Exploded View

A kinetic mix of post-punk, dub, and Krautrock, Exploded View builds on the sounds of its members’ other projects — most notably vocalist/keyboardist Annika Henderson’s work as a solo artist — while creating its own identity with its stream-of-consciousness grooves. The band established its surreal yet emotive sound on 2016′s self-titled debut and refined its recording process, and skill at expressing the political and the personal in dreamlike ways, on 2018′s Obey. Exploded View’s roots date back to 2014, when the Berlin-based Henderson made her live debut in Mexico and recruited drummer/guitarist Martin Thulin, bassist/synth player Hugo Quezada, and synth player/guitarist Hector Melgarejo as her backing band. The Swedish-born Thulin is also the singer/songwriter of the group Los Fancy Free and, as a producer, has worked with bands including Crocodiles; Quezada also plays with Robota, while Melgarejo has worked with Jessy Bulbo and Nos Llamamos. After finding common creative ground, the bandmembers began recording new songs they had written during rehearsals in Mexico City late in 2015, recording their first takes with a Tascam 388 eight-track. Exploded View’s debut single, “No More Parties in the Attic,” appeared in early 2016 via Sacred Bones, which released the group’s self-titled debut full-length that August. A little over a year later, the label issued the Summer Came Early EP, a collection of new songs and outtakes that emphasized the band’s psychedelic side. For Exploded View’s sophomore full-length, Obey, the band became the trio of Henderson, Thulin, and Quezada. Featuring a more deliberate, crafted sound, the album arrived in September 2018. ~ Heather Phares