On ‘Drifter’, concrete concrete mirror their own personal lives by telling the story of a restless soul who anxiously leaves its past life for a new destination. The atmospheric eleven-song narrative sways gently from euphoria to melancholia – and then back again – as the main character gradually transitions from a place of chaos and confusion to a new setting in which peace and self-realisation can, and do, occur.
Speaking about the record Pei Pang (guitar) says, “It is a story about the life that’s constantly on the move, where uncertainty and determination play tug of war. It’s often struggles to seek belonging, with occasional glitters of joy and fragments of nostalgia along the way. Eventually, we accept and make peace with where we are and what we have become.”
Formed in 2016, members of the instrumental rock band concrete concrete wandered twelve time zones from home to meet in the vibrant music scene of Brooklyn, New York. Andi Wang and Pei Pang founded concrete concrete after attending the same college. They soon recruited bassist Kenji Tokunaga and drummer Kiyoshi Chinzei. Spurred by their passion for exploring new territory within their favourite genres, concrete concrete embarked on a series of explosive live shows around New York (supporting the likes of Alex Cameron, Caveman and Zhaoze) and intense songwriting sessions that would soon result in ‘Drifter’.
It wasn’t long before they caught the ear of Mino Takaaki, member of Japanese math-rock heroes’ toe. Mino and Kentaro Kimura, the original duo who produced toe’s critically acclaimed cult favourite album ‘the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety’, mixed and mastered ‘Drifter’.
The second single from the record, ‘Iris Sky’, perfectly exemplifies the bands beguiling dynamic. Whereas many math-rock bands focus solely on angular rhythms and complex time signatures, concrete concrete strive to imbue emotion into their material. Whilst the ability to convey readily decipherable meaning into instrumental rock is limited, the context of ideas and themes in which songs are created can permeate the music, making it the carrier of more abstract notions of meaning.
‘Drifter’ is as expansive as it is beautiful, exploring a narrative that journeys through the bands emotional and mental condition on incredibly touching subjects, which evoke feelings of empathy and also attainment. This is a record that requires attention and is one that rewards the listener more and more with every return. Like the nameless character from this debut record, ‘Drifter’ shows that there is much to be excited about on this innovative start of concrete concrete’s journey.
concrete concrete
‘Drifter’
1. Departure
2. But I Still
3. Sequence Rewind
4. Foes
5. Hues
6. The Cassette
7. I Glance Through The Light
8. Iris Sky
9. If Time Has A Turning Point
10. Arrival
11. Reverie
concrete concrete is:
Andi Wang (Guitar)
Pei Pang (Guitar)
Kenji Tokunaga (Bass)
Kiyoshi Chinzei (Drums)
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