On Process: Corpsing // Field Harmonics // February 2018

In November last year we compiled a zine for the Indie Label Market, here’s a piece written by Rob Glover about his forthcoming release on Wayside & Woodland.

‘Corpsing’ is out on 23rd Feb, 2018 on Cassette + digital. A decontruction of the pop sensibilities from 2016’s ‘Corners’, a reimaginging revealing beauty from decay.

Corpsing by Rob Glover (Field Harmonics)
4.05pm…20th​ ​November​ ​2017. I​ ​made​ ​the​ ​decision​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​the​ ​house​ ​some​ ​30​ ​minutes​ ​ago,​ ​as​ ​I’m​ ​still​ ​rushing​ ​to​ ​get​ ​mix​ ​downs finished​ ​and​ ​exported​ ​before​ ​the​ ​light​ ​fades​ ​any​ ​further​ ​and​ ​darkness​ ​fully​ ​envelops​ ​the​ ​footpaths​ ​near​ ​my house.​ ​After​ ​a​ ​rain-filled​ ​afternoon,​ ​the​ ​heavy​ ​clouds​ ​have​ ​lifted,​ ​adding​ ​urgency​ ​to​ ​my​ ​escape​ ​into​ ​the half-light​ ​of​ ​the​ ​evening.​ ​I​ ​hastily​ ​grab​ ​my​ ​headphones,​ ​notebook​ ​and​ ​coat​ ​-​ ​and​ ​close​ ​the​ ​door​ ​behind me.​ ​The​ ​street​ ​lights​ ​have​ ​yet​ ​to​ ​flood​ ​the​ ​pavements​ ​with​ ​their​ ​dim​ ​orange​ ​glow​ ​and​ ​within​ ​a​ ​few​ ​minutes I​ ​approach​ ​the​ ​rain-soaked​ ​towpath​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Staffs​ ​and​ ​Worcester​ ​canal.​ ​The​ ​traffic​ ​noise​ ​fades​ ​behind​ ​me as​ ​I​ ​make​ ​my​ ​way​ ​cautiously​ ​down​ ​the​ ​path,​ ​the​ ​last​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year’s​ ​leaves​ ​clinging​ ​to​ ​the​ ​silhouetted branches,​ ​and​ ​my​ ​route​ ​ahead​ ​illuminated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​puddles​ ​reflecting​ ​the​ ​steely​ ​sky​ ​above.​ ​A​ ​short​ ​time later​ ​I​ ​emerge​ ​from​ ​the​ ​towpath​ ​and​ ​bear​ ​left​ ​at​ ​the​ ​junction​ ​towards​ ​my​ ​destination​ ​–​ ​The​ ​Swan​ ​Inn.​ ​I push​ ​open​ ​the​ ​door​ ​to​ ​the​ ​snug,​ ​and​ ​immediately​ ​spot​ ​an​ ​empty​ ​table​ ​in​ ​the​ ​corner​ ​to​ ​bunker​ ​down​ ​in. The​ ​open​ ​fire​ ​is​ ​crackling​ ​away,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​room​ ​is​ ​otherwise​ ​quiet,​ ​save​ ​for​ ​a​ ​few​ ​elderly​ ​gentlemen​ ​nursing locally​ ​brewed​ ​ales​ ​and​ ​poring​ ​over​ ​the​ ​day’s​ ​newspapers​ ​in​ ​silence.​ ​I​ ​purchase​ ​a​ ​pint​ ​of​ ​Banks’s​ ​Bitter and​ ​settle​ ​down​ ​into​ ​my​ ​spot,​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​few​ ​minutes​ ​to​ ​acclimatise​ ​to​ ​my​ ​surroundings.

