In the wake of his latest release, Angeles deep dives into the DIY figures that inspire him…

Sydney alt-indie darling Angeles has just dropped his latest single ‘Punch Drunk Love’ via Sydney independent label, Broth Records. Like a brooding storm, ‘Punch Drunk Love’ manages to be both ethereal and shadowy at the same time; Angeles’ hoarse vocals float atop blazing guitars, which occasionally strike, in a melancholic portrayal of a relationship unravelling. The track represents a confident step forward for Angeles, as he shifts towards a more DIY approach to recording and production.

Having birthed the Angeles project only two years ago, ‘Punch Drunk Love’ marks his sixth release. In the intervening time, Angeles – real name Pluto Sotiropoulos – has gained comparisons to the likes of Elliott Smith, Alex G and Car Seat Headrest. It’s no surprise then, that Angeles is drawn to the same kind of DIY approach for which Alex G has long been a poster child.

Everything about the making of ‘Punch Drunk Love’ leant into Angeles’ homemade approach. From the recording of the track, done in his tiny, ramshackle home studio that doubles as a laundry (Angeles then enlisted the help of mixer Grant Konemann to finish it off); to the photos, taken by his partner Fury Glanville; to the music video, filmed and edited in his apartment by former Betty & Oswald bandmate Claudia Schmidt on old VHS camera from his uncle.

Even the merch was a homemade affair: eye-wateringly cool hats featuring a logo made by Connor Dewhurst, whose distinct, lo-fi approach to design made him the perfect choice (you’ve probably seen Dewhurst’s work across plenty of Australian releases without even realising). Angeles then carefully hand-bleached every hat in his loungeroom using an intricate, self-devised process. The hats are now for sale over at Angeles’s Bandcamp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywLb9W_ly_o&ab_channel=Angeles

Speaking on ‘Punch Drunk Love’, Angeles explains: “I wrote this song in the ashes of what I realised was in a toxic relationship. The sort of situation that reminded me of an apologue in which the frog didn’t know the water was boiling until they were cooked alive.”

“It was very cathartic to make and this is the first song I engineered and produced all on my own (in my tiny ramshackle laundry/home studio no less!). I had some much-appreciated help from Grant Konemann who mixed the track and aided in production. My good friend Mitch Sexty played the unhinged electric guitar and the rest was written and performed by me.”

Check out Angeles’ top 5 DIY heroes below and grab your copy of ‘Punch Drunk Love’ here.

Sega Bodega

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wditpd0AvjI&ab_channel=segabodega

I’ve been really inspired by his production over the last year and love tuning into his Twitch where he just hunches up in a chair, unpacks his songs and plays around with samples ’till your ears hurt. He’s produced tracks for Eartheater, Caroline Polachek and Arca, as well as some albums and scores of his own, and it’s wonderful to see people making things in pocket-sized studios and mostly on their laptops.

My Papou

He would DIY everything, the kinda guy that used every tool in the shed and put it back exactly where it belonged. He was very meticulous and inventive, and built and fixed basically everything in his house, including the house (haha). A true DIY hero – from his own home extensions, to his moonshine wine, to the best vegetable garden I’ve ever seen in my life. Bravo.

Julian Klincewicz

His VHS art is so emotive and rich. I love the way he uses an old camcorder that he found and just colours and brings alive stills taken from that footage. It has really inspired me to do more with an old VHS that I got from an uncle, in fact, that is what we used to make the ‘Punch Drunk Love’ clip that Claudia Schmidt shot at my house.

Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp

A hand-made clothing label based in Eora. I was really inspired by their approach to using bleach and having fun with shape and form. So cool to see what’s possible when you break outta the mould! They sell lotsa fun clothes online and display things in their pop-up shop in Haymarket.

Mark Duplass

Actor and filmmaker who makes super low-budget films with his brother Jay, which are just so clever. Watch Creep, it’s the best. I love the way he just runs off mid-sentence, and the fact that the dialogue is so natural, which I learnt is the whole thing about Mumblecore films, the genre that Duplass and his brother create.