EHP 0.08: The One AM Radio the hum of the electric air! LP [ out of print ] Pressing Information: 100 clear 700 black Following up a 7" on Troubleman Unlimited, an EP, and a handful of splits with other bands such as JEROMES DREAM, TED LEO & TRACY SHED, this is THE ONE AM RADIO’s first full length. This is a landmark release in many ways. Jane Yakowitz, violinist and frequent collaborator when the band was Hrishikesh Hirway's solo project, joined full time and also contributes backing vocals on these recordings. The beautiful, melancholy lyrics and melodies characteristic of their previous records is still dominant on this release, but the band takes on new territory as well, for the first time using break beats, samples, and keyboards. The twelve tracks, though somewhat eclectic, all have a dark, wistful dreaminess, born from the night time drone of insects, power lines, and lightning storms, and contain the quiet, pastoral beauty of a dusk in July. TRACK LISTING: 1. Flicker 2. I Think This Is My Exit 3. The House We Will Make 4. Don't Panic 5. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind 6. Heat Lightning 7. The Landmine 8. Lonesome Moon 9. Measured Mile Begins 10. Gravity 11. We Are Also What We've Lost 12. Away, Into The Light REVIEWS: CMJ After a number of EPs, compilations and 7-inch releases, the One AM Radio has finally released a proper full-length, The Hum Of The Electric Air! Bandleader Hrishikesh Hirway has strayed from his punk and hardcore roots by constructing 12 delicate tracks of mope-core at its best. Recorded in the intimacy of the duo's own homes, that sodality translates through all of the nearly 40 minutes of music on this disc. The opening track, "Flicker," gives a good impression of what's to come; finger-plucked acoustic guitar strings, organ layers, muted drum sequences and bandmate Jane Yakowitz's somber violin provide the perfect backdrop for Hirway's nostalgic lyrics, which are sung in a breathy hush. "The House We Will Make" finds Hirway longing for the day he'll "sleep in on Sunday/ The sheets and the sun's rays will close all around/ Wash over like ocean sounds." And so goes this record; the seemingly perfect soundtrack for waking out of a dream, only to find yourself surrounded by warmth and beauty. Punk Plant issue #53 Bear with me for a moment and put on your imagination cap. Imagine that you're leaving the home of a person who makes your heart go pitter-pat. It's a brisk moonless night, and your footsteps go crunch crunch on a bed of fresh fallen snow. The orange glow of the streetlights cast a warm tone on the falling snowflakes, and for a moment it seems as thought there are tiny stars coming to kiss you on the nose. The One AM Radio is the sound of this scene. It's important to give you this visual image, because it's too easy otherwise to write this off as a dime-a-dozen "boy with acoustic guitar" project. These songs are far more beautiful and emotive than that. The soft guitar melodies and the singer's gentle tenor, violin harmonies -- they all blend together to create a gentle-yet-not-snoozy sound. Even though these are simple songs with only a few instruments, they use each sound to its fullest. The album is generally slow or mid-tempo, but it remains liliting, lively and lovely. Passivity is barely an option in listening to this record; its every groove puts a hold on the heart. Punknews.org (Scott) What do you say about music that is amazing? What do you say about music that moves you, that touches you, that opens your eyes? What do you say about the One AM Radio? The brainchild of Hrishikesh Hirway, the One AM Radio has been kicking arond the east coast for a few years, and has put out a few records here and there [most notably a split 7" with ex-Chisel frontman Ted Leo], but this is the band's first proper full length. Musically, I'm stymied as to what to compare this album to. Vocally, Hirway tends to sound like a more somber Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian at times, and at others he sounds like a less eerie version of Brian McMahon [of Slint/The For Carnation]. The music slides along over twelve distinct tracks, some as stripped down as just vocals and guitar, some containing swirling keyboards and samples. A few songs ["Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" and "Gravity"] have a bit of a trip-hop breakbeat feel to them as Hirway croons lines like "You lost the language right out of your mouth / An instinct