November 30th, 2009 | New Jersey
Davyd Hawk may seem like your typical bedroom music geek, but the prodigious programmer exists in a category all his own. As a teen he went by the alias Memory Cassette before converting to Weird Tapes as he got into sampling. As his experimentation matured, however, Hawk decided to combine the two monikers into Memory Tapes. This new title is well-suited to his debut release, Seek Magic, which combines the youthful verve of his early efforts with the dexterity of his later work into an album of of beautiful electronic pop.
Hawk's main talent lies in combining minor and melancholic keys (see "Bicycle" for a good example) with euphoric dance beats á la Shoreditch dance floors in east London. There are more than a few nods to both New Order and Cocteau Twins on Seek Magic, but the New Jersey native merits close attention for his overarching uniqueness.
Hawk apparently owns neither a car nor a cell phone—an oddity in today's society—but perhaps this lack of social connectivity is what makes it possible for him to spend all day writing heavenly electronica. "Swimming Field," for example, has the sonic qualities of a summer meadow, while epic piano melodies accompany what sound like sneaker squeaks on "Green Knight." This assortment may sound suitably weird, but Memory Tapes is definitely worth keeping in your close recollections.
Seek Magic is out now. For more information, see www.myspace.com/memorytapes.
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