Announces New Album “Way,” out April 8th on Cardboard Records * Kickoff US Tour to SXSW with Parts and Labor!
The disciplined timing and deliberate restriction to small tonal palettes recalled vintage Steve Reich, and a noticeably all-American strain (their unavoidable country roots) frequently gave the overall sound a vibe like a hoedown in a parallel universe. In this way, they tip their hats to guitar visionaries such as John Fahey. - LA Weekly
The outfit, now numbering three members and only one on guitar, have moved towards a loop-heavy wall of noise that, while still maintaining Matt Papich’s bright, tumbling guitar melodies, seems to have become a band more concerned with textures and intensity. - Impose Magazine
As happy as ambient music gets - PaperThinWalls.com
Welcome to the magical and mysterious world of ECSTATIC SUNSHINE.
An ambient-drone trio hailing from Baltimore, MD, Ecstatic Sunshine is set to release their debut record for the Cardboard Records imprint entitled WAY, the follow-up to 2007’s Living and 2006’s Freckle Wars, two albums that put the band at the top of their class in the avant art-punk scene.
This week marks the first announcement of the band’s new album, and sees them kicking off a US tour to SXSW w/ friends Parts & Labor! See full tourdates below.
More about the new album:
WAY, the second full length by ECSTATIC SUNSHINE, is a record of skewed minimalism and true, uplifting positivity. Recorded in the summer and fall of 2007, between trips and tours, WAY is ECSTATIC stretching to a point fully beyond expectations. The riffs that ECSTATIC explored in the past are deconstructed and reconsidered, effected and processed into melodic noise and chiming rhythm. WAY documents the most recent incarnation of this hyper drone trio, aptly described as "FULL POSITIVE ENO WORLD + PURE TRUST BRANCA CLOUD."
ECSTATIC SUNSHINE began as a way for founding members MATTHEW PAPICH and DUSTIN WONG to interweave 60's minimalism with 80's punk. Formed in Baltimore in the spring of 2005 (just before the avalanche of press began sweating the art damaged scene that was thriving around them), the two guitarists combined seemingly incompatible ideas tightly to make a new, unrecognizable force. ECSTATIC began touring extensively as a treble heavy, ear splitting symmetrical thrash band. In that summer, they recorded their acclaimed debut for Carpark Records, FRECKLE WARS, a 30 minute album full of purist, whimsical bursts.
Since then, the band has been on a quickly changing trajectory, leaving audiences equally confused and enthralled. In the summer of 2007 they released LIVING, a vinyl only EP on Papich's own Wildfire Wildfire imprint. The EP documents ECSTATIC's transition away from their brief and snappy roots towards a more noisy and blissful take on the tonal walls of Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham. LIVING quickly sold out of its limited pressing of 500 copies and has become a gem to fans of the band. 2007 also brought the addition of KIERAN GILLEN (electronics) and a changing sound that relies more heavily on the repetition of Terry Riley or early Steve Reich. Despite such academic influences, their live performance has been noted for its swirling energy and overwhelming volume and tone -- ECSTATIC SUNSHINE is still a punk band at heart.
ES is DUSTIN WONG, MATTHEW PAPICH, KIERAN GILLEN
ES has performed with: BLACK DICE, DIRTY PROJECTORS, DAN
DEACON, EARTH, MAKE BELIEVE, GROWING, HIGH PLACES,
NO AGE, EX MODELS, WHITE WILLIAMS, CEX, BIG A LITTLE A.
WAY Tracklist:
01 B
02 Herrons
03 Perrier
Ecstatic Sunshine Live!
Mar 3 2008 DANGER DANGER PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania w/ Parts & Labor
Mar 4 2008 FLORISTREE DOUBLE DAGGER BALTIMORE, Marylandw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 5 2008 LOCAL 506 CHAPEL HILL, North Carolinaw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 6 2008 BOTTLE TREE BIRMINGHAM, Alabamaw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 7 2008 SLUGGOS PENSACOLA, Floridaw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 8 2008 NEW COLLEGE SARASOTA, Floridaw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 10 2008 JACK RABBIT LOUNGE SHREVEPORT, Louisianaw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 11 2008 THE MINK HOUSTON, Texasw/ Parts & Labor
Mar 12 2008 CARDBOARD SXSW PARTY @ HABANA CALLE 6 AUSTIN, Texas
Mar 14 2008 IMPOSE MAGAZINE PARTY at RANCHO RELAXO AUSTIN, Texas
Mar 15 2008 TODD P NOT SXSW PARTY AUSTIN, Texas
Mar 16 2008 PILOT LIGHT KNOXVILLE, Tennessee
Mar 27 2008 BROOKLYN MASONIC TEMPLE w/ SUNSET RUBDOWN BROOKLYN, New York w/ Sunset Rubdown
Apr 5 2008 TERRACE CLUB @ PRINCETON PRINCETON, New Jersey w/ Dirty Projectors
Apr 18 2008 MARKET HOTEL w/ HIGH PLACES, CEX, ZS BROOKLYN, New York w/ Zs, Cex, and High Places
For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/ecstaticsunshine
www.cardboardrecords.com
