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Black Moon Circle Post 24-Minute Single “The Sun is Coming Back”

Posted in audiObelisk on December 12th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

black-moon-circle-with-dr-space

Today, the sun will be up for well under five hours in Trondheim, Norway, from whence heavy psych rockers Black Moon Circle hail. As we approach the Winter Solstice, that will get down to about daylight for four and a half hours, so perhaps in the working title of their new 24-minute single “The Sun is Coming Back,” they’re looking as much to reassure themselves as their audience that, indeed, there will be a time once again that is not night. Constant darkness can do weird things to the brain, as science has shown over and over again.

“The Sun is Coming Back” follows Black Moon Circle‘s recent improv LP, The Studio Jams Vol. II (review here), which was released on Stickman/Crispin Glover Records, and works at least partially in the same sphere. Once again, guitarist Vemund Engan, bassist Øyvin Engan and drummer Per Andreas Gulbrandsen appear to be joined by Scott “Dr. Space” Heller of Øresund Space Collective on modular synth, and in its live feel, it echoes the spontaneity of the two longform jams that comprise the still-new full-length. A distinguishing factor, however, is that “The Sun is Coming Back” also features vocals, adding a human presence amid all that hypnotic swirl and instrumental wandering, creating a balance that seems to find middle ground between The Studio Jams Vol. II and the band’s 2016 song-based album, Sea of Clouds.

Not sure when exactly it was recorded — could very well have been the same session as The Studio Jams Vol. II — but “The Sun is Coming Back” arrives as part of the ‘Alternativ Julekalender,’ which I think whether or not you speak Norwegian you can probably piece together as an alternative holiday calendar. The project (on Thee Facebooks here) seems to line up a different Norwegian artist every day in December, releasing tracks one day at a time like those things you used to open the little cardboard doors of and find chocolates or whatever it was. Except every now and then you get a 24-minute heavy psych megasprawl. Happy holidays.

I asked Øyvin Engan for some details on that project and Black Moon Circle‘s plans for “The Sun is Coming Back,” and he was kind enough to oblige. His comments follow the track below.

Please enjoy:

Øyvin Engan on “The Sun is Coming Back”:

“The ‘Alternative Julekalender’ is a Christmas calendar that feature one song from a band/artist every day until the 24th. As for ‘The Sun is Coming Back,’ I am pretty sure it will be released on vinyl in August/September 2017. The title is not ready yet, we will finish the cover art in January/February and I guess I will decide on the title then.

So right now this is a digital project, something we just did for kicks (well, everything we do is for kicks), and in the meantime we will release The Studio Jams Vol. III in May.”

Black Moon Circle on Bandcamp

Black Moon Circle on Thee Facebooks

Crispin Glover Records website

Stickman Records website

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