In this first of two new albums planned for release in 2012, Mount Eerie presents a monumental work of depth and maturity. These are songs about a quiet life in and around a small northwest town, usually buried in fog, and the unexpected moments of clarity that briefly flash through. Clear Moon is the resonant lone bell symbol, the glint in the water, the sudden breath.
For over thirteen years Phil Elverum has been releasing beguiling records from and about the Pacific Northwest, first as the Microphones and since 2004 as Mount Eerie. The thread has sometimes been challenging to follow, meandering into weird EPs and live experiments, but there have always been punctuations of cohesive sound and idea, made giant; The Glow pt. 2 (2001), Mount Eerie (2003), Lost Wisdom (2008),Wind’s Poem (2009), and now Clear Moon (to be followed later this year by its companion album, Ocean Roar).
After all the world-touring that followed the release of Wind’s Poem, Phil Elverum has spent 2 years establishing a new recording studio, “the Unknown”, in an old de-sanctified church in Anacortes, Washington. These 2 new albums, Clear Moon andOcean Roar, are the first Mount Eerie recordings to be released from the new old space. You can hear the giant wooden cathedral room in these songs. Vast echo, resonating gongs, impenetrable walls of thickness, and always a voice cutting through the fog, moon-like.
The sound is not lo-fi as it is sometimes called. It’s also not hi-fi. These are just crazy recordings, bigger and deeper than any real-life fjord. It’s 100% analog, and it is a sound that can only come from 15 months of studio solitude, crushing tape, riding waves of fake strings, finding new angles on “intensity”. The music of Popol Vuh was inspirational, as well as explorers from black metal such as Menace Ruine, Nadja, and others. Contemporaries in theme can be found in the heavy sacred regionalism of Olympia’s Wolves In The Throne Room. Ultimately, this is music on its own island, unlike anything else; a break in the clouds and a view of a hidden new landscape.
Sat. March 3rd, 2012- Bristol, England- Arnofini Gallery
Mon.March 5th, 2012- Dublin, Ireland- Button Factory
Weds. March 7th, 2012- Manchester, England- Ruby Lounge
Thurs. March 8th, 2012- Edinburgh, Scotland- The Caves
Fri. March 9th, 2012- Leeds, England- Brudenell Social Club
Sat. March 10th, 2012- Minehead, England- Butlins Holiday Centre, ATP curated by Jeff Mangum
Sun. March 11th, 2012- London, England- Union Chapel
Mon. March 12th, 2012- Brighton, England- The Haunt
Tues. March 13th, 2012- Haarlem, Netherlands- Patronaat
Weds. March 14th, 2012- Leuven, Belgium- Het Depot
Thurs. March 15th, 2012- Paris, France- La Maroquinerie
Fri. March 16th, 2012- Bordeaux, France- Iboat
Sat. March 17th, 2012- Bilbao, Spain- Askena
Sun. March 18th, 2012- Madrid, Spain- El Sol
Mon. March 19th, 2012- Barcelona, Spain- Musichall
Weds. March 21st, 2012- Lyon, France- Epicerie Moderne
Thurs. March 22nd, 2012- Torino, Italy- Spazio 211
Fri. March 23rd, 2012- Firenze, Italy- The Box
Sat. March 24th, 2012- Parma, Italy- Auditorium Del Carmine
Sun. March 25th, 2012- Lausanne, Switzerland- Le Romandie
Mon. March 26th, 2012- Wiesbaden, Germany- Schlachthof
Weds. March 28th, 2012- Vienna, Austria- Arena
Thurs. March 29th, 2012- Leipzig, Germany- UT Connewitz
Fri. March 30th, 2012- Prague, Czech Republic- Dobeska Theatre
Sat. March 31st, 2012- Berlin, Germany- Festsaal Kreuzberg
Mon. April 2nd, 2012- Copenhagen, Denmark- Loppen
Tues. April 3rd, 2012- Gothenburg, Sweden- Truckstop Alaska
Weds. April 4th, 2012- Oslo, Norway- Inferno Festival
Thurs. April 5th, 2012- Stockholm, Sweden- Strand
Fri. April 6th, 2012- Helsinki, Finland- Nosturi
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