to scream, but no sound would come out." Virtually every song on the album seems to deal with loss in some form, whether it be a lover, friend, or possibly family member. Hirway's lyrics are obtuse without being confusing, and heartfelt without being cliche. I could see sloppy comparisons being made to Jonah of Far/OneLineDrawing/New End Original, but this is way better. This is as good as it gets, folks. Violinist Jane Yakowitz rounds out the duo, adding a much desired female presence. Even though she doesn't sing on the recordings [well, the liner notes say she does, but I have yet to pick out her voice anywhere], her violin lines just burst with feminine emotion on tracks such as "I Think This Is My Exit." The Journal Review (Wade Coggeshall) This 12" record could almost be described as futuristic folk music, a combination of programmed beats in parts and organic acoustic and other string instrument flourishes. It's essentially the one man army of Hrishikesh Hirway with help from Jane Yakowitz on violin and cello by Ravenna Michalsen on two tracks. The music is very mellow and slow, made all the more so by the use of the aforementioned violin. Hirway's singing is very quiet and subdued. He doesn't show much range, but the overall affair has a soothing feel about it. "The Hum Of The Electric Air!" opens with "Flicker", complete with hazy guitar textures and echoey drum sequencing. "The House We Will Make" features uncomplicated strumming and an unmasked desire for a happy future: "We'll want for naught. All that we'll need will be all we've got. And we'll never speak of days when we'd desperately seek shelter from terrible storms, trying just to keep safe and warm." The middle portion of the record pays more attention to the beats, particularly on the instrumental "Heat Lightning", complete with shimmering keyboards. The keys take on a siren sounding effect in "The Landmine", while wispy percussion creates an airy bed. "Gravity" contains both crunchy drum programming and live percussion in an otherwise stripped down composition. "Away, Into The Light" is a fitting end to the effort with a foundation of mournful orgran and lyrics dealing with loss: "Below the street, you heard a sigh of air brakes as a long goodbye. Oh how I wish I could join you in the sky. To get out and up, away, into the light. But I'm ever further moving down, in tunnels far below the ground." Hirway has successfully blended elements of folk and electro music into a unique and equal parts pulsating and mollifying sound, complete with raw and eloquent language. It is a work of understated beauty. He is a talent to watch out for. Manatee Bound online zine (Ken Hawk) The One AM Radio contains two individuals: Hrishikesh Hirway, who plays a major role in the make-up of The One AM Radio's sound by supplying his talents in vocals, guitar, keyboard, drum sequencing, and organ; and Jane Yakowitz, Hirway's tag-team partner, plays violin and lends some vocal support along the way. Together they help produce tranquil music that lingers and haunts like no other band that you've ever heard of. Hirway's gentle, soft-spoken voice possesses a hypnotic quality that will soothe the most restless of listeners. His composed baritone delivery is the main focus of The One AM Radio's sound. Sooyoung Park (Seam), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), and Hirway all share the same characteristic: their voices contain a rare, smooth magnetic appeal. "Don't Panic," "Measured Mile Begins," and "Away, Into the Light" are especially enriched with Jane's poignant violin work coming to the fore at just the right times. The Hum of the Electric Air! contains slight strums of an acoustic guitar, a humming organ, and faint pulses of a drum sequencer that are always present, but never the focal point. The One AM Radio's sound is clean and minimal, proving that less is always more. The Hum of the Electric Air! is an amiable record with twelve emotional tracks. As much as the songs are beautiful, they also generate a sense of sadness and melancholy similar to such moody bands as Best Boy Electric, Yo La Tengo, and Low. The One AM Radio is for the pensive soul. Heartattack #36 (Lisa Ogelsby) The One AM Radio is a two piece who make really pretty songs. Really very pretty songs. They use subtleties to an extreme, with each minimal piece lai onto another to create a semi-complex structure and overall buzz of sound. The sound is translucent and eerie, sweet