The Flash Hits
Flash Hits emerged in 2012 as a four-track experiment between Damien C. Taylor (The Sounds of Kaleidoscope, Asteroid #4) and Mike Hammel (Lilys, False Tracks). Their creative back-and-forth yielded the sprawling 38-song demo World Tore, with contributions from Jordan Blumling (Gondola). Expanding into a full-band effort, they recorded The Basement Tape in South Philly, followed by The Bloodline Tape, and Noises capturing sessions across the East and West Coasts with a rotating cast of collaborators, including members of Pink Skull, Adam & Dave’s Bloodline, and Asteroid #4.
Taylor’s move to Los Angeles in 2013 saw Flash Hits shifting lineups while continuing to evolve, releasing Arts & Crafts in 2015 and frequently performing alongside Dead Meadow. By 2017, they recorded Recognitions with a returning Hammel, Blumling, and longtime collaborators like Scott Verrastro (Bardo Pond) and Dennis Wilfong (Wolf Fang). Their sonic experiments culminated in Growths (2022), produced by Jason Simon (Dead Meadow) and released by Frontier Records, capturing their heady blend of post-punk, art rock, and micro-psychedelia.
Amid relocations and disruptions, Taylor’s songwriting remained the band’s anchor, ultimately leading to Witch Kids Seek Magic World, recorded with Bill Fries (Wax Pets, Creepoid) at Basement Beach in Philadelphia. Featuring contributions from Ryan Van Kreidt, Dan Angel, and Kacey Barnes, the album sees Flash Hits continuing their vibrant, exploratory approach-melding adventure guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and poetic lyricism. Set for release on Strange Mono in 2025, it marks another vivid chapter in their ever-evolving sound.
“It was somewhere in 2023 that Bill and I had begun talking about working on something together; I was floating from California north and south, Maryland, DC, Detroit and Philadelphia looking for a place to live and Bill was styling and dialing his recording realm.
Tracking began on a Friday evening. Our tapes were from a bad bake batch and were flecking with each rolling; Bill and Dan and David were pulling the reels and cleaning the machines between every take. By Saturday, basic tracks were down and Bill, David and Dan submixed the drums that night. By Sunday night we had completed recording; full-band tracks, the RC5 and Farfisa based stuff, percussion, guitars, sitar, samples, saw, vocals… On Monday we constructed tape loops and built about 3 hours of loop performances. We were done by suppertime.
Damien C Taylor
Between all that, we watched Dark Shadows with the sound off and listened to Flying Saucer Attack and Frank Sinatra. Drank Ethiopian coffee, smoked and ate and stretched and listened to Autolux and the 2nd X record while we looked at Dan’s painting of George Jones for comforts and inspirations. We spent a year together there that weekend.“
Contact
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Email: world.tore[at]gmail.com
Press
“[A] kaleidoscopic mix of ’60s pysch, early-’80s post-punk and indie, ’90s shoegaze and more. There’s a nice mix of trippy earworms and more out-there and way, way out tracks, that should appeal to fans of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Lilys, or even Ty Segall.” – Brooklyn Vegan