Ivory Fields

IVORY FIELDS | S/T | SIMBALLREC / OFFICE OF ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL | OCT. 28, 2022

 

Bio:

Ivory Fields is the self-titled ten-song debut album from the Los Angeles-based duo of Mahadev (fka Matt Gangi) (GANGI, Current Pathways) and Alejandro Cohen (Pharaohs, Languis.)

In their own words, Ivory Fields “combusts layers of synths, drum machines and guitar over songs composed more around sonic imagery than chord progressions.

The description is as accurate as it is mysterious. Indeed, the music here often feels like it is both floating just out of grasp, and overwhelming and omnipresent at the same time.

Even so, Mahadev reminds that the record is grounded in a “flare for pop context in its songwriting and production.” Cohen concurs, saying, “Ivory Fields mixes a desire for pop songs, dance production values, and experimental influences.”

The album’s upcoming singles – the electro-goth inspired “As If” and the danceable glow of “Blasted” – contain these musical multitudes. Catchy and eluding capture.

In reality, this music was dormant for some time, which belies how relevant and modern it sounds in its reverence for contemporaries (Animal Collective, Geneva Jacuzzi) and classic artists of the genre (Psychic TV, Wire.)

Cohen elaborates on the latter, explaining that Ivory Fields actually began “as a loose tribute to Dome –the experimental side project by members of Wire.”

Mahadev adds another touchstone, saying, “My friend, David Chaim Cohen (who mastered this album) said he heard The Legendary Pink Dots in the record. That made me happy, since I was actually listening to their album Brighter Now quite a bit at that time.”

“That time” was many years ago.

“Ivory Fields has been years in the making,” Mahadev says.

Many of the synths and vocals on the record were tracked between 2010 and 2012 in what Mahadev describes as “a slow-burning collaboration.”

This scenario is similar to Mahadev’s other recent release as one-half of GANGI. That duo’s “As Fake Estates” EP is also comprised of songs created many years prior to being shown to the public. Somehow, in both cases, it feels right that these compositions have had the time to silently evolve.

“The album wasn’t completed sooner, not because of lack of inspiration or too much time in the studio,” Mahadev explains. “We took our time to let it smolder, and either because of what was brought to light through the burning of time, or because of the process of completion we achieved by looking back into the fire, Ivory Fields is work we are very proud of.”

The self-titled debut album by Ivory Fields arrives on October 28, 2022 via Simballrec / Office of Analogue and Digital preceded by the singles “As If” and “Blasted.”

NEWS:

In The PRESS:

“Combines densely layered synths, beats, guitars and vocals in a way that at first blush seems amorphous — defiantly avant-garde swathes of sound that hint at dream-pop and dark, left-field techno.”
— Buzz Bands
“An unexpected union... their styles pulling each other into a fun new shape, like a balloon that is suddenly a dog with a waggly tail.”
— LA Record
“Feels like ODESZA and The Flaming Lips got together for an exploratory electronic jam session, in the best of ways.”
— Independent Clauses
“A spooky beat that sears you like a slice of dark New Wave... brimming with a melange of enticing synth sounds... danceable and mysterious, with a touch of 80s contrasting with its distinctly modern sound.”
— Glide Magazine

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Assets:

Ivory Fields (L-R): Mahadev, Alejandro Cohen. Photo credit: Jeanette Getrost. Click for hi-res.

Ivory Fields (L-R): Mahadev, Alejandro Cohen. Photo credit: Jeanette Getrost. Click for hi-res.

Ivory Fields (L-R): Mahadev, Alejandro Cohen. Photo credit: Jeanette Getrost. Click for hi-res.

Ivory Fields (L-R): Mahadev, Alejandro Cohen. Photo credit: Jeanette Getrost. Click for hi-res.

Ivory Fields (L-R): Mahadev, Alejandro Cohen. Photo credit: Jeanette Getrost. Click for hi-res.

Ivory Fields LP cover art by Jay Are. Click for hi-res.

“As If” single cover art. Click for hi-res.

“Blasted” single cover art. Click for hi-res.