Unlearn your shoegaze from space rock, drum n’ bliss from glitch n’ beat, ethereal from experimental as hybrid band Sweet Trip demonstrates uniqueness by blurring such definitions yet again. Their newest record: You Will Never Know Whyis an auditory jigsaw puzzle - a collection of analog and digital pieces forming a soundscape that sympathizes with the human ability to cope when life splinters painfully upon itself.
Until Velocity:Design:Comfort, which was praised by fans and critics as XLR8R, arshot-Online, All Music Guide, and Opuszine, Sweet Trip’s music was primarily characterized by aloofness, left brain unpredictability, hard electronic glitches,
minimal lyrics, minimal vocals, and dancey programming. You Will Never Know Why
however, sits on the right, featuring less chaos, more intimacy from the artists, and clearer straightforward instrumentation. Heaven forbid, we hear actual lyrics and live drums. It is a record truer to pop or rock, however fans of the innovative Sweet Trip trademark sound will be relieved to know that the glitchy, bleepy and dreamy elements have not been abandoned altogether, but are arranged in a much more delicate, ornate and balanced form. This is Sweet Trip’s most confident and melodiously focused album to date. A favorite amongst its rather eccentric members, Roby Burgos (vocals, guitars, synths, programming) Valerie R. Cooper (vocals, guitars, synths), Aaron Porter (bass) and newly joined, Rob Uytingco (drums).
Thirteen lucky tracks complete Sweet Trip’s third full length album. What makes You Will Never Know Why special is that it is not another clichéd, independently produced
low budget pop record. The album is very sophisticated. The intelligent, understated lyrics are far from trite. Songs are laden with groovy pulsing bass lines, and there is both a Bossa, Latin and post-punk feel to the songs. There are beautiful chords, immaculate sounding acoustic guitars, complex rhythms, odd time signatures, dramatic and interesting melodic changes, lush strings, and highly imaginative sound effects. So much goes on with the Sweet Trip sound you couldn’t possibly tire out after a thousand listens.
CONSERVATION OF TWO kicks off the album with testosterone injected bass lines, not angry mind you, but forceful and fearless. The drum beats race perfectly with the bass, like an earthquake tearing through the ground. “Face. Guard Those Eyes from the Gloom,” wise vocalizations backed by a shimmery progression of half clean, half
distorted fender guitars, all necessary to elevate you from the sinking cracked earth.
MISFORTUNES ARE CRUEL: Modernized New Order? Or a cousin to Broadcast’s
“America’s Boy?” It is the record’s most “electronic” song, with Sweet Trip waving its usual magic wand creating a synthesized spell of pulsing beat programs, throbbing bass lines, glittering arpeggios, crystallizing sound effects. The guitars are simple but memorable.
TO THE MOON: Sort of post-punk, marvelous track, pay attention to the dramatic changes--this is what Sweet Trip is so good at! This is a song that will make your feet move uncontrollably, your breathing irregular because of the beauty of the strings and the thrill of the guitars. Hit the repeat button again and again and rock on!
FOREVER: Dark and contemplative, heavy drum beats, sounds and keyboards have
a rather vintage, Wurlitzer feel, deep and impactful and velvety. The song is short but impressive, and again, truly rocks.
ACTING: Complex drums, Bossa Nova influences, odd time signatures, driving
beats and complex arrangements. The guitars, keeping up with the odd
time signatures are all too exhilarating. This is the longest song
in the album but you wish it would never end. Epic. A million
exclamation points!!!!!!!!!
You Will Never Know Why is released under Darla Records Catalog #DRL222 and will available at Darla Records, iTunes, and most music vendors.
About Sweet Trip:
Sweet Trip will tour and DJ throughout the USA extensively.
Sweet Trip will continue releasing music under Darla and other labels (CD,
Net labels, download-only self-releases)
New Song When The Sunrise Dies, So Does The Echo Of Your Voice
will be featured in an upcoming Little Darla Has A Treat For You, Volume 27.
Sweet Trip has toured, collaborated, and remixed artist like Cornelius, Takako Minekawa, DJ Me DJ You, Arling and Cameron, Buffalo Daughter, Momus, The Strokes, Club 8, Windy & Carl, Mates of State, Aisler's Set, Halou, Junior Varsity KM, Julie Plug, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Rook Vallard, Color Filter, The Year Zero, among others.
Sweet Trip has also been featured in publications like SOMA, The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, Losing Today, Erasing Clouds, Spin, Alternative Press, Magnet, Giant Robot, and XLR8R.
Dsco (Velocity:Design:Comfort) appeared on an episode of The Bionic Woman
on NBC. Sweet Trip will target other media such as commercials and movie soundtracks.
Palomar (Alura EP) was featured on the official trailer for the 22nd San Francisco International Asian America Film Festival.
Contact Information:Email: info@sweet-trip.net
Web: http://www.sweet-trip.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sweettrip
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Trip/29182779048
Darla Records: http://www.darla.com