Brooklyn Experimental Quartet ALTOPALO Shares Yearning, Celestial Single “starfish in low tide”

altopalo today share celestial, yearning new single “starfish in low tide” via Nettwerk. Listen/watch HERE.

“starfish in low tide” was written in peak isolation, when everyone in the band was feeling that deep loneliness in a very heavy way. It’s twinkling and wrought with a gorgeous counterpoint, tugging at the air with lonely guitar loops and the lightest touch of drums. It comes from a place of feeling like running away when you’re near and also feeling like running back when you’re far.

The track reflects a moment in time the band had to work through together in 2020 while writing the new album. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in the summer of 2020, drummer Dillon Treacy decided that he needed to take a step back from the band as the only Black member of a group otherwise made up of white people, at least until they could all take some time to reflect. This lasted a couple of weeks and wasn’t something that they publicly talked about on social media, but Dillon’s leave of absence led altopalo to realize how they needed to be with each other in order to make music and relate to each other.

About “starfish in low tide,” bassist Jesse explains: “The starfish became a stand in character emphasizing the concept of needing space & needing to unwrap one’s self from each other’s hive vines & carve an individual path- a need for individual ambition & hard lines between identities. Not necessarily leaving for good or leaving out of spite, but leaving because sometimes it’s hard to tell who is who when we are all trying to be one all the time.”

Veterans of the New York scene, the four members of altopalo – lead singer Rahm Silverglade, guitarist Mike Haldeman, bassist Jesse Bielenberg and drummer Dillon Treacy – have racked up tens of millions of streams and made fans at Pitchfork, Fader, Nylon, Billboard, and more for disintegrating the boundaries of genre, folding in elements of R&B, electronica, ambient and jazz through their deconstructionist approach to guitar-driven music. All four are professional studio & touring musicians outside of the band as well, working alongside and fostering a growing community of incredibly talented artists including Dora Jar, Moses Sumney, L’rain, Bartees Strange, Jon Batiste, Amber Mark, & more.

“starfish in low tide” by altopalo is out now via Nettwerk, buy/stream it here.

Media Praise For altopalo:

““…a blend of ambient, indie rock, and R&B that recalls the work of genre-less auteurs like Justin Vernon or James Blake.” –Pitchfork

“…pretty synths collide with abrasive elements suggesting they’ve been listening to SOPHIE while Rahm Silvergade’s vocals shift in pitch and tone throughout, adding to the alien vibe of the music.” –The FADER

“…with the tinges of R&B, soul and pop filling out the meticulously constructed, cavernous rock soundscapes.” –Billboard

“the junk drawer in your house if it was music: bewildering and wondrous” –NYLON

“…an auditory experience that’s both enjoyable and studied, equally erudite and playful.” –Vinyl Me Please

“We promise you this: altopalo are unlike any other band you’ve heard…” –Atwood Magazine