#hdlss

[sngalbums]

HDLSS Dumb It Down With Nuanced Complexity

Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. 

We currently live in a culture of rabid misinformation. Talking heads try to convince us that our feelings are equivalent to facts. Truth is virtually meaningless. It will take decades to confront and undo these issues, and in all likelihood they will never actually be eradicated. And yet we still must fight, through whatever action we can. Artists have been making politically charged music to take on every new crisis, whether political or humanitarian (though often both). In that vein, HDLSS (formerly Headless Horseman) have written a record that seems to subvert expectations on every front: they confront issues both internal and external to make a statement about society, using oft-villainized pop tropes to prove their points.

Continue reading. 

(For more in depth information on each track, read the play-by-play on Self-Titled Mag.)

HDLSS | buy Selections From DUMB | website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

[mishthi]

[Headless Horsemen’s] name may have changed in the intervening years, but the quality of their warped take on pop music has not, and they’re returning later this summer with the politically-charged mini-album Selections From DUMB. Closing track “BILL$” is exactly the sort of thing that Ryan Hemsworth might champion in his Secret Songs series, an electronic bedroom-pop twinkle that sounds intimate and expansive at the same time. [Stereogum]

[sawdustandgin]

After a rebrand, the band formerly known as Headless Horseman makes its debut. “False Flag” was the first offering from the upcoming release from HDLSS (say headless); the full mini-album, brilliantly called Selections from Dumb, drops in August. 

[sxyx]

bubble thing happy to hear Headless Horseman’s new track

[glamglaremusic]

Mondo.NYC Round Up Day One: Shag Rock, The Settlement, Satelite Mode, Blak Emoji, HDLSS

It’s fall, it’s Mondo.NYC time! Mondo what? You may not have heard about the new festival in town that wants to take over the space that CMJ left vacated for two years. Mondo is still a good order of magnitude smaller, but features a great conference and a surprisingly international line up of artists. Being smaller has another advantage: the venues are all at the Lower East Side or in the East Village, so you can walk around between them easily by foot.

Our Wednesday lineup: The Delancey – Shag Rock – The Settlement – Satellite Mode

Pianos – Blak Emoji – HDLSS

[theseventhhex]

HDLSS Interview

Far & Wolfy

HDLSS is a “nocturnal pop” duo from Ridgewood, NY, consisting of Far and Wolfy. ‘Selections from DUMB’ is the latest release from the duo since going on hiatus in 2012. Throughout, the range within the album explores celebrating the hope that it is possible to inhabit relative truths and think independently in a fractured post-truth era. Furthermore, embracing the multiplicity of truth and inhabiting as many POVs as possible to increase empathy also plays a key factor. For Far, as a Muslim, this is a guiding principle to avoid feeling jaded, because witnessing the demonisation of Muslims everyday gets tough. Grappling with the notion of complicity and cultural apathy, ‘Selections from DUMB’ brings to light the stark perils of modern society, whilst refreshingly maintaining a thought-provoking overall stance… We talk to Far about genre-hopping, false flags and spirituality in America…

TSH: Talk us through the idea of witnessing one's own dumbing down being central for your album 'Selections from DUMB'...

Far: The core narrative of the album came more from a personal place than trying to make a political statement or anything like that. I started writing the album as I was going through a pretty transformative period, and in the wake of this period, I began examining where self-destructive impulse comes from, as well as inclinations towards groupthink/my fear of losing the ability to think for myself (and not realising it). I wanted to delve into the notion of losing your creativity, of embracing consumption more than production which I kind of equate with dumbness. Inevitably the record also has a fair bit to do with technology, including the odd effects of the rise of social media and modern anxieties. I guess I see the album as this simultaneous out of body experience where you see yourself going on this trajectory towards destruction, yet you can’t help but exist in this tunnel vision because you are too numb, dumb and tired to really understand the gravity of the long term effects, so we end up just going on autopilot, doing what the hive mind tells us to do.

