Influences Playlist: Armlock

We are inviting our favorite musicians to compile playlists of the songs, artists and albums that have impacted their latest projects the most. The latest Influences guest is Armlock, the Melbourne duo of Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell—two musicians who have known each for quite a while, having met years ago while in jazz school together. At one point, they were a part of an IDM trio called I’lls before making sample-imbued music in a group called Couture. On top of that, Mitchell works in graphic design while Lam has made solo music under the name Nearly Oratorio. But Armlock is something brand new and exciting from the Australians. Their seven-song, 19-minute sophomore LP Seashell Angel Lucky Charm (which Lam and Mitchell refer to as “S.A.L.C.”) is unlike anything they’ve made prior. Rather than rely on sampling and computer sounds in full, Lam and Mitchell incorporate physical instruments into the work while allowing those original electronic foundations to remain steady but not overbearing. There are notes of plucky, lingering bass, squealing guitars and heavy, charming drum anchors. It sounds exactly where Armlock is meant to be.

Songs like “Ice Cold,” “Guardian” and “Fear” are hopeful, wondrous and brief—but they all ring in with flourishes of minimalist paradoxes. Album closer “Fair” is particularly somber, arriving fully as an acoustic ballad that juxtaposes with the ‘90s alternative-beckoning, gothic energy of “Ice Cold.” While Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’s title is almost longer than the album itself, it’s not a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it record. These songs, as brief as they come, are delicate, moody and precious. Armlock understood the assignment, and they’d rather make every second count than overstay their welcome.

Yung Lean: “Agony”

Simon and I are both huge Yung Lean fans and to be honest I could’ve easily put down a lot of his catalogue. His influence is not strictly musical but in his approach, execution and presentation of his art. His albums are always so layered both sonically and visually. That kind of detail and world build is something we really tried to do on S.A.L.C. —Hamish

Wayne Shorter: “Night Dreamer”

I’m a piano player originally so naturally a huge Wayne fan and of this particular line up (McCoy Tyler, Elvin Jones, Reggie Workman). The modal diatonic harmony across this album and the album ‘Juju’ showcase how rich and seemingly complex sounding you can be within such a simple framework. Whilst it might seem like a strange or even pretentious reference a lot of the harmony on S.A.L.C. We play with pretty locked in tunings so it’s hard to move outside the key without it sounding kind of obtuse. So similarly the songs exist in a kind of vamp around a key centre and rely on a lot of extensions for interest. —Hamish

Grouper: “Headache”

It’s just perfect. Unfortunately, I struggle to articulate what makes something like this so amazing. Part of the appeal is how it sounds so seamless yet feels utterly effortless. You can intellectualise stuff down to the functional harmony, production etc and you still couldn’t replicate it. As far as its influence on the record, whatever this does as a piece of music/art is the gold standard and what I feel I’m always chasing. —Hamish

Helium: “Honeycomb”

The whole album is a real gem taken from the golden era of Matador Records. The production is great and there is no fat with every part is placed into a hierarchy that serves the song. That combined with the dryness of the record just further intensifies the focal point. I feel like that combination and Ethos is what we really try to do not just on S.A.L.C. but with Armlock as a project. —Hamish

Sonic Youth: “Pattern Recognition”

Probably my favorite band. However, I do have a particular fondness for the latter stages of their discography (Murray Street, Sonic Nurse, Rather Ripped). There are so many things to say about Sonic youth it’s hard to know where to start. This song in particular showcases the use of noise not just as an abrasive compositional tool but with a harmonic function as well. On all their records the use of noise stuff is cool but I find myself humming along to it. Obviously Armlock is way more leashed but there are a couple of moments on S.A.L.C. where there is some noise stuff, the instrumental break in Ice Cold comes to mind. And whilst its abrasive I like to think that it voice leads in a similar way. —Hamish

Slow Pulp: “Carina Phone 1000”

I love this band and I love this whole album. I could really pick any track off this album, all the production and all the songwriting is really top tier. I find it hard to find records these days that I like front to back, so it’s a special feeling to add something new to my list of perfect albums. It’s also only 10 tracks which makes it easier to fall in love with and to obsess over every detail, which is something we keep in mind when making our records. We’re supporting them in New York later this year and I’m so pumped because I haven’t seen them live before. —Simon

Porches: “rangerover”

Pretty crazy that this song is a bonus track, because it’s easily one of the best Porches songs ever. It’s really the verse melody in this one, the second half of it. I just want to make melodies as good as that. —Simon

Alex G: “Icehead”

Anyone that listens to two seconds of our music would know that we’re Alex G fans. It was a live version I was watching on YouTube that actually really got me into this song. A lot of his songs are basically a whole new thing when played live with the band. This song in particular was an inspiration simply because it uses the same chords the whole time and the arrangement does all the heavy lifting. —Simon

Adrianne Lenker: “half return”

I really smashed this album when it first came out. It’s a nice record to have playing in the house, like all the time. It brings a welcome feeling to any time of day. I got a bit obsessed with the sound of this album and trawled through instagram looking for glimpses of how it was recorded, in particular the mics they used. The amount of amazing songs Adrianne Lenker has written is just kind of mind blowing. Pretty much every time I listen to this album I get inspired by something in it, usually it’s one of the lyrics. —Simon

Junior Varsity: “Florida”

Been a big fan of these guys since their first record, but this track is really different from the rest of their stuff and I really love it. I love these kinds of quiet songs that charge ahead, relentless in a good way. It’s like it needs to race through the song otherwise the emotion would bog it down. We are always trying to keep our songs snappy, even introspective ones. We can go there but I just don’t want to dwell there too long. —Simon

Listen to Armlock’s Influences playlist below.

Armlock’s Upcoming Shows:
8/24 – Naarm/Melbourne @ Evelyn Hotel
8/29 – Dharawal/Wollongong @ La La La’s
8/30 – Eora/Sydney @ The Landsdowne
11/10 – London, UK @ Pitchfork Music Festival London
11/15 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall ^
11/18 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
11/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *
11/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sinwave *
11/25 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
11/26 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater *
11/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry *
11/30 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
12/01 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *

* w/Cloud Nothings
^ w/Slow Pulp