The Thousands

Thomas William (formerly Cleptoclectics) and Scissor Lock (aka Marcus Whalen from Collarbones) are the perfect antithesis to Phil Spector’s endeavour to write and produce the ‘perfect’ pop song. On their first collaborative EP Jewelz they pursue an imperfect pop implosion.

From the outset, this is not a harmoniously co-produced EP. William’s looped samples, over-arching synths, and staggered percussion, clash and intertwine with Scissor Lock’s heavily distorted vocals, feedback, and noise. The second track from the EP, also titled ‘Jewelz’, is a classic example of this. The song begins with an ominous orchestral sample, which is gradually grated down into smaller and smaller loops. These finely mashed pieces of music then morph into a blisteringly loud noise/feedback drone, which in turn introduces a cavernous vocal repeated on endless delay.

Like a many-layered trifle, William and Scissor Lock have produced a never-ending vista of microcosmic moments within an expansive audio-phonic universe. Get your spoons out and dig in.