SWARMS
It is now 2011. Dubstep has so many shapes, to think of it as a mere two syllable phrase almost begs redefinition. As a clear counterpoint to the more garish elements of the sound, many have emerged who with their own vision have shown all the possibilities inherit within that small phrase. 2009 and 2010 saw Clubroot emerge as a figurehead on this movement, with two full lengths of a grandeur that will forever be part of the conversation on such a topic. 2011 will, as such, be the domain of Swarms, a group which has like none other before demonstrated the textures and emotional impact possible when combining the analog and physical elements of guitar based musics with low frequency driven electronica.
Swarms is a three piece originally from Malvern, UK. Sam and Pete came from a diverse background of post rock, electronica, shoegaze and ambiance, whilst Tom was more into electronic dance music, such as drum and bass and Dubstep. after introducing Sam and Pete to the deeper sides of these sounds the three in question decided to merge their ideas and Swarms is what came about. A few tracks where created just for fun, and Pete sent them to a few radio stations which resulted in Mary Anne Hobbs, always able to sift through the massive piles of ideas and sounds submitted to her and identify the few of true genius, playing"Never Step On Me" on her radio 1 show, and again on the road at Sonar, and on from there. Then came the release of"I Gave You Everything" on FTW Records which added to this initial spark, with 90,000 youtube views in just over a year. Step forward to present, and to Rob Booth's podcast Electronic Explorations, which is seen by many as the absolute Vanguard of quality, forward thinking electronic music of all genres. The February 2011 release of a Swarms EE mix is a runaway success, with downloads in the 40k range.
As a matter of course, the trio decided to move to Bristol where there's a much larger music community than malvern ( a small country town) and then released a second EP on subdepth records, also based in Bristol. It was only after that that Swarms felt they had found their own sound and this is where the concept of the album grew. apart from the previous EP's, Old Raves End is as leant to the character traits of Sam and Pete as it is that of Tom. On first hearing it, many may think with its subtle guitar and work and lush, spectral vocal accompaniment, that it is away from the realm of Dubstep altogether. However, one would need only to focus on the drums to see its true singularity.
