Friday, November 20, 2020

PG.LOST (ex-Ghost, Cult of Luna) host album listening party TODAY, 11/20 on YouTube, 'Oscillate' LP out on Pelagic Records


"At the top of the list of post-metal and rock for me, always delivering emotional, clever, and inimical works of emotive, atmospheric, and surprisingly heavy music. You are not going to want to miss this one." -- Heavy Blog Is Heavy

"Heavy, intense, climactic, beautiful music, and Pg.lost know exactly how to suck you in and keep you enthralled." -- Brooklyn Vegan


"A special talent among post-rock." -- Decibel Magazine



Swedish quartet PG.LOST host a live album listening party today on YouTube at 9am PST / 12 noon EST for their new album Oscillate which is out today on Pelagic Records. Please spread the word and join the party via YouTube HERE


Decibel Magazine recently shared a live performance video for album track "Shelter" shot on multiple cameras with professional sound at the band's own rehearsal studio. Watch and share "Shelter" HERE. (Direct YouTube.)  


Metal Injection recently shared the single HERE. (Direct link for streaming platforms HERE.) Brooklyn Vegan previously hosted the official video for "Suffering" directed by  Mats Ek (Myrkur.) Watch and share HERE. (Direct YouTube.)


This is PG.LOST’Oscillate  -- the band’s latest LP packed to the gills with pure drama and catharsis. Their fifth overall and first effort since 2016’s much lauded Versus, Oscillate leans on an instrumental approach and while their keen understanding oftension/release may warrant comparison to the likes of MONO, Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, PG.LOST is unafraid to move into exciting new directions. With influences that range from the emotional heft of Big Thief to the inventive spirit of krautrock to the brutality of Neurosis to the dark experimentalism of COIL, these heavier elements intertwine and open up into wide-eyed expansiveness of Fennesz or Tim Hecker, revealing a beauty shimmering underneath and a range of depth rarely found in today’s over-compressed and spit-shined version of “modern music.”

In making the new LP, PG.LOST opted to keep it simple and follow their gut. “On the previous records we have always tried to make it very basic and clean when it comes to production, not too many overdubs or add-ons,” reveals bassist Kristian Karlsson. “This time was more about not thinking about that at all. We don’t try to over analyse our records -- it always starts with one or two songs and they often set the mood of the rest of the writing process. I think this album has more layers to it -- you hear new things every time you listen. We’re really looking forward to hearing what the listeners think.”

Kicking off with a blossoming dark ambient passage on the title track, an ascendant guitar/synth part builds tension until final release is achieved with a massive chorus, wavesof eye-opening guitars and elephantine tribal drums. It’s emblematic of the album as a whole -- massive in scope and even larger in sound, Oscillate is the true definition of its title with incredibly tense swells to the point of collapse leading to a slow but pensive disintegration. And again. And again. Oscillate is not just instrumental music, it’s cinematic -- it’s high drama, executed in IMAX with a pristine soundtrack blasting at 120db.

Due in November via Pelagic Records, the LP was recorded by the band in their own studio, and mixed/mastered by Magnus Lindberg from Cult of Luna. In creating the LP, the only hurdle seemingly was an internal one and making efficient use of individual scheduling. “When we formed the band we spent almost every night in the rehearsal space,” recalls Karlsson. “Nowadays we only rehearse for tours or when we plan to have writing sessions for example upcoming records. It is not as spontaneous as it used to be, but I think it forces us to really make the best out of it when we do see each other.”

Founded in 2004 in Norrköping, Sweden, PG.LOST is Mattias Bhatt, Martin Hjertstedt (ex-Ghost), Gustav Almberg (The Great Discord) and Kristian Karlsson (Cult of Luna). Formed in pursuit of a singular love of post-rock, ambient and shoegaze with a bent towards post-metal, the band released their self-titled and the Yes, I Am EPs in 2006 and 2007. From there PG.LOST dropped their 2008 LP It's Not Me, It's You! quickly followed by 2009’s In Never Out, Key, the Wang Wen split LP and Versus followed in 2012, 2013 and 2016 respectively. Sovereign in execution and mammoth in scope, Oscillate is ten tracks of pure dramatic bombast and a massive step forward for the decades-old band. The four years away have been worth it. 

