Like Herding Cats

They say that curiosity kills the cat, in this case it is quite the opposite. Dom P. from New York City has given curiosity another chance, birthing the fresh sounding EP, Like Herding Cats. This fluid masterpiece of New Wave chill is a breathtaking project, perfect for a chill-party atmosphere. Created in October 2010, Dom P. had been working with Brooklyn bands such as The Rowboats and touring memebrs of St. Vincent and decided to work on his own solo EP. After recording many tracks, Dom ended up with five that would become the new record. Clocking in at about 17 minutes, Like Herding Cats can be compared to the sound of MGMT, Phantogram, and even similar elements to Animal Collective. It is a short and sweet EP that will surely leave you with amazing vibrations.
The album works in a mysterious way, opening with the track "Lift", which is a mostly instrumental peice to introduce the listener to this new experience. Its device on this EP is to slowly bring you into Dom's world, opening your eyes to the effervescent delight of his imagination. Flowing along with a floating guitar line, his voice doubles the main theme with a low chant, creating the perfect catchy motif to leave the listener an addict to his new sound. The next track, "Touch", follows the same kind of vibe, but now we hear the first lyrics on the album. The line, "Touch for the last, your fears will strike again" lends towards the idea of being with a lover, always feeling and loving, but having the sense that something can go wrong. It is a powerful song with a beautiful message, being with another person as close as you can possibly be. The third track, "Rich Girls", just like the previous songs, is extremely catchy. It is hopeful in spirit, yearning for a new love and dwelling on the "magic and music" of the rich girl. While describing the rich girl's clothes and behaviors, there is also the sense of Dom's inward description, saying that the girl also struggles with herself, "out of control, numbing the soul". The fourth track, "Trendsetter", still carries the same energy and is a call against the trends set by other people. Maybe the best line in the album, "I don't like the music you listen to, so I'm delisted from your social army", encapsulates everything about our culture and how everybody follows the "next big thing". Finally, the last track, "Years Gone", is a perfect way to end this EP. Looking back on both the album you have listened to and the memories of years past, it is also a hopeful and inspiring message for the future. We love someone for some time and the seperation from that person in your life influences you, leaving you with memories of joy, wrapped in nostalgia.
Like Herding Cats is an amazing debut for Dom P. It is unique and emotionally invested. Between concepts of setting trends and leaving a past love behind, it is a sonic expression of waining, wanting, and desire. This 17 minute EP will leave you hopeful for the future. It is a difficult task for the musician to take the listener into his world. Dom has done this flawlessly. By the end of the EP, you will have experienced both heartache and love-soaked resonance. It is like steppng into a party and falling in love with a person across the dance-floor at first sight. That is the exact feeling you will get from this album, the start of something new and beautiful. The cats out of the bag on this one, its time to take a listen.
Get Dom P.'s debut EP, Like Herding Cats, now! Also, look out for Like Herding Cats, touring the East Coast summer 2014! - Joon Bug Frenquency

Producer/songwriter Dom P releases alternative electronic music under the amusingly clever name Like Herding Cats. Their self-titled debut EP was released at the end of last year, presenting a uniquely creative sequence of tracks. “Lift” moves at an easy breezy pace, dropping in the kind of minor chord changes made popular by bands like The Cure. While the percussion points towards early New Wave era drum-machine simplicity, the overall spaciousness of the tracks has a more modern feel. Vocals are presented in a deep baritone, evoking Peter Murphy’s work with both Bauhaus and his subsequent solo work. “Touch” pairs warm synth patterns with mechanical cymbals and tinkling descending keyboard lines. The mood is gentle and dreamy, like early Depeche Mode, or The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, with whom the band shares a pensive lightheartedness. “Rich Girls” (streaming) builds around a calypso rhythm, shifting the emphasis on guitar and the bright percussive fills associated with that genre. Though a specific date has not been revealed yet, the band states that a live showcase is coming soon here in NYC, and to stay tuned for details. -Dave Cromwell - The Deli Magazine

Hurrah! The seemingly never-ending rain has stopped and it's sunny outside! Most of the UK thought this probably wouldn't happen, but, although it's too early for statements about spring/summer finally being here to wash away the last of our SAD, it's a welcome break from the madness. Even if we just get a decent week or two, it would be nice to have a fitting soundtrack. So step forward Like Herding Cats, a chilled electro-indie project conceived by New York artist Dom P. This debut five-track EP is full of sunshine and dreamy textures, and it wastes no time in letting you know. Opener 'Lift' is like ingesting summery warmth through your ears. You have to assume that the title refers to the feeling it gives you, and not the claustrophobic floor-spanning boxes found in high-rise buildings.

If that wasn't bright enough, then 'Touch' goes one better, mixing dreampop sounds with a beautiful melody and lots of sparkles. Again it's not in a hurry to get anywhere, instead opting to savour every moment, as will you. This is where chillwave should've gone next, and it'll melt the coldest of hearts with lyrics about "your heart next to my heart", yet never are these songs saccharine in any way. The bass and beats are given a slight boost for 'Rich Girls', and the vocals are allowed to become a little less lost in the haze, but it retains that same laid-back vibe; all these songs fit together well without chopping and changing, yet each is different enough for the set to work, and it works incredibly well. For a second, there's a sadness to 'Trendsetter', but then the handclaps start and the beat arrives and you're soaking up the warm air again, as Dom talks about not being bothered about following the trends of those around him. Lastly 'Years Gone' embarks on a similar journey with a slight acoustic flavour creeping in; it's a classic reflective closer. Whatever the weather's like, the solution is 'Like Herding Cats': sunshine in musical form. - The Sound Of Confusion Blog

Like Herding Cats es el nombre bajo el que, en New York, crea canciones Dom P. Y aparecen aquí porque en su ep de debut se encuentran cinco canciones con un estilo y un sello personal de los que nos gustan, esa suerte de pop tecno minimalista, donde la música transcurre con belleza de tinte nostálgico a través de teclados de esencia soñadora y suaves arpegios de guitarra. Lo mismo que nos gustó de Vitesse o Casiotone For The Painfully Alone. La palabra dreampop también se acercaría sigilosamente a Like Herding Cats, pero supongo que su alma musical viene de los ochenta, y eso es algo que nos une indefectiblemente. De momento "Trendsetter", "Touch", "Years gone", "Lift" y "Rich Girls" suenan y suenan, de nube en nube, pletóricas de palpitación romántica. x Fernando SoYoung

Translated
Like Herding Cats es el nombre bajo el que, en New York, crea canciones Dom P. Y aparecen aquí porque en su ep de debut se encuentran cinco canciones con un estilo y un sello personal de los que nos gustan, esa suerte de pop tecno minimalista, donde la música transcurre con belleza de tinte nostálgico a través de teclados de esencia soñadora y suaves arpegios de guitarra. Lo mismo que nos gustó de Vitesse o Casiotone For The Painfully Alone. La palabra dreampop también se acercaría sigilosamente a Like Herding Cats, pero supongo que su alma musical viene de los ochenta, y eso es algo que nos une indefectiblemente. De momento "Trendsetter", "Touch", "Years gone", "Lift" y "Rich Girls" suenan y suenan, de nube en nube, pletóricas de palpitación romántica. x Fernando SoYoung - Una Para Soyuz