This one is definitely coming with me throughout the year. I don’t know where Orchid Mantis has been my past few years of walking around, but this tape has been an utter trip for me.
When I heard “sunlight” for the first time, I figured this was going to be a gorgeous listen. I took it with me on a little nature excursion a few days ago and it couldn’t have been a more vivid walk. Orchid Mantis is the sort of dream pop that’s closer to a patchwork than a sunbeam, but no less sun-bleached. Thomas Howard’s cotton-wrapped vocals become just another part of the melody collage in “sunlight,” a piece of its own, but essential to the entire track.
Amid some dormant trees, fresh water, and stellar sun, Orchid Mantis has me on another wavelength, one of textile memories. If there’s anything this project is a testament to, it’s the power of found sound. Man, am I glad to have found this one. Head over to the very cool Z Tapes to grab this lovely tape.
More about: Orchid Mantis
