Portland, Oregon four-piece GRAILS make their long-awaited Miles of Smiles return, having played for us way back in October 2004. The band have undergone a remarkable metamorphosis since then, their expressive, atmospheric instrumental rock now warped into a wyrd, seething morass that variously recalls Goblin’s eldritch horror prog, the soundtracks of Kenneth Anger/Bobby BeauSoleil and Sergio Leone/Ennio Morricone and the third-eye opening clatter and drone of Himalayan devotional musics as much as it does obvious peers like Isis and Neurosis.

We are also hugely excited to welcome Liverpool composer and sound-artist PHILIP JECK, a more-than-able understudy since the unavoidable withdrawal of Harappian Night Recordings from this bill. Jeck pores over salvaged 78s, discarded LPs and broken record players, teasing dusty machine ghosts out into ecstatic, microtonally dense, dancing vapours and luminescent thrum. A monolith for all to heed at the crossroads of hauntology and deconstructed turntablism, beautiful, unique and overwhelming.

The line-up is completed by INVISIBLE BEES, fellow travelers of JOMF’s Tom Greenwood; the duo’s ominous yet warmly-enveloping psych folk a fitting first quadrille for the glorious danse macabre to follow.

GRAILS
PHILIP JECK
INVISIBLE BEES

Tuesday 11th May 2010
The Luminaire
311 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR
7.30pm / £10 adv.

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/70421

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RANGDA is the terrifying witch-queen of Balinese myth and ritual dance, but –as with her equivalents in other eastern faiths – the chaos and devastation that she threatens promises rebirth and renewal.

A perfect avatar, then, for the volatile, transcendent psych-rock that spews from the conjoined skulls of Bjork/Sunburned Hand of the Man drummer CHRIS CORSANO, Six Organs of Admittance ringmaster and Comets on Fire axeman BEN CHASNY, and SIR RICHARD BISHOP - gypsy troubador, occultist and founder member of Sun City Girls. This will be their first ever European show, in support of the debut LP, False Flag (Drag City).

Support will come from the Sunroof/Double Leopards-styled drone of PLURALS and N.E.W; the taut, explosive Improv trio of drummer Steve Noble (Rip, Rig & Panic/Derek Bailey), elastic, romantic bassist John Edwards (Evan Parker Trio) and former guitar prodigy Alex Ward - subtle and absolutely murderous by turns.

RANGDA
PLURALS
N.E.W

Thursday 27th May 2010
Bardens Boudoir
38-44 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ
8pm / £8 adv.

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/77728

Miles of Smiles
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