.png)
New York has been the birthplace of many artists of all genres. From major stars to hungry artists trying to claw their way out of the underground, there's a musician for everyone. Brooklyn, in particular, has produced one of my favourite duos at the moment– the eccentric art pop duo, Sex Week. The pair is made up of Richard Orofino and Pearl Dickson, whose partnership formed over a fondness for one another's music taste; A taste that would lead the two to begin messing around with writing and producing music, and eventually releasing their first self-titled EP in 2024, Sex Week.
On August 1st, Sex Week expanded their discography with Upper Mezzanine, a 5-track EP released via Grand Jury Music. The project is a beautiful blend of noise, with the duo managing to tap into a multitude of different sounds, creating something that is not quite shoegaze, pop, rock, folk, or ‘indie sleaze’. Upper Mezzanine sit pleasantly in the middle of it all, like the nucleus of all things music. In ways, I would also call the project an ugly duckling, as it’s ‘non-traditional’ approach to music may strike a sour chord with listeners who do not have previous knowledge of the band and what they create.
[ Upper Mezzanine Cover ]
As listeners pull back the layers of the project, they’ll begin to reveal the emotion and vulnerability hidden behind synths and heavier, weightier instrumentals, alongside the rich imagery that can stem from the EP. Upper Mezzanine reminds me of the city right after the sun has set, where you may be the last person sitting on public transport, riding through the streets with your wired headphones on. It’s also reminiscent of attending a concert by yourself, where spilled drinks are sticking to the bottom of your Converse, you’re two beers in and feeling light as a feather, and you’re sure that the band who’s up on stage is going to change your life, because the way their music sounds, almost dissociative like, speaks to you like nothing else has. In both scenarios, Upper Mezzanine to me is that feeling of being on your own, but not quite lonely, in a crowded place with endless possibilities.
The EP opens with ‘Coach’, a personal favourite of mine. Dickson takes a lead on the vocals here, accompanying you on your listening experience through a sonic plane of layered synths, acoustic guitar, and a light drum beat. ‘Lone Wolf’ moves into a gloomier territory, with every aspect of the track sounding slinky, leaving the same impression as a graffiti-covered back alley. Orofino is the primary vocalist here, with Dickson not joining him until the end of the track to add this beautiful contrast of tone. In an earlier press release, the pair described ‘Lone Wolf’ as exhibiting “communication and testing the limits of a relationship”, something seen heavily within the Little Red Riding Hood-inspired lyrics.
‘Beethoven’ brings us to arguably the lowest point in the EP, at least musically. The off-putting chimes that loiter on the track add to Dickson’s already haunting vocals. The track is as eerie as an untouched attic, one with a broken flip-down staircase, dust-covered boxes, and a flickering light. ‘Beethoven’ can also feel like dissociation, or as if you’ve been put in a trance, adding this strange cultlike connotation to the line “Beethoven, I'll do anything you want”. ‘Coat’ brings listeners back into this incline of sound, reminding me that Upper Mezzanine is somewhat of a music parabola if you’re listening front to back. ‘Coat’ has these strong back-and-forth vocals between Dickson and Orofino that pair nicely with the steady drums that keep the entire track in check. Psychedelic is how I’d describe ‘Coat’, which fits considering the track loops into itself, allowing listeners to get completely lost in the grounding and near comforting sound.
‘Moneyman’ closes out the EP, and is a track that battles ‘Coach’ for the title of personal favourite. Listeners are immediately met with this cash register sound, which is implemented throughout the rest of the track, followed by a sharp harmonica and acoustic guitar. These elements bring in a folk and natural pop sound to the EP, a sound that is so drastically different from the rest of Upper Mezzanine, including ‘Coach’, who I would consider ‘Moneyman’’s parabola parallel. The lighthearted nature of ‘Moneyman’ makes it the perfect finale to an already diverse EP, as no acquired taste is needed to enjoy the track. If Sex Week were to blow up next week, hitting the mainstream across the world, I would imagine ‘Moneyman’ would be the track everyone clings onto, it just has this universal appeal, arguably the most consumable track off Upper Mezzanine.
If you find yourself with 21 minutes to spare sometime this week, I would recommend you give that time to Sex Week, and take their EP Upper Mezzanine out for a spin. If you end up loving the project, or even just a couple of tracks off it, I would keep your eye out for the opportunity to catch the duo on tour, as they are downright fabulous live, both compelling and addictive, exactly what you would expect from musicians with their creative mindset.
STREAM UPPER MEZZANINE HERE.
KEEP UP WITH SEX WEEK
