Active Child — Mercy (June 16th, 2015)
••• Pat Grossi creates soaring electronic–meets–choral soundscapes, accented by his otherworldly falsetto, harp playing, and intimate lyrics.
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres: Nu gaze, indie pop, new wave, dream pop, ambient
Album release: June 16th, 2015
Record Label: Sun Rooms Recordings / Vagrant Records
Duration: 35:36
Tracks:
01 1999 4:06
02 These Arms 3:51
03 Never Far Away 3:18
04 Darling 4:23
05 Mercy 3:51
06 Midnight Swim 2:12
07 Stranger 3:17
08 Temptation 3:35
09 Lazarus 3:32
10 Too Late 3:31
℗ 2015 Sun Rooms Recordings, Under Exclusive License to Vagrant Records, LLC
Editorial Reviews
••• 'Mercy' is Active Child's full length follow up to his critically acclaimed 2011 debut, 'You Are All I See'. Active Child's (Pat Grossi) most recent release, 2013 'Rapor' EP featured Ellie Goulding and Mikki Ekko. Mercy showcases Grossi's raw, honest, and incredible vocals like never before through his most mature song writing to date.
Review
by Tarynn Law, 15 May 2015
••• It's been four years since the release of Pat Grossi, aka Active Child's last album You Are All I See (By Brian Howe, Score: 7.2, http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15745–you–are–all–i–see/), and in a press release he said his time away has been a huge inspiration for the material on Mercy. “On Mercy I wanted to feel new again in my own music. It’s been four years since my last full–length album and I wanted these songs to reflect my growth as an artist over that time. And I wanted my voice to be heard, and not just felt.”
••• The 10–track LP is out on 16 June via Vagrant Records and features the already released '1999' and 'Never Far Away', and was produced and recorded in Brooklyn with Van Rivers (Blonde Redhead, Fever Ray). Each song was written almost entirely on harp and piano, and they all provide a unique take on love. The release of Mercy wasn't without its troubles, however, as he explains:
••• “After writing for a few years I started to wonder what the purpose is of writing another song. You question the validity of each statement, each lyric, until you start to drive yourself crazy with doubt. This is an artist’s worst fear: that loss of vision. As I worked through this doubt I started to make sense of why I write and what moves me to create. And for me the real motivation is emotional clarity, without music as an outlet I’m not sure how I would cope.”
••• http://www.thefourohfive.com/
Artist Biography by Chrysta Cherrie
••• Active Child is the electronic–meets–choral project of musician Pat Grossi. Growing up in New Jersey, Grossi sang with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and was influenced by the rhythms of '80s alternative dance bands like New Order. Combining these elements with his otherworldly falsetto, live harp, and evocative lyrics, Active Child was born. The project debuted in 2010 with an EP, Curtis Lane, for Merok Records. These soaring soundscapes caught the ears of bliss popsters School of Seven Bells, who later toured alongside Active Child; they remixed each other's songs for a split 7". Active Child's first full–length recording, You Are All I See, followed in summer 2011 on the Vagrant label, taking listeners on an intimate journey of the highs and lows of relationships and identity. In 2013, Active Child returned with Rapor EP, which featured guest appearances from Mikky Ekko and Ellie Goulding. Mercy, Grossi's sophomore long–player under the moniker, dropped in the summer of 2015. ••• http://www.allmusic.com/
Website: http://activechildmusic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ActiveChild
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/active-child
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActiveChild
_______________________________•••___________________________
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres: Nu gaze, indie pop, new wave, dream pop, ambient
Album release: June 16th, 2015
Record Label: Sun Rooms Recordings / Vagrant Records
Duration: 35:36
Tracks:
01 1999 4:06
02 These Arms 3:51
03 Never Far Away 3:18
04 Darling 4:23
05 Mercy 3:51
06 Midnight Swim 2:12
07 Stranger 3:17
08 Temptation 3:35
09 Lazarus 3:32
10 Too Late 3:31
℗ 2015 Sun Rooms Recordings, Under Exclusive License to Vagrant Records, LLC
Editorial Reviews
••• 'Mercy' is Active Child's full length follow up to his critically acclaimed 2011 debut, 'You Are All I See'. Active Child's (Pat Grossi) most recent release, 2013 'Rapor' EP featured Ellie Goulding and Mikki Ekko. Mercy showcases Grossi's raw, honest, and incredible vocals like never before through his most mature song writing to date.
Review
by Tarynn Law, 15 May 2015
••• It's been four years since the release of Pat Grossi, aka Active Child's last album You Are All I See (By Brian Howe, Score: 7.2, http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15745–you–are–all–i–see/), and in a press release he said his time away has been a huge inspiration for the material on Mercy. “On Mercy I wanted to feel new again in my own music. It’s been four years since my last full–length album and I wanted these songs to reflect my growth as an artist over that time. And I wanted my voice to be heard, and not just felt.”
••• The 10–track LP is out on 16 June via Vagrant Records and features the already released '1999' and 'Never Far Away', and was produced and recorded in Brooklyn with Van Rivers (Blonde Redhead, Fever Ray). Each song was written almost entirely on harp and piano, and they all provide a unique take on love. The release of Mercy wasn't without its troubles, however, as he explains:
••• “After writing for a few years I started to wonder what the purpose is of writing another song. You question the validity of each statement, each lyric, until you start to drive yourself crazy with doubt. This is an artist’s worst fear: that loss of vision. As I worked through this doubt I started to make sense of why I write and what moves me to create. And for me the real motivation is emotional clarity, without music as an outlet I’m not sure how I would cope.”
••• http://www.thefourohfive.com/
Artist Biography by Chrysta Cherrie
••• Active Child is the electronic–meets–choral project of musician Pat Grossi. Growing up in New Jersey, Grossi sang with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and was influenced by the rhythms of '80s alternative dance bands like New Order. Combining these elements with his otherworldly falsetto, live harp, and evocative lyrics, Active Child was born. The project debuted in 2010 with an EP, Curtis Lane, for Merok Records. These soaring soundscapes caught the ears of bliss popsters School of Seven Bells, who later toured alongside Active Child; they remixed each other's songs for a split 7". Active Child's first full–length recording, You Are All I See, followed in summer 2011 on the Vagrant label, taking listeners on an intimate journey of the highs and lows of relationships and identity. In 2013, Active Child returned with Rapor EP, which featured guest appearances from Mikky Ekko and Ellie Goulding. Mercy, Grossi's sophomore long–player under the moniker, dropped in the summer of 2015. ••• http://www.allmusic.com/
Website: http://activechildmusic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ActiveChild
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/active-child
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActiveChild
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