bdrmm

Today, the Hull based quartet bdrmm return with a new single ”John on the Ceiling" and the news that their third album "Microtonic" (pre-order) will land February 28th on Mogwai’s Rock Action label.

The pulsating, late-night feel to "John on the Ceiling" is representative of a new album that takes the band several strides forwards. Being asked to support Daniel Avery, along with a trip to Field Day for a group rave, were both instrumental moments in the band deciding to incorporate more dance music elements into a sound that had already been moving steadily towards across recent releases.

The first single "John on the Ceiling" is a song the band had the foundations for early in their career but one that represented a direction they maybe didn’t possess the full confidence or knowhow to follow at the time. The completion of the propulsive single was to lay the groundwork for how they approached the rest of "Microtonic" and set the precedent for their third record as whole.

Vocalist and guitarist Ryan Smith had the following to say about the new single:

"The themes surrounding John on the Ceiling are that of confusion and doubt. When something ends and another starts, you lure yourself into a false sense of security that the mistakes made won’t happen again. This happens over and over until you are paralysed in limbo. Can people ever truly change?"

The 10 song "Microtonic", recorded with long-term band collaborator Alex Greaves and featuring guest appearances from Sydney Minsky Sargeant of Working Men's Club and Olivesque of Nightbus, is unquestionably a bold leap for the group, who have embraced a fuller spectrum of tones and atmospheres. “I felt very constrained writing a certain type of music to fit the genre [we were known for] but something lifted and I felt more free to create what I want,” says Ryan. “And what I seem to be doing at the moment is a lot of electronic music – taking influence from different spans of electronica, from dance music to ambient and more experimental sources.” 

Bdrmm’s trademark sound hasn’t disappeared by any means, the band's more guitar-heavy beginnings a blueprint and influence on many of the groups breaking through in the here and now, a time when shoegaze is enjoying its strongest revival since its inception in the 80s, but those guitars are now incorporated into a broader, more expansive and varied sonic palette.

"Microtonic" follows 2023's "I Don't Know", an album that arrived to critical acclaim with the likes of Consequence calling it “one of their most enticing successes yet” and Rolling Stone UK describing it as “a chaotic, thrilling evolution”. The lead single “It’s Just A Bit Of Blood” was also playlisted on BBC Radio 6 Music, and Brooklyn Vegan made the record their Album Of The Week saying that “I Don’t Know” saw them “not only avoid the sophomore slump but deliver a second album that is miles better their debut.”

"Microtonic" will be available on digital, CD, classic black LP and on indie stories exclusive coloured LP. You can pre-order the album now via Rock Action: bdrmm.lnk.to/microtonic
 

bdrmm are:

Ryan Smith (guitar, vocals) 
Jordan Smith (bass, synth and vocals)
Conor Murray (drums) 
Joe Vickers (guitar)

Selected press for “I Don’t Know”:

“a chaotic, thrilling evolution”
 – Rolling Stone UK

“the excitement around bdrmm couldn’t be higher nor more warranted.”
 – Consequence on “It’s Just A Bit Of Blood”

"The Hull rockers remain on red-hot form"
- NME

“melodies and arrangements that glide through a sea of synths and guitars with the grace of an art deco ocean liner.”
 – Uncut

“tugs at the listener’s emotions in unanticipated ways.”
- MOJO

"It takes the strongest foundational elements of their debut and successfully builds a solid structure for bdrmm’s promising future."
- the Quietus

“These UK shoegazers not only avoid the sophomore slump, but deliver a second album that is miles better their debut”
- Brooklyn Vegan

“Once again ascending ethereal mountains, traversing through guitar-laden mists, and beyond dream-weaving deserts, bdrmm found themselves bolstered by the confidence gained from their debut album”
 – So Young

“A thrilling return, ‘I Don’t Know’ finds bdrmm breaking down the walls around them to claim a space of pure freedom.”
- CLASH

“a formidable second album.”
- Dork

“bdrmm’s unstoppable ascent into the big league looks set to continue unabated.”
- Under The Radar

“on this album, the mould is utterly broken”
- Louder Than War

“They do not attempt to define themselves or nail their colours to the mast in terms of any style or genre, yet seem utterly confident in the direction they are heading.”
- The Line Of Best Fit