All Around Sound Is Turning Three! - Day 4 Bonus Mix: Conveyor

I discovered Brooklyn experimental pop quartet Conveyor oddly enough in an almost completely non-musical instance. Though they were being pretty regularly pushed by We Listen For You, I wasn't aware of their existence into I ran into two of their members outside of the We Listen For You showcase at CMJ in 2011. They were considerably good sports about my anti-Brooklyn declarations and statements that I'd never see them live if it wasn't in Manhattan. They mentioned their love of ARMS and an attempt to play to show together and my tune more or less changed. I went home and checked them out and fell absolutely in love.

On their Sun Ray EP, Conveyor created a sort of oddly minimalistic sort of pop that I hadn't really encountered before. The lyrics functioned much like another instrument in their band - constant, threading everything together but not assuming total dominance over the intricate layers of instrumentation happening. Their self-titled debut was an astounding aural sunburst - a bright, jubilant, many-textured thing that drew listeners to it like a lantern attracts insects.

Since hearing them, I've always been curious what's been in their ears and going on in their heads. To the point of that being an almost entire basis for the interview I did with them. So when I went about seeking collaborators for this year's blog birthday celebration, Conveyor sprung to mind. It'd be another and perhaps more fluid attempt at understanding the sounds that perhaps shaped their own unique sound. I wasn't disappointed. Conveyor's mix is as cohesive as their music tends to be. Sunny and vibrant while slopping in and out of an accessible kind of quirkiness. It's a mix that fits the spirit of Conveyor to a tee.

TJ from Conveyor's contribution:

I tend to think of mixes as like albums, so usually I end up with 10 or so songs, almost an hour of music, that demonstrate some sort of logical progression.  I also try to stay within a familiar realm and be obtuse at the same time; these are mostly names you know and mostly songs you do not.  This particular mix starts out heavy: faux-'60s psychedelia says what we all think we want to be saying, and David Byrne turns that thought upside down but keeps it danceable.  From agitated white folks to the "real deal," Fela poses as a Londoner before the lost Wilson brother gets typically more lost.  Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel are there almost like familiar signposts so that I can sneak in an unassuming favorite of mine, XTC.  Still in love but feeling oppressed, the Crystals know what I mean.  Cool it down with post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys, and finally let Talk Talk talk me out of it.  I guess this mix is about being in love??