PREORDER + STREAM: Del Rey – Immemorial CD/ LP
Chicago post-rockers Del Rey return with „Immemorial“, their 4th full-length and most ambitious offering to date. The album builds on the cosmic soundscapes and epic odysseys of their previous work, but here the group has channeled their energy into a more evocative, melodic sound, heightening the tension and release that the songs deliver. Make no mistake – the music is heavy, man – but in a clean, angular, and cinematic style that has been honed to perfection.
Born in 1997 in the attic of a three-flat in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, Del Rey’s music builds on the post-rock and electronic roots of their native city, but their sonic palette also contains hints of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Afro-Cuban textures. Added to their already impressive arsenal of furious double-drumming, stinging guitar work, and mesmerizing electronics, these elements are deftly woven into songs that take on a life of their own. On this outing, the band has also incorporated Asian instruments such as the Chinese guzheng and Japansese taiko drumming into their collection.
Live, the music is infused with a feverish urgency, each song played like it could be their last. The signature of the group’s shows is the symbiotic intricacy of their twin-drumkit attack, which, with its relentless ferocity and punishing grace, has been leaving mouths agape and eardrums in shock for over a decade. In addition, the band been reinvigorated by the addition of Jason Ward, who runs “Chicago Mastering Service” along with Shellac’s Bob Weston, and is a veteran live sound engineer who has worked with Dirty Three, Cat Power, The Shins, and Superchunk among others. Jason Ward has recorded all of their releases, and now he brings those extra studio touches to the stage and the songwriting.
The release of this record is also a feat in itself. Midway through the making of the album, all of the band’s guitars, keyboards, and pedals were stolen when their practice space was burglarized. With a little help from their friends (and a few benefit shows and donations from other bands), they actually managed to get a lot of their gear back and continue recording. (Del Rey has also had their van stolen twice (!), and both times they got it back (!!), so they’re either the luckiest band on Earth or one of the least lucky.)
Twelve years since they first formed, the band is still overcoming obstacles and keeping the post-rock torch aflame while most of Chicago post-rock/instrumental bands that were around when they started are long gone. No small feat, considering that 4 out of 5 guys in the band are dads, and they have 7 kids between them. But as the timeless, transcendent sounds of “Immemorial” prove, Del Rey still has creativity and energy to burn.
Video:
RIYL: Maserati, Shellac, Pelican, Russian Circles
www.dlry.net
www.myspace.com/delrey
www.facebook.com/pages/Del-Rey/107723275912266
FREE ONLINE STREAM OF THE WHOLE RECORD:
http://www.goldenantenna.com/preorder/golden-011-del-rey-immemorial/
PRESSING FACTS:
- CD comes in a nice gatefold cardboard sleeve.
- LP comes as 450 gr thick gatefold cardboard sleeve plus a download code for your iPod pleasure.
- All LPs come on 180gr vinyl
- You can choose between two pressings:
-> 300 copies total
-> 200 in black
-> 100 on limited white wax
PRICES:
CD: 12,- Euro
LP: 14,- Euro
ORDER @ http://www.goldenantenna.com/shop