Cold Specks (a.k.a. singer-songwriter Al Spx) put herself on the map with her critically acclaimed "doom soul" debut I Predict a Graceful Expulsion in 2012, and now she's announced what she has in store for an encore. On August 26, she'll uncover her Neuroplasticity via Arts & Crafts/Mute.
A press release explains that work on the album began at a cottage in the UK's Wick, Somerset region, with songs shaping up as Spx was reflecting on the busy world tour schedule she undertook for I Predict a Graceful Expulsion.
"I relentlessly toured for the first time," Spx said in a statement of the on-the-road grind. "Travelling constantly was an odd adjustment at first. I'd always imagined road trips to be exciting and generally fun. I found it all to be physically and mentally draining. Between tours I was mostly attempting to re-socialize myself."
After writing the song cycle, Spx hit up both Montreal's Hotel2Tango and Toronto's Revolution Recordings studios with producer Jim Anderson, with mixing duties handled by Anderson and Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode). While a full tracklisting has yet to appear, the set is described as "bleaker than before," with songs fixating on " blood, animals and earth," and "the notion of obliteration."
Paying Spx back for her recent appearance on Swans' To Be Kind LP, Michael Gira makes guest appearances on Neuroplasticity's "Exit Plan" and "A Season of Doubt." Also appearing on the latter is Oakland trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, who had Spx guest on his The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint earlier this year.
For now, though, you can listen to the newly shared track "Absisto" below, where you'll also find Cold Specks' upcoming tour schedule.
Tour dates:
05/20 Hamilton, ON -The Casbah
05/23 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall *
06/11 London, UK - The Lexington
06/21 Kingston, ON - Skeleton Park Music Festival
06/28 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival
07/18-19 London, ON - Home County Folk Festival
08/29-31 Dorset, UK – End Of The Road Festival
09/18 Copenhagen, DK- Vega
09/20 Brussels, BE - AB Club
09/22 Amsterdam, NL - MC Theatre
09/23 Paris, FR - Fleche D'or
09/28 Bristol, UK – Colston Hall 2 The Lantern
09/29 Brighton, UK – Green Door Store
10/01 Manchester, UK – Band On The Wall
* with Timber Timbre
Read our recent interview with Cold Specks here.
A press release explains that work on the album began at a cottage in the UK's Wick, Somerset region, with songs shaping up as Spx was reflecting on the busy world tour schedule she undertook for I Predict a Graceful Expulsion.
"I relentlessly toured for the first time," Spx said in a statement of the on-the-road grind. "Travelling constantly was an odd adjustment at first. I'd always imagined road trips to be exciting and generally fun. I found it all to be physically and mentally draining. Between tours I was mostly attempting to re-socialize myself."
After writing the song cycle, Spx hit up both Montreal's Hotel2Tango and Toronto's Revolution Recordings studios with producer Jim Anderson, with mixing duties handled by Anderson and Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode). While a full tracklisting has yet to appear, the set is described as "bleaker than before," with songs fixating on " blood, animals and earth," and "the notion of obliteration."
Paying Spx back for her recent appearance on Swans' To Be Kind LP, Michael Gira makes guest appearances on Neuroplasticity's "Exit Plan" and "A Season of Doubt." Also appearing on the latter is Oakland trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, who had Spx guest on his The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint earlier this year.
For now, though, you can listen to the newly shared track "Absisto" below, where you'll also find Cold Specks' upcoming tour schedule.
Tour dates:
05/20 Hamilton, ON -The Casbah
05/23 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall *
06/11 London, UK - The Lexington
06/21 Kingston, ON - Skeleton Park Music Festival
06/28 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival
07/18-19 London, ON - Home County Folk Festival
08/29-31 Dorset, UK – End Of The Road Festival
09/18 Copenhagen, DK- Vega
09/20 Brussels, BE - AB Club
09/22 Amsterdam, NL - MC Theatre
09/23 Paris, FR - Fleche D'or
09/28 Bristol, UK – Colston Hall 2 The Lantern
09/29 Brighton, UK – Green Door Store
10/01 Manchester, UK – Band On The Wall
* with Timber Timbre
Read our recent interview with Cold Specks here.
