Pomalo sirov post-rock s krilima od post-metala s violončelističkim perjem. Ekipa je i duhovita, pjesma "Horse Manifesto" mogla bi govoriti o ustanku konjskog režima koji sprema osvetu nad ljudima. O čemu govori pjesma "That Girl I Used To Live In"?
www.thepirateshipquintet.com
www.facebook.com/thepirateshipquintet
www.denovali.com
Five years after their début EP was released to critical acclaim, The Pirate Ship Quintet have recorded their first full length album entitled 'Rope for No-Hopers', to be pressed courtesy of Denovali Records. The record is a compendium of pieces chosen and refined from an abundance written over the past few years, during which time the band disappeared from the live scene.
The five tracks on this record move through the richly melodic foundations of contemporary classical and minimalist rock. The swelling dark atmospherics give way to moments of brute force, punctuated by low level, desperate vocals. It is a little heavier and more technically diverse than the debut E.P and feels like a considered and organic evolution of the band's method.
The band's fantastically talented cellist, who has played with the likes of The London Symphony Orchestra among others, recently accepted a full-time position with the National Orchestra of Wales which is based very close to the band's home town. With all members of the group living in the same part of the UK once more and with their own small studio in the heart of Bristol they will be writing, recording and performing consistently again.
The name of the new album evokes both solemnity and catharsis, while the track titles are references to abstract ideas and in-jokes, products of the bands notoriously dark sense of humour. 'Horse Manifesto' for example details the imagined uprising of an equine regime, bent on recompense for man's inhumane exploitation of their kind.
The record was written, performed, recorded and mixed by the band. More than ten locations were used in the recording stages including a old chapel on the banks of the River Seven, a furniture-making workshop, the offices of The Big Issue magazine and the band's current studio space. It has been mastered by Cult Of Luna drummer Magnus Lindberg in Umeå Sweden with mountains of beautiful analogue equipment.
The Pirate Ship Quintet, in its current arrangement, consists of Ziapour (bass guitar), Jona (drums), Alex (guitar), Alphie (guitar), Sandy (cello), Moo (trumpet) and Terrence (vocals). The artwork for the record was created by Lucy Joy and Jona Sturgess. - experimedia.net/
Nakon silnih post-rock i sličnih im kvarteta, u ruke mi je stigao i
jedan kvintet. Sa sedam članova. I to s gusarskog broda, ni više ni
manje.
Optimističnog naziva "Rope For No-Hopers" ovaj prvijenac nudi zanimljivu
mješavinu post-rocka i post-metala i nasljednik je hvaljenog EP-a iz
2007. godine. Na žalost, EP nisam imala prilike čuti (još), ali priča se
da su razlike u zvuku zamjetne. U pet godina rada na prvom albumu dečki
iz The Pirate Ship Quinteta u svoju su glazbu ubacili više akcije i
više vokala (vrištećih), i to im sasvim dobro stoji.
Pjesme traju od 7 i pol do gotovo 12 minuta i za to vrijeme vas dobro
provozaju. Dok lješkarite u umirujućim zvucima violončela i gitare,
odjednom vas, naglo poput ljetne oluje, ili možda krda konja (u slučaju
pjesme "Horse Manifesto"), pokosi mrak, bijes i vrištanje. I konji.
Slušajući "Rope For No-Hopers" teško je s vremena na vrijeme ne
pomisliti na Red Sparowes ili Lvmen, ali The Pirate Ship Quintet
definitivno imaju svoj stil. Tom stilu puno pridonosi i čelist Sandy
Bartai, sa stalnim zaposlenjem u Velškom nacionalnom orkestru, dok mu je
prošli posao bio u Londonskom simfonijskom orkestru. Preseljenjem na
novi posao Sandy Bartai se ujedinio s bendom čija baza je u Bristolu, u
kojem imaju i studio.
Čudna imena pjesama na albumu, poput "Dennis Many Times" ili "That Girl I
Used To Live In", su zapravo interne fore članova benda, novodno
poznatih po crnom smislu za humor. Prije spomenuta "Horse Manifesto"
tako govori o imaginarnom ustanku konjskog režima koji žudi za osvetom
nad ljudima.
The Pirate Ship Quintet su album snimili po principu 'sam svoj majstor',
a u pomoć pri masteriranju im je pristigao Magnus Lindberg iz švedskih
Cult of Luna.
