Ambient/Noise: Gridfailure & Megalophobe joint track premiere
In January, Benjamin Levitt, aka, MEGALOPHOBE, traveled north of NYC to record source material for upcoming GRIDFAILURE recordings with the act’s founder David Brenner. The session quickly became an ambient, improv jam; as Levitt’s effects-laced accordion howled through the dim bunker, Brenner fed random loops and elements of keys, synth, guitar, Theremin, didgeridoo, pedal effects, and more into the mix. Nature/field recordings and contributions from several special guest musicians were added, including trumpet by Mac Gollehon (David Bowie, Miles Davis, Blondie, Onyx, Duran Duran), guitar by Liz Ciavarella-Brenner, Rob Levitt, and Christian Molenaar (Those Darn Gnomes), and field recordings from Jon Paris (Rack).
We are drawing nearer to the release of this joint effort known as Dendritic, as BlowTheScene.com has the exclusive pleasure of debuting track “Coils Of Rope Still Sway From The Timbers.” Departing slightly from previously streamed tracks, “..Still Sway From The Timbers.” is the least ambient track on the record as both Levitt and Brenner duel harsh vocals throughout this journey across cavernous soundscapes.
“Like a crumbling sea shanty, the opening accordion line fades with an unstable lilt under layers of cold electronics; a mood that inspired the title, taken from a description of the remains of a long sunken ship, slowly decaying in mineral rich waters. Brenner and Levitt alternate verses of abused and decomposed vocals, ghostly screams, the last curses of sailors going down with their ship — no singalong (you wouldn’t want to). Coils drifts, not without form but neither with definite shape, taking its time at the bottom, quiet never peaceful,” comments Levitt on this latest track to see light.
“Coils Of Rope Still Sway From The Timbers.” Track Premiere
GRIDFAILURE & MEGALOPHOBE will independently release Dendritic on Arbor Day (April 28) – the holiday which celebrates and encourages planting and caring for trees. And as a super-rad bonus the two acts will physically plant a tree for every pre-order of the record placed. Pretty sweet deal.
Find cassette and digital preorders – each of which will plant a tree — at GRIDFAILURE’s Bandcamp HERE and MEGALOPHOBE’s Bandcamp HERE.
A revision of GRIDFAIURE’s “Hostile Alchemist,” to which Levitt also contributed, is delivered in, “Die Feindlichen Alchemisten mit Glocken,” which features guest vocals by Friederike Schüür. Dendritic is completed with and immersive, abstract artwork/layout by Emily Vanderpol of Infinity Things Studios.
MEGALOPHOBE is contributing to tracks on GRIDFAILURE’s upcoming Teeth Collection and Drought Stick albums, and will release new solo material in the coming months. Both artists are already scheming on a second collaborative album, and will also begin performing live together this year.
GRIDFAILURE & MEGALOPHOBE is:
Benjamin Levitt: Lyrics, Vocals, Accordion, Electronics
David Brenner: Lyrics, Vocals, Keyboards, Analog Synth, Field Recordings
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