Buscar:uns

Alter is proud to present the debut full length release from devotional music outfit Unstern, a collaborative effort between deep ambient artist Arzat Skia and prodigal pianist Leo Svirsky. Co-mixed by Swedish electronic music luminary Civilistjävel! and Arzat Skia and mastered to tape by Stefan Betke, the album features lush electronics, two pianos refracting across the stereo field, processed recordings from the Peruvian Amazon, bowed percussion by Greg Stuart, alongside strings and renaissance meantone organ recorded at Orgelpark in Amsterdam.

The results are an abundant audio illusion where what seemingly repeats slowly over time morphs in a manner where the destination escapes the departure point with extreme discretion, a reverent nod to Morton Feldman's compositional method of "Crippled Symmetry."

Throughout Es Geht Der Tag there is a muted, refined melancholy imbued with a constantly fluctuating pulse which generates a sense of temporal disorientation, leaving the listener lost in a strange yet not at all unfamiliar sonic labyrinth. It is a journey whereby a glorious subtle tension exists between the grandiose and the restrained.

This is environmental music, not in the sense of capturing nature itself, more with regards to an unfolding of audio elements which move in a manner in tune with the multitude of flows in the world.

Unstern’s Es Geht Der Tag is a deep mental journey, rich in subtle transcendental tendencies and psychic liberation.

Lemonheads’ seminal album ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’, lovingly reissued for it’s 30th Anniversary. The long overdue reissue includes a slew of extra material, including an unreleased ‘My Drug Buddy’ KCRW session track from 1992 featuring Juliana Hatfield, B-sides from singles ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ and ‘Confetti’, a track from the ‘Mrs. Robinson/Being Round’ EP, alongside demos that will be released for the first time on vinyl. This reissue celebrates their prestigious fifth album, these deluxe bookback editions feature new liner notes and unseen photos.

Described by music journalist and author Everett True as “A 30-minute insight into what it’s like to live hard and fast and loose and happy with like-minded buddies, fuelled by a shared love for similar bands and drugs and booze and freedom.”. ‘It's A Shame About Ray’ had a considerable impact back in those heady, carefree days of '92, the record perfectly captures Dando’s ability to effortlessly encapsulate teenage longing and lust over the course of a two-minute pop song.

Singles such as 'My Drug Buddy' and the breezy perfect pop of the title track might stand out (plus the add-on of 'Mrs. Robinson' which later copies included), but the album's real strength lies in the tracks in-between; the truly fantastic 'Confetti' (written about Evan's parents' divorce), and the eye-wateringly casual acoustic cover of 'Frank Mills' (from the "hippie" musical Hair), a version that seems to resonate with every ounce of pathos and emotion felt for the lost 1960s generation. To hear Evan Dando sing lines like 'I love him/but it embarrasses me/To walk down the street with him/He lives in Brooklyn somewhere/And he wears his white crash helmet' is to truly appreciate how wonderful and tantalising pop music can be. Then, there's the rush of insurgency and brattishness on the wonderfully truncated 'Bit Part'; the topsy-turvy 'Ceiling Fan In My Spoon'... this was male teenage skinny-tie pop music on a level of brilliance with The Kinks, early Undertones, Wipers.

UNSURPASSED SPACIOUSNESS, IMAGING, AND TRANSPARENCY: MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES, MUSIC EMERGES WITH NEW DETAILS AND TONES
1/2" / 30 IPS analogue master - Plangent Processed - to DXD to analogue console to lathe

Love Over Gold is all about contrast, tension, and crafty composition. Dire Straits' fourth album finds the band continuing to evolve by welcoming increasingly bold arrangements and exploring moody variations. Parts edgy and sharp, and part seductive and relaxed, the five lengthy songs on Love Over Gold sprawl out like a long, winding road cutting through a pastoral landscape. The addition of a new rhythm guitarist, Hal Lindes, encourages deeper atmospheric interplay while the presence of engineer Neil Dorfsman – his first appearance in what would be a long string of collaborations with Mark Knopfler – ensures stunning sonic properties that now come to life like never before.

Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM 2LP version of Love Over Gold teems with superb balances, front-to-back soundstages, and crystalline purity. The dead-quiet surfaces and extra-wide grooves bring forward previously obscured details, extra information, and mastering-studio-quality transients. The distinctive textures of a host of instruments – marimbas, acoustic and electric guitars, vibes, synthesizers – further enhance the ambitiousness of the 1982 album.

On this audiophile pressing, everything Knopfler does seemingly turn to gold. Gearheads will hear the unique characteristics afforded by his use of a Mesa Boogie Mark II guitar amplifier (soon again employed on Brothers in Arms) and carefully chosen selection of Schecter Stratocasters, 1937 National steel guitar, and Ovation six- and twelve-string models. Reference-level separation and lifelike imaging place Knopfler and company in your room, while tube-like warmth, spaciousness, and airiness causes the music to breathe anew. This LP will be in your rotation for months.

It doesn't take long to realize Love Over Gold is like no other Dire Straits album – and a staunch proclamation of independence from a band that continued to take longer creative strides with each successive project. Fearlessly extending over metaphoric hills, valleys, and plains for nearly 14-and-a-half minutes, the opening "Telegraph Road" is a guitar hero's dream and exhilarating showcase for Lindes' give-and-take capabilities. In tandem with keyboardist Alan Clark, Lindes provides the ideal foil for not only Knopfler but the long-time rhythm section of bassist John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers.

Taking its time to arrive at destinations, the quintet paints evocative musical and lyrical portraits steeped in patience, drama, and, often times, sadness. Desolate emotions colour the sweeping "Telegraph Road" and barren "Private Investigations," which finds Knopfler in the role of a tired private eye contemplating the emptiness and scars of his profession. Vocally, the Dire Straits leader remains in top form throughout, his whiskey-coated rasp conveying romantic ache, ongoing frustration, and what Rolling Stone beautifully deemed "wracking schizophrenia between the heart and the heartless, the loving and the pain."

Called Dire Straits' prog-rock statement, Love Over Gold is a classic that defies labelling and avoids ageing.

ACHTUNG MENSCH!
Was zunächst wie eine eingehende Warnung klingt, ist viel mehr der Titel des brandneuen Studioalbums von TANZWUT. Nachdem sich die Band um
Frontmann Teufel mit dem Jubiläums-Album „Silberne Hochzeit“ all ihrer Wurzeln und Stärken bewusstwurde, wird nun zum nächsten Streich
ausgeholt - am 09.08. 2024 erscheint das 11. Studio-Album.
"ACHTUNG MENSCH!“ bildet eine leidenschaftliche Symbiose aus ungezügelten, energetischen, ekstatischen Texten und Melodien. Man spürt und
fühlt in jeder Pore den echten, gelebten Rock‘n‘Roll dieser Band, und dabei eine unglaubliche Grundessenz erfrischend moderner Einflüsse. Die
enorm abwechslungsreichen 12 Songs zeigen die Ikonen des Mittelalter-Metals in ihrer gänzlichen Unberechenbarkeit und unterstreichen den
Stellenwert der Berliner

Leyya made it - das Duo tourte weltweit, spielte große Festivals und wird von Kritiker:innen hochgelobt. Mit ihren jeweils anderen Projekten und Produktionen zeichnen sich Sophie Lindinger (My Ugly Clementine) und Marco Kleebauer (Sharktank, Produktion für Bilderbuch, Faber u.v.m.) in den letzten Jahren auch außerhalb von Leyya als musikalische Genies aus und sollten die Wiener Independent-Szene nicht nur erobern, sondern prägen. Ihre Ankündigung, vorerst keine Konzerte mehr zu spielen, ist jedoch keinesfalls als Rückschritt, vielmehr als ein Schritt zur Seite zu sehen: "Wir sind endlich wieder bei uns selbst angekommen und es fühlt sich richtig an", so das Duo und produziert als Auszeichnung der Aussage innerhalb einer Woche beinahe ein ganzes 16-Track-Album. Half Asleep ist Bremse, Innehalten und Reflexion, eine Besinnung an die Gegenwart.

