Founded in 2021 with the express intention of “emphasiz[ing] intergenerational collaboration,” We Are Time Records has consistently maintained that focus with an often-unexpected array of artist pairings—say, Stereolab’s Laetitia Salder hopping on a track from trip-hop producer Nyles Miszcyzk’s debut record. As if to solidify that reputation, the label co-founded by experimental artist Chandra Oppenheim and Tough Age/Motorists drummer Jesse Locke is revealing a new release today titled We Are Time Mixtape Vol. 1, presumably the first of several in a series of compilations highlighting the label’s broad spectrum of collaborators. Among the tape’s tracklist you’ll find Canadian indie vet Chad VanGaalen alongside the new Fred Thomas project Idle Ray, as well as both of Locke’s previously mentioned outlets.
Additionally, a track by Brooklyn art-punks BODEGA stands out, and it’s this track that’s being shared today alongside the news of the mixtape’s release. A continuation of the post-punk sound perfectly honed on 2022’s Broken Equipment, “Images” takes a darker look at relationships than that album’s unabashed love song “Pillar on the Bridge of You,” replacing that tune’s driving, new-crush energy with a considerably icier instrumental as vocalist Nikki Belfiglio nearly raps the track’s lyrics in monotone. “‘Images’ is a song I wrote in 2016 after a difficult breakup,” Belfiglio discloses. “It’s a bizarre experience to transition from spending every day with someone to only seeing glimpses of their curated online presentation.”
Check out the track below, and pre-order We Are Time Mixtape Vol. 1 here.
