by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
In times like these we can all use a distraction. If we can escape reality for just a small portion of each day to zone out and truly lose ourselves in music, our resolve to continue fighting for what is right will only grow stronger. Let Aa (pronounced Big A little a) provide you with that momentary glimpse of relief. The Brooklyn band have been playing together for well over a decade at this point and while the line-up has shifted in the process, their focus remains the same. Set to release their new album ZebrAa on November 25th via Fire Talk Records, we're thrilled to share "Clocked," the album's second single.
The band's inspired rhythmic gymnastics are in fine form on "Clocked," a song built on jagged drums that shift time (and space) with a stuttering brilliance. The pounding beats create a dense landscape, thick like the forest and bustling with activity between the trees. Aa have a knack for manipulating polyrhythmic force and their onslaught of multi-drummer experimentation lends itself perfectly to their thundering brand of psych. It's not all clattering rhythms though, as primal vocal yelps and howls drift in and out of focus, buried beneath caterwauling synths and blaring sirens that cut the through the stampede. It's quintessential Aa, a dangerous and delightful mix of hypnotic wonder and dissonance. Welcome to the best three minutes of sonic tranquility you can ask for.