Violens

Violens are an indie pop group from New York, United States, active since 2007. The line-up consists of Jorge Elbrecht, Iddo Arad and Myles Matheny.

Formation and background

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Jorge Elbrecht forms Violens in late 2007 as an additional outlet for his songwriting. Elbrecht is also a member of the art company Lansing-Dreiden. Arad plays synth and Matheny plays guitar, and the three singers and players form the core of the group’s sound.

Style and influences

The group’s music draws on a wide set of references, including 1960s psych-pop, thrash metal and Miami freestyle. It also reflects the sophistication of Roxy Music, the noise of Sonic Youth, and influences associated with Cocteau Twins, Sisters of Mercy, Crass and Minor Threat. Their work is described through images of dreamlike, unsettling spaces, and their songs use group harmonies, reverb, distortion, call-and-response percussion, delayed instrumentation and animal sounds.

Recordings and releases

Violens release a self-titled EP in 2008. Their debut album, Amoral, follows on Brooklyn label Friendly Fire Recordings and their own imprint Static Recital. The album is self-recorded, self-produced and self-mixed. It includes tracks such as “The Dawn Of Your Happiness Is Rising”, “Amoral”, “Trance-Like Turn”, “Generational Loss”, “Acid Reign” and “Violent Sensation Descends”.

Activity and collaborations

After the EP, the group tours in the US and Europe and performs with Grizzly Bear, Bat for Lashes and Deerhunter. They also extend their studio work through remixes for MGMT and The Very Best, runway scores for Patrik Ervell and Yigal Azrouel, and a seasonal mixtape series that presents their influences and collaborators.