Australia been so good at churning out blurred-edge, exciting, adventurous but still chilled out and relaxing psych rock these past few years? Is it merely because everyone's excited and inspired by Tame Impala, acting as a more optimistic 21st Century ambassadors than late '70s Birthday Party? Or perhaps their isolationist geography, out there in the middle of the ocean, sucking up the rays and getting stoned on wide-open vistas?
Whatever the reasons, Australia may well end up being the saving grace for psychedelic rock n’ roll, which too often becomes stale and formulaic, especially here in the States, without one lysergic ounce of rebellion left in its fringe leather jacket. Zero Growth takes that faded retroactive sound and applies it to a kind of widescreen electronica on Blending Lines In Our DNA Had to Take Control of Us One Day, as a direct 50/50 split between Tame Impala and the retro-delic chilled-out thrills of Boards Of Canada. Zero Growth is predominantly the solo project of Connor Aitker-Lombardo, which is fleshed out with guest appearances from his friends and family. Zero Growth is predominantly a studio project, although some of these tracks used to be a part of Lombardo's previous band Honeymaker. Blending Lines... was recorded over the span of five years or so, whittling down 25 tracks to the final six. This makes Blending Lines... come off as more of a collection of singles than a cohesive album, not that that's a problem (although "Superteen" is significantly louder than the rest, so brace yourself, so as not to be startled). Blending Lines… sticks to a rather consistent mid-tempo head nodding, grooving instrumental hip-hop vibe that is perfect for catching a buzz and feeling the vibes. It's unclear what Lombardo's working method is, but there's the feeling of an old school hip-hop or techno DJ vibe going on here with Lombardo riding the faders and the knobs for some truly psyched-out filter effects. What could have come off as having too many ideas instead seems novel, fun, and interesting. It's like listening to Deep Purple remixed by The Gorillaz, giving the sensation of a camera lens panning out, overlaying the scene with kaleidoscopic filters that will leave you seeing peppermint spirals. It's trippy, man, trippy. And fun. As we leave the summer behind here in the Northern Hemisphere, here is our chance to throw open the windows to the rapidly chilling breezes and let the colorful trees invade our corneas. It's a perfect approximation for summer into fall, still exciting, but mellow and reminiscent at the same time. Lombardo's both a stunning musician and an admirable engineer and producer, a killer combo that bodes well for things to come! Check it out and get lifted.
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