“Climb That Mountain,” single from Sufjan and Lowell’s Aporia available now

March 11th, 2020 , by

Sufjan Stevens’s and Lowell Brams’s instrumental new age album, Aporia, is available at record stores and your favorite digital platform on March 27, 2020. 

Today we’re proud to introduce another single: “Climb That Mountain.”

You can also watch the promo video and hear the first single, “The Unlimited,” here, or watch the video for “The Runaround” here.

Aporia is out March 27th. You can pre-order the limited edition yellow LP, yellow cassette, or CD here.

Now Available: “The Runaround,” the newest single from Sufjan and Lowell’s Aporia

February 19th, 2020 , by

Two weeks ago we announced Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams’ instrumental new age album, Aporia, set for release here on AKR on March 27, 2020. You can watch the promo video and hear the first single, “The Unlimited,” here.

Today we’re releasing “The Runaround,” the second single, along with a video set to the track. 

The video, shot and edited by ABUTTA492, features Bike Life bikers on the streets of Harlem and NYC, Atlanta, and Miami. You can watch more of ABUTTA492’s Bike Life videos on his Youtube channel or his Instagram. You can also learn more about Miami’s Bike Life movement by watching the short documentary “Bikes Up Guns Down,” available here.

Watch and listen to “The Runaround” here

Aporia is out March 27th. You can pre-order the limited edition yellow LP, yellow cassette, or CD here.

Announcing Aporia, from Sufjan and Lowell

February 5th, 2020 , by

Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams have made an instrumental new age album called Aporia, which will be released on AKR March 27, 2020. Read more here.

Listen to the first single here. Pre-order the limited edition yellow LP, yellow cassette, or CD here.

Sufjan & Lowell have curated a New Age listening playlist in celebration of the release here. Follow the playlist as we’ll be adding more tracks as we get closer to release date.

Decalogue Score Available for Purchase

December 11th, 2019 , by

Last month we released The Decalogue, composed by Sufjan Stevens and performed and recorded by Timo Andres. 

The deluxe limited edition, which you can purchase here, includes a 40-page piano score. 

But if you don’t have a record player but want to play the etudes at home, you’re still in luck; the score is available for purchase separately, as a 40-page physical book, or as a digital, downloadable PDF. You can purchase it here for $15 for the physical and $5 for the PDF. 

“Save Me From Myself,” a New Song from Denison

December 6th, 2019 , by

We’ve released one song from Denison Witmer’s American Foursquare project, “River of Music,” and more recently a beautiful rendition of “For The Beauty of the Earth.”

Today we’re happy to release another new song from the American Foursquare project, entitled “Save Me From Myself.”

Here’s Denison on the themes of “Save Me From Myself:”

Family life is busy. I don’t have the same amount of time for self reflection that I once had. While I do miss that alone time, being part of a family has given me a different kind of clarity. My children teach me that my own needs are very simple. They just want to be loved. They just want to be heard. They just want to feel safe. I am reminded of the lyrics in one of my favorite songs, The Prayer Of Saint Francis—“It is In giving of ourselves that we receive.” I think family life is much the same way.

This song is the first track Denison recorded with Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) back in February 2017 (!!!). The result, this song, is what led Denison and Thomas to keep tinkering and recording together. “I remember being really nervous,” says Denison, “because I wasn’t sure if I was actually making a new album or if we were just experimenting. When he added the piano part the song came to life and I somehow knew innately that, after my long hiatus from music, I was ready to start a new record.”

You can listen to the song here, or via your favorite streaming platform here.

New Holiday Music from Denison Witmer

November 22nd, 2019 , by

A couple of weeks ago we released “River of Music,” a brand new song by Denison Witmer from his American Foursquare project (which you can hear here).

Today, Denison has released some more new music. This time it’s “For the Beauty of the Earth,” a holiday hymn written by 19th century Tractarian, scholar, and writer Folliott Pierpoint.

Here’s Denison on the song:

“‘For the Beauty Of The Earth’ is my favorite song of thankfulness. It is a reminder that peace and beauty can be simple, located in the world around us and the people we love. I recorded this song live with my friend Thomas Bartlett. He played piano while I sang. We performed it twice and picked our favorite take. I wanted it to sound the way I sing it to my children at night.”

We hope you enjoy the song over the holidays.

(And there’s more new music coming so be sure to follow Denison Spotify or Instagram.)

Out Now from Half-handed Cloud: Gathered Out Of Thin Air

November 15th, 2019 , by

Half-handed Cloud’s Gathered Out Of Thin Air is the culmination of nearly a decade of songwriting, recording, and collecting. We’ve been slowly trickling out batches of songs from this compilation, but at long last you can hear it in its glory on 2xLP or via your favorite digital platform.

