Nostalgia and Persistence + Spiritual Exit out today

I've been deep in my old music library lately. All those Boomkat downloads, Blogspot rips, and Bandcamp purchases from 2003-2019. Watching these eras shuffle past (VHF Records, Cascadian black metal, that very specific Boomkat record with a black and white cover photo) made me rediscover an artist I almost worked with years ago. We had great correspondence, then both just... fell off. It happens.

But it also made me appreciate the hell out of the three records coming out right now. Andrew Weathers Ensemble's 10th anniversary reissue, Spiritual Exit's Fragment (OUT TODAY), and Enter Ear's Visitors aren't just releases; they're statements from lifers. People who've been doing this for decades, not resting on their laurels, making some of their best work ever. Aaron (Spiritual Exit/Acre), Ian Hawk (Enter Ear/Tecumseh/Failings), Andrew Weathers, these are artists who were there then and are here now, evolved and still fighting.

None of these things happen without all the other things happening. That persistence, that evolution, it's worth celebrating. I really hope you give all three a chance. Check out October releases below and check out that Common Future tape right here

Spiritual Exit - Fragment - October 10th

Aaron Davis (FKA Acre) has been a Pacific Northwest experimental music veteran for 25+ years, and Spiritual Exit is his evolutionary apex. The project moves beyond the monolithic and slow moving minimalism of Acre, it's got emotional arc, dynamic range, mantric repetition building into genuine release. If you loved Acre's you will love this record but if you are looking for a swelling and emotionally vibrant PNW drone and industrial record Fragment is for you.

Enter Ear - Visitors - October 17th

Ian Hawk's most complex and compelling work to date. Two sidelong pieces featuring Greg Fox and Mike Meanstreetz on drums. Minimalist in structure and maximal in execution that's simultaneously busy and sparse, hypnotic and urgent. It's like if The Necks got reimagined by a hardcore band. Looping staccato beds that create space for his drummer companions to craft this overwhelming river of sound. It demands attention, but lets you ride it out.

Andrew Weathers Ensemble - Fuck Everybody, You Can Do Anything (10th Anniversary) - October 28th

A 16-person ensemble that has been a moving and inspiring folks for 10 years. American folk meets electronic bedroom pop, collective spirit made manifest. Ten years later, this album hits different. Pre-pandemic communal music-making feels both nostalgic and definitively political just by existing.

Cheers,
Sam