Foam Giant (Telescopes + Flavor Crystals) Create Fuzzy Soundtrack to Movie That Doesn’t Exist on ‘Under The Trees’

I’m a sucker for soundtracks made for non-existent movies (and library music in general). It’s an exercise I believe challenges musicians to create landscapes from their imagination that can really bring out the best in a band. Usually these records end up being electronic-focused (often ambient), but it’s fun when bands from different genres give it a go.

On Under the Trees, a record by Foam Giant, the made-up soundtrack traverses the fuzzy shadows of psych rock and shoegaze, familiar sounds to fans of the two bands who make up most of Foam Giant: Telescopes and local mainstays Flavor Crystals. The record is 12 songs of imposing, dark tracks that blend together muscular guitars and humming electronics, often building towards ecstasy when the drums kick in. It is a record that has a brooding undercurrent as smothered vocals that float in the ether besides and on top of the music.

It’s a record that could soundtrack a dystopian movie, or could just fit on your record shelf with other top notch, guitar-centric psych music. If you know the two bands who anchored the record (and there is a whole of contributors) it won’t be surprising to hear this polished and heady LP. You can stream it or buy the Special Limited Edition Metallic Vinyl from the band’s Bandcamp page below.