The compilation includes songs like “Naaman,” which is a cover of an unreleased Sufjan Stevens song, sent to John Ringhofer (Half-handed Cloud) back in early 2001, “Nativity Costume (2000 Year’s Eve),” a holiday song of John’s that found its way into a cover song for the end credits of the video game Hypnospace Outlaw, “California” a cover of a song by Norwegian band I Was A King, a newly-mastered version of “Train Yourselves In Godliness,” from 2015’s self-released digital-only Foiled EP N°1, “Stumbled On A Holiness,” which is from Half-handed Cloud’s previously-unreleased Wearing The Path EP, “Here We Go Transformation,” which was previously only released with a zine, and over 50 other singles, non-album EPs, Christmas songs, and rarities from 2010-2019 – gathered into one place just for you.

Listen here, or order the 2xLP here or with your local record store. If you order through Asthmatic Kitty Records, we’ll include a limited edition set of four bookmarks, designed by John Ringhofer (Half-handed Cloud), while supplies last.

Three More Songs from Half-Handed Cloud

November 8th, 2019 , by

There are now three more new songs we can hear from Half-handed Cloud’s forthcoming 2xLP compilation, Gathered Out of Thin Air.

In this third release of three songs each, there’s “Naaman,” which is a cover of an unreleased song sent by Sufjan Stevens to John Ringhofer (Half-handed Cloud) early in  2001, back when they were first pen pals. There’s a newly-mastered version of “Running Off With Balderdash” from Half-h’s scrappy Foiled EP N°2. And finally there’s “Nativity Costume (2000 Year’s Eve),” a holiday song John wrote that found its way into a cover song for the end of credits of the video game Hypnospace Outlaw

Next Friday, November 15th, we’ll be able to hear a decade’s worth of work, all 60 tracks, in one place! The 2xLP is still available for preorder here.

Pre-orders through Asthmatic Kitty Records include a limited set of four bookmarks, designed by Ringhofer.

Surprise! Three More New Tracks from Upcoming Half-handed Cloud Comp

November 1st, 2019 , by

A couple of weeks ago, we debuted three new-to-us songs from the forthcoming Half-handed Cloud compilation, Gathered Out Of Thin Air. 

Today, Half-handed Cloud (aka John Ringhofer) is releasing a new batch of three additional songs: “Peoples With Rubbed Out Steeples,” “California,” and “You Came To Disappear.” All of these come from small-run vinyl pressings over the last decade.  This is the digital debut of 2011’s “Peoples With Rubbed Out Steeples,” (originally part of Burnt Toast Vinyl’s 1-Sided LP series) and ”California” (from a 2012 Spendour split-7” record with Norway’s I Was A King. “California” is a cover of one of I Was A King’s songs. “You Came To Disappear” comes from 2015’s analog monophonic synthesizer-based Jiminy Circuits EP, originally commissioned by Plastiq Musiq

Listen to those songs on Spotify here, on Bandcamp here, or on your favorite platform.

Gathered Out Of Thin Air is a new double LP gatefold sleeve compilation of sixty newly-mastered rarities and singles, recorded throughout the HHC’s second decade (2010-2019), set to release November 15th 2019 via AKR on digital, streaming, and 2xLP. Though some of the sixty tracks have seen previous release in other formats, this is the first time these songs have been re-mastered and compiled for wide release via digital platforms and vinyl.  

The 2xLP is available for preorder here. Initial pre-orders through Asthmatic Kitty Records include a limited set of four bookmarks, designed by John Ringhofer.

Hear The New “River Of Music” From Denison Witmer

October 25th, 2019 , by

A few weeks ago, we announced American Foursquare, a new project from Denison Witmer. Today, you can hear the first single, “River of Music.”

American Foursquare was started with Thomas Bartlett (Sufjan Stevens, The National, Norah Jones) in New York City, and finished and mixed in Seattle, WA, with Andy Park (Death Cab For Cutie, Pedro The Lion, Noah Gundersen). Abby Gundersen and Aaron Campbell contributed instruments and vocals.

Here’s what Denison had to say about “River of Music”:

While writing this song, I often thought about how music is basically a magic spell. Something is created from nothing—arranging notes and rhythm and instruments—and it has the possibility of shifting our emotions, thoughts, and even our actions.  I take so much from music, so I’m grateful to give back in whatever way I can.  

“River of Music” feels like a fitting first song to release after my hiatus from recording and touring. It’s a love song. It’s a call to action to give back, pay it forward, live intentionally, and love unconditionally. 

Listen on your favorite steaming platform here, or below.

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