Gloss Drop

You can often spot the best bands - the truly once-in-a-generation type - by their names alone. The all-time greats usually come ready made with nomenclature that encapsulates their sound and ethos effortlessly. Battles are no exception. They are a rock group locked in conflict with the very limitations of what it means to be a rock group; conducting an all-out assault on mediocrity and waging a fearsome campaign against genre conventions and pigeonholes!

While other acts are content to deal in revivalism or stasis, Battles are still looking for far-off boundaries to study and then demolish, searching for new and exotic styles to mesh together. Enter their sophomore full-length release, 'Gloss Drop', which finds the band returning as a trio after singer / guitarist Tyondai Braxton announced he was leaving the group to return to life as a solo artist. On 'Gloss Drop', Battles fills the empty space left behind with a number of intriguing guest stars, including Gary Numan and Yamataka Eye, adding a new dimension to their already far-out sound.

Yet another impressive collection to the Warp discography, 'Gloss Drop' is a must for all Battles and rock fans!

"'Gloss Drop' is an immersion in abstract tonalities, with Tropicalia-touched dark minimalism, tetchy arrhythmic strings, and propulsive funk."
-SPIN

"'Gloss Drop', with its syncopated beats and chiming new-wave keyboards, dials up the warmth from their math-y, angular debut and injects far more humanity than most dance records allow."
-ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"Well paced and thoroughly engaging, the Braxton-less Battles have accomplished the seemingly impossible with 'Gloss Drop': they've actually gotten better."
-ALTERNATIVE PRESS

"Gary Numan lends his robotic howl to 'My Machines' ...and Matias Aguayo transforms into a biological drum machine on lead single 'Ice Cream'."
-PASTE