Six Organs of Admittance to Release Burning the Threshold Feb. 24
This is the time of year that kind of has me randomly scouring social media accounts and websites of artists I dig looking for signs of impending new music. It just so happens that I visited the Six Organs of Admittance page last week and found an update from Ben Chasny saying he’d finished work on a new record, so yeah, Six Organs was already included in my notes for the inevitable Most Anticipated of 2017 list, but it’s cool to get a name for the impending — Burning the Threshold — as well as a confirmed Feb. 24 release date through Drag City and, best of all, new audio in the form of the seven-minute “Taken by Ascent,” into which I’d encourage you to dig below. Seriously. Hit that up.
Chasny has spent the last year-plus with Six Organs of Admittance pursuing the elusive limits of his own Hexadic songwriting system, as first explored on 2015’s Hexadic (review here) and then subsequently on the complementary Hexadic II, but Burning the Threshold seems to be a return to a more grounded approach. You’ll note the acoustic foundation of “Taken by Ascent,” but that’s hardly the limit of the arrangement, which winds up working in keys, acoustic strum and leads, drums, bass, and so on, for a full-band feel that maintains the serenity of its opening even as it continues to expand into psychedelic see-you-later-ism.
Really, you should hit that up.
Art, info, tour dates and whatnot from the PR wire:
Six Organs Of Admittance announces new LP Burning The Threshold for Drag City; record release show in London
Six Organs of Admittance’s recent output has been a fascinating exercise in relinquished control, as Ben Chasny spread the word of his Hexadic system of musical composition by creating two albums according to its principles. Now, for the first time since 2012’s Ascent, Chasny is restoring his authorship of Six Organs of Admittance, and Drag City will be releasing the brand new full length record Burning The Threshold on February 24th – and to mark the occasion, there will be a special show at London’s St Pancras Old Church on 22nd of February.
As ever, a head full of ideas were driving Chasny to think and speak music as a spirituality superimposed onto a reality, with the ghosts of both whispering at each other. In the end, what sits in our listening ears is the sound of communion. Nobody plays acoustic music quite like Six Organs of Admittance, and Burning the Threshold brings a wealth of his established lightness into one of his sweetest musical meditations yet.
Ben is in a particularly expansive mood this time around, singing and playing with all the thoughts affixed to a quiver of potent melodies launching forth and arcing out through dimensions, seeking infinite space. This space radiates out from the album’s first single, “Taken By Ascent”, a seven minute plus burner that engulfs the surrounding realm with empathetic waves. Featuring resounding vocals by Hayley Fohr, polished drumming provided by Chris Corsano and flourishing keys by Cooper Crain; “Taken By Ascent” fervidly pushes Six Organs of Admittance into new and thrilling territory.
With this new music, Ben Chasny has created a potent tonic for our times. Looking at the world through clear eyes beneath a knitted brow, but with a laugh rising up from its heart, Burning the Threshold brings us a powerful draught of essence.
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE – RECORD RELEASE SHOW
Wednesday February 22nd at St. Pancras Old Church in London
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE – US TOUR
02/03/17 – Vancouver, BC at The Cobalt
03/03/17 – Seattle, WA at Fremont Abbey Arts Center
04/03/17 – Portland, OR at Bunk Bar
06/03/17 – San Francisco, CA at The Chapel
07/03/17 – Los Angeles, CA at Bootleg Bar
08/03/17 – San Diego, CA at Soda Bar
23-26/03/17 – Knoxville, TN Big Ears Festival – TBD date
28/03/17 – Atlanta, GA at The Earl
29/03/17 – Asheville, NC at Mothlight
30/03/17 – Raleigh, NC at Kings
31/03/17 – Washington, DC at DC9
01/04/17 – Brooklyn, NY at Union Pool
02/04/17 – Boston, MA at Great Scott
03/04/17 – Portland, ME at Space Gallery
05/04/17 – Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s
06/04/17 – Pittsburgh, PA at Club Cafe
07/04/17 – Cleveland, OH at Beachland Tavern
08/04/17 – Detroit, MI at Third Man Records
09/04/17 – Chicago, IL at Empty Bottle
10/04/17 – Minneapolis, MN at 7th St. Entry
12/04/17 – Milwaukee, WI at Collectivo Coffee
14/04/17 – St. Louis, MO at Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
15/04/17 – Louisville, KY at Zanzabar
http://www.sixorgans.com/
https://twitter.com/6organs
http://www.dragcity.com/
