Boxed In To Release ‘Melt’ September 23, New Single “Jist” Out Now
June 16, 2016 BY Nettwerk
Following barely a year after the highly acclaimed self-titled debut–which garnered support across BBC Radio 1, Spotify and KCRW and led the band to their impressive live debut at SXSW— Boxed In return with sophomore effort Melt, set for worldwide release on September 23. First single “Jist,” which premiered via Stereogum, is out in the UK today, June 16, and will be available in North America on June 24th. A fresh spin on ‘70s krautrock, ’80s synthpop and ‘90s house and techno, “Jist” jump-starts the next chapter of Boxed In.
The brainchild of Oli Bayston – the singer, songwriter, producer and front-man of Boxed In – “Jist” is a head-turning, expertly-produced cut of electronic pop, keeping one foot firmly in Bayston’s background – intricate piano lines, taut rhythms – but also digging deeper into the dance music influences tightly compacted within Boxed In. The track was produced between Bayston and Dan Carey, and is about, says Bayston, “Getting lost in repetitive thought patterns & the form of the music which emulates that mindset. It’s perversely enjoyable to work yourself in to a cyclical mantra from which there’s no escape.”
Not content with following the band’s debut so quickly, Bayston continues to expand his reputation as one of the country’s most in-demand emerging producers (he’s currently recording the debut album from Nimmo, and working with Zola Blood among numerous other endeavors). “It’s all about balancing the two roles,” says Bayston, who perhaps – both in multi-tasking, and his nuanced knowledge of dance culture – offers a closest UK answer to James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. “I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can be producer and singer. The two inform each other – I get to see from both sides of the lens.”
Warmly inviting yet coolly controlled, the 11 songs across Boxed In’s second album Melt are experimental, infectious, yet richly detailed (with the accent on midtempo art ache). If Boxed In was essentially a breakup record, Melt is one of reconciliation (with a partner, with your future, and with yourself). Beneath the pristine surfaces lie passionate examinations of choice and change, while a pulsating sense of positivity runs throughout; capturing a young man at a transitional stage, preparing to enter the next, more mature phase of his life.
Track-listing for Melt:
1. Intro
2. Jist
3. Shadow Boxing
4. Melt
5. London Lights
6. Forget
7. Black Prism
8. Oxbow
9. Up to You / Down To Me
10. Underbelly
11. Open-Ended
