THANKS TOWERS by Marienbad

"Some kind of sample keeps exploding in the headphones. Some kind of digital pulse, pounding in subsonic frequencies, forming the bed for clicks, pops and sparkling aliasing sounds. Some kind of voice breaking through and bouncing between two ears. Some kind of static then tearing through that.

Marienbad’s latest effort, THANKS TOWERS, feels like the crystallisation of her live laptop workouts performed through 2024 and 2025; digital soundscapes are translated from the dark, musty basements she performs in, to gorgeous digital recordings that allow Marienbad to extend her focus in a controlled environment, to form beds of texture that mutate between swirling consonance and brutal low/hi frequency stabs.

THANKS TOWERS brings to the front Marienbad’s incredible intuition for sample selection and textural manipulation, running us into territories not too far from the classic output of labels like Mego and Mille Plateaux - opening with Gyph Witch, a crescendo into classic granular techniques, twisted into a hellish soundclash of selections from Marienbad’s hard-drive. Two-Zero (both parts) are so close to hi-fidelity heaven, but are satisfyingly smothered by processing that feels like a laptop’s hug. Frozen Cherrycurl opens to bubbling clicks and pulses, slowly emerging a warm, swaying fuzz, and Endirloft will make you wonder if you Clicks and Cuts CD never stopped playing. If you haven’t seen her live, Xenadu will bring you as close to Marienbad’s ethereal live sets as possible, all without leaving the comfort of your mp3; a full-course sonic palette of it all across a stunning 30 minutes of teased out sample play to harsh noise.

You know you love it, so just buy the CD."
- whosebodyisthis, 2025

This was recorded over the course of a few months inbetween my very occasional live sets. I meant to put it out a couple months ago but spent too long on it and now I don't really like listening to it. Hope you guys enjoy.

Stim at concerts.