Band In Heaven – HoZac 7″

Properly applied, a thick layer of reverb can really set a mood. Dense, lethargic and psychedelic with a pulsating groove, like the part of a movie soundtrack where the protagonist visits an opium den and journeys to another perceptual realm. That’s the vibe of exactly half of the 4-song HoZac 7″ from The Band in Heaven. “If You Only Knew” and “Sludgy Dreams” are what you want to hear at the end of a long night of partying.

The other two songs (“Sleazy Dreams” and “Summer Bummer”) would be playing during the chase scenes of that same movie – our hero running on foot through some mardi-gras of bizarre faces. Fast-paced and feral, these tunes will get your blood pumping. Still coated in reverb, this half of the EP manages to be rousing yet somehow spooky and menacing.

“Sludgy Dreams” is a downtempo interpretation of “Sleazy Dreams”, turning it into a droning gem. I asked the band why they would mess with such a great song. “Reworking Sleazy Dreams into Sludgy Dreams was just for fun, but it also shows how one song in a certain style can so easily fall into a different genre just by changing the tempo.”

The band says, “The four songs on the HoZac 7″ take a step forward in our desire to bridge the gaps between shoegaze, dreampop and drone music.” Wherever that direction takes them, whatever they’re trying to accomplish, it will undoubtedly be great. One thing this EP certainly accomplishes is leaving you wanting more.

They’re playing with the incredible Sun O))) in September. You can buy their tunes on Bandcamp and watch their creative videos on Vimeo:

http://thebandinheaven.bandcamp.com
http://vimeo.com/27420833