Pink Dots- 'Angel In The Detail' : new album by veteran experimental rock band - out 23.08.19

An Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in 1980, The Legendary Pink Dots operate outside the musical mainstream and have maintained a fiercely loyal cult following worldwide, sustaining a lengthy career that has seen them release more than forty albums. The founder members of the group, Edward Ka-Spel (vocals, keyboards, songwriter) and Phil Knight [aka The Silverman] (keyboards, electronics), are joined by guitarist Erik Drost for ‘Angel In The Detail’, the band’s follow-up to 2016’s much praised ‘Pages Of Aquarius’.

Two years in the making, ‘Angel In The Detail’ is an enthralling, captivating release on which Ka-Spel’s distinctive vocals and lyrical imagery float over textural ambience, hypnotic guitar, synth washes and spellbinding bass pulses to create a sound that has often been described as ‘industrial Pink Floyd’.

But, although there have always been echoes of Syd Barrett’s Floyd in their sound, it is early Bowie, The Residents, Can and Faust who were undoubtedly bigger influences on the fledgling LPD’s, alongside musique concrete composers such as Pierre Henry. Indeed, the lengthy fever dream-like sonic expeditions that litter the band’s catalogue have often received the greatest praise, and existing fans won’t hesitate to add the glorious 11 minute album closing ‘Red Flag’ to their ‘best of Dots’ lists.

The band themselves describe their latest opus as follows :

“Even on the darkest day. Even on the longest night. Even when there seems to be no hope left. Even when you surf the channels and see only monsters. Even little you, little me, pacing our way through a forest of dark menacing shadows wondering if the great creator had simply sneezed upon the candle we need to guide us through to kinder pastures. Even now my friends, there is an Angel In The Detail. An album two years in the making. There were a few diversions, a few questions never answered, and a cloud full of value moments. The latter have been preserved for you here and many will be related live on the forthcoming Legendary Pink Dots 40th Anniversary Tour. In fact, we turn 40 in August 2020,but I guess there is no harm in starting things early.”

Edward Ka-Spel is also a co-founding member of electronic duo The Tear Garden (with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy), and released an acclaimed collaborative album with Amanda Palmer in 2017. Palmer has often cited The Legendary Pink Dots as being her favourite band.

ANGEL IN THE DETAIL

TRACKLISTING

1 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. PRESIDENT

2 DOUBLE DOUBLE

3 JUNKYARD

4 ITCHYCOO SHARK / ISLE OF SIGHS

5 NEON CALCULATORS

6 MY LAND / PARALLELS

7 MAID TO MEASURE

8 MANTIS

9 THE PHOTOGRAPHER

10 RED FLAG