THE DEVIL'S MOUTH Vol. 151: ten rounds with Rich Loren (Pyramids, Handmade Birds Records)
Where we discuss a very welcome return to the scene of both a unique band and an exciting record label.
Pyramids’ 2008 self-titled debut stands like one of this century’s most disorienting, unique records. Its kaleidoscopic nature goes beyond a mere fusing of genres - sometimes its alien-sounding textures evoke images of two or three bands playing at once. From shoegaze to black metal to ambient and industrial, it operates on the fringes of just about anything you know. It was the best start possible for a discography that continued to playfully, feely explore sound with several different approaches - from collaborations (with Nadja, Horseback and Wraiths) to splits to a wildly different second album, the band led by the elusive R. Loren seemed set to continue inspiring and confusing us for a long time.
Except they didn’t. After ‘A Northern Meadow’, Pyramids went into a decade-long silence, and to make matters worse, R.’s fascinating record label Handmade Birds also stopped its activities around 2015. Fortunately, nothing sinister happened aside from normal life - Rich happens to have a beautiful family which includes two young daughters and he chose to dedicate himself fully to raising them during this time, which is obviously understandable. It was, however, still with great joy that we received the news last year of the reactivation of both Pyramids and Handmade Birds. The label has already had a full year last year with a number of fantastic releases - though they don’t really do the luxurious vinyl releases they used to, they’re still a beacon for adventurous, noise-filled music. And Pyramids are now ready to reclaim the title of most unpredictable band with their third album ‘Pythagoras’, out now on (very appropriately, it has to be said) The Flenser. Once again treading where no one else has even thought of going, a revamped lineup (including new singer Emy Smith) is now pushing the band into a wild juxtaposition of rabid blast beats and syncopated reggaeton rhythms. You read that right, and yes, ‘Pythagoras’ feels once again as alien and outside the norm as ‘Pyramids’ did all those years ago, maintaining a densely layered approach to showcase a clash of cultures and backgrounds, except the layers are very different from before. Never expect this band to do the same thing twice.
The Devil’s Mouth is about a lot of things, but one of the main golas of this joint is precisely to value the people who are defying preconceptions, pushing artistic envelopes and generally not giving a single solitary fuck about rules and expectations. So obviously we had to get Rich Loren to come on the podcast and nerd out about music with us. Fortunately he is the sweetest guy and was fully available to give us a full autobiographic guided tour throughout his musical journey, including his latest alt-pop excursions (greatly fueled by his teenage daughters, wonderfully enough) that led to Pyramids’ current direction. Like this, for example:
Oh, and remember Rich’s project Sailors With Wax Wings, whose only album had participations of people such as Jonas Renkse, Aaron Stainthorpe, Marissa Nadler, Hildur Gudnadottir, Ted Parsons, Colin Marston and a bunch of others? If you don’t, go check it out immediately. If you do, hey, we might have just stirred something in Rich’s muse. Watch this space, maybe?
Click the main pic up there, the button below or right here to listen to Rich Loren’s ten rounds and know all about Pyramids and Handmade Birds, versions 2025. It was a very fun chat.
‘Pythagoras’ is out now via The Flenser.
You can find Pyramids on Bandcamp, Instagram, Facebook and Spotify.
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