Bardo Pond’s extensive archive recordings series opens up once again with ‘Volume 9’ for an incisive journey into their hypnotic sound. Recorded in the early 2000’s it’s a heady mix of acoustic ambience and menacing distortion.
Infamous purveyors of longform stoner rock, Bardo Pond embrace their sludgestorms with graceful nods to Hawkwind, Earth and My Bloody Valentine. For anyone uninitiated with the band’s tranquilizing sound, ‘Volume 9′ leans into their mesmeric practise with reckless abandon.
“It documents a period in the early 2000s when we were jamming with Michael Zanghi,” recalls Michael Gibbons, one of Bardo Pond’s guitarists along with his brother John and Isobel Sollenberger who contributes flute and vocals to the band.
“Mike is a great drummer and musician and the music that we created with him has a unique feel.”
Featuring two tracks recorded with talented percussionist Michael Zanghi (Kurt Vile/The War On Drugs) and the seminal two parter ‘War Is Over’, a lilting Floydian strum that’s invaded – quite literally – by unreconstructed noise. The Zanghi collaboration is an Eastern-facing mantra with percussive flurries and distorted modal shifts – like listening on the other side of feedback.
Completing the set is ‘War Is Over’, which breezes in like a Gilmour-era Floyd late night acoustic strum. It’s almost an ambient hum before it’s invaded – quite literally – by the noise courtesy of the brothers Gibbons, as they gear up into My Bloody Valentine territory transcending sub-prime drone sounds into an aggressive ear bending crescendo. It’s incessant and immediate.
“It’s split into two parts and was worked on during one evening.”
Bardo Pond’s Volume 9 is set for release on 23rd February on Fire Records.
Available on Black Vinyl. Out 23rd February.
