High Places

Formed in 2006, the Brooklyn duo High Places—Rob Barber and Mary Pearson—numbered among countless boy/girl indie-electro pairings. They tackled recording sessions with unrestrained invention, deploying unconventional methods such as randomized microphone placement, pitch shifting, assorted delays, and dense reverb washes to build danceable strata of sound. Their playful, buoyant rhythms drew on minimal, hypnotic tribal patterns, while the lyrics touched on disarmingly wholesome subjects ranging from Martian love letters to apologies directed at endangered species. A positive Pitchfork review of the EP instantly elevated Barber and Pearson’s profile. That same winter the pair joined the Blow and Mirah for a West Coast tour, even though their debut album was still incomplete. July 2008 saw Thrill Jockey issue the band’s singles compilation 03/07–09/07 on CD; shortly afterward High Places scheduled a summer outing with No Age ahead of the self-titled full-length’s arrival on September 23. Following a relocation to Los Angeles and a shift toward conventional instrumentation, the duo unveiled its second album, High Places vs. Mankind, in April 2010. The third studio effort, Original Colors, adopted a sleeker electro aesthetic and surfaced in fall 2011.