Whoever says that they have everything under control is a blatant liar. There is no freedom from the tyrannical will of emotions, and Clash Valian’s newest release is a testament to that statement. It’s not something to dread though, rather to embrace, and “Degrees of Freedom” takes the listeners straight into the confusing kaleidoscopic realm in which our fleeting decisions are to be born. Welcome to the essence of being a human – take some time off, grab a good beverage and open your mind to one hell of a journey!
ORDER “DEGREES OF FREEDOM” ON BANDCAMP NOW!
Clash Valian aka Greg Merrell is a Seattle-based composer and producer for whom genres and styles are just what lego bricks are for the future architect. No single genre would be sufficient to describe this artist. So, while the first glimpse shows potent, DIY-influenced garage rock sensibility, a deeper gaze reveals a whole universe rearranged by the will of the artist and representing just about as wide array of things.
In addition to that, Clash Valian also incorporates a huge variety of musical instruments from the common and known ones to highly obscure traditional instruments. On “Degrees of Freedom” there’s over 20 unique instruments that could be heard in its diffuse ethereal emotion-driven songs.
The new album is home to 20 songs meant to be listened to as one piece for a cohesive experience, as most of the individual tune’s flow into one another, lending elements to each other. It’s as chaotic as a mind can be, while also introducing an almost tangible atmosphere that one could step into and look around in as a visitor.
Theme-wise it’s almost like a library in terms of diversity, and the individual themes approached by the lyrics are also supported by occasional voice samples. Radio broadcasts that also infect the rest of the song, big vocal emotions that take over the stage, and lounging atmospheric indie rock are just some examples of what can be heard on the record.
STREAM NOW!
“This is a pretty all encompassing musical experience for me truly. I love a lot of genres and styles of music so for me it was a really fun experiment to try to fuse those all within my life experiences, musical experiences, and storytelling that I have been passionate about. I have learned a lot of different instruments over the course of my musical careers and travels and the album explores all the different aspects that have really rubbed off on me.
For example, there’s a guzheng 古筝 this 21 string Chinese instrument that sort of sounds like a harp that I learned to play when I was living in southern China and shows up on “Empty Riot”, and along a similar theme explored some of those foreigner-like experiences in the song lyrics of “Dragon’s Backbone” by singing in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
Additionally, have traveled to Brazil a couple times for work and something about the musical culture down there, Tropicalia style music really nudged me to create more of a “jungle” feeling kind of bridge in “Thick and Thin” with a lot of aux percussion kalimba, cabassa, shaker, klaves.”
Clash Valian
What is really refreshing is Clash Valian’s use of his own vocals. It’s not just a method of broadcasting the lyrics, but also a vessel to introduce those emotions that were not perhaps possible to be conveyed by words. Through brief falsetto and screams on the distant long vocal notes in “Sirius”, the artist gazes into the empty vacuum of space inhabited by the desire to explore poorly balanced by homesickness.
On “Warplane” there’s boldness in vocals designed to intentionally barely mask the intense fear of death and the longing to get back to the family and away from the life-destroying war and this position as a warplane pilot. In some ways, his vocal works are as if Damon Albarn decided to try his hand in garage rock, and that undoubtedly makes for a highly captivating listen.
Emotion-wise the release is not really an easy listen, especially when you listen to the lyrics that pour out the turmoil in an effortless stream to be heard and absorbed. That, however, is what makes the album worthy of a listen, as it’s more of a journey designed to make you feel what the songs bring on board. From what society cares about in “607 Custom House”, to the chemical warfare within oneself in “Endocannabinoids”, to the astronaut slowly losing what they once knew so well in “Moonlander”, there’s a lot to absorb…
Find yourself a little over an hour, sit back and enjoy the record, and be prepared to be hit quite hard!
Listen to “Degrees of Freedom” now on your favourite platforms!
Clash Valian reveals full-length record “Degrees of Freedom”, a captivating visit to the chaos of human emotions
Stream on Spotify NOW! https://t.co/mBXW4Op35F#LessThan1000Followers #IndieOnly #AlterindieStateOfMind #BLOGLT1KF #DebutBandsOffTheRadar #UnknownButEssentials pic.twitter.com/FtzWIXTRCM
— Jpgchief (@Jpgchief) March 25, 2024
Don’t forget to support this project and follow Clash Valian on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. If you enjoy this music and can provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
You can find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Female Rising Stars, 12 New Songs This Week, Debut Bands (Off The Radar), Sickest & Dopest, and Unknown but Essentials!
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and brand-new music, subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers, and follow the Playlist with all the artists we have presented here!
If you enjoy this track don’t forget to give it a green heart when you’re on Spotify and add it to your favorite playlist. This little action not only saves the track on your music library but also will help the artist, you know that the game’s name for us is “support”. Thank you!!!
FOR MORE DEBUT ALBUMS CLICK HERE
