AN ATMOSPHERIC, often haunting mix of folk guitar, indie-rock, electronica, vocals, and samples from film, TV, and other sources characterise The Coast is Clear, the new three-track 'Digital Cassingle' from underground Galway musician Loner Deluxe.
The Coast is Clear is the latest release on the independent Galway label Rusted Rail which marks the Loner's first release since 2008's Must Not Sleep, Must Warn Others/Lost & Found and is a diverse, intriguing, collection, with an unashamedly left-field approach to the creation of music.
Opening track 'Land And Sea' mixes Aphex Twin influenced electronic beats with gently picked acoustic guitar, creating a melancholy mood, with vocals by the multi-talented Swedish artist and songwriter Cecilia Danell giving the piece extra weight. Loner Deluxe (aka Keith Wallace ) has never been shy to proclaim his love of Krautrock, and he and So Cow's Brian Kelly have created a wonderfully warm, loose, and engaging homage to NEU! with 'How To Sleep Better'. Yet, they approach this form on their own terms - the beat is Kalus Dinger Motorik but Kelly's guitar combines indie-rock rawness, Velvets dissonance, and classic rock swagger to give things a fresh twist, before it suddenly changes into atonal violins and strings.
The Coast is Clear was mastered by Phantom Dog Beneath The Moon's Aaron Hurley. However, just what is a 'Digital Cassingle'? "It's too long to be a single and too short to be an EP," Keith says. "I decided to call it a Digital Cassingle just to muddy the waters a little, and to get people talking and listening."
This summer release will be followed by a winter sequel later in 2015 called Snowed Under, also containing three free songs. The Coast is Clear is available as a free download through rustedrail.bandcamp.com/album/the-coast-is-clear
