Los Angeles, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Ernest Jenning PR) - No, we're not referring to the hot-button political issue or the subject of Michael Moore's new film. We're talking about the all-caps HEALTH: the unique and inspiring Los Angeles quartet that's making the idea of people making refreshing and experimental music exciting again.
The word-of-mouth excitement lately about HEALTH has been surging throughout the L.A. area like a series of rolling blackouts. Its shows are sweaty, packed fits of beautiful noise that could perhaps be best compared to Liars, Animal Collective and latter-period Black Dice. At long last, the group's self-titled debut full length on the ultra hip Lovepump United label is set to bring, um, universal HEALTH to America on September 18th.
Instead of finding a room where the only thing one can hear is their heartbeat, HEALTH recorded its debut full length in one of the band's favorite places. The Smell is an all ages music venue in downtown Los Angeles. It is open and brick and dirty and dark, but when you sing a church hymnal or hit a drum as hard as you can the sound is beautiful. They did both of these things on the record. They also went out and found equipment built the same time as The Smell, mostly ribbon microphones designed by the BBC for radio broadcasts in the 1930's, things George Martin liked to use, and other things they didn't know about. The record is 11 songs in less than thirty minutes - on it there is new music with old sounds.
HEALTH was six months old the first time they played for real people. Before that, there was more talk than music, mostly about art, food, sex, animals, records, drugs, politics and sleeping. After two more shows in Los Angeles, the group self released a 7" and went on tour. While they were traveling, people told them their music was weird. When they got back they played on a bill with Ex-Models and Death Sentence Panda. They felt like grown men. After that, people let them play shows more often, mostly at all ages art spaces like The Smell and Il Corral. They became friends with other LA bands like No Age, The Mae Shi, Mika Miko, BARR, Captain Ahab, Anavan, and Abe Vigoda. Then they went on three more tours and a trip to SXSW.
HEALTH has also had a hand in 8-bit glitch duo Crystal Castles' recent success. In addition to a Crystal Castles/HEALTH split 7" (to be released concurrently on Lovepump United with HEALTH's LP), Crystal Castles highly anticipated CRIMEWAVE EP is named for a HEALTH remix and will be released the same day as the split 7" on the UK label Trouble Records.
Many more dance remixes of HEALTH are in the works from Curses! (New York), Acid Girls (Orange County), Pink Skull (Minneapolis), Thrust Lab (Baltimore), Captain Ahab (Los Angeles), Nosajthing (Los Angeles), Ian Hixx (Chicago), Juiceboxxx (Wisconsin), and Drop The Lime (New York). In addition to a handful of California dates, HEALTH will tour the UK with Eye Hai this summer. A full US tour for the fall featuring appearances at CMJ and Pop Montreal is in the works.
HEALTH Live:
*w/ Eye Hai
07/19 Los Angeles, CA The Smell
07/20 San Diego, CA Scolari's Office
07/21 San Francisco, CA Galaxies
07/29 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
08/14 London, UK Rough Trade Store (w/ Crystal Castles)
08/15 Nottingham, UK The Old Angel*
08/16 London, UK Barden Boudouir*
08/17 Brighton, UK The Do Club*
08/19 Bolton, UK The Dog Partridge*
08/20 Liverpool, UK Korova*
08/21 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club*
08/23 Glasgow, UK 13 Note*
08/25 Manchester, UK Fuel*
