New Orleans ambient shoegaze duo Belong might come across as determinedly illusive, maybe even deliberately opaque. Their music seems to arrive from nowhere, marked by increasing time voids between each release and then, almost as succinctly, Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones (a.k.a Belong) disappear.
Their debut album, the underground classic ‘October Language’ emerged in 2006, four years after their formation. This ethereal expanse of guitar haunted electric dream music captured devastation and loss in a post Katrina world, with the emotive power of Fennesz or MBV. Two years later came the quirky (in Belong measures) ‘Colorloss’ EP, three delicately disguised covers of obscure sixties psych nuggets by Cleaners From Venus, Tintern Abbey and July. Then the last we heard from Belong was the more vocal fronted, Kosmische toned ‘Common Era’ their debut for Chicago’s Kranky Records in 2011. That is until now, with the intel that Belong will be releasing their third album ‘Realistic IX’ again via Kranky on the 9th August, to end a thirteen-year pause.
So what to expect? Well, being generous the duo have allowed us two glimpses of the shape of Belong music on the new album. First up the brisk ‘Souvenir’ whips along at the crispest motoric pace, geared up by a serrated chord drive and maxing out on the full-strobe, zoom-guitar hook. With neutral, distant Loop-ish vocals, it’s an expertly crafted starter. ‘Image of Love’ follows more urgent and anxious, all fibrillating drum machined rhythms and tidal drones which circle in and out of ear-space. There’s a restrained symphonic resolve here, growing hypnotically then withering in the fade.
Two enticing tracks and more shimmering imagery to come, it’s like Belong have never been away.
Pre-order your copy of ‘Realistic IX’ by belong from your local record store or direct from Kranky HERE
