It’s a new year and it’s a real pleasure to be kicking 2025 off with a single release from one of my favourite labels, Blackjack Illuminist. Regular readers of the blog will know that this is the label run by musical powerhouse Alexander Donat. He has multiple projects on the go such as Fir Cone Children and Vlimmer. Now he is beginning this new year with the latest signing to his roster.
AIMING is the work of York-based trio David, Jordan and Laurie. Formed in late 2023, they draw on a love of shoegaze, post-punk and ambient music to create songs filled with driving bass lines, fuzzy electronic soundscapes and ethereal guitars. Their debut single, ‘Calculations’ was featured on Tom Robinson’s 6 Music Introducing mixtape.
2024 saw them play a series of shows across England in York, Leeds, Middlesbrough and London, including two BBC Introducing York & North Yorkshire live sessions.
They are kicking off their assault on 2025 with their debut EP called The Legend. Before that drops they’re treating us to a digital release of the lead track ‘Brainiac’.
I asked the band to tell us what we can expect from this single.
“The song combines wall-of-sound guitars with fuzzy lo-fi synths and harmony-rich vocals, underpinned by a driving bass line and heavily saturated 80s-inspired snares.”
“Lyrically, Brainiac explores the anxiety of growing up in a small town and feeling like you don’t quite fit in. The song was recorded, produced and mixed by the band in David’s home studio in York, using a combination of analogue and modular synths, drum machines, bass, guitar and far too many pedals”.
Let’s dive in!
The track opens on some distorted spoken word then the pulse of bass and drums brings the groove in. The dual vocals are sublime, like butter they melt over the chiming guitars and icy synths. In places I’m reminded of the atmosphere The Cure create and in others that dreamy approach Slowdive take. In the second verse I love how they mix up both the vocal harmonies and bassline to up the stakes and really grab our attention. When the song ends it leaves you wanting to to hit play and listen again. Which I know you’ll do until the rest of the EP drops on 7th February 2025.
Brainiac will be released digitally via the Blackjack Illuminist Bandcamp page on January 10th 2025.
You can follow AIMING on social media here…
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