Spaced out indie psych at its finest, Dreamsalon’s Soft Stab is another piercing offering from the misty shores of the Pacific Northwest. Consisting of members Min Yee, Craig Chambers and Matthew Ford, the Seattle band crafts original and honest songs stewed in complex chord progressions, melodic bass and tight percussion, wrapped up in waves of grandiose garage sound. In keeping with their with their lo fi sonics, the group deciding upon an organic, cut-and-paste approach to the album's art work. KEXP caught up with Matthew Ford to discuss their D.I.Y. aesthetics encapsulated on the cover of Soft Stab.
“We didn't really get too conceptual or literal with the cover art”, explains Ford. “The cover art came primarily from a poster for a show I did. I had been wanting to do a blue/white color scheme for awhile. It was inspired from the Godz Third Testament record and also from High Speed and The Afflicted Man's Get Stoned Ezy record. The materials are found images from old newspapers and Xerox manipulation, we mostly just used those images and with the layout help of Min's fiancé Jo Claxton (from Universe People) we collaged it all pretty quickly. There is no real reason the images were chosen other than they looked good at the time”.The random mishmash of visuals and vintage techniques that make up the Soft Stab artwork mirrors the similar less-is-more music and production aesthetic, both as instantly approachable as they are unforgettable. “We didn't set out to achieve any specific look I would say but just worked pretty fast on it and tried not to fuss or get too designy. We didn't try to convey any emotion with the cover art, it just seemed to fit with the music”. Naturally adept at crafting out both cover art and catchy melodies, Dreamsalon have imagined up not only a collection of lush lo fi jams, but also a refreshing visual throwback to a simpler age where musicians took care of all facets of their art.
Pick up your copy of Soft Stab on Bandcamp page and keep up to date with Dreamsalon's shenanigans and upcoming shows on Facebook. As an extra treat, check out the title track from Soft Stab below:
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