Unlocked: Download Memory Tapes’ “Neighborhood Watch”

When his latest release was first announced this fall, Dayve Hawk called his one-man electronica project Memory Tapes “pop music field recordings.” This sums up what he does perfectly, and in a number of ways. We’ll dig into those ways all week as we explore Grace / Confusion in Unlocked, The Key’s regular spotlight on new and significant releases from Philadelphia-area artists. Tomorrow, we’ll review the record – the third full-length Hawk has made from his home studio in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Later this week, we’ll interview Hawk, and showcase some of his video and remix work. Today, it’s perhaps the most literal example of Memory Tapes as field recordings. “Neighborhood Watch” opens with 20 seconds of birds, cicadas and forest sounds recorded outside of Hawk’s house, before a gentle guitar enters and Hawk lets loose with perhaps the most serene moment in his catalog. The beat picks up, as it always does, but the dreamy textures herald in a new phase in Hawk’s exploration of music and sound. Check it out below; thanks to Memory Tapes and Carpark Records, we’re making it available as a free download for the next 24 hours. And check back all week for more on Grace / Confusion.