teddiedrum

When Teddiedrum’s Pukkelpop-set grew to its blistering apex last August, it was supposed to be the wrapping party of what had been a fruitful summer. Hot on the strength of two successful singles - the gruesomely catchy Miami and Odd Lovers – the duo had bounced through the festival circuit like a box of ping pong balls pogoing on the set of Tron Legacy. But tragedy had its eye on Pukkelpop, when a freak summer storm hit the festival grounds with ruthless, near biblical force. Teddiedrum escaped the tragedy unscathed but what should’ve been the sweet taste of a victorious moment turned forever sour. Maybe that’s why there is a certain whiff of renewal breezing through European Weekend, the forthcoming new Teddiedrum ep - slate clean, eyes fixed on the future, that kind of stuff. The ep doesn’t feature Miami or Odd Lovers, but five new, bold and ambitious pop songs. Crafted by Jason and Dijf in their attic studio, surrounded by customized drum machines, converted synths, stuffed tamagotchi and Star Wars paraphernalia, European Weekend is a great leap forward for these well groomed comrades. The title itself speaks of adventure, a wealth of ideas and an international appetite for success. Teddiedrum are true ambassadors for the enlightening super powers of pop music. They firmly believe that, when everything else turns dove shit, art en creativity will save the day – or at least make it a bit more exciting. And excitement there’s plenty of, on European Weekend. The expedition starts with a bang, once The Audience bursts into its epic chorus. A cry for love, the boys call it. A little tongue in cheek perhaps, but big on confidence. Lofty Glory is a cinematic overture, filled with crystalized arpeggio’s, ‘detuned in A minor’, according to Dijf. Then there’s traces of vintage house in the euphoric The Bats and hypnotic steel drums floating through the aptly named Power Trip. Closer Baby's Eyes (also known as ‘our Morricone moment’) is littered with field recordings put to tape in an abandoned concrete factory, together sketching out subtle bossa nova percussions. Teddiedrum push themselves forward with these new songs: rooted in the tradition of legendary radio stars such as Fleetwood Mac and Eurythmics (before video killed them), but also exploring the same sonic frontiers where Twin Shadow, Metronomy and Hot Chip so boldly tread. ‘Finding the right sounds is always an emotional journey for us’, says Jason of their new love child. Assembling those right sounds into tightly constructed pop gems is what Teddiedrum do best. Soon they’ll take them to the road again, with their assembly of synths, MIDI guitars and laser harp (Yes! Laser harp!) in tow. But first, have a listen to European Weekend, it’s a blast. webshop: http://welike.myshopify.com/collections/teddiedrum www.soundcloud.com/teddiedrum www.twitter.com/TEDDIEDRUM www.teddiedrum.be