Seekae: The Sound of Trees Falling On People

The Sound of Trees Falling On People
****
Knitting Club Records

The Sound of Trees Falling On People is not the soundtrack for a home-video show that turns injuries into punchlines. Instead, it’s an album that’s as ambient and mesmerising as an iced-over forest. Dreamy synths and beats rustle through this record like breezy foliage. Seekae’s electro lullabies have roots in Boards of Canada and other bands that dominated Warp Records in the 90s (Plaid, Aphex Twin), but this album cross-pollinates that sound with hints of post-rock, shoegaze and glitch-pop (think Radiohead, Mogwai and Prefuse 73). There’s even a danceable song built from pixellated retro video game effects on “Snax”. Impressively, this record is the debut of a Sydney teen-aged trio - their first demo was sent to radio only over a year ago and in that sliver of time, they’ve stacked up a brilliant 18-song record. Unlike a tree falling in the forest, I hope people can hear this.

Originally written for Rolling Stone, 2008