Photo via Facebook / CRLSS
If you’ve ever ventured down the rabbit hole that is Milwaukee music on streaming service Bandcamp, you’ve likely run across a plethora of experimental, electronic releases. This is mainly a construct of home recording technology, which has made the creation and DIY distribution of lo-fi, drone, and noise projects easier than ever before. Among the many names that you’ll see is CRLSS, the moniker of electronic producer Ryan King, who also releases music under the name Goldbloc. For the latest release from his main project, Memory Tap Scars, the focus shifts from electronic to a more shoegaze, indie rock sound, aside from opening track “Honey Says” and mid-EP cut “Aye.” It’s a shift that King says he’s wanted to make for some time.
“There’s two songs on this EP that are outlandishly not appropriate for the track listing” explains King. “Then within the rest of the project are songs that I worked on for a long time that hadn’t come together, mainly because I hadn’t had time until recently. Now I’m focusing on more of the songwriting, and then trying to make that cohesive in a project. Those two songs break up the heaviness of the lyrical content otherwise.”
The project is CRLSS’ third release of the year, complimenting March’s Poly and April release 808’s & a Lack of Faith. The previous two efforts have been heavier on the experimental side of things, though there has been a concerted effort to move closer into the dream pop space that King drifts toward on the new EP. While this collection of songs embraces guitars over glitch, it’s only the first volume of what CRLSS is ultimately shifting within his sound.
“There were 30 songs originally for Memory Tap Scars, and I scraped it down to seven” said King. “There’s many still to be worked on, but I wanted the ones that were not electronically based at all to be cohesive from start to finish, sliding in seamlessly. There’s many songs on it that I loved, but just didn’t fit.”
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Prior to the pandemic, CRLSS had been taking his improv-heavy electronic set out to various clubs around the city. With this release, there also is a plan to translate the grungier sounding songs into a proper live show. King says that he is currently working on making those transitions work well in the context of a streaming set before ultimately playing out when shows continue to happen once again.
“I’ve been practicing a set of the EP, straight through.” said King. “I think that everyone internationally had to learn how to stream, since there are no shows. Once I get this 25-minute set that feels true to the record, I’m going to create an event of sorts featuring the live set of the new album.”
Memory Tap Scars is currently available on all streaming services.
