High Places (USA)

High Places is Mary Pearson and Rob Barber, NY natives bringing an exquisite corpse approach to dream-pop. Utilising folk percussion instruments, guitar duets turned into treated samples, and percussive lines created from the manipulation of household objects, High Places have expanded their sound over the course of myriad singles, their 2008 self-titled album and 2010's High Places vs. Mankind. Their sound is evocative of walking through a rainforest, although imagine the trees equipped with organic subwoofers and Mary Pearson's vocals floating through the foliage.

Their latest High Places vs. Mankind (Thrill Jockey) sees them "tackling the complex, gigantic subject of being human and what it’s like to interact with other human beings." Guitars feature more prominently, and the subject matter moves from the ethereal to the more elemental; relationships, overcoming addiction, aging and death. However, these more sombre tones are still couched in the trademark layers of beats, samples, and found instrumentation that made 2008's High Places so engaging.

2011 sees High Places returning to New Zealand after touring with Baltimore party wizard Dan Deacon back in 2009. Expect the unexpected from the live show, and as Barber puts it, “really [High Places] is just an escape for us to create sounds that make our environment a bit more comfy" (EMJ interview, Feb. 2009). Do not miss this opportunity to give your ears a wander though their uniquely crafted aural landscapes.

Strange News, Happy, and www.undertheradar.co.nz present High Places (USA).
Whammy (Auckland) - Fri Feb 4th - support from Sam Hamilton & DJ Chicago Slime
Happy (Wellington) - Sat Feb 5th - support from Glass Vaults

Event listed by happylisting

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