Wieder einmal zerschneiden die Lärmaggressoren aus Finland den Schleier aus dem Jenseits und betreten unsere Welt, um alles zu plündern und zu Tode zu jagen, was in der Metalmusik melodisch, vorhersehbar und lieblich ist. Ihr drittes Album ist aus zwingenden Gründen selbstbetitelt und zeigt, dass die Band weiterhin das EXTREME im extremen Metal erforscht. Das ist vertonte Tollwut! Wie nicht anders zu erwarten, setzt das Album auf brutale Geschwindigkeit, schwerste zitternde Rhythmuspassagen, abgrundtief gekrächzte Flüche, stürmische Breaks und abstoßend kreischende Leads, die einen in einem Strudel des Wahnsinns ertrinken lassen. Doch dieses Mal werden dem pandemonischen Universum auch neue Schichten hinzugefügt: Schräge Stakkato-Riffing-Abschnitte gehen in verhexende Industrial-Szenarien über und lassen CONCRETE WINDS weiter gehen als jede andere Extrem-Metal-Band der letzten Zeit. Alles, was sich in der Musik etabliert hat, wurde weggelassen; alles abgeschnitten, was im Metal bequem geworden ist, und alles weggeblasen, was sich im Extrem-Metal noch "angemessen" anfühlt. Es scheint, als ob diese einst dringende Einstellung, Grenzen auszuloten, endlich wieder einen neuen Steuermann hat!

"Bury Your Gods" ist das dritte Studioalbum der Melodic Death Metal Band DELIVER THE GALAXY, die aus dem Harz stammt.
Das Album taucht tief in die Welt der Prä-Astronautik ein und stellt die spannende Idee vor, dass die Menschheit nicht allein im Universum ist. Es diskutiert die These, dass eine außerirdische Rasse die Erde zur Zeit der alten Sumerer besuchte und ihr Wissen und ihre Technologie der unterschiedlichen Pyramiden-Konstruktionen weitergab.
Titel wie "Bury Your Gods" erforschen das faszinierende Konzept einer außerirdischen Gottheit, die angesichts einer möglichen Invasion fordert, irdische Götter zu verbannen, während "Get Down" direkt dazu aufruft, sich dem Einfluss des außerirdischen Gottes zu unterwerfen.
Im Vergleich zu den vorherigen Veröffentlichungen, hat sich die Band einen härteren Sound zugelegt, der dem Hörer ein intensives Musikerlebnis beschert.
Tracks wie "Deathlight" oder "Shadows" zeigen zum ersten Mal die Klargesang-Fähigkeiten von Sänger Matthias Mente auf.
Insgesamt ist "Bury Your Gods" eines der stärksten Alben, die die Band je veröffentlicht hat.

"Bury Your Gods" ist das dritte Studioalbum der Melodic Death Metal Band DELIVER THE GALAXY, die aus dem Harz stammt.
Das Album taucht tief in die Welt der Prä-Astronautik ein und stellt die spannende Idee vor, dass die Menschheit nicht allein im Universum ist. Es diskutiert die These, dass eine außerirdische Rasse die Erde zur Zeit der alten Sumerer besuchte und ihr Wissen und ihre Technologie der unterschiedlichen Pyramiden-Konstruktionen weitergab.
Titel wie "Bury Your Gods" erforschen das faszinierende Konzept einer außerirdischen Gottheit, die angesichts einer möglichen Invasion fordert, irdische Götter zu verbannen, während "Get Down" direkt dazu aufruft, sich dem Einfluss des außerirdischen Gottes zu unterwerfen.
Im Vergleich zu den vorherigen Veröffentlichungen, hat sich die Band einen härteren Sound zugelegt, der dem Hörer ein intensives Musikerlebnis beschert.
Tracks wie "Deathlight" oder "Shadows" zeigen zum ersten Mal die Klargesang-Fähigkeiten von Sänger Matthias Mente auf.
Insgesamt ist "Bury Your Gods" eines der stärksten Alben, die die Band je veröffentlicht hat.

