by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
We all know those classic split 7” records where in addition to a new song, the pair of bands offer a cover of one another, a testament to the camaraderie of a good split. With their matter of factly titled Split out later week (October 4th to be exact), Glasgow’s Dancer and Portland’s Whisper Hiss take things a step further, opting to make videos for one another in support of their second singles, “Didn’t Mean To” and “Go Again,” two songs that capture each band’s breezy art pop jangle. Released via HHBTM Records (Outer World, The Ladybug Transistor, The Primitives), Split is a full length record, with each band offering up six new songs, pairing the mutant disco exuberance of Dancer and the jittery pop deconstruction from Whisper Hiss.
“Didn’t Mean To” bounces with a spring loaded energy, a song that attempts to relax as the walls crumble down. Reminiscent to the ultra taut post-punk chirp of Life Without Buildings, Dancer dig into their hypnotic structures with cutting hooks and a rhythmic pulse that feels genuinely giddy for most of the song. Whisper Hiss’ “Go Again” has more of a romanticism to its composition, riding upon fluid synths and hazy new wave tonality. There’s a touch of B-52s in their DNA, but the quartet play a bit more subtle than that reference might suggest, opting to make swarming technicolor punk that you can dance to.
Speaking about the video, Dancer’s Gemma Fleet shared:
“I chatted with Whisper Hiss and we were sure that we wanted to include our cities in the videos. There are parallels between the cities, both have a vibrant music scene and legacy and both are a draw for creative people. For the “Go Again” video I wanted to capture some of the less known bits of Glasgow, just following an every day walk into town. It looks rather grey next to Portland but hopefully captures the vibe, when we do get a bit of sunshine it’s glorious.”
Rhiannon Flowers of Whisper Hiss added:
“When Mike from HHBTM had the idea that both bands make each other’s videos for this single release, I thought it would be fun to make a shirt with Gemma from Dancer on it and wear it around Portland. My wife Alisha and my bandmate Meredith [Butner] followed me around town, filming at different local spots to capture the mix of momentum and emotionality that we felt were at “Didn’t Mean To”’s core. It’s got a wistful but very forward motion engine powering the song, so we tried to really reflect all that. There are some Easter eggs in the vid as well- with some shots of the 5 of hearts playing card, which is the object that represents Gemma on the record cover of Split.”