This July Oregon's A Stick And A Stone will release their brand new album The Long Lost Art of Getting Lost - a shimmering gem of experimental minimalistic doom that is set to wind back the hands of time to a time in which bands like OM, Earth, Boris, Orthodox and Goatsnake where redefining the lineaments of doom and post-rock.
A Stick And A Stone is led by vocalist and composer, Elliott Harvey. As a trans male with invisible disabilities, Harvey has learned that there is often more than what meets initial perception. Inhabiting a body between the thresholds of gender and ability has made him no stranger to liminality, shape shifting, and living between worlds. Consequently, he has developed a devotion to unveiling what exists beyond the easily detectable radar. This practice has carried over into his music, which is often described as ghostly, haunting, and ethereal.
Harvey started performing as a soloist in Philadelphia as a teenage castaway, and since then has expanded his project to include drummers, noise alchemists, and string players into the fold. In 2013, he met violist Myles Donovan (Disemballerina, Negative Queen, Ominous Cloud Ensemble) in Portland, OR. A city-born Philadelphian, the two realized their lives had been intricately intertwined long before meeting, and Donovan swiftly became the core collaborator of A Stick And A Stone. Their partnership has yielded music that is both earthly and transcendental - soundscapes of true intimistic prowess that are crushing and suffocating in their emotional intensity, and mesmerizing in their evocative force. With deep and touching lyrical content channeling themes of alienation, nature worship, mental illness, and disembodiment, and influences ranging from OM, Earth, Amber Asylum, Jarboe and Electric Wizard, to Bloody Panda and Noxagt, A Stick And A Stone brings together sludge-doom, post-rock, minimal folk, and avantgarde to conjure atmospheres of unparalleled beauty, darkness, and intensity.
On his third full-length album Elliott Harvey and viola player/“album co-conspirator" Myles Donovan explore new sludgy, tumultuous terrain while retaining the signature elements of ethereal harmonies, haunting vocals, and potent lyricism equated with Harvey's previous work. The Long Lost Art of Getting Lost dives into the shadows of this age, upholding the power of resilience amidst times of uncertainty. A Stick And A Stone's unusual style arises from blending paradoxical essences; on this album, gritty bass merges with elegant strings, rugged howls are echoed by graceful whispers, heavy drums are laced with ghostly soundscapes - to materialize in the end an unquestionable modern minimalistic doom masterpiece of our times.
With a release date set to July 21 2017, The Long Lost Art of Getting Lost, will see the light on cassette through Sentient Ruin (US) and Breathe Plastic (EU), while a CD version will surface through Spirit House. A vinyl LP version is also in the works through Sentient Ruin (US), and Cold Recordings (US). Pre-orders for the casette and digital versions are now live on our Bandcamp and on our store.
Get a first taste of this marvelous and spectral modern doom masterpiece over at CVLT Nation, who are now streaming the track Arrow at this link, calling The Long Lost Art of Getting Lost a "trance-inducing and dream-evoking opus".
