Portishead, Pet Shop Boys, Alex G: Scottish duo Cloth share the tracks that inspired their third studio album, Pink Silence.
One of Scotland’s best kept secrets, twin-sibling duo Cloth have been unleashing raw and compelling punk-sprinkled indie music for the past half decade. Today, they share their third studio album, Pink Silence, an album that sees the the Glasgow-based Swinton’s (Rachael and Paul) find a deeper level of perspective — both in their sonic disposition and in the thematic content of the songwriting.
Ali Chant (Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey) brings his nocturnal and sweeping production nuance to the 10-pronged opus, that feels personal and intimate whilst grand and cinematic. There’s also contributions from Portishead’s Adrian Utley, Owen Pallett, and Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite.
To celebrate the album, Wonderland asked the duo to curate an On Repeat, explaining what inspired them to create Pink Silence.
Listen to the album…
Cloth Is On Repeat…
Jockstrap – “Greatest Hits”
Paul – I love Jockstrap because each song feels like a journey where you’re not sure where it’s going to take you. They’re masters of unpredictable chord changes which still manage to sound musical and catchy. When I first heard their debut album I thought it was the most exciting and original production I’d heard in ages – there’s so much attention to detail in terms of arrangement. “Greatest Hits” is a great example of the way they effortlessly meld strange-sounding samples, swooning strings and big vocal hooks.
Low – “Hey”
Paul – Low are one of my forever bands and the first time I heard “Hey” it made me cry as it wasn’t too long after Mimi Parker passed away. I still feel very emotional listening to it. It’s really minimal, with only 8 lines of vocals but the lyrics really stick with you. I’m a huge fan of strange, distorted production and Low were masters of that, especially on their last two albums.
Viagra Boys – “Ain’t Nice”
Paul – The riff in “Ain’t Nice” by Viagra Boys is so gnarly. The whole song is such a bop. Viagra Boys, for me, are the epitome of a great rock band. Their songs are really funny (I love their obsession with shrimp) but their songwriting and production is also deceptively detailed and very off-kilter. “Ain’t Nice” also has a killer one-shot music video which I never tire of watching.
Pet Shop Boys – “Opportunities (Let’s make lots of money)”
Paul – I’m a relative latecomer to Pet Shop Boys’ back catalogue, having only really dug into their stuff properly in the last couple of years. It didn’t take long for me to become obsessed and “Opportunities – Let’s Make Lots of Money” is a great example of why I love them so much. Euphoric synths, huge drums and darkly humorous lyrics. Quite often I’ll feel at a loss over what to listen to but for some reason Pet Shop Boys are one of those bands I can always listen to whatever mood I’m in.
Portishead – “Hunter”
Paul – It wasn’t until I heard Portishead’s Third that I properly became hooked on their music. For me, it’s perfect album – there’s so much inventiveness in every aspect. “Hunter” is a great example, with moments combining gentle nylon string guitar with sinister, fuzzed-out guitars. We were lucky to work with Adrian Utley on some synth and guitar stuff for Pink Silence and it was quite an eye-opening experience watching him work – he’s a real master of layering up sounds to create the most beautiful textures.
Santigold – “Lights Out”
Rachael – Santigold holds a special place for me as I associate her with the beginning of me starting to discover ‘cool’ music in high school. “Lights Out” was a song I used to play over and over (and still do). It’s got a great riff which plays off the drums in such a cool interlocked way and I love how playful and snappy the melodies are.
Sharon Van Etten – “Idiot Box”
Rachael – Like so many of Sharon Van Etten’s songs, “Idiot Box” has a classic sound to it, almost like you’re discovering a lost gem from the 1970s or something. I feel like the sound of it evokes the twilight hours of a music festival, when you’re watching a great band play the big stage as the sun sets. It’s a real journey this track, and it takes its time to build up with so many great little guitar and synth lines. It has such a great, emotive vocal performance too.
Fever Ray – “Carbon Dioxide”
Rachael – There are certain artists who I’ll always rush to hear new music from and Fever Ray is one of them – everything they do is so unique and musically inspiring. There’s a section near the end of “Carbon Dioxide” where it skips a beat and it’s like everything goes into hyper rave-mode. Whenever I listen to this song I can’t wait for that moment because it’s like pure euphoria. I saw them perform it at Field Day with two incredible backing singers and it was one of the best things I’ve ever seen.
Alex G – “Blessing”
Rachael – “Blessing” was maybe the first Alex G song I heard and it immediately grabbed me. I love its pairing of maximalist, fuzzy synths with whispery vocals and the delicate harmonic guitar line in the verse. The bass puts me in mind of Pixies which will only ever be a good thing. I think the creative play between loud and quiet is one of the most important parts of music, so it’s really inspiring when you hear a song like “Blessing” which isn’t afraid to have those hard and soft moments crash right into each other unexpectedly.
Tiberius b – “Jetski”
Rachael – I think Tiberius b is making some of the coolest, most interesting music out there at the moment. Every song they release is full of inspired little moments and the production is so inventive and detailed. I just love the fragmented, broken-up drums and all the little percussive touches. Whenever I’m thinking about drums, I’ll go back and listen to this track for some inspiration. The lyrics in “Jetski” are great too. I feel like they encapsulate the promise of a great night out so well.
