Producer/musician Kelly Lee Owens has announced a new album, LP.8, out April 29th (digital) and June 10th (physical) on Smalltown Supersound, and today presents two of its tracks, ‘Sonic 8’ and ‘Olga’.
The rising tension of ‘Sonic 8’ presents an intriguing and uneasy monologue: “this is an emergency/ this is a wake up call” emotes Owens repeatedly over a static throb that submerges you in its existential anxiety, listen to it below.
The press release says the album was “born out of a series of studio sessions, LP.8 was created with no preconceptions or expectations: an unbridled exploration into the creative subconscious.”
After releasing her Welsh Music Prize Award winning album Inner Song in the early days of the pandemic, Owens was faced with the sudden realization that her world tour could no longer go ahead. Keen to make use of this untapped creative energy, she made the spontaneous decision to go to Oslo for a change of scenery and some undisturbed studio time. Arriving to snowglobe conditions and sub-zero temperatures with the borders closed once again, she began spending time in the studio with esteemed avant-noise Lasse Marhaug (known for his work with Merzbow, Sunn O))) and Jenny Hval).
Together, Owens and Marhaug envisioned making music somewhere in between Throbbing Gristle and Enya, artists who have had an enduring impact on Owens’ creative being. In doing so, they paired tough, industrial sounds with ethereal Celtic mysticism, creating music that ebbs and flows between tension and release. One month later, Owens called her label to tell them she had created something of an outlier, her “eighth album.” In Owens’ words, “For me, 8 meant completion – an album that will ripple infinitely with me personally.”
Pre-Order LP8
Tracklisting LP.8 (Digital/CD)
- RELEASE
- VOICE
- ANADLU
- S.O (2)
- OLGA
- NANA PIANO
- QUICKENING
- ONE
- SONIC 8
Tracklisting LP.8 (Vinyl)
Side A
1. RELEASE
2. VOICE
3. ANADLU
4. S.O (2)
Side B
1. OLGA
2. NANA PIANO
3. ONE
4. QUICKENING
5. SONIC 8
Kelly Lee Owens Tour Dates
Fri. June 3 – Melbourne, AU @ Rising Festival Hub
Sat. June 4 – Sydney, AU @ Motorik [DJ Set]
Wed. June 15 – Milan, IT @ Magnolia Fest
Sun. June 19 – Dublin, IE @ Body & Soul Festival
Sat. June 25 – Bristol, UK @ Bristol Sounds
Sat. July 2 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
Fri. July 8 – Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Live Fest
Sun. July 10 – Modena, IT @ Artivive Festival
Fri. July 22 – Macclesfield, UK @ Bluedot
Sat. July 23 – Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival
Sat. July 30 – London, UK @ South Facing
Sun. July 31 – Sicily, IT @ Ortigia Sound System Festival [DJ Set]
Sat. Aug. 20 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
Sun. Aug. 21 – Biddinghuizen, NE @ Lowlands Festival
