I am super proud to present you the newest work from AKELA, an amazing post hardcore band from Germany. This monumental record is definitely capable of having a significant effect upon underground dark and heavy music. Being released through Midsummer Records, the outing will be supported on a string of European shows with THE TIDAL SLEEP, who I interviewed earlier this year. Launch the player below and scroll down to find out more about the band and see how the vinyl looks from a closer view.
AKELA:
We put so much energy and passion into this and it just feels so good to finally hold this baby in our hands. Thank you so much to everyone who already placed an order. There are still some copies left of the limited ›clear with white smoke‹ edition. You can get it on colorful solid yellow as well. All preorders will be shipped on July 17th.
Band photos by Sebastian Weiß.
Lüdenscheid: A small town in Germany with a little under 80.000 inhabitants. Situated in a densely-wooded recreation area, the proud home of an extensive button collection (no joke) unfortunately does not offer many activities for people under 40. Apart from village discos and fun fair brawls there just is not a whole lot going on here. Those who do not move away as soon as they are done with school are either all-weather jacket fetishists or soon feel a lurking, ever-growing frustration.
This is where AKELA are from. After their 2011 debut album »Orientation«, the 4-song EP »The Void«, and a 7“-split with their friends in Hector Savage, a second full length was long overdue – even more so since last year’s line-up change behind the drums has left audible marks in the band’s sound and songwriting. The 11 songs that now form »Akela« were once again recorded at the Tonmeisterei in Oldenburg and feel more diverse and vivid, but at the same time more focused than the previous output. Familiar trademarks like that wall of sound and the whirring delay guitars are still in place but now appear more dynamic and differentiated.
And maybe it is Lüdenscheid, this narrow-minded, self-announced “City of Lights”, that caused AKELA to sound more pissed off and desperate on this second album than ever before. Maybe this place is to blame for the fact that this full length (to be released an August 1st, 2014 via Midsummer Records) assembles as many broken characters on their quest for meaning, acceptance and refuge as it does. But AKELA still do permit glimmers of hope on their self-titled record. You can actually hear how much the quintet has grown together musically and personally during the recent months and years, how they refuse to give in to resignation or to make peace with the status quo. And if the final outcome sounds anything like this album, then maybe Lüdenscheid has its good sides after all.
AKELA – »Akela« will be released on colored vinyl in two versions and a download via Midsummer Records on August 1st, 2014. The album was recorded by Roland Wiegner and Henner Henzler at Die Tonmeisterei, Oldenburg. The artwork was designed by Florian Gering. AKELA are:
Joti – guitars
Simon – bass
Flo – guitars,vocals
Jan – drums
Samuel – vocals
1.8. Stuttgart (DE) / Juha West
2.8. Feltre (IT) / Magazzini Prensili
3.8. Wien (AT) / Das Bach
4.8. Poprad (SK) Road Pub
5.8. Bratislava (SK) ReFresh
6.8. München (DE) / Backstage Werkstatt
7.8. Nürnberg (DE) / Zentralcafe
8.8. Bielefeld (DE) / AJZ
9.8. Köln (DE) / Club Privat
10.8. Siegen (DE) / Vortex Surfer
11.8. Hamburg (DE) / Hafenklang
12.8. Berlin (DE) / Tiefgrund
13.8. Warszawa (PL) / Chmury
14.8. Wroclaw (PL) / Cztery Litery
15.8. Altenburg (DE) / tba.
16.8. Leipzig (DE) / Atari
