After having met on tour and becoming fast friends, Jeremy Wilkins of We Are Parasols and Jake McCown of IDIOTEQ featured Bloody Knives dedicated themselves to start a project when the time was right. Faced with the ongoing pandemic LAST ICE was born, a David Lynch-esque rabbit hole melding the more atmospheric soundscapes of We Are Parasols with the sharp and ferocious post-punk rock stylings of Bloody Knives. But the result is truly a one of a kind birth, and we’re thrilled to give you their first single and trippy music video “Prayer”, directed and edited by Preston Maddox.
Last Ice is a collaborative project between Austin future punk duo Bloody Knives and Portland/Atlanta darkwave trio We Are Parasols. The fusion of their genre bending sounds and styles creates a style both novel and familiar, with sounds ranging from minimalist angular electronics to sweeping cascading atmospherics, and opportunities to visit sonic landscapes neither may have done on their own.
Last Ice began with We Are Parasols finishing songs from an abandoned Bloody Knives record, which in turn prompted Bloody Knives to begin remixing tracks from the We Are Parasols ep No Center Line. What resulted were songs that held a coherent vision but were often far from their origin. The contrast between vocalist Dβs witchy operatic and Preston Maddoxβs ghostly monotone rest on Jake McCownβs steady backbeat surrounded by Alec Yeagerβs layered polyrhythms, with Jeremy Wilkins adding guitar and synths along with mixing and mastering. D and Preston each contribute bass and synths along with Jack OβHara Harris providing additional guitars.
Their debut single “Prayer” is somewhat of a revelation, combining the best elements of west coast industrial with a swooping atmospheric feel, the cold and stark vocals draw you into almost a new era of what driving indie-electronica can do. With the pop stylings of PJ Harvey come through on the chorus breaks, yet the depressingly provoking moments throughout the track hearken back to other west coast 2010’s legends The Soft Moon, and even more of the introspective moments of Death Grips. “Prayer” strives for something more than just being a “genre” track, it fits into a bigger picture, a step forward for a genre that is clearly gaining cultural pull (especially in Portland) but doesn’t fit into a cozy, accessible box you can check.
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The debut record from Last Ice will be available on February 19th from all digital retailers.
