BIG|BRAVE have announced a new album entitled OST, out April 25th via Thrill Jockey.
Lead single “innominate Nº ii” can be streamed now, offering a glimpse into the band’s creative approach on the LP.
The seven-minute piece eschews the droning metallic guitars of prior BIG|BRAVE recordings in favor of minimalism. Haunting notes hang in the air, surrounded by misty ambience and subtle white noise created by a soft human voice and the delicate touches of a Wurlitzer.
On OST, BIG|BRAVE entered the studio with overarching concepts, but no pre-written material, instead improvising using the instruments at hand — as well as one of their own invention. Guitarist Mathieu Ball created a stringed instrument using piano strings simply called “The Instrument,” and it ended up being central to the project’s sound.
“The strings Mathieu used for his instrument came from a discarded piano thatch that had been laying around in the hallway of my tattoo studio for ages,” stated guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie in a press release. “It took a lot of work to get the strings off but then he made the instrument in only a few days. It blew my mind.”
OST was fully written and recorded in the studio with drummer/percussionist Tasy Hudson, engineer/producer Seth Manchester, and MJ Guider’s Melissa Guion. Following OST’s completion, BIG|BRAVE contacted a previous collaborator, director/visual artist Stacy Lee, to “visually score” the record. Select screenings with live performances are in the works.
“Although this record could stand on its own, we envisioned it being paired with moving images, which introduced a fresh and exciting way of working,” added Mathieu Ball.
You can pre-order OST via Bandcamp. Stream “innominate Nº ii” and see the album art and tracklist below.
OST Artwork:
OST Tracklist:
01. innominate Nº i
02. innominate Nº ii
03. innominate Nº iii
04. innominate Nº iv
05. innominate Nº v
06. innominate Nº vi
07. innominate Nº vii
08. innominate Nº viii