the Veldt are back

Anyone remember this band? Shoegaze-influenced, droney black rock band from Carolina with an aggressive stance on racial barriers in music that proved challenging in their marketing in the 1990s, although I remember seeing their promos when I was in college radio.

The Guardian did a piece about them in 2016, but they are apparently touring small clubs, including one in my neighborhood in DC. I am pretty curious but it's unfortunately Erev Rosh Hashanah.

Yes, I definitely remember The Veldt. Led by twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis. (I guess somebody wasn't quite imaginative enough when it came to names.) Afrodisiac is an excellent album in the shoegaze mode; its best tracks blend that swirl 'n' drone sound -- the arrive-without-traveling feel -- with plenty of rock drive, and they aren't shy on the funk either. I haven't heard the Chavis brothers' later work, under the name Apollo Heights.

The Veldt played Seattle earlier this month, on a bill with a couple of local acts. Commitments prevented me from getting a ticket.

And I see that you can check out their new album Entropy Is the Mainline to God on Bandcamp. (There's also an album by Apollo Heights, but it does not appear to have any connection to the Chavis brothers. Same name, different musician.)

I was lucky enough to see the Veldt twice in the last few years: once in 2016 for the kickoff to a Levitation that was cancelled due to rain (back when it took place on a ranch outside of Austin), and again in 2018 at a SXSW day party.

I'd heard the EPs The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur and Thanks to the Moth and Areanna Rose, but didn't know about the new album until now, so thanks, Delvin!

Edit: I should also mention that part of the reason for the new ink on this band is that they're an acknowledged influenced on 21st century R&B acts like Miguel and the Weeknd. They weren't playing into the void after all!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2022 10:02AM by Michael Toland.

Hello! The Veldt's manager here.
-Apollo Heights is The Veldt with a litany of guests, produced by Dave Sitek.
-Full reissue campaign coming next year, beginning with Illuminated 1989 - the unreleased, Robin Guthrie produced debut album from 1989 and continuing through Apollo Heights era material.
-All albums will be coming to streaming

Wonderful news!

Now we won't have an excuse, will we?

Any of you guys up for writing a Veldt entry for the site here? Sounds like something we ought to have.

In theory, yes. They're on my list of entries I'd like to do. However, as you yourself can attest, Ira, I've been promising new entries for a few years now, and never seem to get around to it. By the time I get all my other work done, I'm usually too burned out to do a good job on new entries. So I'm gonna say that if anyone can get to the Veldt before I do, please go for it.

They also have a couple of albums, one called Universal Boat and the aforementioned Apollo Heights record, that are long OOP and difficult to find. Neither are on Spotify, though I don't know about other streaming services. Personally, I hate leaving gaps in the coverage.