Hear Dummy’s hypnotic new ambient-pop track, “Atonal Poem”
On October 22, Dummy will release their new album Mandatory Enjoyment via Trouble in Mind. And today, the group has shared a new video for the hypnotic album highlight “Atonal Poem.” Where much of the album finds the group turning up the fuzz or creating a more layered shoegaze and noise pop sound, “Atonal Poem” is more serene and soothing, which the group attributes to being “obsessed with new age music.”
In a statement, Alex from Dummy says, “We were listening to a lot of very peaceful music played on malleted instruments. It’s kind of like, wouldn’t it be funny to try to write a song like this? Why not break the rules? Why not challenge the expectations, especially within yourself? We wanted to create something uninhibited and untethered to convention. We had no idea where it would take us, but this track was the result. In the mythology of the record, this song represents the visitor’s journey home, far away from the atrophy and decay of life on Earth.”
Watch the video below, directed by Documavision.
The band has also shared an influences playlist, featuring songs from Silver Apples, Mariah, Antena, Sun Ra, Stereolab and more. It’s an eclectic blend of music, with some influences that might not be so obvious on first listen.
The group said in a statement, “Here’s a playlist to accompany our new album, Mandatory Enjoyment. We tried to make it as honest as possible; some of these tracks are directly referenced on our album. Others inspired production or aesthetic choices.”
Dummy tour dates:
10/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Non Plus Ultra Mandatory Enjoyment Record Release w/ Vinyl Williams, Peel Dream Magazine and RX
10/23 – Oakland, CA @ Golden Bull w/ Seablite, Cindy and Blue Ocean
10/24 – San Francisco @ Pennys Place w/ April Magazine and R.E. Seraphim
11/3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon w/ Dehd
12/5 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
12/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan lounge w/ Sprain, Traps PS and Cupid&Pysche
12/7 – San Francisco, CA @ the knockout w/ Blue Zero and Body Double
12/9 – Portland, OR @ TBA
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Black Lab w/ Puzzlehead and The Artists
12/11 – Seattle @ Central Saloon w/ Versing, Shine and Coral Grief
12/12 – Olympia, WA @ Cryptatropa w/ Star Party and Daisies
1214 – Oakland @ White Horse w/ Toner and April Magazine
Jeff Terich is the founder and editor of Treble. He's been writing about music for 20 years and has been published at American Songwriter, Bandcamp Daily, Reverb, Spin, Stereogum, uDiscoverMusic, VinylMePlease and some others that he's forgetting right now. He's still not tired of it.