VanGaalen lets his freak flag fly

So long as logic prevails, Chad VanGaalen is a lock for this year’s Polaris Prize. He’s up against a strong set of nominees (most notably Joel Plaskett and Hey Rosetta!), but it’s tough to deny the brilliance of his 2008 release Soft Airplane. The album is sonically fascinating, with ramshackle acoustic instruments set against fractured, squiggly electronics. But it’s VanGaalen lyrics and melodies that are the real focus, with timeless songs like “Willow Tree” and “Bones of Man” transcending the limitations of lo-fi bedroom pop.

This August, VanGaalen will release another album, this time using the moniker Black Mold rather than his own name. The album is called Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz and is intended to emphasize his experimental leanings. The album is entirely instrumental, and based on the two tracks that have already been released, it covers similar ground to “JC’s Head on the Cross,” a track from 2004’s Infiniheart. “Metal Spider Webs” begins as a baroque dirge, with haunting horns, strings, and a gently tinkling glockenspiel. Futuristic electronics soon take over, with feedback swells marring the prettiness of the intro.

Download: “Metal Spider Webs”

“Tetra Pack Heads” features a frenetic glitchy beat and vaguely tropical synth riffing, recalling the madness of Dan Deacon without the dancefloor-ready payoff.

Download: “Tetra Pack Heads”

Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz is due out August 11 via Flemish Eye.