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Mostly Autumn: the emotional story behind Graveyard Star
“It’s amazing what music can do,” says Bryan Josh. “It lubricates any sort of stress or fear, things that are clogging up when you’re in a dark place. Music becomes like an exhaust pipe. There’s no two ways about it. It’s one of the best things in the world for that, actually.”
Graveyard Star, the new album from Mostly Autumn, was born out of the fear and darkness of the pandemic and the loss of people close to Josh and his wife Olivia Sparnenn-Josh. Facing lockdown with their young daughter at home, music was a way to process the experience. “All the inspiration for doing normal things like songwriting just went really, because it was a crazy, strange time,” says Josh. “It left a vacuum. It strips away the normal juices that flow, the inspiration, and what I found personally was that all that was left was dealing with the situation. That’s where this album came from, really. It was a real-life diary of what went on through the months.”
For bandleader Josh, the muse can descend without warning and must be answered before she slips away. “I don’t write songs, they happen,” he says. “They come really quickly: it’s like you’re a little radio station tuning into something, and it just comes in.” If there’s no guitar or keyboard to hand, the voice recorder on his phone will suffice to capture not just a song idea but the feeling that inspired it. “If you listen to the demos which I’ve got on my phone, you’re always trying to recreate what that was,” he says. “The feeling that was in it was deep and thick and emotional – it’s trying to make sure we kept that, but in a more polished version. But the songs are generally what they were in the first place. It’s very much written in that time.”
Graveyard Star may be the most heartfelt release yet in Mostly Autumn’s storied career, conveying a spectrum of emotions, from the depths of grief to the promise of brighter days ahead. “Every song is very different. For someone’s first listen you would never anticipate the sound of what the next song is going to be, but it takes you on a journey,” says Josh. “It’s a concept of how we felt going through it. You could almost say it’s a bit War Of The Worlds or Pink Floyd’s The Wall.”
The record features appearances from Nightwish’s Troy Donockley and Chris Leslie from Fairport Convention. “Troy has been a friend for about 35 years – we’re very close, almost like brothers,” says Josh. “He’s played on a lot of our stuff. He’s a very positive energy, a phenomenal player.” Donockley contributed uilleann pipes and whistles to four songs: “And some Portuguese mandolas.”
“I think he plays everything,” adds Sparnenn-Josh. “He just knows what the right thing is for the track, and he gets it perfect every time.”
Music by Loula Yorke
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios; our thanks to Alex for providing us with a copy of this release
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Loula Yorke Design by quiet details
So pleased to announce that next to give their interpretation of the
quiet details idea is one of the most creative forces in recent times,
the synthesist and sound artist, Loula Yorke.
Having been involved with music for many years, Loula’s star is burning
brighter than ever - following a series of incredible studio albums,
this year’s Volta landed to widespread critical acclaim, adored by fans
of nuanced and highly musical synth work - this, coupled with her
stunning live modular performances have made her one of the most loved
and admired artists around.
speak, thou vast and venerable head sees Loula taking all this innate
understanding and skilled experience to dive deeper into her psychedelic
worlds of the raw electricity and vast soundscapes.
This is music made with a symbiotic relationship to her machines, and
you can feel Loula’s energy flowing through as it moves ever forward,
huge spatial plains of infinite depth guided by pure
intuition. Galvanic analogue vibrations meets acidic resonant shapes,
constantly moving timbres and spaces - endless drones and atmospheres
underpin this voltage controlled and uniquely tactile universe.
Adept at bringing the natural world into her work, highly processed
field and environmental recordings feature prominently and provide an
unknown familiarity and perfect juxtaposition to the filtered and
manipulated harmonics so beautifully crafted from each electronic
oscillation.
You can feel the human emotion guiding this music, Loula at her perceptive and spontaneous best.
Always thoughtful and incisive, the inspirations for the album draw on
literature (Moby Dick, Wordsworth), and delves into history and
connections only someone with her sensitive originality could see. In
her own words:
This album is a plank in the hull of an imaginary ship that once set sail on a quest to uncover the meaning of it all.
By recombining patterns of synthesised sounds with field recordings
taken from my immediate vicinity, I attempt to cause a glint in the
surface of the waves.
Onward together, Loula
Huge thanks to Loula for everything, a complete and gorgeous addition to the series.
The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind
the album - originating from a photo from Loula which was then captured
with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.
As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom 6-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.
The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, representing the music in its purest form.
credits
copyright © quiet details 2024
all rights reserved
Cut UP. Deconstructing W. S. Burroughs
It is from this devotion to the technique and the persona of this legendary writer that the homage by the Unexplained Sounds Group and the musicians involved in the project is born, paying tribute to the great American writer.
credits
REVIEWS
SOUNDOHM
From the always fantastic imprint, Unexplained Sounds Group known for its rigorous efforts exploring some of the most obscure corners of experimental sound practice comes “Cut UP. Deconstructing W. S. Burroughs”, an astounding new collection exploring contemporary practices rooted in avant-garde tactic - the“cut up”- developed and advocated by the legendary Beat writer William S. Burroughs.
Visionary and endlessly surprising in its venturing from the beaten and expected paths, via the work of 13 artists including Rapoon, Adi Newton, PBK, Sigillum S, David Lee Myers and more - it stands as a powerful rethinking of the potential of ambient music through the lens of industrial music, electronic experimentalism, and subtle treatments of musique concrète.
Mark Hjorthoy
This is a genius collection of excellent music from a label that never disappoints.
www.citr.ca/2024/06/13/14-june-2024-broadcast-preview-108897
Avant Music News
avantmusicnews.com/2024/06/15/amn-reviews-various-artists-cut-up-deconstructing-w-s-burroughs-2024-unexplained-sounds-group
Grey Clay Radio
Like all the themed compilations by the USG network of labels, it is a supremely excellent offering. A whole constellation of artists focused on this one theme pays tribute by the ever magickal act of creativity.
Through and across each of the diverse styles and interpretations can be triangulated a feeling of true respect and affection for Burroughs. As an album it is hugely beautiful and affecting
www.greyclayradio.com/home
Luminous Dash
luminousdash.be/reviews/cut-up-deconstructing-w-s-burroughs-unexplained-sounds
Published by ©Unexplained Sounds Group.
Mastered by Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst).
Artwork and layout by Matteo Mariano.
Cat. Num. USG096.
© 2024. All rights reserved.
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