Hiroe, the new darlings of the American post-rock underground, have revealed their latest single "Collider," taken from their forthcoming debut album, Wield, out June 20 via Pelagic Records.
Watch the "Collider" video below.
Pre-order Wield here.
"Collider" is a 10-minute epic, presenting listeners with a sonic journey into the heart of modern existence, reflecting life's often opposing and overwhelming demands. Its elaborate structure provides the band with an opportunity to showcase diverse instrumentation, from the resonant standing bass and the delicate chime of a glockenspiel to captivating guitar tapping sections that crescendo into a powerful three-part harmony. Embodying a musical representation of the contradictory elements in balancing life's competing priorities, it evokes the moment when all facets of life come to a head, resulting in a profound convergence, just as its title, "Collider," implies.
Hiroe guitarist Eric Kusanagi comments, "'Collider' is a song that when we play live seems to be a crowd favorite. It's the longest song in our catalogue, at about 10 minutes long, and we wanted to take the listener on a journey that goes through a lot of peaks and valleys."
The single is another glimpse of the forthcoming album Wield, showcasing the Philadelphia-based quintet mastering their craft, of creating compelling melodies that sound larger than life.
2022 saw Hiroe burst onto the scene with an explosive debut EP full of soaring anthems and sublime soundscapes. Combining the sonic expansiveness of Deftones with the dynamic heaviness of bands like Isis and Caspian, Hiroe immediately already figured out how to make the most majestic sounding post-rock early in their career.
"Our first release, Wrought, was a statement of creation," explains principal songwriter and guitarist Kusanagi.
For the recording of Wield, Jill Paslier moved from bass to guitars, with Brian Kong (guitars), Jon Seiler (bass), and Dan Sagherian (drums) joining to complete the lineup. Produced once more by Mario Quintero (Spotlights), Wield capitalizes on everything the band learned in the creation of its predecessor, adding to it a new focus on textural intricacies and compositional detail.
"We wanted to show a larger range of musical themes on this record," continues Kusanagi. "You'll hear us dive into some synth work, some piano work, some really interesting effects that Mario helped us dial up."
As a result, Wield packs in a huge range of details, which reveal themselves over repeated listens.
Nevertheless, Wield is still an affair of instant gratification for fans of guitar driven post-rock. From the soaring leads of "Tides" to the epic finale of "I've Been Waiting For You All My Life," Hiroe show they've upped their game in every department, but especially that which tugs at your heartstrings.
Wield presents the brave new future we all need in these confusing times. A new American frontier on which we can build our wildest dreams and our most daring ambitions.
HIROE ON TOUR:
6/6 — Baltimore, MD — Monument City Brewing
6/7 — Washington, DC —The Pocket
6/13 — Brooklyn, NY — Gold Sounds
6/14 — Boston, MA — Deep Cuts
6/20 — Harrisburg, PA — JB Lovedraft’s
6/21 — Lancaster, PA — The Upside
6/27 — Philadelphia, PA — Kung Fu Necktie
6/28 — Pittsburgh, PA — Ormsby's
7/23 — Indianapolis, IN — Black Circle (Post-Fest Pre-Show)
HIROE ARE:
Eric Kusanagi — Guitar
Jill Paslier — Guitar
Brian Kong — Guitar
Jon Seiler — Bass
Dan Sagherian — Drums