--The WIRE--
"...Sullivan’s smuggled in some unexpected moves to destabilize initially predictable songs."
--Subba Cultcha--
"Like Joy Division playing Hawaiian beach music on a downer - stark, haunting and entrancing…"
--Gigwise.com--
".....slow-burning stuff, balancing precariously between full alertness and the disorientating drowsiness of slumberland. "
Escalade is a project of New York-area native Greg Sullivan, currently based in Tokyo. Literally finding its beginnings in the studio- during a stint as an assistant engineer, Sullivan and his songs were then flung out on the road. Embarking on a self-imposed exile across the Pacific to New Zealand, the basics for a debut album were arranged and recording whilst living in backpackers, and an artists loft in a former printing press in downtown Wellington. Along the way, the A-side of Cuckundoo Records 7” single release- “X’s & O’s” was first cut direct-to-disc by lathe record artist, Peter King at his plant outside of Christchurch on the South Island.
Due to isolation of various kinds, work on a debut album began as a solo project by default. Fast-forward to a full-time life in Japan, where with the help of various players the songs blossomed slowly, pieced together like an audio jigsaw puzzle.
This year has seen several live shows as both a duo and trio, presenting the songs with a mixture of different instruments and loops. The first images of an “escalade” were largely instilled by the image of spiraling up a never-ending stairway to infinity in a scene from a children’s fantasy novel. Like a burglar erasing their own footsteps behind them, the impression of leaving no impression hangs out in the subliminal shadows. The songs are calmly insistent, swaying to their own sensitive internal pulse. A monolith perched on a pinpoint. Step lightly and leave plenty of space for the thoughts to fall. Remaining wholly intact over several years of work and several thousands of miles traveled, a debut album release is finally set for release in 2008
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Hello from Kanagawa,Japan! This is Sunneo of amanojaku denki ongakutai. Your sound is very cool! I wish that you enjoy my stupid songs. God of rock bless you.
Hey Escalade, thanks for becoming friendswith Agents of Karma. Peace Out+ good karma to you always. Jayster, Conrad + Paddymyke:) Keep it real! AOK / NYC
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy!!!!!! HOw's it going???????!!!!!!!! All well????????????????????? I miss you!!!! hehehe. マジで、グレッグにあいたかよーー！！！！！！！ 本当にいままでありがとう！！！ 君のおかげで本当にいつも助かってたよ！！！！！！
So when does the world tour hit Denver? I heard from Chris about the last show in Japan, sounded fun. Hope you're doing swell and enjoying being back in the ol' USofA.
Easily one of the most important bands of our times (and we don't say that lightly), Stars of the Lid are the highpoint of the ambient genre. Their influence on the music that really matters over the last decade has been huge, and we're incredibly honoured to be hosting them again in Leeds. This gig will be very very different, and very very special. Stars of the Lid have excelled at designing subtle, minimalist epics which sound like they're being played on a single multifaceted organic instrument. A wise man once described SOTL as "divine classical drones without the tedious intrusion of drums, or vocals. "
The Declining Winter is the musical project of Richard Vincent Adams of Leeds UK, the co-founder of the continuing group Hood and a full time stricken office worker. What does it sound like? Richard says "cassette tapes spilling out of the glovebox of a 1970's Datsun Sunny somewhere in the north of England, captured on Super 8 film". He's not far off. Live he is joined by a few more people to bring the beautiful pastoral feel to life. Wonderful stuff.
Golden Diskó Ship combines a mass of instruments and found objects (guitars, viola, glockenspiel, sticky tape, compact disc cases, toys…) together with perfectly crafted laptop electronica to form a world of beautiful, original and individual music - “…dreamy, experimental folk electronica that sounds like walking on the beach with the sun in your eyes."
The Declining Winter is the musical project of Richard Vincent Adams of Leeds UK, the co-founder of the continuing group Hood and a full time stricken office worker. What does it sound like? Richard says "cassette tapes spilling out of the glovebox of a 1970's Datsun Sunny somewhere in the north of England, captured on Super 8 film". He's not far off. Live he is joined by a few more people to bring the beautiful pastoral feel to life. Wonderful stuff.
Hands and Fingers makes minimally gorgeous cerebral music. He mixes samples, acoustic guitars, glockenspiel and ambient atmospheres with drum breaks that have been described as "Tortoise having a fight with Four Tet in the dark, with John Bonham trying to split them up". It's ace. Very ace.
A Forest of Sound presentation. It’s £4 on the door, doors are 8pm.