Oscillate will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20, 2020. Pre-orders are available HERE




Artist: PG.LOST
Album: Oscillate
Record label: Pelagic Records
Release date: November 20, 2020

01. Oscillate
02. E22
03. Mindtrip
04. Shelter
05. Suffering
06. Waves
07. Eraser
08. The Headless Man


On The Web:




Thursday, November 19, 2020

Alpha Hopper (Hex Records) stream forthcoming album early, NY catchy & chaotic noisy art-punk

"A frantic, messy variety of guitar rock, that won’t say no to a night out with punk, hardcore, new wave, or which ever genre (or hottie, or mark, or naive and corruptible young fool) catches their eye that evening." -- New Noise


"Alpha Hopper have boiled down the finer elements of noise rock, no wave. and art-punk to create something so distinctly their own, while paying homage to the sordid style of early 90’s AmRep and Touch & Go favorites." -- Post-Trash


"The album will assuredly have everyone mesmerized... Strikingly riveting and original." -- GhettoBlaster



Buffalo, NY quartet Alpha Hopper are streaming their forthcoming third album Alpha Hex Index in its entirety today via Ghettoblaster Magazine. Hear and share Alpha Hex Index HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)


New Noise Magazine recently premiered "In The Desert In The West" HERE. Echoes & Dust previously shared "The Goods" HERE. And, Post-Trash hosted "Big Body" HERE


"A bartender, a personal trainer, a graphic designer, and an immigration attorney walk into a practice space..." 

Formed in Buffalo, New York in 2014, Alpha Hopper creates a frenetic stew of guitar-driven rock'n'roll with ingredients from punk, hardcore, noise rock, and no-wave. Their 3rd LP Alpha Hex Index shows them deeper than ever down their rabbit hole. Sassy, snotty vocals punctuating the ever growing wall of catchy, bizarre riffs and prison break drum beats. Dummy math, noise-rock for art-punk drop outs.

For this album the band decided to record the effort themselves in their homes. Pandemic-related shelter in place recommendations caused some hiccups in being able to track the entire effort in a single block, and instead recording sessions were conducted in intervals when the members could safely get together and hash out their respective parts. Once they were satisfied with the mix they handed things over to engineer John Angelo (Gwar, Every Time I Die, Gas Chamber) to handle mastering duties.

Alpha Hex Index will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20th, 2020. 



Artist: Alpha Hopper
Album: Alpha Hex Index
Record label: Hex Records
Release date: November 20th, 2020

01. In The Desert In The West
02. Not the Universe
03. Big Body
05. En-skin
05. #592720
06. The Goods
07. Glows, Explodes
08. Wrestles Snakes
09. #1D2951
10. Spiral
11. Third Man
12. #16161D


On The Web:










Monday, November 16, 2020

Alpha Hopper (Hex Records) share new single from forthcoming album, NY catchy & chaotic art-punk

"A frantic, messy variety of guitar rock, that won’t say no to a night out with punk, hardcore, new wave, or which ever genre (or hottie, or mark, or naive and corruptible young fool) catches their eye that evening." -- New Noise


"Alpha Hopper have boiled down the finer elements of noise rock, no wave. and art-punk to create something so distinctly their own, while paying homage to the sordid style of early 90’s AmRep and Touch & Go favorites." -- Post-Trash



Buffalo, NY quartet Alpha Hopper share a new track today from their forthcoming third album Alpha Hex Index via Post-Trash. Hear and share "Big Body" HERE. (Direct Bandcamp)

New Noise Magazine recently premiered "In The Desert In The West" HERE. Echoes & Dust previously shared "The Goods" HERE


"A bartender, a personal trainer, a graphic designer, and an immigration attorney walk into a practice space..." 

Formed in Buffalo, New York in 2014, Alpha Hopper creates a frenetic stew of guitar-driven rock'n'roll with ingredients from punk, hardcore, noise rock, and no-wave. Their 3rd LP Alpha Hex Index shows them deeper than ever down their rabbit hole. Sassy, snotty vocals punctuating the ever growing wall of catchy, bizarre riffs and prison break drum beats. Dummy math, noise-rock for art-punk drop outs.