Sad se samo možemo nadati da im neće trebati još pet godina do sljedećeg albuma.- www.terapija.net/
Has it really been that long since The Pirate Ship Quintet‘s self-titled debut EP? Six years is long enough for entire industries to change, and in terms of taste and technology, they have. Over the past few years, the band has sporadically toured, coasting on the strength of the first three songs they committed to wax – songs that continue to stand up well today. (Denovali will be re-releasing the debut EP alongside the new project.) ”Lost Science” in particular remains a classic – the piano, the trumpet, the cello, the epic build, the clash of guitars, the crescendo. Would The Pirate Ship Quintet be able to recapture its audience in a similar way six years later? Would it still be considered the hope of an industry?
Like many groups that dabble or delve into post-rock, The Pirate Ship Quintet doesn’t seem to care about categories or labels. The lead story on “Rope for No-Hopers” (suicide prevention centers will not be pleased) is the addition of vocals: shredding, screaming vocals in the post-metal vein, largely devoid of note or identifiable word. While I’m not a fan of these vocals, they don’t pop up everywhere, and they possess an undeniable power. Hearing them is like hearing an additional guitar plugged into a cheaper, louder amp. In the final minute of “Pirate Ship” (from the EP), the pre-echoes can be heard; in retrospect, the shift is not as unexpected as one might imagine. And yet, one wonders what The Pirate Ship Quintet is so angry about. Is it the equine apocalypse mentioned in the press release? Last year’s London riots? The more typical (but understandable) angst at the end of a relationship?While the band continues to be comfortable in the 10-minute format, the opener almost reaches the 12-minute mark and is entirely instrumental. Like “Lost Science”, it eases the listener in, this time with cello and acoustic guitar. When the expected crescendoes emerge, it becomes apparent that The Pirate Ship Quintet is still on top of its game, although no longer ahead of the curve. Yet this matters little when a band is still ahead of its contemporaries in talent. This band knows how to shift mood as easily as texture, when to hold back and when to go all-out; and the composition is as good as the performance. ”You’re Next” is one of the best post-rock tracks of the year, even if one doesn’t call it post-rock; and the closing three minutes of “Doldrums”, in which the strings take sole possession of the stage, are as sublime as any those found in any classical recording.
The screaming doesn’t start until three minutes into the second track – roughly a third of the album – and it doesn’t last long (although it returns later). An 8-note cello breakdown and the return of the trumpet are better reasons to appreciate the song. But as the album continues to unfold and these elements continue to clash, listeners will be challenged to form an opinion. Do I like this? If not, can I stand this? Was this what I expected? Was it worth the wait? Were my expectations too high?
Perhaps we did put too much on The Pirate Ship Quintet, just as we did on Yndi Halda (and where is your album, boys?). In our rush to find The Next Big Thing, we ignored an obvious gift: A Good Thing Now. And The Pirate Ship Quintet continues to be A Good Thing Now. Their audience may be shifting – post-rock to post-metal, instrumental to screamo – but it would be hypocritical for us to ask artists to try new things and then to slam them for it. We prefer instrumental – that’s us. But we also recognize quality in different forms – and that’s The Pirate Ship Quintet. - Richard Allen
There’s no doubt that Denovali Records has a grand vision. Since its first catalog release back in 2006, the Bochum (Germany) based label, continued to systematically sign and publish some of the world’s top talent in a variety of genres. When it comes to instrumental rock, shoegaze, and post-rock in particular, Denovali picks projects that are absolutely at the top of their game. These are the bands to which Headphone Commute sang many a praise in the past: from Blueneck to Her Name Is Calla to Aun and of course The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation. This time, Denovali managed to secure one of the bands with which I fell in love back in 2007 – The Pirate Ship Quintet – a group consisting of Ziapour (bass guitar), Jona (drums), Alex (guitar), Alphie (guitar), Sandy (cello), Moo (trumpet) and Terrence (vocals).
The debut self-titled release by the British seven-piece quintet was a humble three-track EP. Yet somehow, in just a little over thirty minutes, the band managed to capture the essence of everything post post-rock, from the emotionally deep progression, to the organically enriched dynamics, to elegantly produced song structure. On their first full length, Rope For No-Hopers, the group continues to pull at the melancholy strings which build with the tension and finally discharge into indiscernible screaming. The cello picks up the tempo and plunges into a virtuoso dance, slowly receding into the background before the trumpet takes its queue. And there are always the drums – meticulously measuring away the constantly shape-shifting bars that set the skeleton of the compositions in place.
