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The Depreciation Guild: ‘My Secret Playlist’

August 2, 2008 | New Music | by  Zolton|

We asked New York-based duo, Kurt Feldman and Christoph Hocheim, who collectively make up the stunningly originally and creative glitchy pop group The Depreciation Guild (who play the Mercury Lounge next Thursday night), to tell us about eight songs that’s been spinning on their iPods lately.
End Of The Affair by Weekend
‘This was Alison Statton’s band after Young Marble Giants, but it’s a far cry from anything you might have heard on Colossal Youth. I like this track in particular because it’s really jazzy and it has a great nylon string guitar part, but it also hasn’t lost its pop charm. Alison’s voice will be adorable, eternally. This one is perfect for springtime’.

Motion by Days
‘I really could have picked any track off their recent release from Shelflife because they’re all great. This one often gets stuck in my head the most. I’m not going to compare them to anyone specifically because I think most bands find that annoying, but if you liked any of the classier Sarah Records releases you will probably love this band. Which brings me to the next one …’

She Can Wait Forever by St. Christopher
‘This was on the Bacharach EP on Sarah in 1990 but you can get the whole collection of all the Sarah singles now on one CD that Plastilina Records put out – I highly recommend it. This song is especially good because of the rollicking rhythm section and endlessly jangling guitars. It reminds me of riding a horse alongside a moving train or something, which I haven’t actually done’.

Frozen by Curve
This is from the early EP of the same title and it’s also on the Pubic Fruit compilation. The beats in pretty much every Curve song play along that ‘madchester’ vibe, but they are so absurdly massive, that somehow I can never get sick of them. And yeah, Dean does that slidey overdriven bass line a lot but it’s so hazy and perfectly behind the beat that you would swear you were on E, which is not a bad thing at all.

For Kate I Wait by Ariel Pink
For Kate I Wait is a perfect gateway into the twisted world of Ariel Pink: androgynous vocals croon longingly for a woman named Kate (Bush perhaps? One can only hope) over a bed of warped synths washed out with waves of tapes hiss and reverb. It wasn’t until I saw Ariel Pink’s disjointed performance with Lilys at Spaceland a few months ago that I became completely obsessed with his lo-fi, acid-fried pop aesthetic. This track has been on repeat ever since.

Silence by Portishead
Wherever Portishead has been hibernating for the past ten years must have been a pretty dismal place. This is one of the most unsettling tracks Portishead has ever released and hands down one of best things I’ve heard all year. The first track on their release, Third, Silence is uncharacteristically driving, featuring an almost Prodigy-esque beat and a haunting chord progression that would keep even die hard ‘self-titled’ fans up at night.

My Clown by Belong
Imagine if William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops had featured the corroded recordings of Syd Barrett, Tintern Abbey, Billy Nicholls, and July instead of his own? Nuff said. This vinyl-only EP by my favorite duo from New Orleans features stunning electronic-ambient covers of 60’s psych-pop songs, most of which I admit I had never heard before. Not that it really matters. Belong tarnish and obscure the pop compositions until only a semblance of the original tune remains. Simply gorgeous.

Each Dream Is An Example by Gastr Del Sol
Featured on Gastr Del Sol’s final album entitled Camoufleur, this track has all the pop charm of anything you’ll find on Pet Sounds (baritone sax and all!) But this isn’t just a shameless tribute to Mr. Wilson and boys. Each Dream Is An Example has a familiar yet contemporary sound thanks to guitarist, composer, and tape manipulation extraordinaire Jim O’Rourke, whose intricate laptop processing beautifully compliments this stripped-down ballad.

Tagged: New York bands, synth music

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