Turtle Skull’s debut self-titled album out now on Art As Catharsis. Think of a wall of fuzzed out riffs cascading against a lysergic sky, with dreamy, psych-pop vocals floating over the void.
Art As Catharsis is proud to release the debut self-titled record from Turtle Skull – a warm, full toned record of “flower doom”, with a range of influences equally as colourful as their music.
Taking inspiration from Black Mountain, Sleep, King Gizzard and more, Turtle Skull’s finished product gives fresh direction to the Australian psych scene. Rolling low riffs, patterned bass lines, groaning guitar and counter-cultural lyrics merge over an exchange of dirty and smooth tracks – the final product satiating those hungry for both heavy grooves and thoughtful song writing.
“It’s about layers and textures – closing your eyes and seeing how deep you can go, really getting in touch with each individual sound and movement,” explains guitarist/vocalist Dean McLeod on the band’s writing process. “You can say so much with just one note or sound if you focus on the texture of it, the way it warbles, vibrates and oscillates. Ultimately it’s about mind expansion through music – I want to facilitate a moving experience for the listener and the audience.”
Eden, the first single from the record, is unashamed in its worship of fuzz. Running out the gates with a meaty hook before sliding into smooth, vocal driven grooves, Eden shifts through a kaleidoscope of riffs and shimmering textures before reeling you back with a consistent, thumping hook.
“The song is directly inspired by an experience my girlfriend Rachel and I had while we were travelling the year before last,” says McLeod. “We had just arrived in Arizona and, through some wild synchronicities, we met a wonderful man who took us under his wing and invited us to some really incredible hot springs out in the desert. We had a night hanging out sharing stories with him under the stars in the middle of nowhere and the song kind of explains what happened. A lot of the inspiration for the band actually came from that time away.”
The end of the record leaves listeners at the end of a journey through political ideologies and light-hearted joy set to the backdrop of lush, buzzing soundscapes. Their live show is equally as climatic: a wall of fuzzed out riffs cascading against a lysergic sky, with dreamy psych-pop vocals floating over the void.
