The duo consisting of Sean Armstrong and Rachel Taylor -both former members of Spinning Coin, a Scottish band formed in Glasgow and signed to the Domino Records imprint Geographic Music, run by Stephen Pastel- moved to Berlin in 2019 and started a new project called Slipper, joined by Jakub Tyro-Niezgoda in 2020. Using guitar, bass, drums, and vocal harmonies, they conjure a sound of their own that is simple and true. They record, mix, and release their music independently, between Berlin and Warsaw. Slipper self titled first record was recorded in Wedding in 2020. Their second album, What Time Is It? was recorded between Berlin and Warsaw and was out in 2021. On June 21st A Tiny Rose Made Out Of Clay, recorded between Berlin and Stanisławów, in the spring and summer of 2023, was available to stream via the Rehberge Records website, and to purchase on limited edition chrome cassette. The title of the first song on their new third record is Sensitive People Fall In Love. We, at TRISTE© love those kind of titles and sounds that remind us of the gentle psychedelia of Galaxie 500 and Damon & Naomi, as well as 60s psychedelic folk coming out of Laurel Canyon. We are really impressed, like we haven’t been in a while. And we’re sure you’ll be as impressed as we are.

What They Say: “I wrote this song a few years ago, when travelling was difficult, and things in my life felt rather stuck and confusing in general.  At the time I recorded a solo version with guitar and bass, but it feels different and special to play drums and sing this one.  It’s good to play it with the band, I love how all of the parts fit together.  We got lucky with this recording, it’s probably our favourite one on the album.” (Rachel Taylor)  

“One of our more upbeat ones… Sometimes when writing I like seeing things in the world in terms of shapes and symbols and infinity without emotional connotations so as to avoid cultural norms, but to observe perspectives and angles that can occur. Spiral has this kind of mood. I also enjoy that musically it sounds like a spiral. Rachel wanted to produce this one so it sounds like it has Bollywood vocals.” (Sean Armstrong)

About their record: “We started working on the songs that make up A Tiny Rose Made Out Of Clay in the summer of 2021.  We wanted to record this album ourselves, and for it to be entirely analog, like our first album.  We attempted to do the same on our second album, What Time Is It, but we didn’t have much luck at the time—our four track stopped working soon after we had begun recording the live tracks, and it was at the height of the pandemic, so there was no chance of finding someone to repair it in Berlin.  This time around we had the good fortune of acquiring an 8 track 1/2 inch reel-to-reel that worked wonderfully, and held up through the entire process.  Our friends lent us their rehearsal room in Berlin for four days and nights, so we set up and did all of the live tracking there.  It was a very quiet place, in the basement of an architect’s office, so it was kind of an ideal spot for us to record, despite it not being a proper studio.  A couple of months later we hauled the reel-to-reel on a train to Warsaw, and went to Jakub’s family’s country house to do the vocals. It was really exciting to record with the reel-to-reel, it felt like it was an additional sentient being in the room, or some sort of altar.  Throughout the recording process it was a strange time for us generally, Sean and Rachel were between apartments, staying with friends, and so much felt like it was up in the air. Listening back to the songs, we feel grateful to have been able to capture them in the moment that we did, when we really felt this sense of impermanence, and the fragility of the moment. At the time we were met with such a strong spirit of generosity from our friends—it truly wouldn’t be the album it is without their love and support. The themes on the record are a bit of a mystery to us, but somehow the way they combine forms something that feels right, honest, and complete.“

Their Mixtape: “As a band, we all appreciate everything that goes into a song (a sacred thing): The art of songwriting, good intuition when it comes to arrangements, the magic of recording, a strong vision for production… And then the transcendence of playing a song live – the beauty of living it, remembering it, feeling it, and loving it.  Here is a mix of some songs that we love.“   

Jessica Pratt – World On A String

R: I love the approach to production on Jessica Pratt’s new record, ‘Here In The Pitch’ – the very minimal use of drums, the tapey-ness, the texture of the nylon string guitar, which adds such a subtle but strong percussive element.  Her melodies – so romantic, colourful, timeless, and surreal. This song has a beautiful tempo, a vividness, a logic of dreams.  We feel what she means.

Cindy Lee – I Have My Doubts  

S: A song that leaves great trails in the imagination, from its taking off it spirals and bobs upwards like a helium balloon, brushing past shades and clouds of doubt and self identity. In my opinion Cindy Lee is a master of tone, of creating shadows and letting in light from oblique angles.

Les Rallizes dénudés – Night Of The Assassins

J: A troubled band for sure.  For me this song is helpful to explain what I consider to be aesthetically perfect.  I enjoy the counterpoint, the balance – between easy and hard, noisy and tidy, free form and disciplined. Seems unreal anyone could possibly get all of that so right.

Mary Margaret O’Hara – When You Know Why You’re Happy

R: This is one of my favourite Mary Margaret O’Hara songs, off her one and only record ‘Miss America’ (1988); I love the title, I love the looping bassline, and I love the expressiveness of her vocal performance, the way the energy rises as the song unfolds.  This track feels like a jam. Mary is an improv musician at heart, and you can hear that across the record; it captures the freedom and spontaneity that is so essential to her music.  Mary is one of my friends, I had the fortune of meeting her many years ago when I worked at a bar in China town in Toronto;  without knowing much at all about me she invited me to play a party she puts on every year on St. Patrick’s day called ‘The Martian Awareness Ball’.  It was my first time playing live, a really special and memorable experience.  The title of our new album is connected to her.

Buddy Holly – Brown Eyed Handsome Man

S: It’s originally a Chuck Berry song, but I grew up listening to this version on a ‘Best of’ cassette. I love the way Buddy Holly sings, but here it’s all about the guitar. Those instrumental sections remain in my memory from childhood. Is there a better sound than that? To me it sounds like lightning.

Maanam – Chcę Ci powiedzieć coś

J:  Maanam’s sound is like a fundamental thing when you’re rockandrolling in these parts. Chose this song because I like to consider bass parts as complimentary to the vocal melody. No matter how thick the arrangement is, these two spectral ends work tighter on top of the harmonic bass. I believe that’s how Slipper works most of the time.

Pictorial Candi – Architecture in Berlin

S: I know Candi through friends in Berlin but now am getting more acquainted. I stupidly never went online and listened to her music/videos, but now I have and found that she has a lot of amazing music out there. Candi is for sure a virtuoso singer, and a dreamy arranger, but it’s her wicked sense of humour, always derailing things, that makes it so special.

Jeffrey Lewis –  Springtime

J: That’s just what I’d call flawless songwriting. A flawless arrangement, definitely. Flawless recording? Not really, but why would one care once the other things are sorted?

A Tiny Rose Made Out Of Clay is out now, on Rehberge Records, on limited edition individually dubbed chrome cassettes. Look HERE for more information on Slipper.