TSH: The instrumentation throughout the release covers a vast array of genres too…

Far: That's something that comes naturally because Wolfy and I are not versed in any one thing. Our friendship dates back to high school, when we were both really into post-rock and in love with Sigur Ros. Our pre-HDLSS stuff was more one genre, but now we are at a point now where we are more concerned with shaping sounds no matter their origin or context, ugly or beautiful, as opposed to focusing on any one instrument, like a guitar. Musically we are capable of diving into many genres and doing our take on them, so that’s kind of what we did, and often whatever genre we were working within aides the concept or story the song tells. Basically for us any sound is fair game if we can record/produce/sample/manipulate it, which ends up stripping the normal context and creates something new and transformative. Soon instruments and genre will be obsolete.

TSH: What lead to the notable shift in your overall sound?

Far: The shift happened when we got this new recording program Abelton. Previously, we used this early 2000’s DJ program I got free on a rebate, and we embraced using broken instruments and whatever was laying around, and then we would manipulate and add effects sort of creating electronic music out of organic instruments. But, once we got Ableton, we switched over to doing everything electronically. This was both an aesthetic choice and a necessity. It definitely opened our possibilities infinitely, because suddenly we had literally every instrument that has ever existed at our fingertips virtually. And for me, it allowed me to focus on more nuanced aspects of songwriting.

TSH: How would you sum-up your lyrical expressions?

Far: I like to create some distance between myself and the writing, so the words are sometimes an exaggerated narrator’s point of view. But mainly they draw from real life, usually something conceptual or philosophical that is grounded in something experiential.

TSH: What are the origins of a track like 'Colonizer'?

Far: That track underwent quite a few changes. It started off as a trap song, but eventually it morphed into a Caribbean sound and rhythm, so we just embraced that, kind of mirroring the whole “tropical house” trend white pop music like Ed Sheeran or Bieber. The lyrics are about appropriation, it's sort of an open letter to white people that deny white guilt and privilege.

TSH: Were you intrigued to put across a song in relation to conspiracies with 'False Flag'?

Far: Yeah, I was definitely intrigued. That track came from influences of my brother, he kind of goes down the rabbit hole with that stuff. I mean there are the obvious ones like 9/11; it's almost indisputable at this point to know that there was some inside communication or knowledge of the events taking place on that day. The question of a building being able to free-fall in that manner via a plane has been widely disputed by many experts within the field. Then there are the extremes, like Sandy Hook and how it could have been crisis actors. There are all sorts of stuff and I don't know how much I buy into, but that's the point behind the song. It's not about whether it's true or not, but instead that it provokes questions and expands the narrative. After all, the truth is just a spectrum and it's very hard to find truth in the media anyway.

TSH: How did you go about forming 'Cult of Dumb'?

Far: That one is made out of samples entirely. We downloaded stems from this band we love Twin Sister posted on their site, and at first we were going to do a remix, but instead it ended up being a cover/mashup of 2 of their songs (that is actually coming out soon). I then took that file and cannibalised some of the sounds to make an entirely new song. That actually happens a lot with us where remixes turn into a new song entirely, and I end up making new vocal melodies. Making that song out of samples was intentional to reinforce the idea that no-one really owns anything, as the song is about the cult of capitalism, and how we are addicted to the things that dumb us down.

TSH: Do you very much feel that's there's a lack of spirituality in America?

Far: Yeah, for sure. I'm not necessarily critiquing Americans and I'm not really pessimistic as a person. If anything, I’ll criticise myself before I criticise someone else. But it’s something I see in myself. Growing up as a South Asian American, I was more concerned with assimilating and being accepted as an American and not being singled out as the one brown kid in school than maybe embracing my own culture as much as I should have. I moved around a lot as a kid, so it was hard to ever really fit in mostly white schools, but music definitely helped me form my identity and find like-minded people. Music brings me peace and is even spiritual for me. But now at this age when I reflect on past depression and this void that has been central to my life, I do recognise the value of religion and spirituality. I find it sad that assimilation in this country is sometimes at the cost of one’s culture/religion/spirituality. I see that in my family and how certain cultural things have been lost, which is true for any immigrant family. Maybe Americans aren't as religious because being pacified by quick fixes is the American way, but I'm guilty of that too. The lack of spirituality is a critique of my life in America too - how I've lived and how I can change that.