The name of the new album evokes both solemnity and catharsis, while the track titles are references to abstract ideas and in-jokes, products of the bands notoriously dark sense of humour. ‘Horse Manifesto’ for example details the imagined uprising of an equine regime, bent on recompense for man’s inhumane exploitation of their kind.With a despairing title like Rope For No-Hopers, the five tracks on the album, averaging about ten minutes a piece, demonstrate once again that post-rock is alive, and breathing fire. Over the five-year hiatus, the group quietly slipped away from the scene, but that doesn’t mean that during their absence the music refrained. In fact, the pieces on the album have been selected from the many past few years, during which time the band disappeared from the live scene. This time, the roller coaster is bigger, its dark foundation heavier, and its cinematic atmospherics lighter – all designed and upgraded for the most exhilarating ride. One to which you will be returning over and over again. -
reviews.headphonecommute.com/
Right from the opening chords of “You’re Next” you know you're in for something special with “Rope for No-Hopers.” You have always had that one album that means something more to you than most. That feeling you get, deep down, that the music was truly telling the story of your life. I have had experiences with such albums in the past, but nothing quite like “Rope for No-Hopers.” It gives you that exact feeling - That there is no hope, and the rope is getting shorter. At times, it almost lures you into a false sense of security. Making you feel like you are ok, that everything is going to be ok. And in one beautiful fell swoop, it brings you back to that familiar place. It brings you back to reality. Where ever that is for you..
The album opener “You’re Next” is the perfect beginning to this 48 minute melancholic dream. It is the longest song on the album, and in my opinion, the best. The warm opening of the guitar welcomes a haunting cello not even a minute into the song. The track really hits home at about the 5 minute mark with all instruments meeting each other and creating a great crescendo. Do not get complacent, though, for it lures you back, and proceeds with a subtle bass line and cello.
That exact vibe is apparent throughout the rest of the album. The addition of harsh, heartfelt vocals are scattered throughout the songs. On “Horse Manifesto” and “Dennis Many Times” they are most fitting, giving it an almost hardcore vibe. The track “Dennis Many Times” is an interesting piece. Consisting of mostly violin and eerie dissonant guitars, it hits its strides at about the 5 and a half minute mark with crushing guitars and gut-wrenching black metal type vocals in the distance. The closing song “Doldrums” is classic Post-Rock and a fitting ending. The violin plays a big role on this track, and as the song builds and releases, we are left with 3 minutes of that heartbreaking cello.
“The Pirate Ship Quintet” has created something truly special. “Rope for No-Hopers” is haunting, melancholic, raw and completely beautiful. Each instrument is played with such great timing and virtuosity. It is one of those albums that will draw you in, pull on the heart strings, crush you and make you feel safe at the same time. It will be that album that means something more to you than most. I know it sure is for me. - jimmykidd Sputnik Music
Atmospheric post-rockers The Pirate
Ship Quintet have been quiet as a mouse since the release of their
excellent self-titled EP back in 2005. Like most good things, new album
'Rope For No-Hopers' was well worth the wait, as the boys from Bristol
have undoubtedly out-done themselves
Throughout this dense sonic journey the
listener is treated to all the choice elements of the darker side of
post-rock. There are some hints of (early) Red Sparowes, the softer side of Isis and a splash of Neurosis, however the Pirate Ship Quintet have created a sound here that is both a sum of these parts but a replica of none.
The sound is honed and controlled yet
expansive and thought provoking. With the eyes closed the listener is
transported to a world of bleak, beautiful isolation. The music
throughout feels like a journey through the darker side of the psyche
that can easily play as an entire piece, with each track acting as
movements within a monumental whole. The listener is thrown into the
twists, turns and massive bursts of uncontrolled cathartic bliss that
comprise true darkness.
The heaviness is sparse but extremely
well-used, placed perfectly amongst building, brooding string lines and
lush, expansive guitar. When there are vocals, they are distant guttural
screams evoking images of an entity at total rock bottom; not bitter,
but almost relishing its sheer unbridled ferocity. All is not
downtrodden here, however, as there are some really serene reveries,
especially the very end section, the light at the end of the proverbial
tunnel.
