UTR Presents
It is universally agreed that Wax Chattels are a must-see live act and their eponymous debut album captured this perfectly. Their hypnotically sinister debut was released in May 2018 and was supported by six months of relentless touring: a NZ tour, two tours of Australia, a stint in the UK and two major North American tours. The album reached #7 on the Official New Zealand Album Charts, and album release week saw the title feature as #1 in Rough Trades ‘Top 20 New Releases and AV Clubs most anticipated album. The albums success at home and abroad led to the well-deserved nomination of Best Alternative Artist at the 2018 New Zealand Music Awards, as well as the bands inclusion in the coveted shortlist of finalists for the Taite Music Prize and Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award. After a knock-out debut, the anticipation that surrounds their sophomore album, Clot, is immense.
Much like their debut, the writing process for Clot took the best part of a year. While some songs, like Glue and Efficiency were written on the road in 2018, the bulk of the album was workshopped throughout 2019 across bedrooms and storage containers. The demos were fine-tuned before taking them to the studio to be recorded. Wax Chattels maintained the use of only the barest of ingredients — bass guitar, keyboard, and a two-piece drum kit — but the group spent more time experimenting with and finding new sounds for this record. They wanted to maintain the same live element as in their debut, but, this time, heavier — for which they enlisted the help of mixing engineer, and fellow noise-maker, Ben Greenberg (Uniform, Destruction Unit, The Men). The keyboard sounds are noticeably thicker and the bass more intense. A marked step-up, this new record keeps the visceral energy of the debut, only this time they dig deeper into cathartic noise.
During their intensive week of recording, the band was noise-controlled several times by neighboring businesses, despite the full-time studio being completely sound insulated. The irony of these complaints is that they also came from music industry professionals: There is very loud horror music coming through the walls again — is this going to last all day Yesterday there was someone screaming all day. Its very disruptive for our offices work environment.
Clots inspiration — or, rather, frustration — came from the doomy, gloomy corners of Aucklands underbelly, and the theme of confrontation is central. Mindfulness is about willingly tricking yourself into band-aid solutions; merely accepting the status quo rather than kicking up a fuss and forcing tangible change. The vitriolic choruses of Cede are in Chengs native language — Taiwanese Hokkien — and are an indignant confrontation about Cross-Strait relations and self-determination. The experience of being a first generation immigrant and not having a personal relationship with extended family is expressed in the melodic single No Ties. The song touches on cultural differences and the parental sacrifice of careers and support systems to provide a better future for their children. The explosive arc of Efficiency describes knowing when to bide your time, and when to push, in which the band treads a line between the explicit and intuitive. Less is More fumes with the frustration caused by the selective memories of others. The violent fantasies in Spanners & Implements suggest a more literal interpretation of these themes. This is carried through An Eye, in which the band stresses the physical harm and psychological breakdown emanating from the escalating racial and political uproar throughout the world.
Still, though the band seethes and boils throughout, Clot concludes with a message of hope. On the final track, You Were Right, Ruddell expresses an aspiration toward alternative viewpoints: wading through the noise and chatter, ultimately being able to accept the opinions of others, albeit after careful consideration. Perhaps its this capacity for self-awareness that makes Wax Chattels one of New Zealands most treasured independent exports.
Auckland/Galatos links below
