Bridgetown #98

Hausu
Total

Hausu's unique identity lies not in a desire to emulate or imitate those who came before them, but is instead constructed by slicing up the tiny details throughout the wide scope of rock music's history that have shaped them as individual people, and re-arranging them into a collage: the focused totality of what it means to be a Rock Music Performance Group.

Their restraint and attention to detail is increasingly rare in a world plagued by short attention spans and the lust for instant gratification. "Total" is the Portland quartet's very first release after several years of existence, the product of patiently taking time to refine their message, delivery and musical skills. The result is a collection of 10 songs that are tightly wound into a braid that draws deep from the well of hardcore and punk, but is executed with an aesthetic more akin to post-punk, emo or even 90s alternative rock.

While the range of styles and musical complexity exhibited throughout "Total" appears jarring and dissonant on first impression, these variations serve as crucial elements to the multi-faceted nature of having four people in a band following four different paths to their singular vision. The final work is smooth, accessible and complete within the context of itself.

Artwork by Neil Gregerson (Naomi Punk) & Hausu. Recorded & mixed by Dylan Wall. Mastered by Ben Greenberg (of The Men, Hubble, Zs).

C45 cassette · 10 songs · June 2013 · Portland, OR

Edition of 150 pro-duplicated chrome cassettes with full-color labels and doublesided printing on heavyweight gloss stock, includes digital download. CD/LP version on Hardly Art.

press: SPIN Magazine 1 / 2, Impose Magazine, AllMusic , Ad Hoc, Stereogum, Portland Mercury, No Fear of Pop, Stereo Subversion, Pop! Stereo, Anhedonic Headphones