This is an album of many layers, each one darker, more foreboding and yet more uplifting than the last. Comparisons with Grails
are easily drawn, not just due to the excellent use of cello (among
other classical touches such as violin and some epic brass) but with the
sheer level of craftsmanship apparent here.
The Pirate Ship Quintet have clearly spent
their time away perfecting their skills. Every note here feels
perfectly placed, every hit necessary and every single second played and
produced with an attention to detail that seems almost surgical. This
is definitely a grower, enjoyed most when given your full attention and
listened to through good headphones. Believe me, you’re in for a real
treat.
The Pirate Ship Quintet Interview…
You have a DIY approach to music, recording and mixing everything yourself, in many different locations including an old chapel on the banks of the River Severn, a furniture-making workshop, the offices of The Big Issue magazine and the band’s current studio space. You have also talked about being subject to technical failure on the part of cheap or borrowed gear with computers blowing up taking away with them hours of recordings. Is this a question of economics, a fear of compromising your artistic integrity, or simply the working method that suits you best?
Ha, yeah we’ve definitely suffered with a lot of technical issues over the years! I guess our approach originally came of being broke and having to find a way to make recordings without the luxury of money but we’ve become accustomed and attached to it over the years. I guess like you suggested, it does fit the way we like to work pretty well. We tend to spend a lot of time revising and tinkering with pieces during the recording process and there’s no way we’d be able to relax and take our time doing that if we were hiring a fancy studio somewhere.
In a recent interview with Headphone Commute, you described your working method as a continuous work in progress with tracks being constantly revised and whole sections discarded or changed at the last minute. Does this mean you generally end up with a very different product from the one you originally thought you were making?
Although sections or people’s parts in our pieces can end up sounding very different from how they originally began, that process of refinement is usually a pretty considered one. So we’re aware of which parts we’re not completely happy with during the writing process and we know that they are likely to change at least a bit before (and if) the piece is finished. So it’s usually a process of creating focus and making sure the pieces “feel right” before committing them to record.
Your music has always been coloured by melancholy with the cello and trumpet adding an underlining introspective mood. While still retaining a certain ambivalence, with Rope for No-Hopers, though, The Pirate Ship Quintet seems to be battling with the storm riding whilst lost at sea. Reviewing your album on A Closer Listen, Richard Allen writes, “And yet, one wonders what The Pirate Ship Quintet is so angry about. Is it the equine apocalypse mentioned in the press release? Last year’s London riots? The more typical (but understandable) angst at the end of a relationship?” While the track Horse Manifesto might’ve referred to the potential danger of an equine government, you also seem to have predicted the recent horse meat scandal! What role do the political and the personal occupy in your music and where do you draw hope from?
I guess that if our music is broadly pretty melancholic or introspective then that’s because those are the sorts of qualities that we all love in the music we listen to and want to explore in our own material. For whatever reasons those sorts of emotions you mention are ones that resonate with us more than a lot of others and so we obviously gravitate towards them when writing. I’m really not sure that we’d be able to give you a coherent explanation for why that is and I expect that any explanations from personal or individual standpoints would all be contradictory and probably pretty unhelpful. We certainly don’t explicitly discuss political or personal feelings with each other when writing music together. So whilst those sorts of things may influence why we’re drawn to certain parts or moods or ideas on some subconscious level, I think it’d be impossible to articulate exactly how or where or to what extent.
Going back to your working method, could you maybe detail how you go about composing your music by maybe taking the track Horse Manifesto as a case in point with Sandy’s cello parts, Terrence’s “low level desperate vocals” and Moo’s trumpet adding to the richly textured grain of the track?
A lot of our pieces tend to start with an idea that somebody has either brought along to a rehearsal session or that has been stumbled upon whilst jamming on other material or ideas. Most of the time these initial ideas are guitar parts, but it could be anything really. We tend to work collaboratively and everyone offers their opinions on everyone else’s parts or their ideas for where a riff should go next or which instrument should be playing a certain role.
