[gtranslate]
Music

Things feeling a little too quiet in your life right now? Get loud with Figures

Relocating to a new area can be such a daunting experience. There are many concerns that one might have when moving to a new suburb/state/country. We think about whether we’ll get used to a new culture or if we’ll be able to build new social circles. Speaking from a firsthand experience, moving is honestly one of the most painfully annoying and chaotic experience I have been through. In saying that though, moving could also be a sign of renewed hope. By being in a different scene, we are able to discover new perspectives on life, which could often surprise us. Such is the case for Melbourne project, Figures.

Figures EP

Melbourne muso Nic Belor has finally found his solace with Figures – a raucous, yet delicate project rooted in 90s guitars and melodies.

Formed in early 2014, Figures is the brainchild of Melbourne muso, Nic Belor. While Belor would be accompanied by a band during live sessions, the project was largely a solo effort. Due to conflicting schedules with the other members, Belor would spend most of his time writing and recording all of the music by himself. When it came to rehearsals, he would simply turn up with all of the prepared materials for the band to play.

It was clearly a frustrating situation for Belor as he mentioned that, “It was a different lineup that didn’t really go anywhere. We would rehearse a lot but I always felt like we were hitting this imaginary brick wall.” Although a bleak situation at the time, Belor would soon find solace in a relocation to QLD. It appears that the Sunshine State has given him a new lease on life.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2548945393 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Since moving North, Belor has managed to recruit two new members who have become his collaborators in this project. Fraser who plays the bass and Chris who’s on the drums are now permanent fixtures within Figures. This change was what Belor had sought after, reflecting on the bands new EP: “With Chris and Fraser, Taekare was a culmination of all three people and feels the most tangible of all releases. Being able to rehearse weekly and actually get things done has been a really welcomed change.”

While we are only at the beginning of 2016, the boys have already kickstarted the year with a bang. The band dropped their newest offering, Taekare just a week into the new year. Applying aggressive walls of distortions and melancholy shoegaze riffs, Figures play with noise and melody much like revered underground guitar bands of the 90s.

Belor cites the likes of HUM, Dinosaur Jr., Engine Kid, My Bloody Valentine, Polvo, and Cloakroom as influences for the louder cuts of their catalogue. However, when it came to the softer parts of their music, the band turned towards musicians such as Built to Spill, Elliott Smith/Heatmiser, Knapsack, and Pity Sex for inspiration.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2548945393 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=978661001]

Combined with their loud/soft dynamic, Taekare is Figures’ expression of the duality within life. Belor shares that this EP is “very much me talking about binaries; Nature vs Man, Self vs representation of Self and relationships.”

Moving forward into 2016, the band is looking to perform in a couple of shows and write a full length release before the year is out (they are a prolific bunch). So be sure to keep an eye out on their social media pages to see where they’re performing. For now, please continue to enjoy the sweet offerings they have presented on their Bandcamp, free of charge.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2548945393 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=3354802783]