Plays High Gospel Archives - Various Small Flames https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/plays-high-gospel/ New and independent music Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:38:07 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cropped-finalwhite-e1490809629909-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Plays High Gospel Archives - Various Small Flames https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/plays-high-gospel/ 32 32 88787050 Efrim Manuel Menuck – Plays “High Gospel” / Esmerine – La Lechuza https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2011/04/12/efrim-manuel-menuck-plays-high-gospel/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:32:00 +0000 http://www.wakethedeaf.co.uk/?p=820 Those kings of esoteric experimentalism, Constellation Records, have just announced the release dates for two albums, both of which I will be awaiting with baited breath. First up, on May 24th, is the first solo LP from Efrim Menuck, co-founder of legendary experimental post rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor and post-punk-folk outfit Thee Silver Mt. Zion. I’m of the firm opinion that everything Menuck touches turns into pure liquid spectacular, and from the small tasters available so far I […]

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]]> Those kings of esoteric experimentalism, Constellation Records, have just announced the release dates for two albums, both of which I will be awaiting with baited breath. First up, on May 24th, is the first solo LP from Efrim Menuck, co-founder of legendary experimental post rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor and post-punk-folk outfit Thee Silver Mt. Zion. I’m of the firm opinion that everything Menuck touches turns into pure liquid spectacular, and from the small tasters available so far I can deduce that Plays “High Gospel” will only confirm this hypothesis. There are obvious echoes of Menuck’s previous work; the droning guitar textures and soaring soundscapes swathed in analog delay are reminicient of GY!BE’s frequent forays into the abstract, while the meandering vocal lines could easily have wound up on a Thee Silver Mt. Zion track. But from the two tracks below, it seems that Menuck has managed to avoid merely regurgitating elements from his earlier projects and has incorporated them into a sound that is all his own.

The album is available for pre-order from Constellation in a variety of formats, including sumptuous 180g vinyl, accompanied by some original artwork.

Efrim Menuck

Also out on Constellation Records in the near future is La Lechuza, the first album in six years by Esmerine, which also features members members of GY!BE and Thee Silver Mt. Zion, in the form of percussionist Bruce Cawdron and cellist Beckie Foon, respectively. Combining glockenspiels, marimbas, a harp, poetic cello phrases and the occasional vocal, Esmerine create what they call “modern chamber music”.  I’m not usually the emotional type, but what I’ve heard of La Lechuza so far is quite simply beautiful.

La Lechuza is released on June 7th, and you can pre order it over at Constellation.

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