{"title":"Whitelands","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"night-bound-eyes-are-blind-to-the-day","title":"Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlbums of the Year 2024 - Number 64\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhitelands\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Black British shoegaze band, has released their debut album \u003cem\u003eNight-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day\u003c\/em\u003e. The London-based four-piece is part of the new generation of Black British guitar music, standing alongside Big Joanie and Bob Vylan. The band members - Etienne, Jagun, Vanessa, and Michael - approach the resurgent shoegaze genre from a unique angle due to their diverse musical backgrounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTheir lineup is fully PoC, challenging the traditional perception of the predominantly white genre. Vanessa remarks, \"There’s an underlying narrative that it’s OK for white men to be romantic, sensitive, emotional and make dreamy music and, by contrast, young Black men should be making angry music. We’ve all grown up with these stereotypes and therefore I think people are mystified when they see Whitelands.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEtienne shares, \"I consume a lot of media. Videogames, music, news, paintings, manga, animations and film are my go-to, especially anime. There is this drive to want to understand and feel the whole weight of an expression. So, the songs are based on other songs, pictures, aesthetics, ‘vibes’, an emotion someone else felt. Fundamentally, you are what you eat.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe album's lyrics are striking, addressing topics such as unbalanced relationships, vulnerability, depression, ADHD diagnosis, and the challenges of navigating love post-diagnosis. The album also features two poetically political songs - ‘Setting Sun’ and ‘Now Here’s The Weather’ - exploring themes of imperialism, racism, and performative ignorance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVanessa reflects, \"We’ve experienced tokenism, micro-behaviors, envy, and resentment. So we feel we have to continually prove ourselves. We know we’re making a positive impact, but I want Whitelands to really break some barriers.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sonic Cathedral","offers":[{"title":"Yellow LP | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50404850106699,"sku":"2173186","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Blue LP.","offer_id":50404844470603,"sku":"2173185","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Blue LP","offer_id":50404852040011,"sku":"2188134","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50404843094347,"sku":"2173184","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot_2024-01-04_at_13.14.10_30db4620_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1726571732"},{"product_id":"remixes-71","title":"Remixes","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhitelands follow their acclaimed single ‘Setting Sun’ – which saw the London-based band added to the BBC Radio 6 Music playlist – with their first ever vinyl release, an EP of reworkings, which is released as a limited edition orange vinyl 10”.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimply titled \u003ci\u003eRemixes\u003c\/i\u003e, the EP features two reworkings of ‘Setting Sun’ by dreampop legends A.R. Kane – the short Initiation Dub and the epic Hero Remix, which comes in three parts, titled Departure, Initiation and Return and takes the song to some unexpected and exciting new places.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Whitelands came up in conversation three times in a week,” explains A.R. Kane’s Rudy Tambala of how he got to know the band and came to remix them. “Two times is coincidence, three times is a conspiracy, so I reached out to them on social media, and we started chatting. They’re cool, like baby Kanes. ‘Setting Sun’ was close to my heart, reminding me of ‘Fools Gold’ meets Slowdive versus Frank Ocean. Anyway, I heard several approaches in my head, so I thought, ‘Fuck it, let’s do ’em all’.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I knew I wanted to take a prog approach: Marvin Gaye’s \u003ci\u003eWhat’s Going On\u003c\/i\u003e, Pink Floyd’s \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Side Of The Moon\u003c\/i\u003e, Sasha’s \u003ci\u003eInvolver2\u003c\/i\u003e, Coltrane’s \u003ci\u003eA Love Supreme\u003c\/i\u003e, Frank Ocean’s \u003ci\u003eBlond\u003c\/i\u003e, etc. Even my own \u003ci\u003esixty nine\u003c\/i\u003e. It’s that seamless drift from one part into the next, stretching the idea until it ruptures, creating space for a new way of perceiving; this has the first inklings of hive mind, telepathy, in a musical form; you dissolve into it as it dissolves into you. A fundamental dreampop construction and aim, whereby subject and object become one. Ahem.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As the extended mix took shape it suggested to me the three components of The Hero’s Journey, hence the titles. The three-minute pop song was determined by the technical limitations of the 7” vinyl single. Digital has obliterated that. The perfect \u003ci\u003edream\u003c\/i\u003epop song has no time limit. ‘Setting Sun’ A.R. Kane Hero Remix is timely.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlongside Rudy’s reworkings is an equally dazzling drum’n’bass take on last year’s single ‘How It Feels’ by the band’s guitarist Michael in his howdogirlssleep guise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Combining shoegaze and jungle was something I never thought of, but when I thought about remixing ‘How It Feels’ the song pretty much made itself,” he explains. “It’s such a sonically rich and emotionally capturing song already; the only thing I had to do was add drums that would enhance the track. I tried to create a feeling of transient energy in the song which the mix engineer, and my good friend, Reinaldo helped me to create. I hope people can shake their ass to this one.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“These remixes are an absolute dream!” concludes singer and guitarist Etienne. “Having a legend like Rudy doing this for us is very special. And also having Michael also exploring the experimental possibilities of ‘How It Feels’ is honestly such a great thing.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sonic Cathedral","offers":[{"title":"Orange 10\"","offer_id":50904747802955,"sku":"2023927","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/095esxIS_94a03583_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1732824898"},{"product_id":"sunlight-echoes","title":"Sunlight Echoes","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhitelands’ second album \u003cem\u003eSunlight Echoes\u003c\/em\u003e builds on their elemental debut – that won them fans from Slowdive to David Jonsson – with a more expansive sound that takes them out of the shoegaze shadows to somewhere bigger, better and brighter. Produced by long-time collaborator Ian Flynn and mixed by double Grammy Award-winner Eduardo De La Paz (New Order, The Horrors, The Charlatans, The KVB, Drug Store Romeos), there are soaring string arrangements (by Iskra Strings) and Lush guest vocals from labelmate Emma Anderson. “We’re coming back with a lot more maturity and realness,” says singer and guitarist Etienne Quartey-Papafio of their step up. “It shows in how much more emotional our music has become.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith maturity comes a new-found confidence, so not only are there stunning melodies everywhere, but Etienne’s vocals are front and centre throughout. “It’s been really cool to watch Etienne push through boundaries,” adds bassist Vanessa Govinden. “I like the direction we’ve taken on this album. We’re taking a risk. It’s half and half.” She’s right – the first half of the album has an almost Britpop breeziness, that belies the serious subject matter that inspired the songs, while the second half gets heavier, in all senses, with added grit and gravitas.“This album is one of enduring,” says Etienne of the overarching theme. “We had family that were dying, I was broke, there was a shortage of my ADHD medication… I was suffering, but not just me, everyone around me was too.” “The last two years have been challenging,” concludes Vanessa. “The universe really fucked with us. That’s why there are themes of loss, disconnection, fragmentation and yearning, but on the other side there is also unity and hope.” \u003cem\u003eSunlight Echoes\u003c\/em\u003e is a poetic, melodic statement of intent from this formidable band. Whitelands have fought back and triumphed in the face of adversity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sonic Cathedral","offers":[{"title":"LP - Green","offer_id":53474383724875,"sku":"R3618-0889","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Yellow","offer_id":53474383692107,"sku":"R3618-6834","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":53474383757643,"sku":"R3618-4776","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Whitelands_SunlightEchoes_Standard_SCR340LP3000px.jpg?v=1758812724"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/whitelands.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}