- Perila and Naemi go shoegaze on their new collaborative project.
- Berlin-based artists Perila and Naemi have individual knacks for pairing acoustic and electronic production techniques with intriguing results. Over the course of just a few records (and a whole lot of alluringy haphazard Bandcamp uploads), Perila has created a distinct style that melds ambient gloom with metallic IDM complexity. Naemi's solo work is similarly subdued and droning, but they've also explored heavy rock instrumentation in the post-nu metal band hoodie alongside Special Guest DJ. On Naemi and Perila's debut collaborative EP as baby bong, they lean into Sire Records-y shoegaze and dream pop—styles each member has subtly flirted with before, yet never fully embraced. This self-described "emo shoegazer stoner wall pop" release is haphazard in the best way, like some long-lost demo from a band that could have opened for Ride back in the early '90s.
baby bong is tied together with glassy guitar tones that lend the EP a blunted haze. It calls to mind Cocteau Twins, whose trebly 1993 cut "Know Who You Are At Every Age" is actually covered here. baby bong proves the memes wrong, putting an unusually intelligible spin on the Scottish band's bleary original arrangement. Opener "flying glass bread/bleed" pays homage to the Muffler track "Bleed," flipping the Finnish artist's electronic formula into jammy slowcore.
At first, baby bong struck me as a solid-but-goofy side project—the output of two friends having legitimate fun in the studio. But after spending some time digging into the EP, its more free-spirited elements make it distinctive, with an endearing sloppiness. This slipshod brilliance is especially strong on the murky title track, which closes the record on a brooding, hoodie-ish note. baby bong manages to subvert my preconceived notions about both artists involved, but doesn't feel like a novelty or chaotic detour.
The artists that run in the circle adjacent to labels like West Mineral Ltd and Motion Ward consistently straddle the line between reserved, clubwise cool and heady DIY show weirdness. It's rare that a release from that sphere employs traditional songwriting chops. In the same vein as their friend Ben Bondy's recent "indie rock" album, baby bong bring a semblance of song structure to an otherwise dissolute, often freeform scene. Together, Perila and Naemi are on their way to becoming experimental electronic music's coolest garage band.
Tracklist01. flying glass bread/bleed
02. spilling atmosphere
03. know who you are at every age
04. baby bong