Real Estate release 'Half a Human' EP with new visualizers for each of the six songs
Photo credit: Jake Michaels

Real Estate release 'Half a Human' EP with new visualizers for each of the six songs

"Half a Human embraces the jammier side of the band and continues the stylistic explorations of 2020's The Main Thing" - Aquarium Drunkard

Today, Real Estate release Half a Human, a collection of six new songs that were started and finished in two very different places. As Real Estate's first EP in more than a decade, singer/guitarist Martin Courtney admits that when writing this music, he was feeling weird about being in a band, wondering how the group was still going strong after so many years. But while the architecture of Half a Human was constructed during sessions for their 2020 album, The Main Thing, it wasn't until after the pandemic hit that they revisited the recordings and arrived at a renewed commitment to their future. 

In trading the material back and forth remotely, the members of Real Estate found new ways of working together during lockdown, further exploring the emotional landscapes they've been perfecting since their start. On Half a Human, the band cements themselves as indie rock lifers, and moments like the wistful crescendo of the title track will "remind you exactly why you fell in love with their suburban yearning" (Stereogum). 

Listen to Half a Human, out everywhere now: https://smarturl.it/HalfAHuman 

Real Estate have also released six new visualizers, one for each song on the EP, directed by FISK. Inspired by old winamp visualizers, each video was created through radical editing of candid footage from each band member. Watch all six below via a Youtube playlist:


Earlier this week Real Estate gave fans the chance to experience Half a Human a couple days early, in a live-streamed variety show called ZOOMIN' WITH REAL ESTATE. From their homes, the band hung out with viewers on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch. Before debuting the EP in full, Martin Courtney and Alex Bleeker performed songs solo, Julian Lynch gave a rundown of his guitar rig, and keyboardist Matt Kallman set the mood with some background music. Revisit the event here: https://youtu.be/ac7ZNvC8aVU

Though the past year might be the longest time Real Estate has spent off the road and away from each other, Half a Human showcases some of their most intuitive and interpersonal arrangements to date. "Half a Human" has long been one of Real Estate's favorite songs to play live, while "In the Garden" builds a bridge between The Main Thing highlights like "Paper Cup" and the sound of the band's next era. Throughout the rest of the EP they tackle thorny subjects of aging, connection and loss of innocence with lush instrumentation, even as lyrics evoke images of complicated emotion, allusions to the aftermath of 9/11 ("D+"), and more. 

Half a Human is available digitally and on 1000 copies of a limited edition 12", which includes a special, heady essay from Matt "MV" Valentine, written about his appreciation for the EP. He says, "This is a garden state of mind, grail overfloweth. Sonic palisades for the synapses." Order it from Domino Mart below, or the band's store here.

Real Estate Half a Human

EP | 26th March 2021

Half a Human is a collection of six songs created between two different worlds. While the architecture of each was constructed during sessions for 2020's The Main Thing, the tracks came to life when the band began trading the material back and forth remotely throughout the pandemic. They found new ways of working together as they further explored the emotional landscapes they’ve been perfecting for more than a decade, and in taking stock of themselves and the uncertainty of their future, Half a Human helped them arrive at a new thesis statement for the band.

Tracklisting

  • 1Desire Path
  • 2Half a Human
  • 3Soon
  • 4D+
  • 5In the Garden
  • 6Ribbon

Real Estate Half a Human

EP | 26th March 2021

Half a Human is a collection of six songs created between two different worlds. While the architecture of each was constructed during sessions for 2020's The Main Thing, the tracks came to life when the band began trading the material back and forth remotely throughout the pandemic. They found new ways of working together as they further explored the emotional landscapes they’ve been perfecting for more than a decade, and in taking stock of themselves and the uncertainty of their future, Half a Human helped them arrive at a new thesis statement for the band.

Tracklisting

  • 1Desire Path
  • 2Half a Human
  • 3Soon
  • 4D+
  • 5In the Garden
  • 6Ribbon
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