Double LP limited to 300 copies
Janel Leppin cello, electronics, keyboards, voice
Anthony Pirog guitar, electronics
Hugely influential and appearing nearly everywhere within Washington D. C. 's contemporary music scene as bandleaders and contributing artistic voices, cellist and vocalist Janel Leppin and guitarist Anthony Pirog have long been creative partners as well as life partners. They make it clear in conversation that New Moon in the Evil Age is a harbinger of things to come as well as the distillation of a twenty year journey of life and work. This recording is only their third as a duo and this fact is somewhat surprising given the fact that they often pair up on each other's various recorded and live projects. They have both been exceptionally active over the past decade :
Leppin leads and composes for the revered chamber-jazz group Ensemble Volcanic Ash, as well as recently releasing a celebrated solo cello record called The Brink, and three solo vocal and synthesizer albums. Leppin led and arranged music for The Heart Sutra, an ensemble that presented works by pedal steel guitarist and composer Susan Alcorn, and has also recorded with artists including Oren Ambarchi, Eyvind Kang, Priests, Marissa Nadler and Rose Windows for labels such as Tzadik, Sub Pop, Sacred Bones, Bella Union and Touch. Additionally, Leppin toured as the bassist and synthesist for D. C. based post-punk band Priests, as a cellist in Kyp Malone's Rain Machine and as a cellist, vocalist, and synthesist with Marissa Nadler.
Pirog founded the stellar trio Messthetics with ex-Fugazi bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty (with records on Dischord and Impulse!), which has also recently featured saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, and released Pocket Poem, Palo Colorado Dream and other records as a leader. He has recorded as a collaborator with Henry Kaiser, Jeff Sipe, Michael Formanek, Andy West, William Hooker, Dave Ballou, Mike Pride and Jeremy Enigk.
As Pirog notes, "Janel & Anthony has always been a priority for us. We've been chipping away at this new record whenever we could, despite life intervening! We're looking forward to having the opportunity now to prioritize our duo music, because we've done so much in between our records in terms of performances and planning. " The album has a pretty clear division point, given that the first ten tracks are instrumental while the remaining nine are vocal and electronics-heavy. Rather than interpolating and ping-ponging sensibilities from song to song, the arc from soaring string interplay to synth-driven layered avant-pop is clear. Leppin remarks that, "This album is organic to us.
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