Our album of the month comes straight off the banks of the Mersey, in the form of The Vryll Society debut, Course Of The Satellite. It’s been long in the making from the Deltasonic signed scousers, and their patience has paid off. Released 10th August 2018, Course Of The Satellite is like hyper-galactic travel through psychedelia, with influences from hip-hop, funk, rock n roll and more.
This is space-age noise for the not-so-distant move to Mars. And similar to of life we’ll live on Mars, all beneath the surface, The Vryll Society’s debut resides in a dark, contained space. But don’t expect simplicity. The album has all sorts lurking within its dark corners – guitar riffs like shadows which follow the beat, surge and then fade, elusive yet ever-present. Trying to pin down The Vryll Society sound would be like trying to catch the smoke from a sesh-monkey’s last joint at 5.30am. Tough, fun, and pretty dark.
Expect an atmosphere you won’t have experienced before. Imagine yourself floating, all slow-motion spirals and spins around a dark, moody galaxy and you’ll get close. For those who are already fans, you’ll recognise tracks like Coshh (part of the Bonus CD) and Andrei Rublev from earlier releases, and you can expect similar quality from the full tracklist. The boys at The Vryll Society know what they’re doing and they know what they like. So, don’t expect a jump into anything consumer-driven or record-deal pleasing. The trademark psychedelic sound reigns supreme but with added groove. Course Of The Satellite is an eclectic little number, mixing funk, hip-hop, and ambient with guitar hooks and pushy percussion. The result? An all-in-one bliss, dizzying and manic soundscape.
In an interview with Skiddle, The Vryll Society gave some insight into their process:
“We’re not really a pop band or a singles band. Although we can do that, we’re more of an album band. We would have liked to have put this album out straight after the first EP but financially we couldn’t do that. Thankfully though someone has seen the massive potential we’ve got and now and it’s full steam ahead.”
(https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Vryll-Society-interview-A-Perfect-Rhythm/32113/)
This writer has been a fan since the first Vryll Society tracks started making their way online, however, it wasn’t until 2016 he saw them live at Festival No 6. The Lost In The Woods stage ran by EVOL, was a hot-spot for all the best noises coming out of Liverpool, and The Vryll Society were one of the best of the bunch.
Their live shows ooze attitude and confidence, as with most who are destined for great things. What’s more important though is a respect for rehearsal and practice. The boys themselves agree that signing to Deltasonic has helped them recognise the need for putting in the hours and this clearly shows. With plenty of key changes, tempo-switches and instrumentals, there’s no room for hiding. Fortunately, they don’t need to.
In their interview with Skiddle, the Liverpool band made nods to inspiration from outside of the music scene. Think Stanley Kubrick, Jean Luc Godard, Hunter S Thompson and ‘anyone who’s cool really’ and you’ll understand exactly why their sound seems so mature for their relative youth. The reason they like these kinds of people? Because they’re the best in their fields, and that’s what The Vryll Society want to be too. With such a strong debut, the whole gang at Urbanista think they may very well achieve that dream.
Check out Course Of The Satellite via Spotify and get yourself to a gig.
https://en-gb.facebook.com/TheVryllSociety/
The Vryll Society Spotify
Tracklist:
1. Course Of The Satellite
2. A Perfect Rhythm
3. Andrei Rublev (Full Mix)
4. Glows And Spheres
5. Tears We Cry
6. When The Air Is Hot
7. The Light At The Edge Of The World
8. Shadow Of A Wave
9. Soft Glue
10. Inner Life
11. Give In To Me
CD Bonus Disc
1 Cosh
2 Self Realization
3 Deep Blue Skies
4 Beautiful Faces