For this album the band decided to record the effort themselves in their homes. Pandemic-related shelter in place recommendations caused some hiccups in being able to track the entire effort in a single block, and instead recording sessions were conducted in intervals when the members could safely get together and hash out their respective parts. Once they were satisfied with the mix they handed things over to engineer John Angelo (Gwar, Every Time I Die, Gas Chamber) to handle mastering duties.

Alpha Hex Index will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20th, 2020. 



Artist: Alpha Hopper
Album: Alpha Hex Index
Record label: Hex Records
Release date: November 20th, 2020

01. In The Desert In The West
02. Not the Universe
03. Big Body
05. En-skin
05. #592720
06. The Goods
07. Glows, Explodes
08. Wrestles Snakes
09. #1D2951
10. Spiral
11. Third Man
12. #16161D


On The Web:










Thursday, November 12, 2020

Desert "generator parties" legends Yawning Man share video from forthcoming feature film 'Live At Giant Rock'

Coachella Valley's legendary innovators of desert rock Yawning Man, led by desert "generator parties" founder Mario Lalli share a video from their forthcoming live performance film Live At Giant Rock today via Metal Injection. The film was shot during Coronavirus lockdown on the outskirts of Coachella Valley. Watch and share the band’s performance of “The Last Summer Eye” and read an extensive interview with Lalli about the early days and lasting legacy of desert rock HERE. (Direct YouTube.) 


Yawning Man was formed in 1986, in the Southern California desert near Palm Springs. Founded by members Gary Arce & Mario Lalli. The band cultivated its unique sound playing marathon psychedelic jams during sets performed in the only readily available venues at the time, impromptu concerts staged in the nearby deserts. As word spread of these gatherings, they evolved into what were called "generator parties" which were informal concerts held deep in the uninhabited desert outskirts of the Coachella Valley, gradually attracting larger and larger crowds to their shows. For over 30 years the band has continued to evolve, never straying from their intuitive, emotion driven sonic soundscapes. In those 30 years Yawning Man has released fourteen recordings and toured all over the world including North America, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. 


Gary Arce on guitar and Mario Lalli on bass remain, joined by drummer Bill Stinson as the band’s current lineup. 


A longtime dream has been to capture the band performing in the very environment that so inspired their music, The opportunity arose in 2020 from the challenges artists and musicians faced during the Covid 19 Pandemic, social distancing forcing artists to creatively adapt to alternatives to express themselves musically and visually. 


Yawning Man ‘s answer to this calling is “Live at Giant Rock” 


This cinematic concert experience is intimately and beautifully captured by videographer Sam Grant in the environment that inspires Yawning Man’s spacious, expansive and cinematic music. Filmed live in the early morning hours of May 18th, 2020 in the visually stunning and mysterious landscape of Giant Rock. 

In the spirit of Pink Floyd’s “Live at Pompeii” the performance is shot on location with no audience, just the band performing their instrumental meditations in the rugged beauty of the Mojave Desert.


Giant Rock in Landers California has attracted Native American Nomads, Scientists, UFO Researchers, and travelers from all over the world, drawn by its magnetic spiritual energy. 


The bands outdoor performances are legendary.... this film is the first artfully composed representation of that experience. Yawning Man’s music has found a most fitting venue. 


 The film will be released by Plastic Cactus Productions on DVD as well as digital streaming and pay per 

view in late November 2020. Distributed by Music Video Distributors Entertainment Group. The soundtrack is available from Heavy Psych Sounds Records on Vinyl LP and CD. 



