On the radar: Galchen

Published on 01/05/2009 16:46

If there was a European City of Instrumental Post-Rock, Glasgow would have to be first choice to host. Without reeling off the same old names, let's just say that Scotland's biggest city has a fine tradition of vocal-free, dynamic-heavy guitar music. And ship building, apparently.

The latest apprentices of the former industry are experimental three-piece Galchen.

(Play: Galchen - Track 09 on the green button]

It's not often that a cursory listen to a band's MySpace makes you stop what you're doing, turn up the volume and take a mental note of their name. But despite the lack of vocals and song titles, that's exactly what the unsigned Galchen's music did for us at Under the Radar. The wide-screen ambition of their electronica-based post-rock verges on awe-inspiring.

So it hardly needs to be reiterated that Galchen's show at Pivo Pivo should be an essential stop-off for any intrepid Hinterland navigator. We asked Peter Kelly of the band what to expect from them.

"For Hinterland we will be playing some new songs that we are aiming to record sometime this year. Some nice slow moving ones and some pure heavy bangin' ones sprinkled with a bit of ambience.

"Hinterland is a great idea for the Glasgow scene," he continues. "There are so many bands in Glasgow with varied styles and also a dedicated audience to go with it. They could have made it a night longer with the amount of bands playing but it looks like it has already made an impact on press and radio."

Who else are they keen to watch at the festival?

"It sucks we are on at the same time as Desalvo or I would go and see them," Peter replies. "Maybe The Fall. That's about it for me."

And beyond Hinterland?

"We hope to go back to Germany this summer," Peter says. "Also some recording. We are in the process of writing just now but it's difficult with jobs trying to find time for it."

• For more blogs on the best up and coming bands, visit the Under the Radar blog