SXSW 2012

What's in a name? Oakland, CA's Mwahaha answers that question with a smirk, but the sounds that emanate from their forthcoming debut album are no joke. Psychedelic ebb & flows, electronic undercurrents, and elated pop flourishes bring into focus an attention to detail that's staggering. The band, consisting of Ross Peacock (formerly of Clipd Beaks ) and brothers Nathan and Cyrus Tilton (who were all previously in the Bay Area cult band Ned), have completed their debut full length album Mwahaha, set for release December 6th on their own Mwahaha Music imprint. The swirling, epic "Rainbow Diamond" is available as a free download. Instruments are filtered through an array of analog synths, analog drum machines exist in harmony with live drums, and morphing walls of sound allow more pop oriented material to be in harmony with the sprawling sonic landscapes elsewhere on the album. Reference points such as Matthew Dear's Black City, The Secret Machines, and the Silver Apples are apt, but Mwahaha carves out their own sound and approach, regardless of the comparisons.