Normally, the word “combat” with an exclamation point at the end of it would evoke the image of Mel Gibson running into battle, screaming like the crazy person that he is, in movies such as The Patriot or Braveheart. This is not the case with the music of COMBAT!, a recent Friends of Friends signee who will release his self-titled debut via the label on September 16.
COMBAT! is the project of Mark Nieto, a Los Angeles-based underground musician. On COMBAT!, Nieto’s music stands tall atop a mountain of electronics, guitar, and drums, blurring the line between ambient and house musics. COMBAT! allows room for experimental, droning melodies to exist in perfect harmony with upbeat, polyrhythmic grooves. On one song, you may want to stare contemplatively at a body of water, while on the next, you may want to get on the dance floor and cut a proverbial rug. Sometimes you may want to do both within the span of a single song!
Then there’s “Sun Crawl,” a track that builds into a final clash of sounds, almost as if all of its elements were engaged in… you know, combat with each other. I guess maybe Mel Gibson could run screaming with a tomahawk into that one.
COMBAT! is out September 16 via Friends of Friends. Listen to “Heavy Accent,” premiered by the wonderful Andrea Domanick at Noisey.
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