Rocker (feedbot)
Platinum Member
Small Pond, the independant label based in Brighton, are no strangers to championing their home town. There’s a reason Brighton has a history of churning out new and exciting music, and of the last decade, Small Pond have been a large part of that. Having previously started out as a hybrid recording studio in the early 2010s, Small Pond has since developed into a hub for up and coming musicians in the local area to gain experience, expertise and, exposure; and with alumni including CLT DRP, Sugar Horse and Lambrini Girls, you can be damn sure Small Pond know what they’re doing.
‘Emerging Volume V’ is their latest foray into pushing the scene, giving young musicians (aged 15-25) from Sussex the chance to rehearse, record and release their music. With funding from Arts Council England, it’s a perfect opportunity to show the ins and outs of the business, to feed a dream and hopefully, make strides within the industry. What it also showcases is the variety of sounds coming out from the city. For the sake of branding, we’ll look at some of the most Punktastic adjacent tracks, however it would be remiss of us not to recommend soaking in the album as a whole.
There’s a real grunge revival in the city, and a couple of tracks exemplify this perfectly. Sick-Days’ ‘Aniseed’ is a fully-fleshed grunge by shoegaze thrasher, thick with a captivating bassline that’s as nauseating as it is thunderous. Near whispered vocals break into a far coarser delivery at the chorus, and you can almost feel the floor bend underfoot as it would at The Hope And Ruin at a live showing.
Similarly, M. Woodroe’s ‘Fog Of War’ follows a similar route, tinged with angst and an eerily atmospheric, its use of the loud-quiet-loud technique allows the verses to breathe before building to a deceptively hooky chorus.
It’s not all 90’s throwbacks though, as Insectus’ ‘Domesticated’ is an absolutely filthy blend of prog nu-metalcore that absolutely swallows everything around it. Thick breakdowns, harmonic pinches aplenty and a chorus that screams Jonathan Davis, it’s the heaviest track amongst its peers, and stands out accordingly, jarring you away from the softer inclusions and smashing your face against the wall. If you don’t have neck ache already (we at Punktastic are in our 30s), you definitely will by the time this track finishes.
Mirepoix’s ‘Juice’ is a soulful take on the spoken word post-punk genre. Pseudo-poetic musings on the monotony of life and the existentialism that comes with it, it breaks into bluesy wails that’re more dexterous than expected given the first half of the track. It simmers subtly, jangles in the right places and is underpinned by a bassline that holds every other element together.
For those who like their mathcore tinged with a hint of fifth wave emo, the delightfully named ‘Let Me Sit and Think About It’ by Bedbugz will scratch that itch. An intricate guitar line builds throughout the opening verse before a stained chorus crashes. As the track progresses, the vocals become more desperate, more pleading, more real. There is genuine feeling in the delivery, that coupled with the slick instrumentation leaves it lingering in the most affecting way.
Amongst the mentioned tracks, there’s more traditional rock songs from the likes of Carva, indie alternative from Bench Team and Fred Bennett, pop punk adjacent tracks from IN HER EYES and mydiary, and experimental post-punk from the likes of Swan Deep and Hollowpoint. There’s literally something for everyone. A definite shoutout is required to the Small Pond team themselves, whose curation of the tracklist has created a compilation that runs seamlessly from start to finish with little diversion or missed moments.
Small Pond’s ‘Emerging Volume V’ showcases the best of Brighton and the surrounding area, shining a light on the city in a way that only they can. It’s proof that the music scene is still as vibrant as ever, and the future looks just as bright. Personally, as a local to the city itself, it’s one of our greatest strengths. Long may it continue.
ANDY JOICE
‘Emerging Volume V’ is their latest foray into pushing the scene, giving young musicians (aged 15-25) from Sussex the chance to rehearse, record and release their music. With funding from Arts Council England, it’s a perfect opportunity to show the ins and outs of the business, to feed a dream and hopefully, make strides within the industry. What it also showcases is the variety of sounds coming out from the city. For the sake of branding, we’ll look at some of the most Punktastic adjacent tracks, however it would be remiss of us not to recommend soaking in the album as a whole.
There’s a real grunge revival in the city, and a couple of tracks exemplify this perfectly. Sick-Days’ ‘Aniseed’ is a fully-fleshed grunge by shoegaze thrasher, thick with a captivating bassline that’s as nauseating as it is thunderous. Near whispered vocals break into a far coarser delivery at the chorus, and you can almost feel the floor bend underfoot as it would at The Hope And Ruin at a live showing.
Similarly, M. Woodroe’s ‘Fog Of War’ follows a similar route, tinged with angst and an eerily atmospheric, its use of the loud-quiet-loud technique allows the verses to breathe before building to a deceptively hooky chorus.
It’s not all 90’s throwbacks though, as Insectus’ ‘Domesticated’ is an absolutely filthy blend of prog nu-metalcore that absolutely swallows everything around it. Thick breakdowns, harmonic pinches aplenty and a chorus that screams Jonathan Davis, it’s the heaviest track amongst its peers, and stands out accordingly, jarring you away from the softer inclusions and smashing your face against the wall. If you don’t have neck ache already (we at Punktastic are in our 30s), you definitely will by the time this track finishes.
Mirepoix’s ‘Juice’ is a soulful take on the spoken word post-punk genre. Pseudo-poetic musings on the monotony of life and the existentialism that comes with it, it breaks into bluesy wails that’re more dexterous than expected given the first half of the track. It simmers subtly, jangles in the right places and is underpinned by a bassline that holds every other element together.
For those who like their mathcore tinged with a hint of fifth wave emo, the delightfully named ‘Let Me Sit and Think About It’ by Bedbugz will scratch that itch. An intricate guitar line builds throughout the opening verse before a stained chorus crashes. As the track progresses, the vocals become more desperate, more pleading, more real. There is genuine feeling in the delivery, that coupled with the slick instrumentation leaves it lingering in the most affecting way.
Amongst the mentioned tracks, there’s more traditional rock songs from the likes of Carva, indie alternative from Bench Team and Fred Bennett, pop punk adjacent tracks from IN HER EYES and mydiary, and experimental post-punk from the likes of Swan Deep and Hollowpoint. There’s literally something for everyone. A definite shoutout is required to the Small Pond team themselves, whose curation of the tracklist has created a compilation that runs seamlessly from start to finish with little diversion or missed moments.
Small Pond’s ‘Emerging Volume V’ showcases the best of Brighton and the surrounding area, shining a light on the city in a way that only they can. It’s proof that the music scene is still as vibrant as ever, and the future looks just as bright. Personally, as a local to the city itself, it’s one of our greatest strengths. Long may it continue.
ANDY JOICE