by Wes Muilenburg (@purityolympics)
Patience is a virtue. Silence can hurt. These seem to be beliefs held close to the hearts of Rebecca Orchard and Rupert Thomas of Erasers. The Perth duo burrow deeper into their mantra-based songs on their latest EP Distance (released via Moon Glyph), embedding a third -nce word in their world. Consistency has been rewarding them for nearly a decade; each song is an asteroid among a cluster held together by their gravity. Shortly after their last record on Fire Talk (April’s aptly titled Constant Connection), Erasers offer a follow-up dose of space and synths. Distance has them leaning into ambiance and elegant instrumentals.
The glue for Erasers is Orchard’s voice. The interplay of their synth and guitar with Thomas’ forms a sturdy basis for peaceful and ambitious kosmiche, but the peculiar wonder in the melodies set it apart. Opener “Patiently” paves a path of infinite waiting with a naturalist’s acceptance. The band opts for a stately, TRON-like entrance, chasing the thread of their recent work. Without any regard for the plans we form and without exception, the water will continue to divide, and the evening will continue to come.
A majority of Distance wanders through forests of fragmented phrases and never feels lost. Lyrical curtness dances along light percussion and drum machines. Thomas and Orchard hydrate their songs with an approximate amount of nourishment. Adventures in compositional length grow until the perfect moment for the trimming of the branches. The title track is structured in a grasping vacuum before drifting into the EP’s seven-minute “Stillness Came.” Stretching loops blend cliffsides of synths and puncture arpeggios with hypnosis. By pulling from Steve Roach, Super Nintendo, and even CHVRCHES, Erasers fit snugly in the cavern of their music.
The surrounding environment is a clear conduit for the band. They let the wind and ocean strengthen “Evening Signs” and erode “In Shadow.” Orchard approaches her singing from a sparse, beautiful corner of the desert that is nevertheless full of life. The soundscapes expand and contract like an exhalation, flowing from point to point. Even as ceaseless mileage lies between so much of the world, Erasers protest in favor of the interconnectedness of everything. Acceptance is dug out of the sand, waves sinking around your ankles.