Mutant, in partnership with Hollywood Records and 20th Century Films, is proud to present the premiere physical edition of Mark Korven's terrifying score to THE FIRST OMEN.
Combining the inventive and dynamic instrumentation he is best known for, Mark Korven (THE WITCH, THE LIGHTHOUSE) has created a truly unsettling and powerful score to this new chapter to the legendary series. Jerry Goldsmith's Academy Award® winning score for the original 1976 classic THE OMEN is a totemic work of horror cinema. The film is the only time a horror film has ever won an Oscar for its score. Korven clearly knows he has big shoes to fill, because he takes his scoring style to powerful new heights with this brilliant work.
It helps that Mark Korven is one of our favourite working composers. His score to THE FIRST OMEN is an incredible achievement and a fitting inclusion in one of the most important legacies of Horror filmmaking.
A lot has changed since 1976, but one thing that hasn't is that horror scores deserve to be played as loud as possible, on vinyl, from your home stereo.

Buzz" Ayaz stammt aus Zyperns geteilter Hauptstadt Nikosia und wird von Antonis Antoniou, dem Gründer von Monsieur Doumani und Trio Tekke angeführt. Buzz" Ayaz kreieren einen fesselnden ostmediterranen Psychedelischen Rock. Ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum ist eine unscharfe urbane Klanglandschaft aus Dub-Elektronik, 70er-Psych-Orgel, knurrender Bassklarinette, verstärkten Volksinstrumenten, rituellen Beats und griechischer und anatolischer Melodik. Die Bandmitglieder kommen von beiden Seiten der Hauptstadt, und die Musik auf Buzz" Ayaz ist ein bewusster Versuch, der Stadt als Ganzes eine Stimme zu geben. Ein quecksilbriger Sound, der über die Betonmauern und Checkpoints hinweg widerhallt.

Katharine Whalen of Squirrel Nut Zippers fame, makes a triumphant return with her Jazz Squad featuring Austin Riopel on guitar, Danny Grewen on trombone, and the great Griffanzo on pianos. This time the chanteuse delivers an entire album of breezy west coast jazz sounds in the form of a tribute to Chet Baker. It was around 1996 when Katharine Whalen first made her grand entrance onto culture’s collective radar as the sultry, yet effervescent voice of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, where she remained until their initial disbandment around the turn of the century.

In addition to the Zippers putting dixieland jazz on the pop charts in the 1990s, they sneakily introduced an unsuspecting "alternative" crowd to jazz music. Her cultural impact was also felt when she voiced the song "You You You You You" a standout track from Stephin Merritt's (The Magnetic Fields) project titled The 6ths. That song would also find its way into commercials and the film Pieces of April. After recording one solo album for Mammoth Records shortly after leaving the Zippers, Whalen stepped out of the public eye.

However, she’s remained very much in the spotlight of one unique small town; Hillsborough, NC, which has been referred to as Twin Peaks meets Northern Exposure. It’s a surreal literary, liberal Mayberry. If you find yourself in this Southern portal, you can find Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad playing monthly in a cocktail bar appropriately named Yonder. The album was recorded in an old chapel in Hillsborough by North Carolinian royalty, Jerry Kee (Polvo, Superchunk, The Kingsbury Manx). Each song was recorded with the band all playing together in the same room, the way the old jazz records used to be put to tape.

Das Debütalbum ”The Dichotomy” von David Kushner erforscht die menschliche Existenz anhand von zwei
Gegensätzen. Das 17 Songs umfassende Werk untersucht das Zusammenspiel von Licht und Dunkelheit,
Glück und Traurigkeit, Wut und Liebe, Helden und Schurken, sowie die Dichotomie unserer inneren Dä-
monen und Engel. Durch die Verschmelzung von introspektiven Texten fängt David Kushner die Essenz
emotionaler Erfahrungen ein und schafft Verbindungen zu allen Lebensbereichen. Das Album entstand
in Kooperation mit einer Reihe Künstlern und Produzenten, darunter Wesley Schultz von The Lumineers,
David Baron (Shania Twain) und der zweimalige Grammy-Award-Nominierte Rob Kirwan (Hozier, U2).
David Kushner, der aus Chicago-stammende Singer/Songwriter, schaffte 2023 den weltweiten Durchbruch
mit seiner Single ”Daylight”, die hierzulande die Top 5 der Singlecharts erreichte und mit Gold ausgezeichnet ist. Neben ”Daylight” sind auch die Nachfolgesingles ”Dead Man”, ”Skin and Bones” und ”Hero” auf
seinem Debüt ”The Dichotomy” zu finden.

