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Sonically careening between brutal peaks of intensity
and quiet moments like the beginning of a storm,
Decortica's third album "11811" is an engrossing affair
from start to finish.
Recorded and produced by long-time collaborator David
Holmes (Jakob, Kerretta), "11811" continues Decortica's
journey into the depths of angular alternative rock, while
exploring elements of prog, hard rock and alternativemetal.
While more abstract in theme than its predecessors "A
New Aesthetic" (2008) and "Love Hotel" (2011), "11811"
continues to honour the driving and torrential sound that
Decortica have created as their own sonic signature.
Musically, the direction Decortica took for "11811" was
one where they could distil the dynamics of the band's
repertoire into a heavy, dissonant yet harmonic and
beautiful work. From the frantic power of first single
"Helix," to the eerily cacophonous "Reservoir," to the
mechanical anthemic pulse of the title track "11811"
where Mathew Bosher's vocals pour out "And I want you
to know, all you thin men, it begins with me / And now
your magnificent city is all mine," "11811" is never lacking
in mystique and force.
"Lyrically, the songs are bound by a thematic framework
of code, patterns and design as means of expression,"
says Bosher. "This was in response to abstract visual art
and makes reference to sci-fi films." The lyrical theme is
accompanied by dense riff-driven rock instrumentation,
and we find a multi-layered album that surprises at every
turn.
"11811" was recorded over a concentrated three-week
period for which producer David Holmes returned to
New Zealand from London. It was an ambitious task for
the band and Holmes, and different to their previous
project which was recorded in short, intermittent busts
over a few months.
After a short stint at York Street Studios tracking drums
with engineer Hayden Taylor, Holmes and Bosher retired
to a makeshift countryside studio in Coatsville, NorthWest of Auckland. The isolation of the farmland served
as a solitary escape for lyric and melody writing (Bosher
kept with his usual style of finalising lyrics after arriving
at the studio). The recording space was functional; the
linoleum floor live room crammed with guitar amps
stacked up against office desks with piles of paper
records from a defunct business; the vocal booth in the
corner made out of perilously positioned baffles. Despite
the unusually short deadline, the pace of work agreed
with the band thanks to the fluid relationship they have
with Holmes. "11811" was completed and marked a step
forward musically for the band.
Decortica arose as a musical project in 2005 created by
Mathew Bosher and his brother, former drummer Daniel
Bosher. Inspired by riff-orientated rock and angular
lyrical concepts, the Auckland based band arrived
properly in 2008 with the release of their debut album "A
New Aesthetic." With good video play for the singles
"Peace May Come," "Macchina" and "Featherlight," the
band began to carve their own niche under the banner
of alternative rock and following the release of their
sophomore effort, they were regarded as one of New
Zealand's best kept secrets in the underground rock
scene.
The second album "Love Hotel" was originally released
online in 2010. A concept album with a narrative set in
the urban Japan nightlife, it centred around short-stay
fantasy rooms that cater to guests' sexual predilections
and serve as havens from the pressure and ennui of
modern life. Bosher had developed the concept as he
was interested in the anonymity of hotel life - love hotels
being something of an institution in Japan. The album
featured the singles "Monster in a Pretty Dress," "Eros,"
and "Shinkansen."
By the time "Love Hotel" needed to be toured, Daniel
Bosher had moved camp and was replaced by Tory
'Jester' Staples. Following New Zealand and Australia
shows, Bosher's fascination with Japan also led the
band to successfully tour there in 2011; a well received
seven-date stint that was the thematic homecoming of
the "Love Hotel" record.
In 2011 EMI Music New Zealand signed Decortica and
re-packaged "Love Hotel." It was the band's first release
with a major label and in preparation for the release of
"11811," 2012 saw further personnel changes with new
bassist Brendon Kahi joining Decortica to realise live
what Bosher and Staples had created in the recording of
the band's third album.
Reminiscent of Deftones and early Soundgarden,
Decortica have translated their recorded work to a live
show renowned for a heaviness and intensity that has
garnered the band fans throughout New Zealand,
Australia, Japan and South Africa. Continuing to create a
unique and uncompromising strain of alternative rock
music, "11811" is further proof that Decortica is one of
the country's true sonic forces.
“As an entire album, 11811 flows seamlessly like a band of energy with songs flowing into one
another effortlessly and strategically. Ironically, the album was inspired by the work of an abstract
light sculptor and, on a broader note, is united as a whole by a loose conceptual framework
similar in nature to Radiohead’s OK Computer or The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Option Paralysis.
This is reinforced by the futuristic and threatening sounds of first single, “Helix” and the desolate,
defeated stretches in album closer “Designs in Exploded View”. Aiding the flow of the record are
three brief instrumental segues that highlight the underlying beautiful soundscapes – as well as
the slightly paranoid atmosphere that the music exists within.”
The NewReview
“Vocalist and lone guitarist Mathew Bosher has
a pretty unusual style that juxtaposes clean
chromatic riffs with crunchy sludge breaks that
would sound heavy in just about any Isis song.
It’s made all the more interesting by his
soothing and screechy vocal deliveries and
Tory Staples’ tasty left of center groove
assortment. And the songs are pretty wicked
too.”
MetalSucks.net
“…where 11811 really delivers is in the fact
that it’s short and sharp but never
unnecessarily brutal. There is heart and soul
within these songs. In fact there are songs that’s a start; often that’s the biggest struggle
for music that identifies with (modern) metal.”
Simon Sweetman, Off the Tracks
“11811 is a sonic journey to the underside of
your mind. This album is dark, it’s heavy, it’s
melodic and there are moments where it
trudges through the notes like a colossal
monster. The vocal style on this record lifts it
from its darkness (which is brilliant in itself) to a
much more haunting level that is peppered by
blood-curdling screams, guitar riffs and a sound
that shapeshifts through textures. The density of
Decortica’s sound is balanced by their song
writing. Sections aren’t competing endlessly for
your attention, but are knitted together in a way
that allows each one to rise above the rest and
fall back down in an evolutionary cycle. From
the album opener, ‘Asterisms’, 11811 grabs you
and holds you by the face until it’s finished with
the closer ‘Designs in Exploded View’.”
Groove Guide
ACHIEVEMENTS
Three albums
Eight music videos
International tours – Japan, South Africa, Australia
Supported Evanescence, Norma Jean, Blacklistt (Blindspott), The Narrow
Positive reviews
CONNECT
MANAGEMENT / BOOKING
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Jester Underground
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