Dummy

Dummy are a Los Angeles experimental group whose sound combines noise pop, indie rock, krautrock, ambient, electronic, new age and related psych-influenced forms. The band forms in late 2018 and consists of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, Joe Trainor and Alan Everhart. The group’s earlier lineup is described as Emma Maatman, Alex Ewell, Joe Trainor and Nathan O’Dell.

Style and development

Dummy move between drone-pop, indie psych and more frenetic bursts of guitar distortion and rhythm. Their music starts from 1990s noise-pop and early electronic psychedelia, but also includes ambient interludes and motorik passages. The band describes its approach as layered and complex without aiming to be difficult or abstract.

Emma Maatman’s droning organ is a central feature of their sound, alongside her deadpan vocals and Alex Ewell’s repeating drum patterns. Their music is often compared to Stereolab, and the band also cites influences such as Antena, Laraaji and The Byrds. Joe Trainor and Nathan O’Dell, both former members of Baltimore band Wildhoney, add much of the distortion on the noisier tracks.

Recordings

The band’s first EP is noted for its avant-folk character, while EP2 is recorded on an iPhone and leans towards lo-fi video game music. Their debut full-length, Mandatory Enjoyment, brings these elements together with ambient passages placed between more intense sections. Tracks including “Punk Product #4,” “Daffodils,” “Unremarkable Wilderness” and “X-Static Blanket” show the band shifting between abrasion, brief interludes and hypnotic repetition.

Context

Dummy are presented as a modern cult band and as part of the Los Angeles experimental scene. Their work is characterised by a mix of noisy and spacious textures, with sequencing that sets louder songs against quieter material to increase contrast across the record.