SEIMS - V (2025)

The Australian project SEIMS is an exciting answer to a dilemma: can post-rock music be artsy and atmospheric at the same time. Yes it can. The band that is usually connected to such genres as math rock and post-rock, released their probably fourth album called V, four years after another great release: their probably third album called Four. MATH rock. Q.E.D.

Jokes aside, although their music is mostly instrumental and very much guitar-focused, it's difficult o call them "simply post-rock". The complexity of their compositions and the approach characterized by melodic, isolated guitar sequences (I know it's not true, but those make me think of some flamenco or fado music in some places) suggest to me that we deal with art rock that somehow has been deprived of vocals along the process. But then, the artsy is suddenly overwhelmed by the loud and heavy, making a perfect case for art-post-rock music.

A separate word should be said about Forever the Optimist, my highlight of the album. I love how it starts with slower, elaborate guitar dance and slowly growing into the energetic finish fueled by chanting, a rare sight on the release. It also sums up the overall mood of the album: in the times when post-rock (and really all the music I listen to) gets dark and apocalyptic, the sound here is bright and optimistic. And if I like it like this, it's a sign that it's very well done.

V costs 6 EUR (10 AUD).

Check: Forever the Optimist 

Country: Australia

Genre: art-post-rock

SEIMS - FOUR (2021)

SEIMS - 3.1 (2019) 

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SEIMS - FOUR (2021)

Simeon Bartholomew is the conceptual leader of the Australian experimental post-rockers from SEIMS. The band bought me two years ago with their shorter album 3.1 and now they show their fourth, particularly crazy album. 

Although the release is advertised as mathrock drawing a lot from the music of 65daysofstatic and such, the first thing one notices about the band's music is the use of neoclassical instruments (violins and cellos). It's pretty special as they don't serve as only romantic ornaments, the whole compositions are based on them; there's little to none heavy guitar walls of noise; in this aspect, the Australians make extremely artsy and jazzy music. Of course the mathrock references are not a mistake here; those delicate instruments create a real madness here: the paces change, the melodies are subjective, the next part of a composition is anyone's guess. And this is all created by music that in many places feels practically orchestral (the louder parts of Stranded. Isolated. for instance) and less frequently, surprisingly guitar-heavy (Biting Tongues and The Mountain's Scream).

The album was mixed and mastered by people from the very top of the Australian post-rock society and it can be felt in the music's quality. The album is said to include their most "engaging and hypnotic material" to date and it surely feels the most experimental, one the artists had a lot of fun when making. And judging by their modus operandi, I can bet money on that the next album will be titled V.

FOUR  costs 10 AUD.

SEIMS - 3.1 (2019)

Check: Biting Tongues

Country: Australia

Genre: artsy mathrock

Label: Art As Catharsis

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SEIMS - 3.1 (2019) EN

The new EP by SEIMS makes the second interesting album from the Australian label Art As Catharsis released lately. This time the label released their compatriots from Sydney, who created a direct continuation of their last EP from two years ago, called 3.1.

Its first part, 3 (as could be guessed), was devoted to the CMYK system colours. This year's one develops this idea with three tracks. It starts with a blast with fascinating hit of guitars, drums and trumpets in Absolute Black. The whole instrumental section gathered to make this EP is generally impressive, some of the sounds on this album are rarely heard anywhere else in post-rock music.

The way the Australians manage to fit them into the guitar post-rock makes me automatically a fanboy. And there has to be something in this Land Below as the last band that did this was also Australian Tangled Thought of Leaving.

3.1 costs 5 AUD.

Check: Absolute Black

Country: Australia

Genre: multi-instrumental post-rock

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SEIMS - 3.1 (2019) PL

Nowa EP-ka zespołu SEIMS to drugi bardzo interesujący krążek ze stajni australijskiej wytwórni Art As Catharsis w minionym czasie. Ty razem label wydał swoich ziomków z Sydney, którzy stworzyli bezpośrednią kontynuację EP-ki sprzed dwóch lata zatytułowaną 3.1.

Jej pierwsza część, 3 (jak można się domyśleć), poświęcona była kolorom systemu CMYK. Tegoroczna rozwija tę myśl trzema utworami. Zaczyna się z bardzo grubej rury fascynującym uderzeniem gitar, perkusji i instrumentów dętych w Absolute Black. W ogóle sekcja instrumentalna zgromadzenia do nagrywania EP-ki jest imponująca, niektóre dźwięki rzadko słyszy się w instrumentalnym post-rocku.  

To jak Australijczycy potrafią wkomponować je w gitarowy post-rock powoduje, ze jestem automatycznie ich fanem. I coś musi być w tych Antypodach, bo ostatni zespół, który zrobił tym na mnie wrażenie był również australijski Tangled Thought of Leaving.

3.1 kosztuje 14 złotych (5 AUD).

Sprawdź: Absolute Black

Kraj: Australia

Szufladka: multi-instrumental post-rock

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