The second day of Rewire 2019 is filled to the brim with artists that push conventional song structures into uncharted melodic terrain. From the haunting sound of Low’s slow-moving arrangements and discordant electronics to Julia Holter’s unique synthesis of neo-classical composition, avant-pop and drone. Harnessing elegant harmonies, spellbinding vocals and eccentric sonic textures, these acts, accompanied by the likes of Jessica Pratt, Tirzah and CTM, each approach the fringe of contemporary pop and twist it into something entirely their own.
Delve into Rewire 2019’s melodic explorations below and get your Festival Passes and Saturday Passes at Tickets.
Over the course of twenty-five years and eleven albums, Low has cultivated a deeply emotional brand of harmonic, minimalist indie that is steeped in subtle soundscapes and divine harmonies. Not ones to indulge nostalgia, their twelfth and latest album, ‘Double Negative’ sees Low defiantly ditch the playbook in favour of a radical new sound. Rooted in a landscape of snarling static and shattering electronic beats, ‘Double Negative’ is their most brazen and empowering album to date and widely regarded as one of the best releases of 2018.
→ https://www.youtube.com/embed/1m31A4ZGss0
A boundless experimentalist, Julia Holter’s recorded output blurs the lines between indie, traditional pop, modern composition and electronic music. From her 2011 full-length debut ‘Tragedy’ through 2015’s landmark ‘Have You in My Wilderness’ to last year’s critically-acclaimed ‘Aviary’, the LA-based composer and multi-instrumentalist exudes an ambitious and uncompromising dedication to experimentation that continues to evolve in scope and sound with each new release. Joined by fellow LA-based musician Tashi Wada as Julia Holter Duo, the pair transform her unique world of chamber pop and droning electronics into an immersive one-off live performance.
→ https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIk2CGUTPr0
Harnessing an elegant, minimalistic approach to songwriting, LA-based musician Jessica Pratt serves up a captivating distillation of lush chamber pop and mysterious psych-folk. Guided by her characteristic voice and subtle guitar-technique, her latest album ‘Quiet Signs’, released to widespread acclaim in February, sees Pratt refine the sparse palette of her recent past into a more distinct and direct expression. Diving into a casual seaside brilliance which resonates within her use of deep chords, Pratt hits on a profound clarity that befits the intimate church setting of her Rewire 2019 performance.
→ https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDi6C8AeTVI
Hailing from the same stomping grounds as CURL-members Mica Levi, Coby Sey and Brother May, London-based soul singer and songwriter Tirzah has a similar knack for crafting intimate and infectious off-kilter pop. Armed with a remarkably soothing voice, her enigmatic, down-to-earth vocals first caught ears back in 2013 with the releases of ‘I’m Not Dancing’. Five years on, Tirzah has finally returned with her debut album ‘Devotion’. One of the most compelling releases of 2018, ‘Devotion’ sees Tirzah drift from the bright club vibes of her past to reveal a deeply personal brand of British RnB anchored in Mica Levi’s experimental sonics and softened by her own melancholic words.
→ https://www.youtube.com/embed/c2EIDPpzXUE
The alias of Danish cellist, singer and composer Cæcilie Trier, CTM exudes a deft and gentle musical touch that bridges the worlds of classical composition, modern folk, and experimental pop. Released across two stunning albums – the most recent of which came out this winter via Posh Isolation – her soulful songs feature soft and spontaneous vocals that drift across a soothing palette of acoustic guitar and string instrumentation, electronic sound bites and digital ephemera.
→ https://www.youtube.com/embed/PJl0g-9_GlY