Ducktails is the solo side project of Matthew Mondanile, a member of Ridgewood, NJ-based indie beach bums Real Estate.
While not too dissimilar in tone from the sun-kissed pop of his main squeeze, Mondanile’s work as Ducktails presents a more fragmented, mercurial version of the Garden State of mind.
More synthetic, too, than Real Estate, Ducktails is all burbling analog synths, bedroom processing, and sunburnt soundscapes. The end effect acts as a sort of bleary aural Polaroid taken at a backyard party Real Estate just finished playing.
Ducktails | Parasailing
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=GI-v35kPUco
Mondanile’s output under the Ducktails moniker has been prolific and perhaps a tad illusory; he has released numerous ultra-rare cassettes and CD-Rs, a pair of 7″s, and a pair of “official” LPs (a self-titled album on Not Not Fun and Landscapes on Olde English Spelling Bee, both in 2009).
In addition to playing in several other projects, including Predator Vision and the Parasails, Mondanile released a split with Dracula Lewis in 2010, before releasing Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics, in 2011. The album took a more bare-bones approach, and marked a notable change in style for Ducktails.
Ducktails | Hamilton Road
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=AfApniArzPc
if you don’t count his dozens of cassette releases, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics is Matthew Mondanile’s third proper album, but the mention of “arcade” in the album title might be deceiving.
Instead of continuing in the synthesized chillwave tradition of Landscapes, for this release the Real Estate guitarist takes a step back from electronics, and records conventional two- or three-chord lo-fi pop songs to 8-track with organic instruments.
________________________________________________________________
Ducktails LIVE
presented by Greyzone & Digital in Berlin
Dj: Michael Rosen
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 | 20:00 CET
(Ex-) .HBC | Karl-Liebknecht Straße 9 | 10178 Berlin/Mitte
ducktails.bandcamp.com | dominorecordco.com/ducktails | greyzone-concerts.de
________________________________________________________________
