Contackt Coming

Back in 2011, we were asked by the guys in Thousand Foot Whale Claw to play the first Slow Pump SXSW party. We have maintained a friendly connection with that group of like-minded astral journeymen over the years, and have now joined their burgeoning imprint, Holodeck Records. A growing number of sound artists in Austin are producing forms of cosmic music exploring minimalism, ambient droning, electronica, and the sonic experimentation and expression typical of the 70's German avante-rock movement. The guys behind Holodeck are doing a great job ensuring that a lot of this music is not only heard, but presented in a worthwhile manner.

An initial result of this cosmic union is the imminent release of Sungod's CONTACKT. Contackt finds the duo returning to heavier forms of galactic rock. Welcoming echoes of the pink machine give way to leviathan riffs spewing waves of freaked out fuzz glory. Robo-sequences underly free rock bombast settling into heady delay pulses. Motorik syncopation zooming down highways in the futurespace; riff-lazers firing and the air scorched by flames of bending tone. Twin guitar interplay dancing in a hyper-sphere; intense drum happenings into galloping glory and walls of terror.

Intermixed with those heavy waves of acidic-triumph are muted pieces of varying ambiance: Lonely hand drum in black hole caverns of analog drone. Dub echoes across the sky and modulated filter sweeps across the surface of the third-eye. Melancholic piano and emotive fuzz slide flow with deep evolving drones and the strings of life. Robo-sequence reprised into phase dimensions of low end existence, crumbling rim shot echoes decaying into nothingness.

Tracklisting:
A1. Mesa
A2. Smell of Physiqal
A3. Gas is Better than Gas
B1. Opiate Fields and the Blazing Glory
B2. Comrade Voyager
B3. Gas (Version)
B4. Third Reichel

Lineup:
Braden Balentine: Electric Guitar, Moog Opus 3, SCI Six-Trak, Hand Drum, Piano
Mike Sharp: Drums, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Moog Opus 3, SCI Six-Trak, Voice, Shakers
Alex Hughes: Electric Bass, Contrabass (A2)
Justin Grove: Watercolors, Pen and Ink, Artwork

As of now, Contackt is streaming (free) and downloadable (5 bio-survival tickets) at the Holodeck Bandcamp. 100 cassettes are set to be released in early March, certainly in time for SXSW. When we have the tapes, a full post will follow with all the details. At that time, the album will also be posted on the Sungod Bandcamp.