Six years after “On Circles“, Caspian have announced their sixth full-length. The Beverly, Massachusetts post-rock band will release the self-titled “Caspian” on October 16 through Wax Bodega, with the nine-minute “Remain” arriving today as their first new music since 2020.
“Remain” takes a recurring melodic figure and keeps expanding it across nine minutes, moving through repetition, heavier guitar sections and a long rise towards its closing minutes. A visualiser directed by Luke Webster Brown and Elijah Sussman accompanies the single.
There is a lot of history sitting behind a six-year gap for this band. Caspian loosely formed in Beverly in 2003 and played their first show the following year, before releasing “You Are the Conductor” in 2005 and debut album “The Four Trees” in 2007. “Tertia” followed in 2009. By 2012’s “Waking Season“, they had become one of the main American names from their generation of instrumental post-rock. Spin singled that record out as the year’s best post-rock album, and Pitchfork later wrote about how far Caspian had developed beyond the early Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai comparisons attached to them.
Their history also carries a much harder break. Founding bassist Chris Friedrich died in 2013. “Dust and Disquiet“, released two years later (and discussed in this interview on IDIOTEQ), dealt directly with the grief around his death. Caspian toured heavily behind it, then took their first extended hiatus. “On Circles” eventually arrived in January 2020 after sessions with Will Yip and pushed the band through electronics, saxophone, cello, vocals and some of the least predictable arrangements in their catalogue.
The new album brings Philip Jamieson, Calvin Joss, Jonny Ashburn, Jani Zubkovs and Justin Forrest together around something they first established more than two decades ago.
“Our sixth full length album isn’t particularly uncharted sonic territory for the band but rather a process of self-discovery and coming to terms with the decisions we’ve made and the people we are,” Philip said. “Caspian revives musical pledges established over 22 years ago, forgotten somewhere along the way but rediscovered here, hopefully, in the form of structural simplicity, approachable melodic sensibilities and being ruthlessly direct as possible with our own emotions. In a culture that shows no signs of slowing down, we find these core tenants more important than ever and it’s our hope that they’re put to the best use we are collectively capable of. We did this record for the 5 of us.”
They recorded the six-song, 39-minute album this spring with Brett Romnes, whose credits include Hot Mulligan and The Movielife. It is Caspian’s first album for Wax Bodega.
Some further details give a better idea of how compact the record is. “No One Left to Tell” develops through small changes around a repeating tremolo guitar figure. “A Great Fire” pushes winding guitar parts into much harder buzzsaw riffs. Closing track “Waltz for the End” moves in 3/4 and was completed during a half-hour burst of writing.
The full tracklist is:
“Hiraeth”
“Far Country”
“Remain”
“A Great Fire”
“No One Left to Tell”
“Waltz for the End”
Pre-orders are open now, including CD and several limited vinyl editions. Current listings confirm the October 16 release date and Wax Bodega catalogue number WAX63.
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The album cover uses a photograph by James Wallace Black. Jordan Butcher handled the layout and design for Strange Practice and also shot the current Caspian band photo.
Caspian are Philip Jamieson on guitar and synth, Calvin Joss on guitar, Jonny Ashburn on guitar, Jani Zubkovs on bass and Justin Forrest on drums.
They will be on the road before the album is even out.
A 17-date UK and European run starts in Leeds on October 15, reaches Manchester on release day and continues through the end of the month. The band’s current listings also confirm stops including Nijmegen, Wiesbaden, Prague, London, Dublin and Galway.
October 15 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
October 16 – Manchester, UK – Academy 2
October 17 – Glasgow, UK – The Art School
October 18 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
October 19 – Paris, France – Trabendo
October 20 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje
October 21 – Cologne, Germany – Gebäude 9
October 22 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof Wiesbaden
October 23 – Dresden, Germany – Beatpol
October 24 – Prague, Czech Republic – Rock Café
October 25 – Vienna, Austria – Flex
October 26 – Ljubljana, Slovenia – Kino Šiška
October 27 – Milan, Italy – Circolo Magnolia
October 28 – Breda, Netherlands – Mess
October 29 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom
October 30 – Dublin, Ireland – Opium
October 31 – Galway, Ireland – Roisin Dubh
December 3 – Brooklyn, New York – Saint Vitus
December 4 – Boston, Massachusetts – The Paradise
The December dates put them back in the US for two shows, Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on December 3 and The Paradise in Boston the following night. Tickets for those dates go on sale September 11 at 12 noon Eastern via Caspian’s website.
“Caspian” arrives October 16 via Wax Bodega.
