Wiki
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Release Date
15 July 2011
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Length
6 tracks
WAR OF CURRENTS
THE LONG AWAITED FIRST STUDIO ALBUM BY MENISCUS
Sydney’s cinematic, instrumental band Meniscus is proud to unveil their first studio album titled “war of currents”. This 6 track album was mixed and produced by Ash Maklad of Eargasm studios and mastered by Paul Stefanidis of Viking lounge mastering. The official release of this album will be on July 15 2011 at Tone in Surry Hills.
War of Currents marks the return of meniscus into the studio for a full length record, showcasing the material that the group has painstakingly crafted over the last 2 years of live performances, jamming and composing. Earlier this year, Meniscus teamed up again with renowned producer Ash Maklad to capture and nurture these songs with an experienced ear, and the technical know-how to re-produce their amazing sound and energy from the live arena into a studio record.
Musically, it represents an evolution of their previous EP "absence of I". The departure of drummer and founding member Duncan Wilson, and the subsequent arrival of Cameron Brennan, allowed meniscus to go further in the exploration of sound and themes, whilst retaining the distinct flavour that meniscus are renowned for. Guitars swirl and dance around in waves of colour and energy, over eclectic drumming which spans the modern rock, tribal, eastern, jazz and electro genres, whilst all being held together by the bass playing which is melodic, driving and textural.
Thematically, War of Currents centres around the life and workings of the enigmatic Nikola Tesla, whose many inventions and achievements helped shape the modern world in which we live in today. Being purely instrumental afforded meniscus the ability to allow these ideas to run free of literal interpretation, transcending the language barrier, much like what Tesla was working so hard to achieve. As the songs flow, we are presented with feelings of tension, darkness, despair through to moments of triumph and exhilaration. Samples of Tesla's writings can be heard over the opening track "Room 3327", which sets the narrative for the album as a whole, whilst also being the hotel room number where Tesla spent his last days.
Through the second track "130", we are presented with a driving, galloping guitar line which opens up with a rich melody of Bass and pounding, polyrhythmic drumming, which then cascades into delicate fingerpicked acoustic guitar and rich harmonic layers of delay-drenched tones. Not intently identifying any one track, 130 would be about as close as a single as meniscus would get, arguably the catchiest upon first listen.
We then take a mellow turn into the start of Immersion. Soft brushed snare beats and delicate blues inspired guitar lines weave through to a chorus of bright open reverberating chords and subtle piano arpeggios, only for the whole track to transform into a vast soundscape featuring ambient recordings of a bustling commune in a busy district in Egypt. The sound of children laughing and playing providing the backdrop to a clever blend of modern Acid jazz/D'n'B style beats with swelling guitar textures, all for it to gradually build into a climactic explosion of sound.
These recurring themes are evident throughout war of currents, the band continually pushing to raise the bar for what a three-piece band is sonically capable of achieving. Whilst the ideas which spawned the songs may have influenced the imagery associated with them, War of Currents is best left as an open-invitation to allow the listener to explore their own ideas.
Guitarist Daniel Oreskovic sums up the experience: "we had always intended this to be something that the listener can take with them, interpret and visualise in any way they see fit. Though there are many influences and imagery that influenced us when creating this music, for the audience, it's about allowing your own influences and ideas to paint the picture that this music can be the soundtrack to. I can see people listening to this album and thinking, not only is this a great collection of music, but envisage pieces from this being used in film, television, multimedia, video games and exhibitions."
The album was produced and mixed by Ash Maklad in the Eargasm studio complex in Kings Cross. Upon hearing the final mixes, Ash proclaimed “This one of the most exciting records I’ve ever worked on"
Meniscus will be having the album launch at Tone in Surry Hills on July 15th where fans can purchase the CD and hear the album performed in its entirety. The album will also be available for digital download from www.meniscusband.com/store or through iTunes and Amazon.
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