Reflections, composed by Sufjan, performed by Timo Andres and Conor Hanick out now
May 19th, 2023 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Today we are proud to release Reflections, the studio recording of Sufjan’s’ score for the ballet of the same name by choreographer Justin Peck, performed by pianists Conor Hanick and Timo Andres. To celebrate this release, we commissioned long-time Sufjan collaborator Stephen Halker to create a series of audio visualizations that animate the artwork from the album by Jessica Slaven, timed to the music.
Watch the visuals here, and listen to the record here. Read more about Reflections here.
Talking about the visualizations, Stephen said, “The motion design was dictated by the forms of Slaven’s artwork and the sonic characteristics of each piece. The visuals and compositions are so dynamic that the motion design was just an act of introducing the two forms to each other and watching them interact and mirror themselves.”
Timo and Conor, who performed the pieces, have also commented on the motion present on Reflections. Says Timo: “The music has an innate theatricality, drama, and variety that seems to suggest movement—not in a toe-tapping, groove-oriented way, but instead something both grander and quirkier. It was a pleasure to work with Sufjan to find the right interpretive balance of showmanship and intimacy in this music, and I was lucky to be joined in the process by the great Conor Hanick, whose playing I’ve known and admired for years.”
Hanick agreed: “Reflections – for all its kaleidoscopic virtuosity and stylistic variety – is a piece about movement. You can practically see its shapes and vectors form in real-time, gliding, tumbling, floating. Even in a body of work defined by boldness and contrast, Sufjan’s music in Reflections feels daring.”
Orders for the album on aquamarine-colored 45RPM LP, CD, are available now wherever you buy records, or via AKR here and on Bandcamp. The AKR Store and Bandcamp also include a bundle for sale that includes the expanded edition of The Decalogue with a photo-booklet.
Angelo De Augustine Announces Toil and Trouble, Fourth Solo Album; Single & Fantastical Video of “Another Universe” available now
April 25th, 2023 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Today singer-songwriter Angelo De Augustine announces his fourth studio album, Toil and Trouble, set for release on AKR on Friday, June 30th.
The album’s lead single, “Another Universe,” is also out today alongside a fantastical claymation video, written/directed by Angelo and fabricated/animated by Owen Summers. Watch and hear here, below, or your preferred streaming service.
“I grew tired of reality and so I decided to make a world of my own. It is a safe world. The kind of place in which only good things happen,” says Angelo about the first single and the video.
This is Angelo’s first solo effort since his third album, Tomb, and his follow-up to 2021’s collaboration with Sufjan, A Beginner’s Mind. Toil and Trouble sees Angelo returning to the self-contained approach of his 2015 debut Spirals of Silence and 2017’s Swim Inside the Moon. Angelo spent nearly three years working alone and exploring the vast expanse of his imagination, creating a work that exists according to its own quixotic logic, inhabiting a psychic landscape as mystifying as a fever dream or a fairy tale. He wrote, arranged, recorded, produced, and mixed Toil and Trouble on his own, shaping the album’s sound by performing on 27 different instruments (including such oddities as a xylophone made of glass). In the midst of that highly experimental process, he endured an ephemeral but nightmarish period of otherworldly sensations and supernatural visions—an experience that briefly disrupted the album’s creation but in the end helped to enrich the album’s immense emotional depth. You can read more about the record here.
You can pre-order an indie gold exclusive color at your local record store.The AKR store features a cauldron-fire colored vinyl, as well as a bundle including a Toil and Trouble themed T-shirt, Angelo’s 2019 Tomb on vinyl, and a randomized set of three Toil and Trouble themed collector cards. Buy from the AKR store here. All versions and formats include artwork by Daniel Anum Jasper and layout and design by Eric Timothy Carlson.
Join us Tuesday night for The Welcome Wagon – Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Record-Release Special!
November 1st, 2022 , by Asthmatic Kitty
On Tuesday November 1st at 8pm EST, join us and The Welcome Wagon for the premiere of their “Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Record-Release Special!”
Filmed in a retired Lutheran chapel somewhere in the swamps of Jersey, this special features songs from the duo’s new album Esther, as well as some classics. Surrounded by friends and family in the audience, Monique & Vito are joined on stage by a host of talented musicians plus a few special guests – and hopefully you!
Sign up for the premiere by clicking here and join Monique & Vito live in the chat – and it’s not too late to pre-order the album, including a bundle with extra goodies. Click here to order.
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Welcome Wagon release “Matthew 7:7,” new song and video from forthcoming album
October 12th, 2022 , by Asthmatic Kitty
With a new album due November 4th, The Welcome Wagon have just released a new song and music video: “Matthew 7:7,” available for viewing below, or listening here.
Directed by Alex and Aaron Craig, the video features Monique and Vito Aiuto in a church in Brooklyn. This is the second Welcome Wagon video by the Craig Brothers, who also directed “Would You Come and See Me In New York?” in 2012. (The new video features a cameo from that video – see if you can spot her!)
