Slip the Surly Bonds of Earth with Gnoomes on “Cascais”

Screenshot from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Gnoomes, “Cascais”

(Note:  headline borrows from the poem High Flight, by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.)

“Cascais” (which may or may not be named in honor of the Portuguese town of the same name) serves as a taster for Gnoomes’ forthcoming full-length, Tschak! (just the snare, then?).

According to the background note for the new album, its tracks were conceived amidst turmoil, both for the band’s members as well their hometown of Perm, Russia.  On this evidence, it would seem that Gnoomes’ focus was to make sense of these issues from a great height.  “Cascais”‘s interstellar techno meets drone vibe emits a narcotic effect during lift-off, a clear-headed guitar line slinging shards of light through the haze, racing towards a gorgeous, astral break at the 3 minute mark.  Like pulses through warp speed, it’s flashing lights and colors, a bit like Wire circa Ideal Copy and/or A Bell Is a Cup…Until It Is Struck (vocalist Alex Pyankov’s tone reminds of Colin Newman), mixed with Hot Chip.  From Russia with blurp.

Tschak! is due March 10 from Rocket Recordings.  Follow along:  soundcloud, bandcamp, fbook.

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