The new Miracle Fortress album, it has been revealed, is a departure from the soft, psychedelic pop of his 2007 Polaris-shortlisted album, Five Roses. Due out today (April 26), Was I the Wave? is a much more introspective record, incorporating synths and drum pads with a more minimalist style of production. "Bedroom club" is a term that's being thrown around the Exclaim! office, especially after witnessing Graham Van Pelt perform a Miracle Fortress set during CMW. He kind of agrees with us.
In an interview with Exclaim!, Van Pelt says there definitely is a club vibe to his new record that doesn't fit a public venue crowded with sweaty bodies.
"It's definitely not club music, it'd be hard to pull it out during a DJ set," he says. "But I listen to a lot of dance music by myself, and there's definitely dance music that makes you feel that way even if you're not near a dance floor. We've been talking about how this is a record more for the individual as opposed to a big group of people. It's not like nobody wants to hear dance beats when they're alone."
Van Pelt says the desire for this new direction was there when he was making Five Roses, but he felt more freedom this time around to experiment with his sound.
"The biggest difference is pretty obvious: in the production, there is some pretty heavy moments and beat-driven stuff I stayed away from on Five Roses," he admits. "The mood was different on that album. It was gradual and you could chart it if you were hearing the random things I was working on. It kind of started with trying to make a dance song or trying to make a minor key dance song. I was also going through a depressed period in my life and writing downbeat material. I've never been interested in coming up with a good formula and then repeat it, hoping people keep liking it."
But Was I the Wave? isn't the only release Van Pelt has planned for Miracle Fortress in 2011. He says that the goal is to release an EP before the year is up, just to prevent another four-year gap from happening.
"I want to definitely release something else this year," he says. "I'm going to try to make a new EP this year. It will either be brand new or I'll go back into the archives. I definitely want to start rolling out music faster. because it was as frustrating for me as it was whoever was waiting for a new Miracle Fortress album."
Was I the Wave? hits stores today via Secret City Records, and you can catch Van Pelt's two-man show with drummer Greg Napier on part of the Exclaim! Anniversary Tour next month.
For more on Miracle Fortress and Was I the Wave?, check out Exclaim!'s newly published cover story here.
UPDATE: Miracle Fortress has now lined up several date with Junior Boys. You can see all the added stops in bold below. You can also grab Pantha Du Prince's remix of "Raw Spectacle" here.
Tour dates:
5/1/Winnipeg MB @ Lo Pub
5/2 Regina, SK - The Exchange *
5/3 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's *
5/4 Calgary, AB - Republik *
5/5 Edmonton, AB — Brixx *
5/7 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound *
5/14 Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle
5/20 Montreal, QC - Torn Curtain
6/9 Toronto ON @ The Phoenix #!
6/10 Ottawa ON @ Maverick's #
6/12 Cambridge MA @ The Middle East #
6/14 New York NY @ Webster Hall #
6/16 Washington DC @ Black Cat #
6/17 Philadelphia PA @ Johnny Brenda's #
6/18 Charlottesville VA @ Jefferson Theater #
6/20 Atlanta GA @ The Earl #
6/21 Nashbille TN @ Mercy Lounge #
6/22 Louisville KY @ Headliners #
6/24 Chicago IL @ Metro #
6/25 Pontiac MI @ Pike Room #
* with Shad (Exclaim! Anniversary Tour)
# with Junior Boys
! Caribou (DJ Set)
In an interview with Exclaim!, Van Pelt says there definitely is a club vibe to his new record that doesn't fit a public venue crowded with sweaty bodies.
"It's definitely not club music, it'd be hard to pull it out during a DJ set," he says. "But I listen to a lot of dance music by myself, and there's definitely dance music that makes you feel that way even if you're not near a dance floor. We've been talking about how this is a record more for the individual as opposed to a big group of people. It's not like nobody wants to hear dance beats when they're alone."
Van Pelt says the desire for this new direction was there when he was making Five Roses, but he felt more freedom this time around to experiment with his sound.
"The biggest difference is pretty obvious: in the production, there is some pretty heavy moments and beat-driven stuff I stayed away from on Five Roses," he admits. "The mood was different on that album. It was gradual and you could chart it if you were hearing the random things I was working on. It kind of started with trying to make a dance song or trying to make a minor key dance song. I was also going through a depressed period in my life and writing downbeat material. I've never been interested in coming up with a good formula and then repeat it, hoping people keep liking it."
But Was I the Wave? isn't the only release Van Pelt has planned for Miracle Fortress in 2011. He says that the goal is to release an EP before the year is up, just to prevent another four-year gap from happening.
"I want to definitely release something else this year," he says. "I'm going to try to make a new EP this year. It will either be brand new or I'll go back into the archives. I definitely want to start rolling out music faster. because it was as frustrating for me as it was whoever was waiting for a new Miracle Fortress album."
Was I the Wave? hits stores today via Secret City Records, and you can catch Van Pelt's two-man show with drummer Greg Napier on part of the Exclaim! Anniversary Tour next month.
For more on Miracle Fortress and Was I the Wave?, check out Exclaim!'s newly published cover story here.
UPDATE: Miracle Fortress has now lined up several date with Junior Boys. You can see all the added stops in bold below. You can also grab Pantha Du Prince's remix of "Raw Spectacle" here.
Tour dates:
5/1/Winnipeg MB @ Lo Pub
5/2 Regina, SK - The Exchange *
5/3 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's *
5/4 Calgary, AB - Republik *
5/5 Edmonton, AB — Brixx *
5/7 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound *
5/14 Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle
5/20 Montreal, QC - Torn Curtain
6/9 Toronto ON @ The Phoenix #!
6/10 Ottawa ON @ Maverick's #
6/12 Cambridge MA @ The Middle East #
6/14 New York NY @ Webster Hall #
6/16 Washington DC @ Black Cat #
6/17 Philadelphia PA @ Johnny Brenda's #
6/18 Charlottesville VA @ Jefferson Theater #
6/20 Atlanta GA @ The Earl #
6/21 Nashbille TN @ Mercy Lounge #
6/22 Louisville KY @ Headliners #
6/24 Chicago IL @ Metro #
6/25 Pontiac MI @ Pike Room #
* with Shad (Exclaim! Anniversary Tour)
# with Junior Boys
! Caribou (DJ Set)
