Empty Space Orchestra takes post-prog-noir-space-metal virtuosity on tour following album release next week.
Empty Space Orchestra unleashes the impressive instrumental heft of its new Robert Cheek (RX Bandits, Deftones) engineered, Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Pearl Jam, ISIS) mixed self-titled album next week on May 10th. Immediately thereafter, the Bend, OR quintet of impeccable musicians begin a series of tours bringing their symphonic, melodic sound nationwide. West coast dates begin with an album release show in Portland, OR and shows throughout the summer across the U.S. are still being confirmed.
Their 9-song, 50-minute self-titled album is a hook-laden marriage of heft and harmony that veers far away from the navel-gazing jamming often associated with music of such explorative origins. Elements of The Mars Volta‘s most frenetic moments merge with soaring post-rock of Russian Circles, as well as hints of Deftones, Dub Trio and lilting chamber pop all colliding in brilliant synergy from one song to the next.
The group of classically-trained musicians is anchored by the stunning power and precision of drummer Lindsey Elias — clearly a musician soon to hold rank amongst her most celebrated male counterparts. Guitarist Shane Thomas and bassist Patrick Pearsall provide a balance of head-bobbing riffs interspersed with tasteful and inventive lines that weave like musical narrative throughout. Meanwhile, multi-instrumentalists Keith O’Dell (keyboards, piano, lap steel) and Graham Jacobs (saxophone, flute, synths) add myriad melodic layers and cinematic moods that often deftly counterbalance heavy riffs with glissando piano melodies and swaggering horns.
The disc was recorded at the popular The Hangar Studios in Sacramento, CA with engineer Robert Cheek (RX Bandits, Deftones, Tera Melos) and mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Pearl Jam, ISIS) at Red Room Studios in Seattle, WA. Since the band’s inception in late 2007, ESO has built a devoted and rapidly growing fan base in the Northwest exclusively on the weight of their highly memorable live performances. While the album perfectly showcases the band’s musical precision, it must be noted that ESO is an extremely loud band — quite possibly the loudest band you will ever see with a saxophone on stage.
“I was spending a lot of time thinking about what Miles Davis used to say; ‘It’s not about the space you play, but the space you leave,’” explains Thomas. “That’s where the ‘Empty Space’ came from… ironically we don’t leave much space in our music.” Nonetheless, the sum of Empty Space Orchestra’s myriad parts never seem bloated, overblown or obtrusive.
Empty Space Orchestra‘s self-titled debut will be available everywhere on CD/Digital on May 10th.
EMPTY SPACE ORCHESTRA LIVE:
05/11 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios (album release; free DL w/ ticket)
05/12 Eugene, OR @ Sam Bond’s Garage
05/13 Corvallis, OR @ Bomb’s Away
05/19 Bend, OR @ Century Center (free album DL w/ ticket)
05/28 Bend, OR @ Mt. Bachelor
06/02 Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
06/03 San Francisco, CA @ Boom Boom Room
06/04 Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55
07/28 Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Other Side
www.emptyspaceorchestra.com
facebook.com/emptyspaceorchestra
emptyspaceorchestra.bandcamp.com
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