The​ ​main​ ​cause​ ​for​ ​leaving​ ​the​ ​house​ ​and​ ​reaching​ ​this​ ​quiet​ ​corner​ ​was​ ​to​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​and​ ​reflect​ ​upon​ ​my recently​ ​completed​ ​Field​ ​Harmonics​ ​record​ ​’Corpsing’,​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​glare​ ​of​ ​a​ ​computer​ ​screen.​ ​The roots​ ​of​ ​this​ ​release​ ​can​ ​be​ ​traced​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​start​ ​of​ ​2016​ ​when​ ​my​ ​then​ ​co-collaborator​ ​Bryony​ ​and​ ​I started​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​ideas​ ​for​ ​our​ ​next​ ​album,​ ​following​ ​the​ ​completion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​’Corners’​ ​LP​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the previous​ ​year.​ ​The​ ​new​ ​songs​ ​were​ ​coming​ ​together​ ​quickly,​ ​with​ ​an​ ​even​ ​bolder​ ​pop​ ​sensibility​ ​than​ ​we had​ ​touched​ ​upon​ ​before.​ ​As​ ​spring​ ​gave​ ​way​ ​to​ ​summer,​ ​we​ ​had​ ​nearly​ ​an​ ​album’s​ ​worth​ ​of​ ​material that​ ​we​ ​were​ ​working​ ​on​ ​-​ ​layering,​ ​reconfiguring​ ​and​ ​remixing​ ​as​ ​we​ ​went.​ ​But​ ​by​ ​June​ ​something​ ​had started​ ​to​ ​shift​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head.​ ​Then​ ​Brexit​ ​happened.​ ​Looking​ ​back,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​point​ ​where​ ​things​ ​really changed​ ​for​ ​me.​ ​Within​ ​a​ ​few​ ​weeks​ ​I​ ​realised​ ​that​ ​I​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​wished​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​this​ ​material​ ​for numerous​ ​reasons​ ​and​ ​felt​ ​compelled​ ​to​ ​return​ ​to​ ​something​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​closer​ ​and​ ​truer​ ​to​ ​my​ ​heart,​ ​and escape​ ​the​ ​4/4​ ​pop-orientated​ ​corner​ ​I’d​ ​backed​ ​myself​ ​into.​ ​We​ ​played​ ​our​ ​final​ ​gig​ ​as​ ​a​ ​band​ ​towards the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​2016​ ​and​ ​that​ ​was​ ​it.​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​even​ ​look​ ​at​ ​any​ ​of​ ​those​ ​projects​ ​for​ ​another​ ​8​ ​months.​ ​Whilst​ ​I certainly​ ​wasn’t​ ​inactive​ ​during​ ​this​ ​period,​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​working​ ​on​ ​something​ ​pop-driven​ ​had​ ​left​ ​me fatigued​ ​and​ ​uninspired.​ ​Returning​ ​to​ ​this​ ​material​ ​was​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​question.​ ​Nearly​ ​a​ ​year’s​ ​work​ ​- shelved.