We interrupt our regular Drum Chums programming to bring you a little V/A tackle via the 'Percussion Pals' project.
These razor sharp cuts come from friends near and far, old and new, each one primed to upgrade your record collection.

Debuts abound on the A-side, first via international man of mystery DJ Poufsouffle and his Balea-rock disco stomper "Totally Manic". Brimming with Flash & The Pan style pub-rock wonk this one boasts a growling vocal, sparkling keys and an uplifting chorus which doesn't quite break the spell of extreme silliness.
On the A2, Bristol's Spice Route rescue a nebulous reggae gem from Library obscurity, swinging the scalpel and working the desk to turn out an unstoppable groover.
Built around an irresistible rhythm section, "Gruler Dub" keeps on getting higher as the space-based vocals and trilling synths turn your brain inside out.

The B1 brings the return of Drum Chum extraordinaire Neil Diablo, who follows the Balearic brilliance of his last label outing with a cosmic caper into pure oddball pop. "Starry Night" slinks along in a chromed out catsuit, purring weirdo vocals over robo-chug and mechanical drums before indulging in a catchy chorus packed with addled innuendo. Not only is this as arch as Gina X doing a forward fold, but it also boasts some serious bass weight in the later stages - you have been warned.
We're delighted to finally feature a little magic from Australian Italo wizard Hysteric, who brings the curtain down in utterly emotional fashion via AOR disco dream "Pinball". A steady beat, infectious bassline and glistening chords play host to a swooning vocal, which reminds us to go with the flow and follow fun at all times.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed.

In 2004, California-based indie band Golden Shoulders followed up their highly acclaimed debut with their second album, Friendship Is Deep. Now, on the twentieth anniversary of its release, the album most requested by their fans for a vinyl release is finally set for one on Unspun Heroes. Described as “one of the great semi-lost albums of the 21st Century”, the album showcases singer, songwriter, and band mainstay, Adam Kline’s knack for lyrical hooks and penchant for catchy melodies. But, like friendship, this is deeper than its pop sensibilities might suggest.
 
From the moment the opening track I Will Light You On Fire opens with its simple piano refrain and vocal harmonies you know you’re listening to something worthy of further exploration. From this building of tension between its temporary aural chaos and the beauty that ultimately emerges, you’ll be hooked. Yet, scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find this is an album that carries with it a political, pro-peace, and pro-humanity message, albeit somewhat more satirical than you might expect of a band hailing from America’s West Coast. This is particularly notable on tracks such as Golden Soldiers and the Committee, where Kline’s turn of phrase and wit shines through, cleverly weaving words so they create detailed poetic mosaics. 

Golden Shoulders is a loose and ever-changing lineup of international talent, with Kline as the kingpin and sole songwriter. Given the pedigree of those whose talents grace the album – among them, Todd Roper and Greg Brown (Cake), Josh Klinghoffer (PJ Harvey, RHCP, Pearl Jam), Neal Morgan (Joanna Newsom, Fleet Foxes), and Dan Elkan (Broken Bells) – it’s no surprise the compositions and attention to detail present in each and every one of the 14 songs is top notch. It’s this pleasing mix of accomplished individuals, and their mishmash of influences, which lend a pinball effect to the set of stylistically diverse songs on Friendship Is Deep. Collectively though, the music you’ll hear has a focus, one that channels late 90’s Brendan Benson, the poppier side of 80’s Violent Femmes, and even the mid-60’s flair of the Beatles’ Rubber Soul. 

Als William J. Tsamis, Gründer der Epic-Metal-Heroen Warlord, am 13. Mai 2021 im Alter von nur 60 Jahren viel zu früh für immer von uns gegangen ist, schien dies für viele das Ende einer der kreativsten Metal-Formationen Amerikas zu markieren. Doch überraschender Weise schlugen Warlord zurück, mit neuer Besetzung und einem neuen Studioalbum, "Free Spirit Soar" (auf High Roller Records).

