Clot, by Wax Chattels

Clot

by Wax Chattels

supported by

	/

Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Limited edition version of 'Clot', pressed on Baby Blue Vinyl. Includes double-sided 12" x 24" full color insert. Limited to 400 copies.

Includes digital pre-order of Clot. You get 2 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.

digital album releases September 25, 2020

item ships out on or around September 24, 2020

edition of 400 64 remaining

Purchasable with gift card

$21 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
CD Versions of Wax Chattels' 'Clot'.

Includes digital pre-order of Clot. You get 2 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.

digital album releases September 25, 2020

item ships out on or around September 24, 2020

Purchasable with gift card

$12 USD or more
Streaming + Download

Pre-order of Clot. You get 2 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.

Purchasable with gift card

releases September 25, 2020

$9.99 USD or more

1.	Glue
2.	Efficiency 02:52	buy track
3.	Cede
4.	Mindfulness
5.	No Ties 02:09	buy track
6.	Less Is More
7.	Spanner & Implements
8.	An Eye
9.	Forever Marred
10.	Yokohama
11.	You Were Right

about

It is universally agreed that New Zealand’s Wax Chattels are a must-see live act; their hypnotically sinister debut captured this perfectly. Released in 2018 and supported by relentless touring, the eponymous album reached #7 on the Official New Zealand Album Charts, and release week saw the title feature as #1 in Rough Trade’s Top 20 New Releases. Tastemakers like NPR and A.V. Club came on as early champions. The album’s success at home and abroad led to the well-deserved nomination of Best Alternative Artist at the 2018 New Zealand Music Awards, as well as the band’s inclusion in the coveted shortlist of finalists for the Taite Music Prize and Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award. After a knock-out entrée, the anticipation that surrounds their sophomore album, 'Clot', is immense.

Much like 'Wax Chattels', the writing process for 'Clot' took the best part of a year. While some songs were written on the road, the bulk of the album was workshopped throughout 2019 across bedrooms and storage containers. Demos were fine-tuned before taking them to the studio. Wax Chattels maintained the use of only the barest of ingredients — bass guitar, keyboard, and a two-piece drum kit — but the group spent more time experimenting with and finding new sounds. They wanted to maintain the same live element as in their debut, but, this time, heavier — for which they enlisted the help of mixing engineer, and fellow noise-maker, Ben Greenberg (Uniform, Destruction Unit, The Men). The keyboard sounds are noticeably thicker and the bass more intense. A marked step-up, this new record keeps the visceral energy of the debut, only this time they dig deeper into cathartic noise.

Clot’s inspiration — or, rather, frustration — came from the doomy, gloomy corners of Auckland’s underbelly, and the theme of confrontation is central. "Mindfulness" is about willingly tricking yourself into band-aid solutions; merely accepting the status quo rather than kicking up a fuss and forcing tangible change. The vitriolic choruses of "Cede" are in Cheng's native language — Taiwanese Hokkien — and are an indignant confrontation about Cross-Strait relations and self-determination. The experience of being a first generation immigrant and not having a personal relationship with extended family is expressed in the melodic single “No Ties”. The song touches on cultural differences and the parental sacrifice of careers and support systems to provide a “better” future for their children. The explosive arc of “Efficiency” describes knowing when to bide your time, and when to push, in which the band treads a line between the explicit and intuitive. “Less is More” fumes with the frustration caused by the selective memories of others. The violent fantasies in “Spanners & Implements” suggest a more literal interpretation of these themes. This is carried through “An Eye”, in which the band stresses the physical harm and psychological breakdown emanating from the escalating racial and political uproar throughout the world.

Still, though the band seethes and boils throughout, 'Clot' concludes with a message of hope. On the final track, “You Were Right”, Ruddell expresses an aspiration toward alternative viewpoints: wading through the noise and chatter, ultimately being able to accept the opinions of others, albeit after careful consideration. Perhaps it’s this capacity for self-awareness that makes Wax Chattels one of New Zealand’s most treasured independent exports.

credits

releases September 25, 2020

license

about

Wax Chattels Auckland, New Zealand

guitarless guitar music.
waxchattels@gmail.com

contact / help

Contact Wax Chattels

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Wax Chattels, you may also like:

Tower of Age
by L I T H I C S

supported by 17 fans who also own “Clot”

The best in the biz, BABY! Ben Parrish
go to album
Useless Coordinates
by Drahla

supported by 13 fans who also own “Clot”

Caught Drahla supporting The Notwist in London. Album is superb! Buy it x Klutz Productions
go to album
Coriky
by Coriky

supported by 11 fans who also own “Clot”

40 years on, the latest from Mackaye finds him in elder-statesmen mode while Farina and Lally deliver their own bracing, infectious songs. Together, the three of them synthesize in a way only the closest of friends can. Adam Roberts
go to album
Certified Ailments
by Holiday Music

Laid-back yet restless indie rock is heavy on the catchy melodies and unexpected musical choices that elevate the simplicity of the tunes. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 21, 2020
go to album
Trophies
by Luxury

The Atlanta indie band return with more fiery songs that pair the elegance of classic Britpop with slashing guitars. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 1, 2019
go to album
Cool Evil
by Glued

Lively Midwestern indie rock with crisp production that allows the band's sophisticated guitar interplay shine. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 22, 2019
go to album
Sorpresa Familia
by MOURN

supported by 10 fans who also own “Clot”
go to album