Then​ ​as​ ​spring​ ​rolled​ ​round,​ ​I​ ​lost​ ​someone​ ​very​ ​close​ ​to​ ​me.​ ​Around​ ​this​ ​time​ ​the​ ​seed​ ​of​ ​an​ ​idea​ ​started to​ ​quietly​ ​take​ ​root​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head.​ ​Could​ ​I​ ​re-explore​ ​this​ ​material​ ​in​ ​a​ ​wholly​ ​different​ ​way?​ ​Strip​ ​away​ ​the countless​ ​layers​ ​and​ ​rhythms​ ​to​ ​reveal​ ​the​ ​beauty​ ​of​ ​a​ ​vocal,​ ​synth​ ​line​ ​or​ ​texture​ ​-​ ​otherwise​ ​buried beneath​ ​the​ ​multi-layered​ ​production?​ ​Reconfigure​ ​these​ ​sounds​ ​through​ ​spatial,​ ​granular​ ​and distortion-based​ ​processing​ ​and​ ​eschew​ ​any​ ​locked​ ​BPM​ ​or​ ​gridded​ ​structure?​ ​Produce​ ​something​ ​more abstracted,​ ​fluid​ ​and​ ​immediate?​ ​Process​ ​the​ ​vocals​ ​and​ ​synth​ ​melodies​ ​to​ ​become​ ​distant,​ ​ghostified versions​ ​of​ ​their​ ​former​ ​selves​ ​–​ ​the​ ​suggestion​ ​of​ ​a​ ​pop​ ​song​ ​set​ ​against​ ​more​ ​saturated​ ​and​ ​immersive soundscapes?​ ​Even​ ​looking​ ​at​ ​these​ ​projects​ ​still​ ​filled​ ​me​ ​with​ ​trepidation,​ ​but​ ​in​ ​July​ ​I​ ​had​ ​a​ ​gap​ ​in​ ​my work​ ​schedule​ ​and​ ​put​ ​aside​ ​a​ ​few​ ​days​ ​to​ ​see​ ​what​ ​I​ ​could​ ​gather​ ​from​ ​these​ ​initial​ ​ideas.​ ​My​ ​process was​ ​clear​ ​–​ ​don’t​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​the​ ​last​ ​full​ ​mix​ ​of​ ​the​ ​material,​ ​resolutely​ ​strip​ ​away​ ​any​ ​extraneous​ ​elements​ ​- then​ ​reconfigure,​ ​finding​ ​new​ ​forms​ ​and​ ​structures.​ ​Working​ ​quickly​ ​over​ ​the​ ​next​ ​few​ ​weeks,​ ​often​ ​late into​ ​the​ ​night,​ ​I​ ​found​ ​myself​ ​with​ ​11​ ​tracks​ ​that​ ​summed​ ​up​ ​what​ ​I’d​ ​set​ ​out​ ​to​ ​achieve.​ ​It​ ​was rejuvenating,​ ​liberating,​ ​exciting.​ ​The​ ​immediacy​ ​was​ ​important,​ ​set​ ​against​ ​previous​ ​months​ ​of​ ​labouring over​ ​vocal,​ ​hi-hat​ ​and​ ​snare​ ​sounds.​ ​​ ​I​ ​quickly​ ​drew​ ​a​ ​line​ ​under​ ​the​ ​project,​ ​sent​ ​the​ ​tracks​ ​to​ ​close friends,​ ​and​ ​was​ ​met​ ​with​ ​immediate,​ ​pleasing​ ​responses.​ ​Until​ ​this​ ​point,​ ​only​ ​my​ ​partner​ ​had​ ​any​ ​idea​ ​of what​ ​I​ ​was​ ​doing​ ​with​ ​this​ ​material​ ​as​ ​it​ ​had​ ​been​ ​a​ ​private,​ ​personal​ ​exercise​ ​in​ ​escape​ ​from​ ​the self-imposed​ ​confines​ ​of​ ​working​ ​on​ ​material​ ​within​ ​a​ ​premeditated​ ​structure.

Its​ ​5.45pm​ ​and​ ​night​ ​has​ ​fully​ ​veiled​ ​the​ ​day.​ ​​ ​I​ ​must​ ​leave​ ​this​ ​cosy​ ​corner​ ​and​ ​once​ ​again​ ​hit​ ​the towpath.​ ​I​ ​know​ ​the​ ​contours​ ​and​ ​bends​ ​of​ ​this​ ​stretch​ ​well​ ​so​ ​with​ ​a​ ​quiet​ ​unease​ ​I​ ​leave​ ​the​ ​road​ ​and am​ ​plunged​ ​into​ ​near​ ​darkness​ ​at​ ​the​ ​water’s​ ​edge.​ ​As​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​adjust​ ​to​ ​the​ ​crepuscular​ ​environment​ ​of the​ ​Midlands​ ​canal​ ​network,​ ​I’m​ ​glad​ ​that​ ​I​ ​took​ ​the​ ​autumnal​ ​waterway​ ​in​ ​favour​ ​of​ ​the​ ​less​ ​appealing rush-hour​ ​clogged​ ​main​ ​roads.​ ​In​ ​doing​ ​so,​ ​I’m​ ​reminded​ ​that​ ​sometimes​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​far​ ​more​ ​rewarding​ ​to step​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​your​ ​comfort​ ​zone​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​taking​ ​more​ ​predetermined​ ​routes​ ​-​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​reconnect with​ ​a​ ​place​ ​you​ ​hold​ ​dear.