Mit Bass- und Gitarrenspuren von Bill Tsamis von Originalaufnahmen (auf zwei Stücken übernimmt Eric Juris dessen Parts), legt das aktuelle Line-Up um Mark Zonder (Drums), Jimmy Waldo (Keyboards) und Giles Lavery (Gesang) mit "From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues" jetzt ein weiteres Album nach.

Sänger Giles Lavery erklärt: "Wir wollten uns mit dieser Veröffentlichung in der aktuellen Besetzung (sowie Bills Gitarren- und Bassspuren von 2002) noch einmal das Album "Rising Out Of The Ashes" vornehmen, das Material aber mehr an Bills ursprünglicher Vision der Songs orientieren."

Das Vinyl von "From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues" umfasst acht Songs, wogegen die CD-Variante mit 14 Stücken aufwartet (darunter viele rare Versionen von längst vergriffenen Compilations).

"From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues" nährt die Vorfreude auf die anstehenden Live-Auftritte der neu formierten Warlord im Jahre 2024.

Als William J. Tsamis, Gründer der Epic-Metal-Heroen Warlord, am 13. Mai 2021 im Alter von nur 60 Jahren viel zu früh für immer von uns gegangen ist, schien dies für viele das Ende einer der kreativsten Metal-Formationen Amerikas zu markieren. Doch überraschender Weise schlugen Warlord zurück, mit neuer Besetzung und einem neuen Studioalbum, "Free Spirit Soar" (auf High Roller Records).

Mit Bass- und Gitarrenspuren von Bill Tsamis von Originalaufnahmen (auf zwei Stücken übernimmt Eric Juris dessen Parts), legt das aktuelle Line-Up um Mark Zonder (Drums), Jimmy Waldo (Keyboards) und Giles Lavery (Gesang) mit "From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues" jetzt ein weiteres Album nach.

Sänger Giles Lavery erklärt: "Wir wollten uns mit dieser Veröffentlichung in der aktuellen Besetzung (sowie Bills Gitarren- und Bassspuren von 2002) noch einmal das Album "Rising Out Of The Ashes" vornehmen, das Material aber mehr an Bills ursprünglicher Vision der Songs orientieren."

Das Vinyl von "From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues" umfasst acht Songs, wogegen die CD-Variante mit 14 Stücken aufwartet (darunter viele rare Versionen von längst vergriffenen Compilations).

"From The Ashes To The Archives - The Hot Pursuit Continues" nährt die Vorfreude auf die anstehenden Live-Auftritte der neu formierten Warlord im Jahre 2024.

Post Historic Monsters by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, released 23 August 2024.

Die färöische Folk-Singer/Songwriterin EIVOR bringt mit ,Slor" bereits ihr zweites Studioalbum innerhalb eines Jahres raus. ,Slor" ist eine Sammlung neu komponierter Songs, die EIVOR in ihrer Muttersprache - färöisch - eingesungen hat. Das Album ist der Nachfolger des englischsprachigen Albums ,Bridges". Und auch wenn es sich um zwei unterschiedliche Alben in unterschiedlichen Sprachen handelt, gibt es eine Verbindung der beiden Platten. Wo ,Bridges" leicht und vor allem sehnsüchtig war, klingt ,Slor" eher rau und reflektierter. ,Bridges" wurde von Freundschaft, Liebe und Heimweh inspiriert. Es thematisiert die Brücken zwischen uns, Beziehungen zwischen Menschen, Plätzen und auch Dingen, die uns berühren. ,Slor" hingegen gibt sich der Fernsucht hin, thematisiert Trennungen und die Suche nach Frieden. Ein Schleier kann ein Symbol für eine Grenze zwischen Gegenwart und Vergangenheit sein, doch ein Brautschleier hingegen repräsentiert vor allem Glück und Hingabe. EIVOR selbst erklärt den Prozess der Geschwisteralben: ,Als ich die Songs geschrieben haben, erfolgte das Songwriting erst auf Englisch und direkt danach kam es auf Färöisch in meinen Kopf - wie eine Art Spiegelbild." Somit handelt es sich nicht nur um zwei voneinander getrennte Werke, sondern auch um einen zusammengesetzten Moment im Songprozess.

