Meryl Streek - 796 - The Instrumentals Meryl Streek

Meryl Streek’s debut album ‘796’ caused quite the commotion when it was released in the Autumn of 2022. Best described as polemic post-punk, the uncompromising lyrical matter backed by a soundscape that leaps from house beats to abrasive noise has propelled the Dublin based performer from squat gigs to festival main stages in just a few years.

Originally a touring drummer for semi-pro indie bands, the grind of that lifestyle became too much and Streek decided it was time to find a new way of developing his musical ideas. A few weeks alone with Ableton, a music production tool favoured by electronic artists and DJs, streamlined the creative output. No longer dependent on other musicians, his art was able to go on its own journey, one that would often tie together diverse genres, Celtic music and dance, hip-hop and punk. This prolific outpouring of ideas, with no rules, no other band members, no label breathing down your neck, would provide the blueprint for Meryl Streek’s first sonic offering.

The bulk of ‘796’ was recorded in Meryl Streek’s home, at the time an apartment complex in downtown Vancouver, Canada. Working through the night recording drums himself in a friend’s studio and outsourcing other instruments to guitarists and bass players he knew from the industry. These sessions began to resemble other artists at their most experimental. Mogwai’s sprawling post-rock, Tortoise’s use of minimal electronics and DJ Shadow’s cut and paste sampling, would come to influence the overall sound of this new and exciting project.

It might be his signature spoken word snarl that bonds the songs of ‘796’ together, but without the rich textures backing the vocals, the tone of the record would be completely different. The instrumental version matches the lyrics with the same emotional weight, the same energy, the same joy and the same sadness, and showcases Meryl Streek’s skill not just as a storyteller, but also as a producer and composer.