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LP
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FTR 309LP
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"Clayton Noone (aka CJA) has been cranking oddball noise out of Dunedin since before your mom even heard of the town. The same goes for Beth Dawson (aka Ducklingmonster) and Pat Kraus (aka Kraus), who co-founded this sci-fi-punk-astro-juggernaut back in 2001. They invited Clayton to join right away. Kraus left soon after, to be replaced by Jason Aldridge (aka ISO-12) and Sean Norling (aka Rocko Mandroid), although he still hangs around and his head actually pops up on this very LP. I guess the concept of distorted living has too strong a pull on his brain. Regardless of the fact that Clayton runs several labels, most notably the very long-lived Root Don Lonie for Cash, this appears to be only the second album-length vinyl offering Futurians have thus far done. There have been more than a few amazing cassettes and CDRs and lathes, but this is really only LP #2 (unless I am very confused). Not sure why more labels have not jumped onto the Futurians bandwagon over the last 17 years, but hey, we can't all have the wisdom of Spock. Distorted Living is a flat-out hoseload of cosmic gas from its first grunt 'til its last. Shorthanders will be tempted to describe it as 'Mu Mesons play Hawkwind' or something. And while that is not completely off-base, it only captures certain aspects of the very specially spaced weirdness this band conveys. Knowing their visuals solely from their packaging and YouTube, I can only say that they look like they'd pass for great space hippies on a late period episode of the original Star Trek. And the way they compress the psychedelic thrust of their sonics makes one think this whole album may have been recorded in an air lock. One customer at the store, hearing the test pressing, asked 'Is that lasers?' And while we made fun of him for not knowing that lasers are silent, later, as we listened more, we realized that if some sentient lasers decided to start a band it would probably sound a whole lot like Futurians. Which is the very nature of Distorted Living. Something, which if you are wise, you are about to experience first-hand. Welcome aboard." --Byron Coley, 2017 Edition of 300.
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LP+CD
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TR 309LP
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LP version with CD. A Projection are an indie post-punk band from Stockholm, Sweden. With dark textures of effects-driven guitars, lush synthesizers, and heartfelt, introspective lyrics, their music has frequently been compared to that of Interpol, New Order, The Cure, and The Chameleons. Formed in 2013, the band quickly became an underground sensation, owing much of their success to their powerful and atmospheric live performances. By combining a dense, sinister sound with suggestive video projections, the band quickly established themselves as a highly sought-after live act. Following the release of their eponymous demo EP, the band was contacted by several record companies, eventually signing with the Hamburg-based label Tapete Records. "Tapete Records offered us full creative freedom," the band says. "Every track on the album is exactly the way we want it to be." The album was recorded in Stockholm, a city famous for its cold and dark winters. Naturally, that setting had some influence over the overall mood of the album. Most of the recording sessions were held at the band's regular studio, Melodibyrån, but they also had the opportunity to record some tracks at the renowned Elektronmusikstudion (EMS), which has played a significant role in the development of Swedish electronic music. "2013 was a big year for electronic artists: More and more artists are moving over to synth-driven music. It's very exciting. That development has definitely had an effect on our production process -- we started out making an overtly guitar-driven album, but as things progressed we found it very natural to add a lot of electronic elements as well," the band agrees. "It was an intense recording process. We wanted to make a record that was heartfelt and honest, and yet true to form. We are very satisfied with the end result." With their raw yet subdued aesthetics, the band bridges the gap between modern indie rock and classic post-punk, and manages to create exciting and accessible music without conforming to the mainstream.
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