The Red Step is the eponymous debut album from the powerful pairing of The Black Heart Procession’s Tobias Nathaniel with the cream of Belgrade’s Garage-Rock music scene. The Red Step is being released on colored marbled vinyl with a download card, for digital download and via streaming platforms by Chicago’s Pravda Records on February 26th.
Assembled in 2015 in Serbia’s capital city, The Red Step is a formidable gathering of notable Belgrade music figures: keyboardist Boris Eftovski, bassist Rudolf Cibulski, and drummer Vladimir Markoski, all hailing from the longstanding Serbian garage rock band Kazna za uši. Londoner Sarah Jane Seatherton also joins The Red Step on cello, and Tobias handles vocals and guitar. In addition, Boris and Vladimir are current members of the Black Heart Procession lineup, and Vladimir has played drums with Andre Williams.
Beyond his work with The Black Heart Procession, Nathaniel has recorded with indie rock legends Blonde Redhead, and played piano on what became the “Evil Morty” theme on the hit TV show Rick and Morty. He has also played with Bauhaus bassist David J.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the self-titled debut from The Red Step. The three tracks on the EP perfectly capture what makes this such a special project for Nathaniel. The EP kicks off strong with “For the Dead,” a haunting song of resignation and regret brimming with gloomy guitar and vocals alongside an organ that is both eerie and enchanting. With a thumping bass line, “Black Summer” finds the band laying down an onslaught of energetic garage rock, post punk gloom, and world-weary lyrics that seem to reflect our past year. “Reset” is a call against stasis and a primal scream for vitality that finds Nathaniel singing with an urgency that is matched by the dramatic rock and roll instrumentals of the band. Though it may be short, the EP is a strong debut from a musician and band that has plenty more up his sleeve.
Tobias Nathaniel describes the inspiration and process behind the project:
“The Red Step was formed fairly organically. I had just moved to Belgrade and began meeting my wife’s family and friends, some of whom were – of course – musicians. We just decided to get together and play some music together. It’s really that simple. Our sound gradually developed over time, but from early on, the idea was to go back to the basics in terms of instrumentation – the standard old-school rock fare – sans modern synths, sequencing and drum looping etc. Cello was eventually added to inject a little harmonic sophistication and ambience. ”
LISTEN:
Photo credit: Bojan Djurisic