As with the previous Welcome Wagon single, “Isaiah, California” (which you can hear here), Monique also created a painting to “Matthew 7:7.”
Monique began to paint after a decade away from the easel while locked down with Vito and their son Isaiah in their Brooklyn home. In isolation, she realized she’d neglected the very thing that connects her to herself, to God, and those around her, her gift, her purpose, art. To return to her creative practice, Monique recalled the sun drenched studios of The Cooper Union, where she attended from 1992 – 1996. Paintbrush in hand, she would listen to the muffled crackle of Psalms on tape cassettes home-recorded by her grandmother Esther. These recordings and paintings form the heart of this new album.
“Vito gave me the beautiful green Bible whose cover is in this work. He said, ‘Maybe you could use it in one of your paintings, maybe you could cut it up?’ I think God would appreciate that. There’s something about people being delighted by their own creativity that God really digs,” says Monique about the painting.Pre-orders for the album (translucent pink vinyl LP!) are here. Also available at that link are bundles, including a custom-screen printed tote, tickets to a very special Welcome Wagon release party livestream, a special hand-made cassette, and an archival quality 16″x24″ print of Monique’s artwork.
New video for Sufjan’s “Fourth of July” April Base Version
July 4th, 2022 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Today, on July 4th, Sufjan has released a video of the new April Base version of “Fourth of July,’ directed by Michael O’Neal and Adam Prieto.
This follows last Friday’s release of two alternate versions of the song, “Fourth of July.”
Both versions were recorded around 2014: “Fourth of July (April Base Version)” was recorded in Eau Claire, WI at Justin Vernon’s April Base studio, and “Fourth of July (DUMBO Version)” was recorded in Sufjan’s old studio in Brooklyn, NY.
The original version of “Fourth of July” appeared on Sufjan’s 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell. As is (and was) his custom, Sufjan would often rework different versions of his songs while recording an album, and “Fourth of July” was no exception. (Other versions & remixes of the song were released on “The Greatest Gift” mixtape and on the “Exploding Whale” 7” single.) These two latest versions were recently found on old harddrives. The refrain of the song, “We’re all gonna die,” invokes a meditation on human mortality and fragility, even as it acts as an anchor of stoic hope. Its solemnity invites listeners to feel comfort, connection — even joy — wrought from great pain and loss.
The song has recently had a resurgence with listeners — which may speak to a deep national grief and sense of loss. As we head into this Fourth of July weekend — a U.S. holiday marked by war (and death) — let us reflect on what it means to live in fullness in the face of death.
The limited run physical 7-inch in red will be released in December 2022, which marks the 10-year anniversary of Carrie’s death.
Angelo De Augustine Debuts Video for New Single, “Blue”
October 26th, 2020 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Angelo De Augustine is premiering his new self-produced single “Blue,” featuring Sufjan Stevens on vocals, piano and guitar, via Cool Hunting. The single is accompanied by a new video, directed and shot by De Augustine on Super 8 film:
Listen on your preferred streaming or digital platform by clicking here.
“‘Blue’ speaks of an admission in confidence to a friend,” explains Angelo. “The eternal and symbiotic bond of mother and child, and an inquisition into our inner pain, investigating if we are forever bound by it.”
The track is set to appear alongside Angelo’s recent single “Santa Barbara” on a limited edition, water-bottle-blue 7-inch single due later this year. You can pre-order the 7-inch here or at Bandcamp here.
In addition to the new music, Angelo has designed a limited-edition custom apparel line comprising hand-crafted overalls, a baseball hat, a pocket t-shirt and two enamel pins, available individually and also in various bundles, including with the new “Blue”/“Santa Barbara” 7” single. Pre-order is available now via Angelo’s new merch store here.
Sufjan’s “Sugar” Available Now
September 15th, 2020 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Today we debut “Sugar,” a new song from Sufjan’s forthcoming album The Ascension Listen here, and watch the video, choreographed by Kyle Abraham and directed by Ezra Hurwitz below:
Filmed in Brooklyn, the video features noted dancers Raymond Pinto, Samantha Figgans, Celeste Mason and Walter Russell III portraying a family as their world dissolves around them.
“‘Sugar’ is ultimately about the desire for goodness and purity (and true sustenance),” says Sufjan. “On the surface the song is just a string of clichés, but the message is imperative: now is the time to gather what is good and pure and valuable and make it your own, and share it with others. Feed your soul and speak new life into those around you. Give each other love, respect and sacrifice. Relinquish all the old habits, all the old ways of thinking and doing, all former practices—‘business as usual’—and bring new life to the world. This is our calling.”
“The way I approach choreography tends to blend elements of the everyday with moments of abstraction,” says Abraham. “I was compelled by the tempo and the tone of the song…especially when choreographing the duet material and solo material for Samantha Figgans and Raymond Pinto. This song and its undertones created a lot of really fun scenarios to play with choreographically.“
You can pre-order The Ascension here.
