Boys Climbing Ropes + X is Y

Shanghai’s Boys Climbing Ropes and X is Y have joined forces for a split eight track CD released on PAUSE:Music, the label behind AM444 and ROM's records.

Conceived when the two bands toured together in Beijing earlier this year, the collaboration will feature four tracks from each act, with Boys Climbing Ropes’ material recorded live at Yuyintang. ‘We love BCR and share the same interest for ’90s indie rock,’ says X is Y frontman Guillaume, ‘so we felt we had a real connection and it would make sense to do this project together. Also, we were pretty new when we first spoke about it, so we really appreciated their support.’

X is Y - Anyway by Time Out Shanghai

While X is Y are relatively less established, their initially slow-burning appeal has gained considerable momentum in recent months. Having begun as solo folk songs written by Guillaume, X is Y’s math-rock material has grown increasingly energetic on stage and the band are now one of the leading acts in the city. ‘I’m more into playing loud and screaming than performing low key folk shows,’ he says of the sound’s evolution. ‘Also, it’s more fun to practice with a band and share ideas on the arrangements and the structure of the song.’

X is Y are due to release their own EP before the end of the year on Miniless Records, but have they altered their tracks again to fit more with BCR’s sound for this CD? ‘We knew BCR recorded their songs live at YYT, so we decided to go for a very straightforward way to record too. The split should sound pretty close to what both bands do on stage.’ You can find out for yourself with the embedded mp3s in this post and at the show this Wednesday.
 
Boys Climbing Ropes - Grow Up, Stop Fucking Around by Time Out Shanghai

Jake Newby

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