Somewhere amongst a collision of indie, electronic and pop stylings lie the sounds of James Milsom. Gathering steam under different guises since the mid-noughties, the Melbourne-based producer, singer and songwriter offers a taste of his forthcoming LP Impossible Future with new single Clockface.
Right from its opening seconds, the jam strikes hard with distinctive Australiana vibes. For just over four hypnotising minutes we take a surrealist journey where people, places and objects come together in inexplicable ways.
Clockface is both a delicate and carefully crafted track, awash with dreamy synths and soothing vocals. With a hybrid mix of acoustic and electronic sounds, the clip proves to be eccentric, ambitious and as multi-dimensional as a Dalí painting. This is an exploration of sound and space; a sensory experience like no other.
Clockface from James Milsom pulls you into a world where reversed horizons, tractors, doppelgängers and floating watering cans fit right into place against a bare Australian landscape.
With a dynamic production style drawing influence from the likes of Beck, James Blake, Augie March, Pink Floyd and Tame Impala, it’s no surprise that James Milsom’s take on indie pop is considered to be in a league of its own.
Since his debut on the Australian music scene with Ancient Free Gardeners, Milsom took his act to Alice Springs before releasing a self-titled LP under the name Jamesy Ohhh. A background in criminal law and a history of working in the courts of Melbourne and Alice Springs has seen Milsom’s themes cover the experiences of days past, from mental illness to social disadvantage. It’s this earnestness that has cemented Milsom’s place as a thought-provoking artist.
Clockface offers a glimpse of what to expect from James Milsom’s forthcoming LP Impossible Future, due for release later this year. Set to be his most ambitious work to date, the record was engineered and mixed by hip hop heavyweight Phil Threlfall (360, Bliss n Eso, Seth Sentry, Owl Eyes), and features the talents of Xani Kolac (Xani, The Twoks) on strings and Mark Leahy (The Twoks) on drums.
After serving up a refreshing, surrealist take on the indie pop genre, it’s easy to envision big things on Milsom’s horizon.
If you’re in Melbourne, make sure you head along to the Clockface single launch on Saturday March 17 at Tamale Studios.
