{"title":"Houses of Heaven","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"within-without","title":"Within \/ Without","description":"\u003cp\u003eOakland’s Houses of Heaven fuse the grit of early industrial with dizzying hits of EBM, techno, and drum and bass, all imbued with lyrical themes that draw equally from the emotional and the mechanical. \u003ci\u003eWithin\/Without\u003c\/i\u003e, their sophomore LP for Felte, delves into a realm of intricate intensity, pushing electronics to the forefront with the production prowess of Matia Simovich (Inhalt), and features top-of-their-game guest vocals from Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) and Mariana Saldaña (Boan). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e While the dub-influenced, shoegaze throb of Silent Places (2020) immersed itself in the paradox of opulence against the unsettling backdrop of California’s wildfires, \u003ci\u003eWithin\/Without\u003c\/i\u003e confronts social order through the lens of inner strife. It explores a contrast between the fantasy worlds and unfiltered truths that define modern survival, and a yearning for genuine human connection brought on by the anxiety and isolation of technology.  On \u003ci\u003eWithin\/Without\u003c\/i\u003e, Houses of Heaven truly come into their own with a distinctive alloy of electronic, industrial, psychedelic and shoegaze elements. They create a dynamic conduit for discord and harmony with a profoundly human essence, bridging interior lives and exterior pressures through visceral songcraft and deft pacing. In a cruel and technologically dominated world, emotional gridlock is rampant. Yet, in the propulsive paranoia of album highlight “Flesh Techniques”, we’re reminded that it’s often best to “breathe in \/ these dreams  again \/ shake, shake it off”.\u003cbr\u003eFor fans of New Order, Drab Majesty, The KVB, The Soft Moon, Nitzer Eb, Boy Harsher.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Felte","offers":[{"title":"Grey LP","offer_id":50409540583755,"sku":"2178588","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Without_54a88eaa_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726617880"},{"product_id":"silent-places","title":"Silent Places","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor fans of New Order, Drab Majesty, The KVB, Black Marble, The Soft Moon. Layering synths, guitars, electronic percussion and live drums, Houses of Heaven fuses early industrial and techno rhythms with the melodicism of shoegaze and a heavy dose of dub-influenced effects on their first full-length album titled \u003ci\u003eSilent Places. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten against the backdrop of the Northern California wildfires, ever-growing tent cities and the continued rise of empty luxury housing in the Bay Area, the album explores the intimate experiences that transpire within the chaotic confines of modern living. Opener \u003ci\u003eSleep\u003c\/i\u003e basks in the tension surrounding the album's inception with blown-out kick drums, claustrophobic verses, and deteriorating vocal effects. Sharp arpeggiated synths and woozy strings neutralize the track's subterranean anxiety with texture and sensuality. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced by Matia Simovich (Inhalt) and with engineering credits that include Monte Vallier (Weekend) and John McEntire (Tortoise), it's a potent introduction to the muscular sound design underpinning the album. Booming taiko drums sound the beginning of \u003ci\u003eDissolve the Floor\u003c\/i\u003e, the album's most club-ready track. A pulsing arpeggio gives the song its industrial heartbeat while disintegrating tape delay throws menace into the hazy atmosphere. The undulating techno beat breaks and repairs itself with seductive and satisfying timing. \u003ci\u003eIn Soft Confusion\u003c\/i\u003e doesn't stray from the album's obsidian narrative as it envisions and ponders the aftermath of human extinction. Sonically speaking, though, it's the album's most uptempo offering with Tecon's supremely infectious chorus vocal hook and Beck's dizzying guitar riffs. The intricate electronic drum programming is elevated by Ott's live drumming, which lends a refreshingly human touch to the potentially icy, and often mechanical, sonic territory of synthdriven music. Adding density to the album's shadowy allure are the unusual sounds and vintage outboard effects that Tecon and Simovich impressively maneuver into the album's tonal palette. Great care has been taken to finesse familiar pop structures with an inventive edge. It's this mindfulness of past and present that is sure to secure \u003ci\u003eSilent Places\u003c\/i\u003e as a standout album in the new decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This a serious record, these guys did not come here to play. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Felte","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP","offer_id":50444269519179,"sku":"1091856","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Red | LP","offer_id":50444270895435,"sku":"1139834","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50444267323723,"sku":"1091855","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/cefd17e0-c165-45f0-ad36-7029907b6b21_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727026471"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/houses-of-heaven.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}