Hey, I just heard a great new album. And I scored an extra one for one of you! The band’s name is Helvetia (not Helvetica, like I kept reading at first) and here’s their deal…
“The stripped down experimental psych of Helvetia plays out like a series of sun-faded snapshots: subtle, stark, hazy and gritty as hell. Since their 2006 debut, Helvetia (pronounced HEL_VE_TZIA) have created a myriad of recordings, each dripping with various levels of experimentalism. Now on their 7th album, the band has signed with Joyful Noise, and has produced their most focused and inspired tracks in their 6-year history.”
Originating in Seattle WA, and currently residing in Portland OR, Helvetia began in the aftermath of the droning, atmospheric group Duster (Up Records). Principle songwriter Jason Albertini and bandmate Canaan Dove Amber formed the group with a revolving cast of contributors, which at times has included members of Built To Spill and Dinosaur Jr. Albertini’s laissez-faire approach to personnel has resulted in a diverse catalog of material, ranging from 4-track lo-fi indie to surreal, unhinged soundscapes.
With their new album, Nothing In Rambling, Helvetia’s sound has culminated into a cohesive balance of familiar and experimental. Self-produced by Albertini, and recorded on a Teac 1/2 inch reel to reel 8-track, “Nothing in Rambling” was released on September 11, 2012 on Joyful Noise Recordings and will be followed by a US tour with Built To Spill.”
All you have to do to enter to win this nicely-hazed collection of creatively-assembled grooves spirally-inscribed on a flat disc is to ramble in the comments section below. Any ramble will do.
A winner with a North American mailing address will be chosen on Monday, October 8th. (And if you don’t win, you can grab your favorite format here.)
