Tag: chalk

[video] Chalk – Pain

acute.pop

Chalk don’t ease you in — with “Pain,” they throw you headfirst into their heaviest, most claustrophobic sound yet. The Belfast band (now a duo) has unleashed the latest single, marking their first release since signing to ALTER Music.

Chalk live in Vienna ’23

A rough, punchy blast of industrial rock, the song is both heavy and irresistibly catchy – taking the intensity of their acclaimed Conditions trilogy EP and pushing it even further. It’s a fierce statement of intent that hints at what’s to come in this next chapter of the band.

The track arrives with a gripping video, directed by Benedict Goddard & Colin Peppard. Speaking on the visuals, Goddard revealed:

“We shot the video on the same camera they used for 28 Days Later. We wanted the footage to have an authentic gritty yet nostalgic texture that emphasised the ideas of the song, and the album as a whole. This is the beginning of the new era of Chalk”.

The duo are stepping into darker, louder, and more unrelenting territory. And in the process, they’re proving themselves to be one of the very best new acts to emerge in the aftermath of the chaos of the 2020s.

Watch below.

[ep] Chalk – Conditions II

acute.pop

Everything that made Chalk’s Conditions great is maximised and perfected in its sequel. Belfast’s group put out another intense collection — their own mixture of noise rock, industrial, and dance-punk elements, creating a visceral and beautiful sound.

Musically, the trio aimed to deepen their exploration of the electronic aspect of the music, striving to capture the vibrancy of their live performances within the studio recordings. They surely don’t shy away from experimentation, incorporating a wide range of influences from electronic music (for example, Aphex Twin) and industrial/noise scenes to create a sound that’s both challenging and captivating.

Conditions II has been released and is now available for streaming and purchase across all major digital platforms via Nice Swan Records. The production work on this EP was handled by Chris Ryan, known for his collaborations with NewDad, Enola Gay, and Just Mustard, alongside Chalk’s Ross Cullen.

Stream below and buy the mini-album here.

[song] Chalk – Claw

acute.pop

Belfast’s Chalk is one of our favourite new bands and it seems that with each release they are only getting better and better. Their output defies easy categorization, drawing from a range of influences while maintaining a distinct identity, and their songs are characterized by a willingness to push boundaries and experiment with sound, making each track a unique and dark journey for the listener.

Chalk live at Waves Vienna’23

It is hard to tag them — there are elements of post-punk, noise, industrial, electronic madness etc. etc. But what really matters is that the final result is just amazing. Their new single is titled “Claw”, and it is the first taste of their upcoming extended play Conditions II (check out the first part here). Speaking ahead of its release on March 1 through Nice Swan Records, bandleader Ross Cullen says the following about it & the song:

“Claw is about falling in love inside a nightmare. There’s a mixture of loss and relief that we wanted to capture. Subconscious feelings are at the crux of most of our tracks – something that we started on Conditions EP. We still feel like we’re in that universe of figuring ourselves out as people and using our sonic palette to make sense of it. There’s still a few feelings we want to explore and staying in the world of Conditions is something we’ve grown to enjoy – we don’t want to leave just yet”.

Chalk also have a set of shows lined up for the next months. Make sure to catch them on any of the dates for the brilliant and energetic performance — the band always gives 100% to every gig.

Stream below and pre-order the EP on vinyl here.

[video] Chalk – The Gate

acute.pop
Chalk performing live at Waves Festival, Vienna’23

“The Gate”, a brand-new single from Belfast trio Chalk strikes hard and immediately. An industrial noise rock number, out now through their new home Nice Swan Records, it is filled with manic vocal delivery, feral percussion and chilling field recordings. The song follows their (insanely good) debut EP Conditions, released earlier this year.

It is out with the appropriately matching horror-ish music video, directed by Benedict Goddard. Speaking about the track, frontman Ross Cullen revealed:

“‘The Gate’ is a song about the pressures that surround you. The first musical part that was written was the ending, which is an ode to ‘Come to Daddy’ by Aphex Twin. I wanted to create a track inspired by Locked Club or Mica Levi, something that had a type of deranged percussion playing at a 1/16 rate. Then I found a drum and bass drum sample which we had Luke re-record in the drum booth. Luke and Ben came up with the vocal delivery for the “Push and Pull” bits then I coloured in the rest. We’re leaning into sampling a lot more – especially our own field recordings – sounds of public transport, and construction that we’ve built a library of”.

Watch below.

[video] Chalk – Asking

acute.pop

Belfast post-punk/electronic trio Chalk doesn’t just reflect anxiety, they literally recreate it from scrap materials on their impressive new single “Asking”. It would be included in the band’s debut EP Conditions, set for release on May 5.

Worries grow along with how each instrument is revealed in the song. The tuned rhythm of drumsticks turns into a paranoid, nonvanishing knock. The guitars pick up this pattern, exploding from time to time with a sharp flurry of sound. Against this background, the slightly trembling voice of vocalist Ross Cullen seems to be the only echo of something alive. Morbid atmosphere permeates everything and turns into raw industrial noise — the right soundscape to reflect on your past.

The song is paired with a cinematic music video, directed by Benedict Goddard.

Watch below and get the track here.