Alcest julkaisemassa uutta albumiaan syyskuussa

Ranskasta kotoisin oleva post-metal / shoegaze -yhtye Alcest on asettanut tulevan albuminsa nimeksi ”Kodama”. Yhtye aikoo julkaista seuraavan albuminsa syyskuun 30. päivä Prophecy Productionssin kautta. Voit lukea yhtyeen virallisen tiedotteen levystä sekä katsoa albumin tiedot tästä:

Kappalelista:
01. Kodama
02. Eclosion
03. Je suis d’ailleurs
04. Untouched
05. Oiseaux de proie
06. Onyx

“Kodama, the Japanese word for ‘tree spirit’, also implies ‘echo’ (through yamabiko – the process of sounds reverberating across mountains, valleys and forests, which is often attributed to these spirits), and from the album’s structure and dynamics to its cinematic sound, Kodama indeed ‘echoes’ Alcest‘s 2010 classic, Écailles de lune. But this is no simple back-to-roots affair: across its six goliath tracks, Kodama possesses greater punch, rhythm and a more organic feel than ever before. While clearly influenced by Western bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Dinosaur Jr., Grimes and The Cure, ultimately, Kodama reveals itself as Alcest‘s ‘Japanese album’, drawing substantial inspiration from Japanese art and culture.

Artikkeli jatkuu mainoksen jälkeenMainos päättyy

Originally triggered by Hayao Miyazaki‘s anime film Princess Mononoke (and the spirits contained therein from which the album draws its namesake), Kodama picks up on the fate of its protagonist and, at its core, deals with the sensation of not belonging; of living in between worlds, be it city and nature or the physical and spiritual one. Duality is also crucial for the visual approach of the album, realized by French graphic designer duo Førtifem. Paying tribute to Japanese illustrators like Takato Yamamoto, the visuals portray contrasting elements – nature and urbanity, youth and death, femininity and animality – and combine poetic elements with darker ones that were not present in Alcest‘s earlier work.

By giving the album a cultural, stylistic and compositional narrative, Neige and Winterhalter keep Kodama from just being the latest improvement on the Alcest sound and instead make the album a most rare and exciting thing: a vital, relevant record from a pioneer that not only upholds the band’s trailblazing legacy but actually makes you want to see where they go next.”