When picking a single record to write about to celebrate 30 years of Chapter Music (Wow!! Congrats!!) Holy Balm were already on my mind. Not that they've ever been far from my head or heart, but I'd recently been to gallery show that reminded me of some of the very cute and creatively fruitful Sydney spaces that Holy Balm emerged from.
No doubt Holy Balm are a formative band for me, having witnessed their D-I-Y development from a no-wave-y jam band to well honed house trio. While sentimentally biased I believe that on Activity they crafted a uniquely warm & friendly, perfect electronic pop record.
Holy Balm and the bits of musical history they remind me of (Frankie Knuckles, The Tom Tom Club, various early Rough Trade/No Wave groups) brings to mind the most joyous and liberating qualities music can possess! - Nic