Pleasure Systems is the new project of Clarke Sondermann, better known as the person behind The Washboard Abs (who we like a lot). In addition to his own output, Sondermann also releases music through a DIY cassette label, Reflective Tapes. Based in Olympia, WA, the label draws inspiration from “80’s/90’s indie rock labels such as Merge, K, Simple Machines etc. as well as modern imprints such as Rok Lok, Lost Sound Tapes and Bakery Outlet,” aspiring to maintain “a strong connection to punk/radical communities while showcasing creative indie rock music.”
The first Pleasure Systems release is this collection of six songs, what Sondermann describes as “october demos / crush songs”. Fans of his other band will be glad to know that things don’t sound too drastically different, just with a minimal dream pop vibe. The first track, ‘hurt’, opens cautiously, the song putting out its feelers before slowly emerging, Sondermann’s vocals sounding like a late-night answerphone message playing to an empty room. ‘orchard’ has the same poetic lyrics and soft and muffled intimacy of my favourite Washboard Abs songs, while ‘mt dew’ has a wurlitzer-style background synth, which teamed with the vocals bring to mind a gentler version of Owen Ashworth’s various guises.
“all i want is a quiet life
a bed and a blanket and you by my side”
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The mere 20 words that make up the lyrics on ‘colorblind’ somehow manage to conjure an entire scene, more emotion than most bands get from ten verses (“rain is falling, i don’t mind /
hear me calling, no reply / see the clouds glow, colorblind / winter circles, stay inside”), while the title track has a subdued and gauzy clarity that reminds me a little of the later Trouble Books stuff. Closer ‘the knife’ brings a fearless meditation on death, Sondermann’s vocals sombre over plaintive guitar and slowly gathering atmospherics, creating the same melancholy vibe we heard on The Washboard Abs’s The Beaming.
“when it finally comes i’ll stay in place
when the light comes down i’ll show my face
i don’t think i’ve ever been afraid
i don’t think it matters anyway “
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Lowland Sigh is out on cassette on the 3rd February on cassette via Reflective Tapes and you can pre-order it now, or you can get the digital release from the Pleasure Systems Bandcamp page. While you’re in the neighbourhood, why not check out the Reflective Tapes back catalogue to quench your punk/radical-linked indie rock thirst?
P.S. There’s a new Washboard Abs album on the way, and some demos to check out in the meantime! Do it!