TSH: Did your parents growing up in Kenya impact you at all?

Far: Yeah, in some ways. Both of my parents are from Kenya, they met in England and my dad went to school in England before moving to America for graduate school. Both of them came from large families and I think placed America on this pedestal, as many people around the world do. America was a chance to change things and achieve more. So I think sometimes when immigrants come here, some are quick to embrace American ways and perceive the West as better. People growing up in post-colonial societies bring baggage of white superiority complexes. So it’s easy to come here and kind of lose the essence and spirituality because America replaces those values, and America represents this opportunity for more, and we all want to make our parents proud and achieve more due to the sacrifices they made for us to get the chance to do so. So yeah, I think in those ways it does affect me, because I am only realising now the damage done and my responsibility, and perhaps how I can try and repair some of it by learning and carrying on traditions.

TSH: What gives you most clarity in your daily life?

Far: Music is definitely my happy place. I also have a day job as a teacher and I love doing that as it provides a nice counterpoint to music. I feel music is so insular, it can be selfish and self-involved, so I love the balance of teaching and seeing a direct impact on kids.

TSH: Do you kick back and watch much TV?

Far: Yeah, I love the Adult Swim kind of stuff. I really enjoy watching Rick and Morty, Tim and Eric, those Bret Gelman specials, Moral Orel… I enjoy the absurdity side of that kind of stuff, the kind of dark humour stuff.

TSH: As you look ahead, what ideas do you have in mind for future work?

Far: Well, this is our first proper full length after taking a hiatus in 2012. The work we did back then one was more DIY and hap hazard, that first record was not really thought of as an album, therefore getting this latest record done was a huge accomplishment for us. We have made so much music that we have enough for a companion album and that's how we thought of things when we set out to make this record. We want to put out more music, still under the same 'DUMB' umbrella, as we're not done with this concept because we haven't really encapsulated the whole thing, so we have more music coming. The companion to 'DUMB' will be more personal and more narrative driven, as opposed to using genre to tell stories and concepts; I think it might be more accessible too, ha! More immediately than that companion album are two other works, one is a covers EP, and the other is a remix album. So lots to come!

Selections from DUMB

[resistance765]

“Wonderloss” - HDLSS

[allfreshsounds]

HDLSS- "BILL$"

.@HDLSS_Music's "BILL$" is a disorientingly beautiful bit of electronic pop:

HDLSS’ closing track from its forthcoming Selections from DUMB is disorientingly beautiful. “BILL$” blends warped “post-Yeezus” vocals with a darkly infectious melody that’s immediately apparent even under layers of production gauze. The central line in “BILL$” is “I can’t go away” and each repetition of that line feels like a deeper acknowledgment of being trapped. While the song subtly mutates…

[digiindie]

HDLSS – False Flag

[verytinysongs]

HDLSS / Selections from DUMB [Bandcamp, Digital Release]

HDLSS / Selections from DUMB [Bandcamp, Digital Release]

  //bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=169873056/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/minimal=true/   Band Name: HDLSS (a.k.a Headless Horseman) Label: Self-Released Release Date: August 4, 2017 Tags:  electronic, electronic pop, experimental, indie, new york Links: Website, Bandcamp, Facebook, SoundCloud  

[aokn-kytjp]

Nakayama, Y., Yata, K. & Aoshima, M. Bias-corrected support vector machine with Gaussian kernel in high-dimension, low-sample-size settings. Ann Inst Stat Math (2019). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10463-019-00727-1 概要:HDLSSの設定(次元d→∞, サンプル数nは定数でも無限大でもよい)で普通にSVMするとき条件(A-i) (A-i’) (C-i) (D)を仮定するとconsistencyが言えるが，(C-i)を落とすとinconsistentになることが言えて，Bias-corrected SVMを提案し(C-i)なしの(A-i) (A-i’) (D)だけでconsistent��あることを示した

