Jockstrap.
Notes From The Underground.
In the midst of the chaos which was 2020, London-based duo Jockstrap have been slowly cementing themselves as ones to watch through their distinctive sound and unique vi sua I tone. Defying the usual hal lmarks of just about any genre, Jockstrap harmoniously mixes, among other things, the glistening elements of PC Music with Math rock tempos and some enticing trap hooks for good measure. Comprised of Guildhall alums Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, and now represented by record-label heavyweight Warp, they' redetermined to expand on their pleasantly dizzying tunes and, in Taylor's words, 'create different and more intense monsters that have new personalities' for future projects.
Since touring with alternative hip hop icons Injury Reserve, they've treated us to two EPs. 'Beavercore', the most recent, sees them bringing together remixes of past songs (such as 'City Hell', reimagined as a bassy club banger) and masterful classical interludes composed by Georgia and performed by Taylor, a skilled pianist. But what exactly is Beavercore? According to Georgia, it riffs on terms such as 'softcore porn ... but also hardcore music', once again highlighting the hard-to-pin-down quality of their eclectic tracks. (On the subject of the internet's penchant for making a 'core' out of just about anything, she adds that her 'least favourite core' is 'cottagecore'.) The EP - created almost entirely remotely, apart from some last minute tweaks made the night before mastering - was 'intuiti ve' and 'very chill to make', with Georgia further elaborating that they 'didn't spend hours contemplating details', which worked to their benefit, and made this their most honest project yet. As to what defines them as a band, she explains that 'the music conveys our big personalities' and 'where we are at in life'.
This same approach even extends to their visual imprint which often plays on feelings of awkwardness and angst, as best illustrated with their photos and videos lensed by Max Granger, further setting them apart from their glossier counterparts. Inspiration-wise, their frame of reference is just as broad as the genres they mesh together, with Skye naming a plethora of people of both fictional and non-fictional varieties, such as 'Harry Dean Stanton, Neil Diamond, Billy Brag, Oliver Twist, The Strokes, Charlie Kaufman and Indigo Girls'. In regard to their collaboration with Perfect, which saw them pick their favourite looks from Gucci's 'Ouverture' collection and film themselves performing a song of their choice, Taylor reveals that Steve Mackey 'and his crew were incredibly nice to work with', adding that he was delighted to be using 'a fancy studio'.
With their best yet to come, Jockstrap are providing a beautifully earnest breath of fresh air into the music industry, all the while bending and blending each and every genre the internet has to offer (except cottagecore).
