Grouper

You probably wouldn´t expect King Midas Sound to profess a love for ethereal, intimate songs that hover on the thresholds of conscioussness. However the group have recently posted a blog post entitled “The magical&fragile world of Grouper” in which they praise the work of Liz Harris, better known under her nom de plume Grouper.

The Oregon native debuted with a self-titled CD-R album in 2005 and her idiosyncratic music then catapulted her to a global sonic orbit, including supporting Animal Collective on their mega successful 2009 Merriweather Post Pavilion tour. Her reverb-laden compositions, created by Harris on guitar and Wurlitzer keys are wrapped up in a haze of psychedelia and accompanied by sublime vocals that cab be sometimes compared to Julianna Barwick. Hauntingly beautiful – as if they emanted from some distant and dark past.

Thanks to the airy qualities of her music, we can understand why King Midas Sound, equally in thrall of the echo, might like her. Harris´ latest two-part album A|A Dream Loss and Alien Observer are perfect semantic descriptions of Grouper’s music – dreamy, alien, remaining in the distance in the role of the observer rather than being in the midst of action with a sense of longing.

Published November 02, 2011.