補足: consistencyを言うために使った条件(A-i) (A-ii)を満たすための必要条件をいくつか求めている．一例として，Gaussian kernelを使うときに条件(A-i) (A-ii)を満たすための データの生成分布と(Gaussian kernelの)パラメータγに関しての条件((A-ii), (C-iii))なども与えている．

[mishthi]

Inspired by Doris Duke's Shangri La in Oahu, Mishthi Music's Taz Ahmed curates a mixtape inspired by the sounds of Hawaii, orientalist imaginations, crashing waves, and political music by Muslim-ish artists. We live in a time of Muslim bans and hate crimes and these tracks challenge you to re-imagine a better and more re-centered world. Tracks include exotica (Les Baxter, Korla Pandit, Martin Denny), Calcutta classical music on a Hawaiian slide guitar (Tau Meo, Debasish Bhattacharya), banging EDM DJ mixes (Desi Sub Culture, DJ TIkka Masala, Jai Wolf), politically-charged rap (Anik Khan, Brother Ali, Swet Shop Boys) and much much more.

Bali Ha'i by Tak Shindo

Resident Alien by Doctors & Engineers

Sei Valo Sei Valo by Shyamal Chowdhury & Hawaiian Symphony

Cleopatra by Anik Khan

R.E.D. by A Tribe Called Red (ft. Yassin Bey & Narcy & Black Bear)

Zombie by Swet Shop Boys

Playful Melina On Diamond Head by Debashish Bhattacharya

Brown Boy Lost by Kaly

Kehna Hi Kya by Desi Sub Culture vs DJ Khanvict Refix

Indian Summer by Jai Wolf

Maja by Yusuf Siddiquee

ilaahadda by OCHOBOYS

Chupa (Habibiboi x Bassbear remix) by Rainey

Choli Ke Remix Kyahe by DJ TIkka Masala

Habib Galbi by A-WA

Tehran by Les Baxter

Djin by Mashrou' Leila

Love Galore by SZA

Colonizer by HDLSS

H.A.I.R. by Humble the Poet

Let It Grow by SETI X

Indian Summer by The Kalua Beach Boys

Brown Girls by Vivek Shraya & Queer Songbook Orchestra

The Florist by Nilufer Yanya

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Nina and the Moon by DJ Tikka Masala

Amerika by Young the Giant

Twist the Knife by The Kominas

Rokhto by Big Baby Gandhi

Focus by Haseeb

Islamophobia by Professor A.L.I. (ft. Jinnsanity, K.B., Ras Ceylon & Swap)

Procession of the Grand Moghul by Korla Pandit

Korla Pandit by Brooklyn Shanti & Jason Chu

Never Learn by Brother Ali

Return to Paradise by Martin Denny

 Mixtape was curated by Taz Ahmed (www.tazzystar.me) while on an art residency at Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design (www.shangrilahawaii.org) in August 2017.

[musical-heart-beat]

https://soundcloud.com/hdlss/hdlss-wonderloss

[allbrooklynveganposts]

You may remember duo HDLSS from back when they were called Headless Horseman. It's been a while -- six years -- but Far and Wolfy are back, still making ethereal, spare pop, and will release new album 'Selections from DUMB' in August...

Continue reading…

[resistance765]

“Hellboy/Puppet” - HDLSS

[comedytrendsnyc-blog]

HDLSS – “BILL$”

We named HDLSS a Band To Watch all the way back in 2010, when they went by the much more vowel-friendly moniker Headless Horsemen. Their name may have changed in the intervening years, but the quality of their warped take on pop music has not, and they’re returning later this summer with the politically-charged mini-album Selections From DUMB. Closing track “BILL$” is exactly the sort of thing…