There’s definitely a sort of evolution that happens with the pieces that is a little more complex than simply writing section a, section b, section c and so on. So to take Horse Manifesto as an example, as far as I can remember that originally started with a piano line that now doesn’t exist in the piece at all. That form of the song did eventually contain an ending that was quite similar to that one you can find on the finished record, but everything leading up to that would have been gradually changed and refined. So exactly how many working versions there might have been is really hard to tell, but I think we generally have an idea of what we’re aiming for with a piece. For Horse Manifesto we initially wanted to experiment more with odd meters and more mathy sections and to keep the song at a higher tempo throughout. I can remember having polymeters and more complicated lines and drum fills and big heavy sections in the middle at various points. Those sorts of themes I think you can still hear in the piece, but their exact manifestations are different and I think more restrained in the final version.
We try to use the different elements in the band as intelligently as we can. Things like the screaming or trumpet parts are used pretty sparingly so as to give them more impact when they do appear. I think those aspects of our sound can be really helpful for us to use as we’re keen not to fall too easily into the standard post-rock cliche box. At the same time, however, we want to make sure that we’re using those elements in a way that enhances the pieces rather than to simply try and differentiate ourselves.
After the release of your self titled debut EP, you were signed up by Denovali, the German label with a good track record in the “post rock” department. Rope for No-Hopers sits comfortably in between the metal anger of Omega Massif and the cinematic tone of Bersarin Quartett. Where would you position yourselves and what bands have influenced you the most over the years?
Denovali are a fantastic label and we’ve met a lot of really great people through it including Carlos Cipa, Poppy Ackroyd, Petrels, etc. Those guys are all so talented and great fun to be around. We’ve been good friends with Blueneck since before they signed to Denovali and our cellist Sandy has played on a couple of their records. We’re actually off on a short jaunt to Europe at the end of March with Petrels. All in all it’s been brilliant working with Denovali and getting to meet so many lovely people and other musicians. In terms of influences on the band, we all listen to a lot of instrumental and contemplative music and that’s definitely the sort of stuff we wanted to make together in the first place. We do try to make use of everybody’s more individual interests and influences though, so we’re lucky to have a big classical input from our cellist Sandy for example. Other styles we draw influence from are things like screamo and hardcore, ambient and electronica and doom metal. We also try to listen to and discover smaller, less well-known bands if we can. There are loads of really talented musicians that you might never hear about without a bit of digging!
After performing at last year’s Denovali Swingefest you will be taking the stage next April for the London leg of the festival, which in a way might even seem like a family reunion. How will you approach your live set and is there anything you are specifically looking forward to?
We had an amazing time at Swingfest last year and we’re all super excited for the London leg of the festival in April. We’ve never played at Scala before so we’re looking forward to that, as well as getting to play with and see another great roster of bands and musicians. We are hoping at some point to work with Petrels to create a soundscape that would open our show, however we doubt this will be used at Swingfest as we’ve not begun working on it yet.
You are not the most prolific band around, are there any plans to release a follow up in the near future as you now all seem to live reasonably close by and have more opportunity to get together and play?
Haha, no we’re certainly not the most prolific band around. We do live close to one another again now and we plan to release another record as soon as we are happy with enough of our new material. For a few months now we’ve been working on things in our studio and we have some skeletal structures of pieces and ideas that are starting to take shape. We get together as much as we can and try to fit sessions in around our other commitments, so we’ll see how quickly we can make progress with a new record. I think people get pretty annoyed at how slowly we work but the truth is we write music because it is what we love doing. That means that our priorities are not really aligned with a process of releasing lots of music. If we are writing we are generally content to be locked away for as long as it takes and eventually we might even end up with enough music to release something! We work and write together because it is what makes us smile first and foremost. Making records of course does allow us the funding to tour and play live for people which is the other great joy that comes from being in a band. However we have always kept live performances pretty sporadic and only really do the shows we are excited about being a part of.
- Interview: Gianmarco Del Re for Fluid Radio / Answers from band member Zee by email on behalf of The Pirate Ship Quintet
Interview with The Pirate Ship Quintet
[note: all questions are answered by Ziapour (Zee) on behalf of the group]
From the title of the album, “Rope for No-Hopers” to the name of the first track “You’re Next’ – it sounds like the album is off to a gloomy start. How did you come up with the titles of the album and the tracks?
Whilst we’re aware that the album title can easily be read as a quite gloomy one, we’ve also found people for whom it evokes a much more hopeful feeling, images of people being hoisted out of the ocean for example. We’re keen on that kind of stark double-meaning, it seems to fit nicely with the sort of music you find on the record – mostly instrumental and therefore thematically and emotionally open to interpretation. For the title, whilst it’s usually either interpreted as suggesting melancholy and suicide or hope and salvation, both readings ultimately represent escape.
