During During

"During’s self-titled debut is a pipe bomb of originality, set to detonate and shake the foundation of the tired post-punk sounds of today when it hits via Chunklet on ______. And while some more obvious influences show across the ten track LP—like Devo, Sonic Youth and Gang of Four—its strength lies in some of it’s wilder ideas and influences, creating a wholly new approach as yet unseen in the otherwise very tired genre of post-punk. 'I've always been super influenced by post punk stuff. The Fall is definitely up there, as well as Wire and the Urinals, even the Gizmos,' says Fisher emphatically. 'The coolest thing about recording this LP was we didn't know what we were gonna end up with, it just sort of came out the way it came out. So while those influences are there because that's where we come from, none of it is totally clear because it’s jumbled up with so many of our other ideas.' Starting with a dizzying and frantic base, During's sound can best be classified using the hyper-cerebral approach of Devo, garnished with touches of their more frenetic speedfreak acolytes Minneapolis’ Uranium Club. It’s from there that things drift into territories unseen, with a cold vocal delivery not unlike Mark E Smith, a quirky and free-spirited approach like the Cardiacs, atonal riffing that recalls Sonic Youth, and a mildly funk-focused bed to tether down the madness a la A Certain Ratio or the Contortions. All that comes baked in with the care in songwriting found in the Wipers and nods to favorites like the Adaptors, Urinals and even This Heat. During's debut is boundary-pushing with limitless potential, visionary ideas and a sound that is ten steps ahead of the current legions trying to recreate The Fall and Joy Division. Despite all of the serious references and the nods to dizzying originality, During are quick to point out that this is a fun record at the end of the day. 'I'm not really capable of consciously making fun music but I feel like this record is fun, and much more than I knew I was capable of,' chuckles Cory Plump in response to the overall feel of the record. 'It’s just sort of upbeat—that may be the testament to the people in the band or it could just be because I’ve never done anything like this musically before, so I really extended myself in a way that I like.' Grab some headphones and crack open a coldie down by the beach to create the optimal experience for one of the most mind-bending and brilliant records of the year and in recent memory. A record like this doesn’t come around too often, but maybe a listen or two will conjure a few of your own ideas."—Fred Passaro, Creem Magazine