Can a song be interesting with only one chord? “Power-ambient” band Chord seem to think so, and they’ll sell you an album that proves it

Can a song be interesting with only one chord? "Power-ambient" band Chord seem to think so, and they'll sell you an album that proves it

Chicago-based band Chord, which features Trevor Shelley de Brauw of Pelican and Phil Dole of X-Bax, have announced that their second album, Progression, will be released through Important Records this fall. If you’ve never heard of Chord, well, I must admit that they have a pretty interesting vision driving the band: The band spent its debut album exploring the possibilities of single-chord songs by selecting one chord and making it the focus of the entire song. Each member played a separate note from the chord, and through the magic of “experimenting” and “jamming,” bada-bing bada-boom: a song was composed.

The new album is keeping the past model of “one chord per song with each member playing a separate note,” but this time around, the band is getting more experimental with the composition and structure. The band selected its preferred chords and then charted out how the song would be played; one composition is free-form and tone-driven, one is controlled by shifting “intensity of performance,” and the third is dictated by a “grid-like chart where each players’ note continually shifts, though the combination of voices continue to maintain the chord.”

In addition to the experimentation with composition, structure, and chord selection, the band has also assured me that, despite the CD and LP having a similar internal structure, both formats are designed to be “played concurrently, forming the full six chord arc of the total piece.”

SOUNDS PRETTY BORING!!! But you can find out for yourself here.

Progression tracklist:

CD:

01. EbMaj9 (descent)
02. Gm11 (pelagic)
03. D6 (codal)

LP:

01. EbMaj9 (ascent)
02. Dm11 (pelagic)
03. G6 (codal)

• Chord: http://chord.atomicmouse.co.uk
• Important: http://importantrecords.com

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