MMM028 August Stars Invisible in the Dusk
1. Landscape of North East Derbyshire and South Yorkshire
2. Bleak December
3. Masts Against a Lowering Sky
4. Window Frost
5. Swifts in a Darkening Summer Sky
6. Crooked Spire of St Mary and All Saints
7. Sodium-Vapour Midnight
8. Distant Hills (2)
August Stars, one of many projects of musician and sound explorer Sebastien Wright, was one of the first artists to debut material on Make Mine Music. With nods to works of Brian Eno, Zoviet France and pre-Man Machine Kraftwerk, and finding kinship and inspiration in the writings of Derek Jarman, Paul Auster and J.G. Ballard, August Stars' series of long-form EPs explored a rich seam of dark ambient music long before their current vogue.
Taking its title from a line in the Ted Hughes poem "Rain", August Stars' new EP Invisible in the Dusk will be released on Monday 21st November 2011. Unlike previous releases the literary influence ends here, and nostalgia, usually a large component in the music of August Stars, only has a minor role on this EP. The recordings are, like Sebastien's earlier releases, highly autobiographical, capturing November journeys across the desolate Pennines, train rides through rainswept northern towns and the loneliness and social isolation which comes with moving to a new city. Invisible in the Dusk is very much a recording set in winter - occasionally cold, often dark in tone, and texturally oblique.
Invisible in the Dusk will be released in a strictly limited edition of 25 CDR copies with artwork by Daniel Fogarty, and digital download. The EP will be the penultimate release on Make Mine Music, the pioneering and artist-led co-operative label, which will close its doors for the final time at the end of the year after ten years of releasing music by the likes of Library Tapes, July Skies, Epic45 and Piano Magic.
As stated above the EP will be available from Monday 21st November. Physical copies will be £4 each including postage to the UK. Copies sold outside of the UK will be subject to a shipping charge, however I'll only charge what I pay. I should add that the CDR copies are limited to just 25 and will be sold on a first come basis. If you'd like a copy please contact me at sebastienstars (at) gmail.com.
Digital Downloads will be available from the August Stars bandcamp page at £2 each. This will include the complete EP plus an high quality copy of the sleeve, featuring cover art by Daniel Fogarty. I designed the sleeve as a tribute of sorts to the DIY ethic. It is printer friendly and photocopiable.
There will also be a free companion download featuring tracks omitted from Invisible in the Dusk, three tracks salvaged from the abandoned Drawn Away EP, alternative versions and demos. More details about this release here and it will be available from the August Stars bandcamp page.
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