There are ghosts all across AVANTI, the debut album from Malice K. At points it's howling and unhinged, a grungy layer atop a lush foundation of melodic capital-s Songwriting, but in other moments it dissolves into a gentle, wistful haunting. Malice K's songs are blunt, uncomplicated and unflinching as he probes the interiority of memories, of mistakes - saturated with an innate intensity that sucks you into his gnarled and visceral world, so barbed it could draw blood. Malice K is helmed by visual artist and songwriter Alex Konschuh, New York-based but born and raised in Olympia, Washington. Following a stint living in Los Angeles, where he became a member of the artist collective Death Proof Inc., a trip to New York resulted in him simply never leaving the city. A period of chaos ensued, Malice K exhausted and unmoored and ultimately, unwell. The record is unpredictable across its 11 songs. The album opens with a jarring scream on "Halloween," Malice K's breathless vocals buried beneath a grungy, roving Nineties riff. The track emanates a manic energy, enveloping. It's a fitting entrypoint for the record, and for the vividness of Malice K. The snarling and obsessive "You're My Girl" has a swaggering paranoia: "I got so high I thought my hand touching my hand was your hand." But AVANTI exists in quieter moments too; "Radio," with its fluttering morose cello, moves at an almost glacial pace comparatively. The aching wistfulness of "The Old House" is an album stand-out, anchored in an acoustic guitar, an uneasy lullaby that never quite settles into itself: "I think to myself I got the things that I wanted, but I can't help think there's something else that I forgot to do." A recent press interview called Malice K a shapeshifter, but he's not amorphous in that way. He's decisive and intense, more concerned with carving his own path, and building his own world. Every part of Malice K is distinctly himself: from his sweaty high-octane shows to the high-flash high-contrast photos; from his gnarled and unsettling illustrations to the studio recordings that vacillate between grief and tenderness, there's an exceptional ferocity across everything Malice K touches. AVANTI feels lived in, like peering into an abandoned house through a window smeared with grimy fingerprints, relics of a life well-lived scattered inside - despite being a debut, there's the sense that Malice K arrived fully-realized, imperfections and all.

There are ghosts all across AVANTI, the debut album from Malice K. At points it's howling and unhinged, a grungy layer atop a lush foundation of melodic capital-s Songwriting, but in other moments it dissolves into a gentle, wistful haunting. Malice K's songs are blunt, uncomplicated and unflinching as he probes the interiority of memories, of mistakes - saturated with an innate intensity that sucks you into his gnarled and visceral world, so barbed it could draw blood. Malice K is helmed by visual artist and songwriter Alex Konschuh, New York-based but born and raised in Olympia, Washington. Following a stint living in Los Angeles, where he became a member of the artist collective Death Proof Inc., a trip to New York resulted in him simply never leaving the city. A period of chaos ensued, Malice K exhausted and unmoored and ultimately, unwell. The record is unpredictable across its 11 songs. The album opens with a jarring scream on "Halloween," Malice K's breathless vocals buried beneath a grungy, roving Nineties riff. The track emanates a manic energy, enveloping. It's a fitting entrypoint for the record, and for the vividness of Malice K. The snarling and obsessive "You're My Girl" has a swaggering paranoia: "I got so high I thought my hand touching my hand was your hand." But AVANTI exists in quieter moments too; "Radio," with its fluttering morose cello, moves at an almost glacial pace comparatively. The aching wistfulness of "The Old House" is an album stand-out, anchored in an acoustic guitar, an uneasy lullaby that never quite settles into itself: "I think to myself I got the things that I wanted, but I can't help think there's something else that I forgot to do." A recent press interview called Malice K a shapeshifter, but he's not amorphous in that way. He's decisive and intense, more concerned with carving his own path, and building his own world. Every part of Malice K is distinctly himself: from his sweaty high-octane shows to the high-flash high-contrast photos; from his gnarled and unsettling illustrations to the studio recordings that vacillate between grief and tenderness, there's an exceptional ferocity across everything Malice K touches. AVANTI feels lived in, like peering into an abandoned house through a window smeared with grimy fingerprints, relics of a life well-lived scattered inside - despite being a debut, there's the sense that Malice K arrived fully-realized, imperfections and all.