I “discovered” Seattle electronic artist Herr Shield thanks to my main man Sherman, the proprietor of Seattle’s only dedicated electronica record store, Selector Records & Apparel. He posted on Instagram about the arrival of Herr Shield’s debut, a 2XLP colored vinyl gatefold release, and I just had to check it out. It arrived before I left for Iceland Airwaves at the end of October, and it’s been sitting patiently in my “to-listen-to” pile ever since, waiting for me to finally pick it up and give it a spin.
And now I’m disappointed I waited this long, because Patch Memory is outstanding. Even more so when you consider all the sounds are made using hardware only and, almost unbelievably, that every track was done in a single take – in essence making this a kind of live album. Stylistically it’s a bit difficult to describe. The consistent vibe I get from it is “chill”, a blend of dub techo and ambient with relaxed beats. There is a warmth here, one that wraps you up in shades of deep purples and chocolate browns, a calming heavy blanket of frequencies. It all comes together most perfectly on the track that takes up the entire B side, the 10-minute “Bank B Slot 1”. I feel like I could just put this on a loop and let it take me away.
Herr Shield explores styles throughout Patch Memory – you’re never quite sure what’s around the next corner. The track that follows “Bank B Slot 1” is “Bank C Slot 1”, with much deeper bass and an increased tempo, but at two-and-a-half minutes it’s more of a palette cleanser that ushers you into the somber, deep depths of “Bank C Slot 2”, its industrial-like elements taking you underground. Just when you thin you’re starting to have Herr Shield figured out, he brings something completely different to the conversation. After the first 20 or so minutes I was simply content to be along for the ride, to experience the journey he was laying out for me one track at a time.
I’ve been going back and re-listening to a lot of 2023 releases as I work on my Top 5 lists for year end. I thought I had the Top 5 albums pretty much locked in, but after playing Patch Memory I’m not as sure of my selections – this album absolutely needs to be part of the conversation. You can give it a listen on Herr Shield’s Bandcamp page HERE. It looks like he’s sold out of the vinyl, but it is available a few places online, and I’d grab this one while you can.