Today, Charleston, SC based post-hardcore/noise rock hybrid Florida Man release their third album, Plastique, through The Ghost Is Clear Records. The album is glossy collection of 9 songs that transports the band’s foundational sound of razor sharp riffs, fuzzy bass, and maniacal vocals into new territories of electronic experimentation, percussion ensembles, earworm chorus hooks, and more. Plastique can be streamed HERE and is available on vinyl through The Ghost Is Clear Records.
As Florida Man were plotting the foundation for the record, Plastique landed as the most fitting title.
Plas·tique
/plasˈtēk/
1. plastic explosive.
2. statuesque poses or slow graceful movements in dancing.
the art or technique of performing plastique.
3. french for plastic
4. the new album from Florida Man
“We felt like the various definitions of the word plastique represented the sound in many different ways – it’s aggressive and explosive, but slicker, shinier, and more graceful than our old music.” shares guitarist Andrew Barnes.
Originally formed in 2017, Florida Man debuted strong with their self-titled album, followed by 2019’s Tropical Depression, before putting things on pause during the pandemic. As ideas starting to take shape in late 2022, Barnes and the band knew they were building their best and most creative material yet.
Barnes adds, “We ended up adding in tons of new ideas and instrumentation that wouldn’t have been at our disposal if we had just done it band-in-a-room style, like percussion layers, samples, synths, etc. It gave us a freedom to experiment and tweak things during the writing process far more than we ever had before.”
Influences pull from a wide spectrum, citing Ceremony, Unsane, Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy and !!!. What might seem like an odd combination has blended into an amorphous, melodic-leaning, hardcore punk experience. Lyrically each song tells its own isolated story, but moves through a fictional, lyrical thread detailing the habits and downfalls of seedy, powerful figures.
The record boots up with “Dot Gov” as glitching noise descends into the in-your-face track. “El Rey” packs an intense drum and bass driven groove driving lyrics of a conning politician and shout of “I was built to make you dance.” On “Dregs,” Florida Man showcases their more melodic nature with catchy hooks and swirling chords. The bouncy riffs of “The House” are instantly infectious, as O’Connor bouts life decisions that don’t go the way you expected. Plastique closes in a sonic spiral with “2017,” putting the exploratory elements of the album into one final plea.
Drums and bass were done in Charleston, SC at Coast Records with Matt Zutell, Guitars in Clinton, CT at The Radar Studio with Will Benoit, and vocals self-recorded at a cabin in the middle of the woods in St. Matthews, SC. The album was mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit and mastered by Nick Townsend at Infrasonic Sound.
The band will celebrate on tonight with an album release show at The Royal American in Charleston, SC with support from Mids and Pure Pleasure.
As Florida Man explodes into a new era with the release of Plastique, the band is feeling a sense of renewal and primed for whatever comes next.
Florida Man is Andrew Barnes – guitar/keys+samples/vocals, CJ DeLuca – bass/vocals, Jim O’Connor – lead vocals, and Jonathan Peace – drums.
