There's a side to Thrill Jockey that aims to rattle cages and for those willing, achieve enlightenment. Among it there are gurus like Nick Bindeman of Eternal Tapestry, Sun Araw, and Kid Millions who use music as a opportunity for transcendence.
Experimental maestros Kid Millions and Bobby Matador of Oneida operated their side project, People of the North, loosely from 2003 to 2010 when they released Deep Time. Since that record, the presence of People of the North held steady as an entity, while the music remained in a fractured experimental state. On album opener “Drama Class” fuzzy feedback greets you at the door and steals your wallet. Amidst the scuzzy drone, Kid Millions flexes at the skins with a percussive eraticism. This is your entrance into the house of a rising sun, stripped of your belongings, and only the electrified pulse of an industrious hum to keep you company.
We can't tell you what comes after “Drama Class”, that would be cheating you of the thrill in discovery. All you may know, is that in those nine minutes of experimental wow meditation is not advised – rather discouraged actually. People of the North aren't interested in you slipping into a catatonic haze. Their entrance into Sub Contra is about awakenings, particularly those that come as a jolt.
People of the North's Sub Contra is out June 11 on Thrill Jockey.
