Body Meat has shared the new single “North Side”, the third offering from the forthcoming release of his debut album ‘Starchris’ (out 23 August on Partisan Records).
The album blends chaos, complexity and pop instinct, drawing inspiration from the intricate world-building and storytelling found in role-playing video games. Body Meat – the musical project of Chris Taylor – weaves a narrative akin to a hero’s journey, with unexpected turns, dynamic levels of intricacy, ultimately arriving at a place of self-realisation, peace – and transformation – which is reflected in the music itself.
Following the pop-obliterating thrills of “High Beams”, new single “North Side” unfolds slowly like a moment of calm in the story of “Body”, nourished by Chris’ layered and cascading vocals. The song arrives alongside a visualiser that features gameplay from a video game that he coded himself. He depicts feelings of uncertainty through glitchy, syncopated synths and abrupt, sonic whiplash as the protagonist delves deeper into the virtual landscape – still struggling to beat the level. Watch the official video for “North Side” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YP_XTVrNtI
In his own words, Chris outlines the game’s central plot:
“A shopkeeper returns to his forest after a long and tiring journey. He is used to selling great weapons that help keep the realm at peace. Hesitant, he runs across the bridge that connects the world to his home. A strange patron awaits him. Upon entering his humble shop, he is thrust into a void: a great orb is unleashed. The orb engulfs the forest and chases the shopkeeper deeper into the void. A mysterious being appears and helps him escape the orb. Thrust into a realm between worlds, here the shopkeeper makes a stand and must defeat the orb to bring the forest back and return to a place he once called home.“
Body Meat’s video game will be available to be downloaded on Mac and PC soon.
Building upon performances at SXSW earlier this year, including Stereogum’s official showcase and his inaugural Body Meat Lost Odyssey club night in NYC, Body Meat will be DJing at TV Eye on 22 June. The event titled “Spiral”, is a nomadic series curated by YEAR0001 which showcases emerging and innovative artists. The night will also include performances by Full Body 2, Club Casualties, Purelink, and Black Decelerant.
The excitement around his forerunning singles “Focus” and “High Beams” has already earned Body Meat champions in the likes of The Line of Best Fit, Kerrang!, i-D, CRACK,1883 Magazine and DMY among many more.
Since creating the moniker in 2016, Chris Taylor’s releases as Body Meat have functioned like distinct musical sandboxes with different dimensions and house rules establish each one. Taking inspiration from early stints in Denver art-rock bands, Taylor’s music as Body Meat is rooted in piecing together the debris in the aftermath of unpredictable genre clashes and making sense of them. His singular blend of trap production and Ethiopian / funk music on his two previously released EPs ‘Truck Music’ (2019) and ‘Year of the Orc’ (2021) existed in a plane all of their own, with Pitchfork describing the latter as “chaotic, overwhelming stuff, which is part of the point.”
Pre-save/order Starchris, listen to “North Side” above and stay tuned for more from Body Meat coming soon.
BODY MEAT – TRACKLISTING
1. A Tone in The Dark
2. The Mad Hatter
3. High Beams
4. Electrische
5. Focus
6. Right Here
7. Crystalize
8. North Side
9. Starchris
10. Im In Pieces
11. Demons
12. Õbu No Seirei (Spirit of an Orb)
13. Paradise