Washed Out
BIOGRAPHY
There are many genres and sub-genres that come and go without making a significant impact on the musical landscape, generating a few decent bands who get swept up by the infamous blogosphere and elevated to the status of ‘saviours of music’ before disappearing under a wave of disappointing LPs and disinterested music fans. Washed Out, the solo project of Atlanta, Georgia’s Ernest Greene, could have been one of those bands, riding on the back of Chillwave - a genre he had a major part in creating - before being seemingly destroyed by the torrents of backlash that came their way once they became yesterday’s news.
Despite this, Mr Greene has rallied himself and turned out one of the best debut albums of the year in Within and Without, which builds on the fine work of his earlier EPs and is on course to become not just the best album Chillwave has produced, but a classic of the electronica genre as a whole.
Washed Out first came into existence after Greene moved back in with his parents after graduating from college. He had previously experimented with a variety of genres, ranging from instrumental hip-hop to lo-fi rock (as Lee Weather), before collaborating with “aggressive dance” group Bedroom, which led him towards the electronic direction followed by Washed Out.
2009 saw the release of two EPs from the band, High Times and Life of Leisure, which introduced Greene’s hazy 80s-influenced electronica, paired with vocals that were as dream-like as they were unintelligible. Greene is good friends with Chaz Bundick, aka Toro Y Moi, and it is no coincidence that the two started out making music similar in style, even if their styles diverged when it came to writing full-length albums.
Standout EP tracks ‘Feel It All Around’ and ‘You’ll See It’ caught the attention of influential bloggers and websites, impressed by the band’s unique sound, turning them into something of an overnight success (their first interview with Pitchfork came only a month after they first posted songs on the internet). After initially feeling uncomfortable with the idea of performing the songs live, Greene enlisted the help of New York band Small Black to be his backing band for live shows, before heading out to play shows all over the world.
Despite the initial praise and attention the band received, it was somewhat inevitable that sooner or later those pesky haters would rear their heads, unleashing waves of criticism, focusing amongst other things on the over-reliance on samples in his work, and the art style associated with the Chillwave movement. Greene seemingly disappeared, while genre-mates Toro Y Moi, Small Black and Neon Indian released critically successful albums that went some way to breaking up the scene.
It turned out that far from being discouraged by the backlash aimed at him, Greene spent his time crafting and perfecting his debut full-length, resisting the temptation to rush into a release. The result is Within and Without, released this month via Domino. The album takes the blueprint outlined in his EPs, and expands the palette of moods and textures to great effect, resulting in an album which is both a fantastic collection of songs, and an extremely coherent piece of work.
‘Amor Fati’, made available as a free download prior to the record’s release, showcases the album’s more organic approach, with live drums and Greene’s vocals brought more to the fore than in any of his previous work. You get the sense that Greene’s confidence levels have grown remarkably in the years between releases, with more effort going into making sure the songs will accommodate a great live show (Greene has been quoted as being ‘embarrassed’ by his early performances’ reliance on samples and backing tracks).
Other album highlights include ‘Soft’, which channels some of the same Balearic spirit that Delorean embraced to great effect on their debut, and ‘You and I’, which perfectly demonstrates the album’s laid-back style with its slow paced, almost melancholic atmosphere. Within and Without is a reminder of why anyone got excited about the Chillwave movement in the first place, despite the best efforts of some to bury it before it had a chance to prove itself. Much like Toro Y Moi managed to do so successfully on his second album, Washed Out’s future work has the potential to expand into new territories, but for now Ernest Greene will be content with having produced a better album than everyone, including most of us, expected.
Tour Dates
July 11, New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
July 15, London, UK @ Lovebox Festival
July 16, Hultsfred, Sweden @ Hultsfred Festival
July 17, Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Festval de Affaire
July 19, Geneva, Switzerland @ Motel Campo
July 20, Rome, Italy @ Future Island@Bibliotechina
July 21, Bologna, Italy @ Vicolo Bolognetti
July 22, Padova, Italy @ Giardini Sospesi
July 23, Hyeres, France @ Midi Festival
July 24, Barcelos, Portugal @ Milhoes de Festa
July 29, Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata, Japan @ Fuji Rock Festival
August 4, Berlin, Germany @ Festaal Kreuzberg
August 6, Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Bitterzoet
August 7, Paris, France @ Le Nouveau Casino
August 8, Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
August 9, London, UK @ Scala
August 12, Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival
August 13, Dublin City, Ireland @ The Grand Social
August 18, Groningen, Netherlands @ Noordezon Festival
Links
Label Website
Ernest Greene’s Blog
Myspace
Facebook
Last FM
Videos
Feel It All Around
You And I
Soft