Junior Boys amplify the noise on The Gore
In the intersection of memory, grief, and the uncanny, the Canadian electronic duo Junior Boys is delivering a profound sonic experience with their new album, The Gore. Set for release on February 12th from City Slang, this project delves into the emotional landscapes of intensity and silence, offering listeners a journey through the complex textures of experience.
The album is the evolution of their previous work, Waiting Game, yet it operates as two opposing sides of the same coin. While Waiting Game explored near-silence and carefully accumulated sound, The Gore cranks the volume and intensity, building a more crowded, visceral world. The connection between the two records is seamless; The Gore begins with the opening chords of Waiting Game, creating an endless cycle of day and night that mirrors the ebb and flow of memory and feeling.
The origins of this powerful musical exploration are deeply personal. The project emerged from years of processing profound loss, beginning in 2017 following the loss of a close friend and later the death of Greenspan’s father. Initially, Greenspan attempted to channel these memories into an album called K/Kaddish, incorporating elements of late-night sessions, vintage films, and Jewish prayer melodies. Though the initial project was ultimately shelved, the impulse to process these fragmented histories remained.
Years later, Junior Boys returned to these foundational ideas, building The Gore from scratch. The new material is informed by a rich tapestry of cinematic and literary influences, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Michael Snow and Nigel Kneale, the mood of Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, and the enduring fascination with how old media and objects can conjure imagined and personal histories.
The sound of The Gore is driven by a core philosophy that challenges conventional ideas about volume. Greenspan notes that while intensity and noise are musically exciting, they can also act as a barrier. “Loudness is not a bad word — there are many exciting things to be done musically with intensity and noise — but loudness is often a wall, a force that separates instead of invites,” he says.
This thematic intensity is reflected in their lead single, “Underneath the Moon.” The track draws heavily on the aesthetic of vintage analog recordings, utilizing tape-loop techniques and vintage Tascam machines to evoke the fleeting, degraded character of old sound. For this track, the duo cited the 2022 horror film Skinamarink as a key source of inspiration.
The music is anchored by the collaborative efforts of the duo, alongside musicians such as saxophonist Colin Fisher, drummer Dale Butterfield, and vocalists Robin Dann and Linnea Sigglekow. The resulting sound is a journey—an album that suggests that an album can be a distinct place to go inside, offering a different reality than the world outside.
To celebrate the release of The Gore, Junior Boys are hosting special events in New York, Toronto, and Seattle. These gatherings will feature screenings of Michael Snow’s landmark experimental film Wavelength, followed by a full playback of The Gore, accompanied by visualizers and a Q&A session with Jeremy Greenspan.
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