and engrossing. Fills the background without moving into your space. It is pretty much make out music. I sometimes find this band to be too minimal and somewhat boring, but the material on this LP is the best i have heard so far. If I listen to it in my car I might just fall asleep and run off the road, but it is a nice way to go. All Music Guide On The Hum of the Electric Air!, the One AM Radio deliver a delicate, intrinsically beautiful set of songs. Jane Yakowitz and Hrishikesh Hirway are a sharp pair in carefully constructing an indie/dream-pop style. There's an intimacy similar to the likes of Parker & Lily, Galaxie 500 and Sparklehorse and that highlights the duo's perfectionism as well. "I Think This Is My Exit" and "The House We Will Make" are romantic, charming songs where orchestral arrangements float around basic acoustics. "Lonesome Moon" prances with more of an upbeat sound, but Hirway's lush, plaintive lyrics are smart in luring a listener in. You want to hear something more, learn something more from the inquisitive world of the One AM Radio. Their debut album is a perfect fit for those gray-like, quiet singular moments where your mind pauses. The Hum of the Electric Air allows one to find a clarity among the musical haze. KSPC (Claremont, CA) Hrishikesh Hirway is The One AM Radio and has existed as such through multiple singles and splits, The Hum of the Electric Air being his first full-length. Hirway demonstrates the rare ability to craft songs in such a manner that they could be experienced with the same amount of pleasure no matter your mood. Perfect for the love sensation of a spring day and also apt for the harsh loneliness of a cold winter night. Hirway???s tales of magical weather and anxiety are wrapped in the rainy day assistance of organ, violin, cello, acoustic treatment, and of course Hirway???s yielding and comforting voice. Hirway has taken residence in Los Angeles and thus his label Translucence, from which The Hum of Electric Air was released (alongside Alone and The Electric Human Project depending on the format) has begun to thrive with releases from friends such as The Wind-Up Bird and Ted Leo. Highly recommended for studying, dreaming, kissing, crying, smiling, and blankets. sharpshooter.cc I don't know much about The One AM Radio, but I do know enough to enjoy them. I know that they have records out on Troubleman Unltd., Alone, and Electric Human Project. All those labels seem to have pretty crazy releases, yet The One AM Radio is remarkably subdued (at least on this album). Musically I would compare them to a more produced and fuller sounding Rocky Votolato, or a much more complex/sad Kings Of Convenience, but more along the lines of Mogwai. They seem really familiar but it's hard to tag them. Every song has the same sort of dreamy feel, yet it also sort of makes me think of being under water. Not sure if that makes sense, but that's definitely the feeling I get from them. "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" has to be my favorite track on this album. The end seems really chaotic, however it still maintains a pretty overall sound. The One AM Radio is doing something great, that's for sure. This was something that took me a long time to get into. I've been listening to it off and on for a long time but today it just hit me... like a bag of snow globes full of sand. Weird but true, believe me. For those with short attention spans... don't bother. For those who are hoping this is some crazy release from Alone/Electric Human Project... forget about it. But for those who can appreciate something new and unexpected, this is certainly for you. Although The One AM Radio is on the quieter side of the spectrum, I could see them being really good live. Uplifting music is always nice to see performed on stage, and this certainly is uplifting in my (mind) ears. Instruments on this album range from acoustic guitar, keyboards, horns, wood-winds, a drum machine, and much more, or at least that's what I seem to be making out. Vocals hang right over all these beautiful instruments and come together in a barrage of sound that can lull a person to sleep, or create the soundtrack for the perfect day. This one is highly recommended if you can sit through the whole thing. Yolk Magazine Hrishikesh Hirway and Jane Yakowitz offer sublime gorgeous sounds and lyrics backed by a soothing combination of classical strings and electronic riffs. Haunting and unforgettable. [4 stars]