Today, envelope-pushing, enigmatic New York four-piece altopalo share their latest single,‘nocturne’. Following on from the previously released ‘honey’ and ‘am i am’, ‘nocturne’ is the third track to be taken from their forthcoming second LP, farawayfromeveryoneyouknow, out April 24th viaSamedi Records. Listen HERE.

Described by the band as “an inconclusive attempt at making insomnia danceable,” ‘nocturne’ captures that liminal space where “you twist and turn in bed, filled with childish worry. The mind envisioning shadow ghouls and manticores is the only thing between you and that sweet, sweet closure of a day well-lived.” 

Appropriately, ‘nocturne’ feels this battle within itself, embodying the conflict between tortured wakefulness and rest with hypnotic, lullaby plucking guitars and twinkling synths neutralized by processed melodies that twist and contort into undefinable shapes and lead singer Rahm Silverglade’s cooing vocals that sit somewhere between soothing and anxious: “Too hot, too stressed out / Oh, it’s been so long / Think I’m depressed now.”

Veterans of the New York underground scene, the four members of Altopalo disintegrate the boundaries of genre, folding in elements of electronica, ambient, and jazz through their deconstructionist approach to indie rock reminiscent of artists such as Bon Iver, Moses Sumney, and King Krule.

Described by the foursome as “ruminations on a transitional period”, their second full-length reveals a more human side to Altopalo than was on show throughout their introspective debut, representing something of a rebirth. Beneath their alien musical transmissions, they deal with thoroughly modern themes of anxiety, embracing your fears and the rejection of self-care as a lifestyle brand. 

On the band’s 2018 debut LP, frozenthere, which garnered praise from Pitchfork, Fader, Billboard, Consequence of Sound and more, they decontextualised their instruments into atmospherics and walls of sound. Their recording process, made up of long improvisations, recorded in full before being whittled down into loops, progressions and fragments, is best thought of as Altopalo creating, pulling apart and then trying to piece a jigsaw puzzle back together again. Now, on farawayfromeveryoneyouknow, they hone and expand that sound, opening up new avenues for their music through their dizzying experimentalism. 

‘nocturne’ by altopalo is out now, buy/stream it here.

FARAWAYFROMEVERYONEYOUKNOW TRACKLIST
1. am i am
2. longlife
3. mud
4. lub
5. honey
6. lub ii
7. letdown 
8. party song
9. hail (lub iii)
10. powerlines
11. funny thoughts, somewhere between the beginning and the end, eat your heart out mh, prelude of light (lub iiii)
12. nocturne
13. headlock
14. now that you’re here, in case you want to stay a while, a warm thing, exit music (kind of)

PRAISE FOR ALTOPALO

“The junk drawer in your house if it was music: bewildering and wondrous.”
NYLON Magazine

“An effortless showcase of the band’s ability to melt the boundaries of their music, infusing every release with an experimental flare.”
The Line of Best Fit

“a masterclass in atmospheric release, evolving with eerie synths, flourishing guitar, and commanding beats.”
Pitchfork

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