Brooklyn's So Hideous is a band we've raved about for quite a while, and we're excited to be the first to officially announce their sophmore release, Laurestine, which is scheduled to drop on October 16th. The album was recorded at The Wild Artic Recording Studio in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with producer Dean Baltulonis, and much like their debut, features actual orchestral and choral tracks recorded by The First Light Orchestra, recorded at Little Field Performance and Art Space in Brooklyn, New York, by Chris Montgomery.
To make it clear, this one is going to be epic. Check out this teaser:
But it gets even awesomer. The band's label, Prosthetic Records, offered this explanation of the album:
Brandon Cruz – by day a music teacher at a New York City school – names Max Richter, Hans Zimmer and MONO as three of the inspirations fueling "Laurestine". Cruz reveals that the album is based on a story of one man's post-mortem experience, an interior journey in the seven minutes after dying during which the brain is said to be still active. Ascending toward an afterlife, the man is guided through this limbo state by a woman named Laurestine, made to reflect on the past and prepare for the unknown to come.
On various levels, "Laurestine's" lyrics and music connect to tell this story. In reference to the seven-minute space between life and death, the number seven dominates – the seven tracks are riddled with 7/4 and 7/8 time signatures. The songs' lyrics are written in the voices of both the protagonist and his guide – these two narrators lead the listener on an unforgettable tour through anguish, melancholy, and ultimate triumph.
So Hideous have a round of tour dates coming up. If they're anywhere near you, go check them out:
8/28 Brooklyn, NY – Silent Fest @ Saint Vitus Bar (w/ Set and Setting & North)
8/29 Rockaway, NJ – The Backroom Studios
8/30 Boston, MA – O’Brien’s Pub (w/ InAeona, Meek is Murder & Set and Setting)
8/31 Montreal, QC – Turbo Haus
9/1 Ottawa, ON – Cafe Dekcuf
9/2 Toronto,ON – Coalition
9/3 London, ON – The APK
9/5 Chicago, IL – Red Line Tap
9/6 Cincinnati, OH – Northside Yacht Club