As for the track titles themselves, the main thing we always aim for with these is simply to avoid as best we can the type of florid titles that seem to have become something of a cliché for post-rock music. We tend to be drawn much more towards simple, surreal or odd-sounding names. Again, a great thing with this approach is that the titles can easily mean different things to different people, but we do often name tracks after in-jokes or ideas within the band. For example ‘That Girl I Used To Live In’ is named after our trumpeter Moo drunkenly misspeaking whilst trying to tell us a story about an old housemate of his. From this title we wrote lyrics about somebody being literally trapped inside the torso of a giant woman and having to cut their way free.
‘Dennis Many Times’ is named after a mouse who we’d often see scurrying around a studio we used to have in the basement of an old fire station in Bristol. We named him ‘Dennis’ after the fire engine manufacturer. ‘Horse Manifesto’ comes from a day we spent making signs in order to picket and protest against the potential danger of an equine government (Horses + Power = Dead Babies!). As well as some photos, that day also gave us the track title and some ideas for lyrics. These are about an imagined horse uprising against humanity, seeking violent retribution for generations of oppression and exploitation.
Is there a central theme surrounding the images evoked by the music?
I suppose there isn’t really a central theme as such, outside of the kinds of titles we like to choose for the tracks, although none of those are related to one another conceptually. I think if people feel that the album has a kind of central consistency and atmosphere that’s probably more to do with how we have written the music itself, as we’re all very self-critical and fussy about the sounds and parts that we’re using.
How did you guys meet and establish The Pirate Ship Quintet?
Alex (guitar) and Jona (drums) are old childhood friends and used to play in a band together called ‘We Were Nice Today’ in Bristol. They both moved to the south coast to study and decided to form a new band – then just called Pirate Ship. Over the next few years the band went through a number of different configurations and, at some point and for some reason (none of us can remember exactly when or why) the name was changed to The Pirate Ship Quintet.
You’ve been away from the scene for over five years. What inspired you to get back together and record another album?
We never really wanted to take so long, but it was very difficult for us to get together regularly and play together, let alone write or record anything effectively. This was due to a number of reasons, most of them boring and to do with people living so far apart. There have been other pressures as well, important adult stuff like having jobs and families and things. Eventually though, despite those things, we managed to reach a point where we were all living fairly close together, in and around Bristol, as well as keeping hold of a little studio space in town which has been incredibly helpful. During that downtime we did occasionally get together and play but it was just for the pleasure of playing music together rather than to seriously write anything. They were quite dark times for the band actually, we weren’t sure if we’d ever get to release another record or even be a real band again, so we’re all super happy that we’ve finally managed to finish the record, get it released through a good label and play some shows abroad.
Describe the process of recording the pieces for “Rope for No-Hopers”.
The first thing to note with this is that we do everything ourselves on whatever bits of old gear we’ve managed to get our hands on over the years. We’ve never been recorded in a proper studio or anything like that. One reason is because we can’t afford it, but another reason is that we wouldn’t have enough time to work in the way we want to. When we’re recording we tend to be also using that time to work into and refine the tracks. Riffs are rewritten, parts are added, whole sections are sometimes dropped entirely. This is a lengthy but important process for us, and we simply wouldn’t be able to afford this kind of time in a recording studio.
One downside of this is that we need to find spaces to set up and record in and this has resulted in us using quite a few different locations for recording this record. These have included an old fire station basement, a church hall by the river, magazine offices, people’s apartments, a woodworking studio and, finally, our little studio space we’re still renting in Bristol. This kind of process has downsides though – using old gear we’ve been able to borrow or find on the cheap means lots of it fails. Our studio is full of broken mixers, audio interfaces and microphones. We’ve had three separate computers blow up, taking hours worth of demos and other work with them. I guess it’s all part of the fun and, though frustrating at times, at the end of this process I think we end up with a better record than we would have done otherwise.
In terms of the actual writing of the songs, it’s very much a collaborative effort. Generally songs start with an idea for a riff, most often these will be brought along by one of the guitarists, but then we all work on them together, suggesting parts for one another and discussing track structure. This happens all the way up to mastering and would probably keep happening forever if we didn’t have a deadline that we had to stop by. Again, we’re quite fussy and critical about this stuff and will often discard ideas, whole tracks or sections, sometimes at a pretty late stage of recording.
