Today, Leeds alternative four-piece The 113 release their second EP The Hedonist. Available now via EMI North Records label partner Launchpad+ (LIFE, Lucky Iris, Chiedu Oraka, Dilettante), the collection arrives alongside new single and closing track ‘Entertainment’.
Powerfully rounding off the EP and echoing much of its earlier intent, ‘Entertainment’ is a full-force sonic explosion which sharpens the band’s critique of digital culture into its most direct and confrontational form. Delivered via an unrelenting wall of noise and an electric intensity, the track stands as a stark statement on social media, the attention economy and the psychological toll that compulsive consumption can take on the user.
“This one closes the EP and ties together a lot of the themes running through the whole record” says frontman Jack Grant. “In particular it calls back the opener ‘Leach’; it’s a statement on social media and these platforms that get people addicted to content with no real purpose other than farming interactions. It explores the way they’re designed to keep you locked in, feeding you content with no real purpose beyond interaction, and ultimately, profit. It’s not aimed at the people creating things, but at the platforms themselves and the systems behind it all. We finished this one the day it was recorded, and I think that lends further immediacy to the feel of it. It’s quite reflective of our sound and ethos as a whole ”
The Hedonist comprises four tracks centred on our collective relationship to technology, and the psychological burden that comes with the constant connectivity of modern life. Built around discordant guitars and thunderous offbeat rhythms, the dystopian urgency of opener ‘Leach’ is immediately followed by a creeping sense of paranoia in ‘Scour’, which fixates on the permanence of our digital footprints via an abrasive sonic palette and an unmistakable dynamic energy. Penultimate track ‘When I Leave’ explores the gamified monotony of dating apps over a heady mix of clattering drums and dark atmospheric guitars, while the brooding menace of ‘Entertainment’ closes proceedings; an unsparing musical epilogue that cohesively brings The Hedonist to a fitting conclusion.
Recorded at Eiger Studios in Leeds with producer Dom Richmond at the helm, whose collaborative approach helped shape the sessions, the record was mixed by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band. Instinctively understanding what Richmond and the band were striving for, Fox brought it into clear focus; striking a balance between gritty and polished, and ultimately bringing the songs to life.
The 113 Live Dates
April
17 – Laval, 6par4 (FR)
18 – Besançon, La Rodia (FR)
19 – Nilvange, Gueulard Plus (FR)
May
1 – Nottingham, Billy Bootleggers
6 – York, The Fulford Arms
7 – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
9 – London, The Old Blue Last
15 – Brighton, The Great Escape
16 – Leeds, In Colour Festival at Brudenell Social Club
27 – Birmingham, The Sunflower Lounge
For more information on The 113 please check their facebook and instagram.