Forget the Olympics and those Monkey trailers. The most important event in the far east as far as I’m concerned is Epic45‘s massive tour of Japan and Taiwan next month. They played the very first Colour gig way back in 2006 (with long-time collaborators July Skies) and have been very supportive of our endeavours since.
If you’re not familiar with the output of Rob Glover and Ben Holton, theirs is one of the most creative collaborations in the region right now, making music that is rich in concept and big on atmosphere. Their three full length albums are explorations of the rural landscape and its relationship to memory and nostalgia. While 2006s Slides focused on grand, sweeping shoegaze-tinged post-rock, last year’s May Your Heart Be the Map took a more acoustic and vocal approach, seeing their preoccupations explored more intimately. It was also warmer than Slides, which evoked a cold snap on the cusp of Winter with its glistening guitars and ominous percussion. We’re told that in this age of downloading that the idea of an album as a conceptual, self-contained whole is under threat: it’s good to see it’s alive and well in Wheaton-Aston.
Epic45 recently released their first 12″, featuring remixes by Bracken and Bibio. Here are the tracks in their original form.
Stream: The Stars in Autumn
From May Your Heart Be the Map (2007, Make Mine Music)
Stream: You Are An Annual
From May Your Heart Be the Map (2007, Make Mine Music)
Video: England Fallen Over (Directed by Paul Banks)
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