12": Battles: Gloss Drop (2011)

“When you see a band you really like, the reason you really like them is because you
wish you’d had that idea. And when I saw Battles I thought, “Damn! Why didn’t I
think of that?” Battles fan Brian Eno
You can often spot the best bands - the truly once-in-a-generation type - by their names alone. The all
time greats usually come ready made with nomenclature that encapsulates their sound and ethos effortlessly.
BATTLES are no exception. They are a rock group locked in conflict with the very limitations of
what it means to be a rock group; conducting an all out assault on mediocrity and waging a fearsome
campaign against genre conventions and pigeonholes. Their sound is that of an elite guard engaging in
a series of complex sonic skirmishes. This is the sublime noise of equally talented musicians pushed to
their limit - as interested in conducting synchronized audio attacks and ambushes on the listener as they
are on each other.
GLOSS DROP is an astounding album born from resolve and resilience. It features the UK’s dark synth
pop pioneer Gary Numan; Chilean born Kompakt minimal techno producer Matias Aguayo; cult indie
rocker Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead; and Yamantaka Eye, the messianic dreadlocked front man of
Japanese cosmiche future beat unit, the Boredoms.
“When we’re writing songs, no one in this group has ever said ‘Wait, we’ve gone too far. This isn’t a
BATTLES song.’ Because what is a BATTLES song? We don’t know. All I know is that there are no parameters
and no boundaries. That is the whole point and has been since day one.”´Battles’ John Stanier,
2011