Seek Magic

With the release of ‘Seek Magic’, Dayve Hawke has assured himself that no matter what moniker he decides to record under in the future, people will be listening.

No one ever wants to admit that summer's totally over, but it's even tougher this year considering how fun it all was-- seems like every other day, an evocatively named band would come about and contribute to this glo-fi/dreambeat/chillwave thing that was perfect for those unbearably humid August nights rife with possibility, imagining an alternate universe where the narcotic of choice in danceclubs were Galaxie 500 and Saint Etienne records.

This is yet another one of those records about escapism, yearning for a bolt of light in the dark, an end to normality. And it finds it, to almighty effect; producing the kind of rapturous charge that no bedroom-dance record has ever assembled before.

One potential sticking point for some listeners is Hawk's voice -- not that it's bad or even particularly unpleasant (and in any case it's rarely the most prominent feature in any given track), but it is somewhat rough and reedy, and not all that well suited to this type of lushly melodious material.

It’s music that will soundtrack those peculiar moments where you really pay attention, free of distractions. This is music to spend time with and worth making time for.

On this mostly splendid debut ... Hawk actually fuses two of his previous recording identities bridging the shiny electronic of his Weird Tapes alter ego with the hazy lo-fi psychedelia of its "feminine" mirror image, Memory Cassette.

On Seek Magic, Hawk's synth-based constructions occupy a space halfway between reflective IDM and a hip dance party.

It’s anyone’s guess whether Memory Tapes will last as the man’s preferred nomenclature, but he certainly shows no sign of slowing down his production. And that’s a good thing- Hawk can take up whatever name he wants as long as he keeps making music like this.

He may have followed the aspiring bedroom producer's now-established route from blog favourite to remixer (for Yeah Yeah Yeahs), but the solo debut of Dayve Hawk, former frontman for post-punks Hail Social, is anything but predictable.

An intelligent, fascinating record, clearly made by someone who, quite simply, fucking loves music and knows exactly what a classic album sounds like.

After a month of digesting Seek Magic thoroughly, oscillating wildly between manic enthusiasm and a kind of defiant distrust of this whole act’s shtick, I’ve committed myself to the stance about which I felt most comfortable from the beginning: this is a very good album, but there are certain things about it with which I take issue.

There is still that whole backdrop of musical gray that weighs the score down a little, something that took me awhile to get over in order to really appreciate the album. But, as I said, it’s a necessary element that adds the needed depth of support to one of this year’s most unique gems.