On The Web:

http://yawningman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/yawningmanofficial/

instagram.com/yawningmanofficial



Monday, November 9, 2020

PG.LOST (ex-Ghost, Cult of Luna) debut live-in-studio video from forthcoming album via Decibel Magazine

"At the top of the list of post-metal and rock for me, always delivering emotional, clever, and inimical works of emotive, atmospheric, and surprisingly heavy music. You are not going to want to miss this one." -- Heavy Blog Is Heavy

"Heavy, intense, climactic, beautiful music, and Pg.lost know exactly how to suck you in and keep you enthralled." -- Brooklyn Vegan


"A special talent among post-rock." -- Decibel Magazine



Swedish quartet PG.LOST debut a live performance video of their recent single "Shelter" today via Decibel Magazine. The intimate video was shot on multiple cameras with professional sound at the band's own rehearsal studio. Watch and share "Shelter" HERE. (Direct YouTube.) 

Metal Injection recently shared the single HERE. (Direct link for streaming platforms HERE.) Brooklyn Vegan previously hosted the official video for "Suffering" directed by  Mats Ek (Myrkur.) Watch and share HERE. (Direct YouTube.)


This is PG.LOST’Oscillate  -- the band’s latest LP packed to the gills with pure drama and catharsis. Their fifth overall and first effort since 2016’s much lauded Versus, Oscillate leans on an instrumental approach and while their keen understanding oftension/release may warrant comparison to the likes of MONO, Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, PG.LOST is unafraid to move into exciting new directions. With influences that range from the emotional heft of Big Thief to the inventive spirit of krautrock to the brutality of Neurosis to the dark experimentalism of COIL, these heavier elements intertwine and open up into wide-eyed expansiveness of Fennesz or Tim Hecker, revealing a beauty shimmering underneath and a range of depth rarely found in today’s over-compressed and spit-shined version of “modern music.”

In making the new LP, PG.LOST opted to keep it simple and follow their gut. “On the previous records we have always tried to make it very basic and clean when it comes to production, not too many overdubs or add-ons,” reveals bassist Kristian Karlsson. “This time was more about not thinking about that at all. We don’t try to over analyse our records -- it always starts with one or two songs and they often set the mood of the rest of the writing process. I think this album has more layers to it -- you hear new things every time you listen. We’re really looking forward to hearing what the listeners think.”

Kicking off with a blossoming dark ambient passage on the title track, an ascendant guitar/synth part builds tension until final release is achieved with a massive chorus, wavesof eye-opening guitars and elephantine tribal drums. It’s emblematic of the album as a whole -- massive in scope and even larger in sound, Oscillate is the true definition of its title with incredibly tense swells to the point of collapse leading to a slow but pensive disintegration. And again. And again. Oscillate is not just instrumental music, it’s cinematic -- it’s high drama, executed in IMAX with a pristine soundtrack blasting at 120db.

Due in November via Pelagic Records, the LP was recorded by the band in their own studio, and mixed/mastered by Magnus Lindberg from Cult of Luna. In creating the LP, the only hurdle seemingly was an internal one and making efficient use of individual scheduling. “When we formed the band we spent almost every night in the rehearsal space,” recalls Karlsson. “Nowadays we only rehearse for tours or when we plan to have writing sessions for example upcoming records. It is not as spontaneous as it used to be, but I think it forces us to really make the best out of it when we do see each other.”

Founded in 2004 in Norrköping, Sweden, PG.LOST is Mattias Bhatt, Martin Hjertstedt (ex-Ghost), Gustav Almberg (The Great Discord) and Kristian Karlsson (Cult of Luna). Formed in pursuit of a singular love of post-rock, ambient and shoegaze with a bent towards post-metal, the band released their self-titled and the Yes, I Am EPs in 2006 and 2007. From there PG.LOST dropped their 2008 LP It's Not Me, It's You! quickly followed by 2009’s In Never Out, Key, the Wang Wen split LP and Versus followed in 2012, 2013 and 2016 respectively. Sovereign in execution and mammoth in scope, Oscillate is ten tracks of pure dramatic bombast and a massive step forward for the decades-old band. The four years away have been worth it. 

Oscillate will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20, 2020. Pre-orders are available HERE




Artist: PG.LOST
Album: Oscillate
Record label: Pelagic Records
Release date: November 20, 2020

01. Oscillate
02. E22
03. Mindtrip
04. Shelter
05. Suffering
06. Waves
07. Eraser
08. The Headless Man


On The Web: