Nearly twenty years into this twenty first century of ours, and retro is once again the chicest tone in town. Fuzzed, bluesy guitars, seventies licks and threads, and an aching earnestness for a sound of yesteryear is where the coolest of cats are chilling. And down such alleyways we find Belgian quartet Black Mirrors and their impressive full length debut Look Into The Black Mirror (Napalm).Continue reading
Norwegian rock pioneers Årabrot have announced a full European tour, including a run of UK tour dates in anticipation of their forthcoming album The Gospel (Fysisk Format), releasing February 26th.
Årabrot frontman Kjetil Nernes comments:
“Årabrot on the road 2016 – in search of something to fill the void – is the culmination of everything the band have done so far and definitely introduces the strongest lineup to date. Beware!”
Nernes also commented on writing the album while undergoing treatment for malignant throat cancer last year:
“The theme of the Gospel is a vision of the lonely warrior on a summit looking out over a battle field, the smoke from the bomb craters, an all-encompassing silence. The war was against one self; against the ugliness, against the sickness. You sink to the bottom of the sea. All of a sudden you are back on the surface again, stupefied. And hungry! A wicked hunger for everything human life has to offer: Sex! War! Drugs! You breathe, but not like before. “The man who has been in hell never forget’”
The Gospel was partly recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio in Chicago and partly in the old church in the woods of Dalarna, Sweden. The album features the band and some stellar guest performances from Ted Parsons (Swans, Killing Joke, Jesu, Prong), Andrew Liles (Current 93/Nurse With Wound), Stephen O’Malley (SunnO))/KTL), Erlend Hjevik (Singer, Kvelertak), Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh 4AD), and Kristoffer Lo (Highasakite/Trondheim Jazz Orchestra).
Årabrot is:
Kjetil Nernes – vocals, EGCs, synths
Milton von Krogh – guitars
Magnus Nymo – drums
Lasse Marhaug – noise
Johannes Høie – art
Karin Park – vocals, electric piano, synths
Årabrot European tour dates:
Mar 04: Nalen, Stockholm, SE
Mar 05: Smedjan, Go: enburg, SE
Mar 08: Urban spree, Berlin, DE
Mar 09: Arena, Wien, AT
Mar 10: FreakOut, Bologna, IT
Mar 11: Traffic, Roma, IT
Mar 12: Lo-Fi, Milano, IT
Mar 13: L´ Usine, Geneve, CH
Mar 15: Magasin 4, Bruxelles, BE
Mar 16: dB´s, Utrecht, NL
Mar 17: Corsica Studios, London, UK
Mar 18: Lost @ B-Arts, Stoke-On-Trent, UK
Mar 19: Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow, UK
Mar 20: Chunk, Leeds, UK
Mar 22: Instant Chavires, Paris, FR
Mar 23: Accueil Froid Nuke, Amiens, FR
Mar 24: The Pit´s, Kortrijk, BE
Mar 26: Iparragirre, Gernika, ES
Mar 27: Ahotsgora, Gasteiz, ES
Mar 28: Antiguos Almacenes de la Mina, Udias, ES
Mar 29: Liceo Mutante, Pontevedra, ES
Mar 30: Lata de Zinc, Oviedo, ES
Mar 31: Orbeko Etxea – Llodio, Pais Vasco, ES
Apr 01: Ocho y Medio, Alicante, ES
Apr 02: La Residencia, Valencia, ES
Apr 03: Velvet, Malaga, ES
Apr 05: Inciviczone, Barcelona, ES
Apr 06: Grnnd Zero, Lyon, FR
Apr 07: Gaswerk, Winter: ur, CH
Apr 08: Hühnermanhattan Klub, Halle, DE
Jun 4: Temples Festival, Bristol UK
Pre-Order: http://www.tigernet.no/artist/160
Including the LTD LP box version and the new 7″ on Sheep Chase.
Tickets where applicable www.arabrot.com
Årabrot on Facebook
Norwegian noise rockers Arabrot have never been ones to work to convention; from their ever-changing sound and air of experimentation to their lyrical content which has time and again hit on the most taboo of subjects, often combined with a sense of mischief. Even in their artwork they often convey a shock value, at least to the less jaded. Latest EP (and the last in the recent trilogy of EPs) You Bunch Of Idiots is graced with an especially provocative cover art, which kind of brings an even more twisted and OTT version of ‘Springtime For Hitler’ to mind. It also aptly conveys the EP’s sense of dark humour and misleading simplicity.
Of the three EP’s, You Bunch of Idiots, on the surface, is the more straightforward after Murder As Art’s dissident nature and the following I Modi (all Fysisk Format) more exploratory direction. Here the song structures fit the more formulaic durations and are laden with more hooks, but still possess that fuzzy, abrasive tone. Coupled with Kjetil Nernes’s gravelly drawl; which seemingly flits between pure venom and a sense of sarcasm and antagonism and you have, of the three, perhaps the closest to a blueprint of the band if even possible.
As one of the world’s most challenging acts for a number of reasons, in You Bunch of Idiots Arabrot have released one of their more simplistic sounding albums, which is still holds up with their confrontational side. Musically it is up there as one of the easiest of theirs to latch on to. Just don’t go showing the artwork to your mum.
7.0/10
CHRIS TIPPELL
Norwegian noise rockers Arabrot will be releasing You Bunch Of Idiots EP, out via Fysisk Format
and Eolian Empire on June 16, 2015. This is the third in the three EP series, following Murder As Art and I Modi.
You Bunch of Idiots Track Listing:
01: Cannibal Manifesto
02: Time To Pull The Sticks
03: Celebration
04: Mea Culpa
05: —
06: It’s Hot Drop It
The band has confirmed their upcoming North American tour. These are the rescheduled dates, following main man Kjetil Nernes‘ bout with cancer.
ÅRABROT North American Summer Tour:
Jun 24: O’Brien’s Pub – Boston, MA
Jun 27: Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
Jun 29: The Burlington – Chicago, IL
Jun 30: Fubar – St Louis, MO
Jul 01: Jackpot Saloon – Lawrence, KS
Jul 02: Hi Dive – Denver, CO
Jul 03: Kilby Court – Salt Lake, City, UT
Jul 04: The Shredder – Boise, ID
Jul 05: The Highline – Seattle, WA
Jul 06: The Hindenburg – Vancouver, BC
Jul 07: Rotture – Portland, OR
Jul 08: Starlight Lounge – Sacramento, CA (w/ Dispirit, Lycus)
Jul 09: SF Eagle – San Francisco, CA
Jul 12: Lowbrow Palace – El Paso, TX
Jul 14: Holy Mountain – Austin, TX (w/ Pinkish Black)
Jul 15: Siberia – New Orleans, LA (w/ Pinkish Black)
Jul 16: The 529 – Atlanta, GA (w/ Pinkish Black)
Jul 17: Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC (w/ Pinkish Black)
Jul 18: Strange Matter – Richmond, VA (w/ Pinkish Black)
Jul 19: The Studio, Webster Hall – New York, NY (w/ Pinkish Black)
ÅRABROT:
Kjetil Nernes – vocals, EGCs, synths
Milton von Krogh – guitars
Magnus Nymo – drums
Spiritwo – Middle Eastern chants
Lasse Marhaug – noise
Johannes Høie – art
Karin Park – vocals, electric piano, synths
Arabrot on Facebook
Kulturradet Norwegian Council Official Site
Tone Management Official Site