I would love to see your show live. You think you’ll be ever traveling around US?
We’d absolutely love to do an American tour. We recently just got back off of a short tour around Europe which was a lot of fun, but at this moment in time I’m not sure we’re quite famous and/or rich enough to be able to cover the expenses of coming all the way to the US, sorry man. One for the future hopefully!
What’s next for The Pirate Ship Quintet?
The next big thing we’ve got coming up is playing the Denovali Swingfest this year in Germany, which we’re really excited about. There’s some great bands we’re looking forward to seeing there as well like Heirs, Murcof, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Blueneck, Bersarin Quartett, etc. Beyond that we’re hoping to keep playing shows including organising another tour for next year. Long term, we have actually started writing new material and are determined to keep the momentum going this time and not take another five years to release another record. - reviews.headphonecommute.com/
The Pirate Ship Quintet Vinyl
Self-titled début EP // Available on black or limited edition blue vinyl
The Pirate Ship Quintet (2007)
The Pirate Ship Quintet's self-titled debut E.P was first released in
2007 and quickly acquired a certain chic status among the niche circles
of the U.K and European post-rock scene. It's very limited print run
(only 200 LPs and 500 Cds) sold out rapidly and until now has never been
repressed.
The record was recorded and mixed by the band and mastered by CULT OF LUNA drummer, Magnus Lindberg following the two bands sharing a stage and becoming allies.
The E.P has placed extremely highly among countless 'best of' lists and has received honourable mentions from some of the most respected critics on the post-rock scene. Its exceedingly favourable reception, despite the absence of any promotion at all, is testament to the record's substance.
Soon after The Pirate Ship Quintet played its first U.K tour, the band disappeared from the live scene, only making music for personal pleasure, seldom appearing on stage and formally releasing none of the material they wrote.
At the start of 2012 the band's phenomenally talented cellist, who has played with the likes of The London Symphony Orchestra among others, accepted a full-time position with the National Orchestra of Wales which is based very close to the band's home town. With all members of the group living in the same part of the UK once more and with their own small studio in the heart of Bristol they made the decision to return to functioning as a working band again. Their first full length album entitled "Rope for No-Hopers" is released through Denovali Records in spring 2012.
experimedia.net/
Before //
We are The Pirate Ship Quintet, based in Bristol,
SouthWestEngland. We are five core members but have worked with numerous
other musicians since our beginnings. Our Début EP was released on
Sound Devastation in 2007. After several years of hiatus, the band is
together and playing once again.
Now //
Five years after their début EP was released to critical acclaim,
The Pirate Ship Quintet recorded their first full length album entitled
'Rope for No-Hopers', which was pressed courtesy of Denovali Records.
The record is a compendium of pieces chosen and refined from an
abundance written over the past few years, during which time the band
disappeared from the live scene.The five tracks on this record move through the richly melodic foundations of contemporary classical and minimalist rock. The swelling dark atmospherics give way to moments of brute force, punctuated by low level, desperate vocals. It is a little heavier and more technically diverse than the debut E.P and feels like a considered and organic evolution of the band's method.
The band's fantastically talented cellist, who has played with the likes of The London Symphony Orchestra among others, recently accepted a full-time position with the National Orchestra of Wales which is based very close to the band's home town. With all members of the group living in the same part of the UK once more and with their own small studio in the heart of Bristol they will be writing, recording and performing consistently again.
The name of the new album evokes both solemnity and catharsis, while the track titles are references to abstract ideas and in-jokes, products of the band's notoriously dark sense of humour. 'Horse Manifesto' for example details the imagined uprising of an equine regime, bent on recompense for man's inhumane exploitation of their kind.
The record was written, performed, recorded and mixed by the band. More than ten locations were used in the recording stages including a old chapel on the banks of the River Severn, a furniture-making workshop, the offices of The Big Issue magazine and the band's current studio space. It has been mastered by Cult Of Luna drummer Magnus Lindberg in Umeå Sweden with mountains of beautiful analogue equipment.
The Pirate Ship Quintet, in its current arrangement, consists of Ziapour (bass guitar), Jona (drums), Alex (guitar), Alphie (guitar), Sandy (cello), Moo (trumpet) and Terrence (vocals). The artwork for the record was created by Lucy Joy and Jona Sturgess.
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar