The first release in a planned series from indie physical media label Dead Currencies, Reflectors, Vol. 1 is a traditional split record, with a separate side dedicated to each of two bands. The result is, in effect, two complementary EPs by distinctly weird garage rock bands.
Reverse Death’s contribution is a spacey, psychedelic one, dripping with analog warmth and organic warbles. Sometimes chilling is the Seattle group’s gentle use of vocal harmonies – Lillies on the Water is the standout example of this – amid sparse instrumentation, it’s pure Pet Sounds. On the same track, Reverse Death utilises harmonic drones in place of loose drumbeats to elicit its wide-open, natural, and wondrous magic.
On the other hand, Oruã’s tense and intoxicating offering is darker, deeper, and fuzzier. Ripper Maldição features a suffocating instrumental jam while opener De Se Envolver is driven by a dubby, relentless bass pulse and overlapping vocal lines. If Reverse Death’s side is meditative, Oruã’s is paranoid, frantic, ruminant, and brooding. Meticulous melodies over jazzy chord choices and visceral rhythms make for comparisons to Palm. Each song is a masterpiece, and even on the closing track, Nancy, a glitchy half-minute loop, Oruã manages to set the foundations for a compelling groove.
On Reflections, Vol. 1, both bands lay claim to the title of ‘wonky-crunchy-sinister-warmth-groovers’ but they do it in vastly different ways, which is what makes the release as a whole so captivating. My advice: spin, flip, and repeat ad infinitum.
Oruã
Reverse Death
Written by Dominic Coulon
