Ira glass - compound turbulence flexing for the heat (out 7/12 via Fire Talk/Angel Tapes)

ira glass's forthcoming debut EP, compound turbulence flexing for the heat, out July 12th on Fire Talk's new imprint Angel Tapes. Recorded at Electrical Audio and dedicated to its late founder Steve Albini, the EP marks ira glass’ studio debut, following two self-recorded demos praised by Stereogum as “noisy, tense, and aggressive [...] post-hardcore so volatile it can hardly be contained.” These studio recordings are a kinetic opening statement, putting the “fuzzy sort of fullness” (Chicago Reader) of their early demos in high definition.

'compound turbulence...' will be announced alongside lead single "where'd you get the candy baby lol" on Wednesday, June 26th. That weekend, ira glass will perform at the Logan Square Arts Festival in their hometown of Chicago, IL. They will celebrate the EP's release on July 12th at Cole's Bar, and tickets are available here.

ira glass is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Lise Ivanova, and rounded out by Sunny Betz (guitar), Landon Kerouac (drums), Gavin Swope (bass), and Jill Roth (saxophone). In less than a year, they’ve grown from strangers into an unyielding force. Originally formed in 2022, the members of ira glass were recruited via fliers posted around their hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Entitled “NOISY POST-HARDCORE INSTRUMENTALISTS DESIRED,” Ivanova’s original ad listed influences wide-sweeping and hyper-specific, ranging from “every john reis project” to “the first hole album” and name-dropping the likes of Unwound and Slint. ira glass’ resulting lineup solidified in mid-2023, with members’ roots ranging from the Pacific northwest to Puerto Rico.

When recording at Electrical Audio, ira glass capitalized on the space’s elements in an effort to mimic their live performances. Their debut EP, ‘compound turbulence flexing for the heat,’ synthesizes the band’s propulsive energy with Electrical Audio’s storied environment, known for its ability to authentically capture sound. Alongside self-sourced instrumentation including drummer Landon Kerouac’s home-made“trash stack” percussion set of cut, dented and otherwise damaged cymbals, ira glass utilized the studio’s extensive backline, employing toy glockenspiels, a vintage Wurlitzer piano, and vocal processing units used by the Cars, Cocteau Twins, and ELO to enact their own singular vision.

‘compound turbulence..’ reintroduces three demo standouts — “bruxism in 8mm,” “torrid love affair with a family annihilator,” and lead single “where’d you get the candy baby lol” — alongside two new tracks. “where’d you get the candy baby” is incendiary, fusing references to a Logan Square cult with relentless instrumentation. “not to put too fine a point on it” begins in a bass-laden fog and clears to reveal Lise Ivanova’s filtered vocals and her signature screamed delivery; on “[consider It] water under the bridge” she replaces the latter with a thrilling whisper before the track bursts. Across the EP, explosive moments are contrasted with exercises in restraint which provide a glimpse at ira glass’ mathy, post-rock contours.

“We figured we’d lean into the fact that we were working with a limited budget and timeframe,” ira glass say of their debut, recorded over two days in the same space as records foundational for the band. It is a testament to ira glass’ DIY politics and a thrilling showcase of what’s possible when they’re given the room to play.