TLR 067: bardo pond — peri LP+CD
LP released 10 april 2009 from a limited edition of 1640 copies. $16.00. CD released 10 april 2009 from an edition of 350 copies. CD out of print.
available as a digital download or for streaming from bandcamp.
in early 2008, bardo pond and three lobed recordings teamed up to assemble batholith, a collection of tracks that were close to the band's heart but for various reasons had never been released. the result was an extremely cohesive and vital statement that was positively received by both old and new bardo pond fans. during the compilation of batholith the band had to agonize over the wealth of material that they were sitting on in constructing the ultimate tracklisting - there were too many good songs! the band approached this "problem" by structuring two sister albums, batholith and peri, each possessing their own musical themes and each fully capable of standing independent from the other. For this reason, peri is every bit as potent as its predecessor.
the meticulous sequencing of peri's five tracks provides a classic bardo pond experience. while the initial description of the material might lead one to think that these tracks are "outtakes" or cutting-room floor type material, neither conclusion could be further from the truth. the band is quite excited to finally see all of the material on peri venture into the public. for example, "chicken gun" will be recognizable to the band's longtime fans. a former live staple from 1996 through 1998 (even making an appearance in the band's set at the first terrastock festival), it is a propulsive and fiery rocker every bit as monumental as some of the band's classics such as "lb." and "tommy gun angel." "the path" is a subtle number featuring floating flute work from isobel sollenberger (click here for a downloadable preview). the album-closing "silver pavilion" is the sort of meditative psychedelia that has been bardo pond's calling card over their lengthy career. the track dates to the band's extremely fertile, yet barely documented, period between the release of "dilate" and "on the ellipse." "silver pavilion's" slow, enveloping build properly see the listener to the door and is reminiscent of such flawless bardo closing tracks as "rm," "aldrin" and "night of frogs."
peri is pressed on 180g RTI vinyl and is housed within heavy "old-style" one-pocket stoughton gatefold jackets bearing new collage work from michael gibbons. the record is from a one-time pressing of 1640 copies and, as an added convenience for our vinyl-loving friends, will come packaged with a glass-mastered CD (not CD-R) of the material present on the wax. a limited number of approximately 350 CD-only copies (with a "shrunken" version of the gatefold artwork) will be available for separate sale. copies of the vinyl LP pre-ordered and paid for by the close of the day on march 31, 2009, will be accompanied by a bonus CD (TLR-068) of previously unreleased bardo pond material. peri is scheduled for shipment in mid-april.
iä! shub-niggurath!