Slandercat - "Gauntlet"

Jeremy Hay's music - released under the guise of Slandercat - has created a slow but steady buzz in recent weeks. The well-deserved attention from music blogs came from the release of Hay's debut EP as Slandercat, a trippy and intense collection titled Blood of a Broom Tree. He calls it "alternative/indie electronic music...[with] vocals and samples and little squelchy sounds," which is true, in part - but there's a lot more going on here.

Gauntlet by slandercat

Take album standout "Gauntlet," for instance. It begins with synths that recall the chilling opening score from The Shining, and as the tone is set, the nearly 7-minute song unfolds in an expertly arranged assortment of disparate and striking sounds: there are icy pianos, gong crashes, cavernous vocals, produced flutes, hard-hitting beats, and unmistakable retro vibes thrown in for good measure.

It's an epic jam to say the least and a good example of what Blood of a Broom Tree offers. Hay is cool enough to offer the EP as a free download here, so take advantage of it now and enjoy the head trip that will surely follow.