Why I love – At the barrier

New York-based Max Satow, known by his stage name Noshows, has found a fascinating niche as a singer-songwriter, exploring the inner workings of the mind with a highly eclectic mix of alternative rock, hip hop and funk.

Following his recent UK debut, his new EP Wants And Needs is set to be released on June 21st, preceded by new single Portrait. He says the EP is “about my relationship with romance and escapism, sometimes mixing the two concepts together. I have a lot of emotions and thoughts on this topic that I explore in the songs on the EP. Overall, the mood of this collection of songs is upbeat and fun indie rock music with a modern twist.”

Max is with us to share his love for the psychedelic rock of Tame Impala:

My favorite artist is Tame Impala – AKA Kevin Parker – mainly because I have a lot of respect for his style of production and I play all the instruments himself. His writing and production style is cool because he uses vintage sounds and aesthetics that everyone knows and loves, but he turns them into a style that sounds super futuristic and out of this world.

I’ve always loved music that’s high energy but also intellectual; Kevin Parker manages to tick both boxes (though I’d normally have to get my dose of those styles separately). His bass playing in particular is also a big influence on me. It has a funky yet super melodic vibe most of the time that I can’t get enough of. A prime example of this is a pretty obvious case in his song The Less I Know the Better. The bass intro in this song practically makes the whole thing and is what sets it apart from the rest of the project as a massive hit. As soon as you press play, not only will everyone instantly recognize it as that song, but they’ll also know it’s a Tame Impala song.

Although I primarily play guitar, the bass is perhaps my favorite instrument compositionally, and artists like Kevin Parker have greatly influenced me to think so. The bass line you choose for a song ultimately determines the energy or mood it will end up having. Something funky will lift it up, while something drawn out will deepen it and leave room for other sounds.

Something else I appreciate about Tame Impala is their talent for writing hooks. This is a huge part of Parker’s success, something that would normally prove unlikely given how psychedelic and spacey his music is. As a huge fan of psychedelic music in general, I think this is so cool because it proves that you can make music in this vein and actually find recognition in a mainstream context if the chorus is catchy enough.

We thank Max for pointing out one of the influences that goes into his own music.

Here is his latest single, Portrait:

Noshows online: Website / Facebook / Instagram

For more from our extensive archive of “Why I Love” pieces from a wide range of artists on an even wider range of topics, click here.

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