Moritat Plan 'Video Triptych' For Forthcoming Album, 'High + Tight'
By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on May 31, 2014 7:00PM
Chicago's Moritat is a psychedelic pop trio whose last record, 2012's CLiLL BLANZiN, plays like a funkier version of Yo La Tengo at their most autumnal. Moritat's music also comes with a strong visual aesthetic, which local music fans can see reflected in videos like "I Forgot To Kiss Her."
After Moritat contacted Chicagoist to let us know about the episode of Chicago Singles Club they did (which you can check out here), we followed up with the band to ask them about any forthcoming new music.
Member Konstantin Jace got back to us, and talked about what comes next: a new album called High + Tight (pronounced High Plus Tight, Jace said) and a video triptych for the album which will make up a "mini-movie" of sorts.
Before that, though, Jace told Chicagoist about what the forthcoming album sounds like.
"This new record is focused on the rhythms, grooves, and dance parts of our band personality; for sure we have been writing with the beat in mind," Jace, the band's bassist and guitarist said.
Furthermore:
We made it at our home studio, at our own pace, in a less structured manner, and with a more personal take on the recordings particularly. Our drummer, Corey, engineered and mixed these sessions, and as a unit we've produced it. The creative process was deeper and more involved this time around, too...Often we'd hash out lyrical ideas by going out on a night cruise on the lake or, like, skulking around the Loop at late hours, just singing together and improvising parts of a story. These new songs have a cohesiveness which comes from a lot of bonding and spacing out together.
We've each had to approach our instruments in new ways in order capture the heart of these songs the right way. We are playing all these parts, which is just something altogether different from sequencing and arranging in software programs.
These new songs have a cohesiveness which comes from a lot of bonding and spacing out together.
Color ideas come up a lot with us as we write parts and put themes together, and these new songs are full of new hues and shades which we are really excited about! Definitely a big piece of our sound is how carefully we work on shaping the tones of our instruments; sometimes certain tones have taken weeks to craft and nail down. That part of it is sometimes a little bit mad, but well worth it.
Jace then divulged the ambitious video conceit the band has planned.
'We are planning a video triptych for this record: three singles, and the videos would all interconnect to share a common story. Like a 3 part mini-movie of sorts," Jace said. "Color will figure prominently here. We have un-earthed an incredible location for the video treatments, and we cannot wait to share these with all of you!"
But all in good time. Jace said High + Tight will come out later this year, on a "really great West Coast label," but otherwise didn't say more. Whatever shape the album takes, Chicago's music fans will undoubtedly have their ears—and eyes—on Moritat.