[Photo courtesy of Jason Persse]
The revivified (as of 2005) Seattle band Earth is a behemoth of sound. Progenitors of an entire microgenre (“drone doom”), the band’s latest incarnation is a slightly more epic, and also more delicate outfit that combines elements of heavy grunge guitars, drone and americana. The band also has several ties to the band Nirvana, including lead guitarist and founding member Dylan Carlson’s well-documented friendship with Kurt Cobain, and current bandmember and cellist Lori Goldston’s role as touring cellist for Nirvana (and cellist on MTV Unplugged In New York).
But the band’s connections and history are only footnotes to one of the most powerful of the sets I have seen since I began attending the various New York-based All Tomorrow’s Parties festivals. This fourth year of the festival (awkwardly rechristened “ATP Presents I’ll Be Your Mirror”) was relocated from the quirky (and sketchy) holiday resort where it was held for the previous three years to the more welcoming environs of the Asbury Park, NJ – home of Bruce Springsteen and many other notable artists (including recent NYCTaper favorite Nicole Atkins, as we learned last week). Along with the relocation came new venues, including the weathered-but-still-standing Paramount Theater, which provided the ideal venue for Earth’s prettified slowcore.
The band played five longform compositions, each of which Carlson introduced by name, including the band’s first-ever song “Ouroboros Is Broken” as well as the title track from its latest record, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light, a sequel to which is due soon. Each song was positively massive, cinematic in its sweep, with Carlson’s darkly-tuned guitar riffs threading in between Goldston’s somber cello, all backed by a focused but dense wall of bass and drums. Earth are one of many examples of the eclectic but brilliant programming of ATP – a modern classic of a band that may have been overlooked by some, but is a fixture for those who know them. Not only was theirs the best-sounding set of the festival, but one of the most inspired – reminding us of the critical essence of the early Seattle sound, and where it could have gone if it had the chance to grow up. Indeed, ATP festivals are always somewhere to be inspired, not only by outstanding music, but by the fans and sense of community they engender. It is my privilege to bring you but a small piece of this experience.
I recorded this set with the DPA 4021 microphones from the optimum spot in the venue. Especially given the use of a mobile rig, it is one of my finest captures of the year. Enjoy!
The other set by an ATP band that allows audio taping – Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra – will be posted to the site in the coming days as well.
Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]
Stream the complete set:
Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.
Earth
ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror
Paramount Theater
Asbury Park, NJ USA
An acidjack master recording
DPA 4021>PS/2>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)>Audition (set fades, fix clapping, EQ, normalize)>Audacity (tracking)>FLAC ( level 8 )
Tracks
01 Black Water Side>Old Black
02 Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
03 Father Midnight
04 Ouroboros is Broken
05 Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light
If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Earth, visit their website, and purchase Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I directly from their site [HERE]
Thanks, sample sounds amazing.
Thanks a lot!