Consisting of Manon Raupp and Daniel Selig from Toulouse, Docks is a duo that makes instrumental music something like a fuzzy brand of slowcore (or ‘snoozepop’, according to their Bandcamp page). The result is something at once grand and languid, the guitars weaving a wide ocean over which we float and bob in somnambulant motion, while also conjuring a sense of the size and depth, as though that around and beneath us is worthy of respect and awe.
This month sees Docks put out their first self-released cassette EP, Montseny, which they recorded in Barcelona with Xavier Nadal (of Grushenka) at Binary Emotions Records. As referenced above, the power of the Docks sound is their ability to balance dreamy, hospitable soundscapes while retaining a sense of size and space. Opener ‘Ressac’ is a case in point, the lazy, tidal flow idling with tropical haze, the atmosphere punctuated by brief moments of energy, the guitars coalescing into something more dramatic and moody.
Lead single ‘Defeat’ picks up these threads and develops them further, channelling something of a post-rock expansiveness with its added reverb. The result is a far more brooding vibe, the constant rhythm imparting a serious urgency underlined with yearning. ‘Train’ is not as stark, but still occupies a more pensive state, the track playing out under a wistful cloud until the spiky motion of the closing period, while ‘Momentum’ emerges brighter and more upbeat, its springy rhythm leading us by the hand. However, closer ‘Hyperspectrale’ drops the tempo in favour of a new-found vividness, like melancholic longing rendered in rich, almost tactile textures. The conclusion of the song ramps up once more, the guitars rising above the drums in great soaring crests, finishing the release on its most cathartic, affirming note.
We’re really happy to be share this little beauty a few days early, so grab your best headphones and dive in below: