“We wanted to create something where all our ideas, no matter how wild, felt safe,” says Steve Harrison, one half of House of Protection, referring to their debut EP Galore set for release on 13 November via Red Bull Records. Completed by Aric Improta, the duo have created a dramatic body of work which blends hardcore, electronica and punk with unforgettable results. Bringing their shared experience with Fever 333, Aric’s ongoing work as drummer with experimental rock group Night Verses and Steve’s turn as guitarist for iconic post-hardcore band The Chariot, the pair have a reputation of never being afraid of extremes.
Opener ‘Pulling Teeth’ immediately rips up any perceived template. It combines rap and pop punk but with a heavy yet boisterous vibe which takes a hardbrake turn just before the drop. The thunderous drums are spine-tingling, and the video is phenomenal shot inside the legendary “Well of Death”. Dating back to April, the band travelled to Ahmedabad, India to capture a performance in the country’s infamous carnival sideshow. Aric and Stephen played at the bottom of a wooden pit while stunt drivers defied gravity and rode vertically around the well as locals watched from above. On the making of the video, the band shares:
“The first day we met the full Red Bull Records team, we asked if they would be down to fly us to India to perform in a “Well of Death” – an idea we’d been sitting on for years. To our surprise, they were immediately on board, so we knew we just needed the right song. After two sessions of writing with Jordan, we finished ‘Pulling Teeth’ and felt it was the perfect track to score the concept. I think we always perform best when the environment is a bit chaotic, so we were excited to see what would happen.
After 30 hours of travel, including cancelled flights, flooding in our connecting airport (Dubai), a cancelled location (due to a political rally), and an additional 16 hours of driving round-trip through the desert to the backup location… we finally found ourselves in the Well of Death. We did nine takes with a live audience, all while our director was throwing up between shots and one of the motorcycles died in the middle of the performance. That said, we came out with something better than we ever could have expected and had an incredible team on the ground that made it all possible.”
The pulsating distorted beats of the intro for‘Fuse’ gives way to a soundscape full of anger and frustration. The challenges of life and modern society are embedded within this track. The gentler chorus contrasts beautifully with the stream of conscience which appears to be spat out with disdain. This is followed by‘Learn to Forget’, its twitchy anxious beats quickly crashing into thrashing hardcore. Loved the clicking percussion element side-by-side with guttural vocals. The energy never stops throughout and although ‘Learn to Forget’ has a cacophony of elements within it, it all works as a cohesive whole. The video is a fast-paced, optic assault that sees House of Protection filmed under spotlight, matching the intensity of the song with quick cuts and a fierce performance.
On the meaning behind House of Protection, Aric says:
“‘Protection’ was specifically chosen because it’s a Massive Attack song and I was reading their biography as we started this project. It was very inspiring when it came to us initiating this whole thing. The full name is because we wanted to build something that protected our creativity and ideas as well as the people that come to the shows.”
‘Being One’ provides a breather easing back from the hardcore and instead creating a mesmeric track with a beautiful shoegazey vocal. This is electronica but still at pace, this is House of Protection after all! Thematically it’s inspired by the comfortable joy of spending time with your favourite person in the world, and this is perfectly reflected in the hypnotic beats which enveloped the listener.
Debut single‘It’s Supposed to Hurt’ is a highlight, all twitchy beats before launching into a full on assault on the senses. Fast and furious the two different vocal parts demonstrate that House of Protection are comfortable in the supposed “discomfort” of having two very different deliveries in one track. The hardcore vocal is attention seeking, how can it possibly be ignored? The swirling midpoint gives way to tumultuous drums, and just listen to the very final note of the song. Pure class.
Galore closes out with ‘Better Off’, a more measured introspective track. Its scuzzy instrumentation is all bleeps and beats, shifting here and there with its off kilter rhythm. It seems a fitting end to the EP which was produced by Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me The Horizon). House of Protection admit they continue to chase the excitement of making music, letting all expectations and inhibitions go. The result is a body of work which flies in the face of convention, and suggests its creators had an absolute blast making it. Already looking forward to what happens next.
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