Please note that the physical release date for The Ascension has been moved from September 25 to October 2 due to unforeseen COVID-19-related manufacturing and logistics delays. We’ll still be releasing The Ascension on all streaming and download platforms, as scheduled, on September 25.
Sufjan’s “Video Game” Available Now
August 13th, 2020 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Today Sufjan is debuting “Video Game,” the second single from his forthcoming album The Ascension. The video, directed by Nicole Ginelli, stars Atlanta-based dancer and choreographer Jalaiah Harmon, creator of the Renegade dance.
“The process of making this video compared to my other projects was a little more challenging because I was asked to create choreography for the whole song, instead of the 15-30 second song clips I usually get,” says Jalaiah. “I was a little nervous in the beginning, but once I really broke the song into parts and listened to the lyrics over and over, I just put moves together that connected to the words and felt natural for me to do. I think I’m still really trying to get used to this kind of success, so I can’t really define it just yet. I just know that when you work hard and you treat others with kindness and fairness, good things come back to you.”
“I was inspired by how much Jalaiah loves to perform,” says Nicole. “She brings such a powerful and specific energy, it’s infectious. I wanted to make something defiantly joyous, and to show what it looks like to reclaim agency, strength and moves in order to take control of one’s own projections and imagery.”
Here’s Sufjan on the song and video:
It’s unfortunate that we live in a society where the value of people is quantified by likes, followers, listeners and views. So many people are seeking attention for the wrong reasons. I think we should all be doing our best work without looking for accolades or seeking reward.
The main takeaway of “Video Game” for me is: your worth (invaluable) should never be based on other people’s approval (ephemeral). Just be yourself. Keep it real. Keep it moving. Do all things with absolute purity, love and joy. And always do your best.
Jalaiah epitomizes all of this and I’m truly inspired by her. So I thought, “what if we could get Jalaiah to star in a ‘dance video’ about not wanting to star in a ‘dance video’?” I’m so honored she agreed. She clearly owns it, and her work here is beautiful, poignant and true.
Her dance shows incredible energy, work-ethic and spirit. She is dancing for herself, not anyone else. Her choreography is sophisticated, nuanced, and fun. She is a star. She keeps it real. She keeps it moving. She keeps it true.
The Ascension arrives on digital and streaming platforms on September 25 and via CD/LP/Tape on October 2nd. You can pre-order it here, at your local record store, or pre-save it digitally here.
“My Rajneesh” by Sufjan Stevens available now
July 10th, 2020 , by Asthmatic Kitty
“My Rajneesh,” the B-Side to the 12-inch single of “America” culled from the sessions for Carrie & Lowell, is out on digital platforms today. You can hear it below, or on your preferred digital platform by clicking here.
The 12-inch 45rpm is out in record stores on July 31st. Check with your local store for availability.
“America,” the first single from Sufjan’s new album, available now
July 3rd, 2020 , by Asthmatic Kitty
“America,” the album’s debut single, is out now alongside a video filmed by Sufjan.
Stream “America” and pre-order the album here.
Watch the video on YouTube here, or here:
“America,” and in turn The Ascension, is an indictment of a world crumbling around us—and a roadmap out of here.
Sufjan says the foundations of The Ascension are “a call for personal transformation and a refusal to play along with the systems around us.” And its first single stands as “a protest song against the sickness of American culture in particular.”
“America” may feel apt for the times, but it was written six years ago, originally worked on during the making of Carrie & Lowell (its forthcoming B-side, “My Rajneesh” was culled from these sessions as well).
“I was dumbfounded by the song when I first wrote it,” Sufjan says. “Because it felt vaguely mean-spirited and miles away from everything else on Carrie & Lowell. So I shelved it.”
“But when I dug up the demo a few years later I was shocked by its prescience. I could no longer dismiss it as angry and glib. The song was clearly articulating something prophetic and true, even if I hadn’t been able to identify it at the time. That’s when I saw a clear path toward what I had to do next.”
Sufjan then re-recorded the song and spent the next two years writing and recording the rest of the material on The Ascension almost entirely by himself on his computer, working mostly with a drum machine and handful of synthesizers, using “America” as its thematic template.
Sufjan says: “My objective for this album was simple: Interrogate the world around you. Question anything that doesn’t hold water. Exterminate all bullshit. Be part of the solution or get out of the way. Keep it real. Keep it true. Keep it simple. Keep it moving.”
The result is The Ascension, a “lush, editorial pop album,” as Sufjan describes it, that finds us all at a “terrifying crossroad.”
“America” with “My Rajneesh” on Side B is out as a 12-inch single July 31. We will be releasing “My Rajneesh” released digitally next Friday July 10.
We will have very limited quantities of the 12-inch for pre-order here at 9:30AM EDT.
Local record stores will also be stocking quantities.
Local record stores are also stocking the first-pressing edition with clear 2xLP vinyl and tip-on gatefold. Check for your store here. We’ll have some in stock at our store at 9:30AM EDT here. If you are in Europe please check our official store here to save on shipping.