Prolific indie artistes Joan of Arc are at it again, with a new experimental LP titled Testimonium Songs set to hit our ears July 30 via Polyvinyl Records.
While last year's self-titled set was said to be "grappling with simplicity and minimalism," a press release for Testimonium Songs notes that it features "highly structured compositions" performed by a fixed cast of musicians in various permutations.
The six-song LP was constructed over the course of two years and is intended to be played live, incorporating elements of dance and theatre into the original compositions. The work is inspired by Charles Reznikoff's Testimony, which transformed court transcripts about workplace negligence between 1885 to 1915 into poetry. As for the lyrics on Testimonium Songs, they apparently "re-invent the strategies of Objectivist poetry" as laid out by Reznikoff, while never quoting directly from the source material itself.
Along with band mainstays Tim Kinsella, Bobby Burg and Theo Katsaounis, Testimonium Songs features performances from David Grubbs, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Michael Zerang, Jim Baker, and Melina Ausikaitis.
Pre-orders for CDs and LPs are being taken now over here. Most vinyl copies will appear on traditional black wax, though 100 pressed onto magenta vinyl are being made available in a bundle package featuring Testimonium Songs and a few older Joan of Arc LPs.
Testimonium Songs:
1. Amelia
2. I'd Expect Babies Should Fly, If Not at Least Float Away
3. Mosaic of Bolts
4. Stephen's Song
5. The Bird's Nest Wrapped Around the Security Camera
6. Jury Duty
Read our timeline on Tim and Mike Kinsella here.
While last year's self-titled set was said to be "grappling with simplicity and minimalism," a press release for Testimonium Songs notes that it features "highly structured compositions" performed by a fixed cast of musicians in various permutations.
The six-song LP was constructed over the course of two years and is intended to be played live, incorporating elements of dance and theatre into the original compositions. The work is inspired by Charles Reznikoff's Testimony, which transformed court transcripts about workplace negligence between 1885 to 1915 into poetry. As for the lyrics on Testimonium Songs, they apparently "re-invent the strategies of Objectivist poetry" as laid out by Reznikoff, while never quoting directly from the source material itself.
Along with band mainstays Tim Kinsella, Bobby Burg and Theo Katsaounis, Testimonium Songs features performances from David Grubbs, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Michael Zerang, Jim Baker, and Melina Ausikaitis.
Pre-orders for CDs and LPs are being taken now over here. Most vinyl copies will appear on traditional black wax, though 100 pressed onto magenta vinyl are being made available in a bundle package featuring Testimonium Songs and a few older Joan of Arc LPs.
Testimonium Songs:
1. Amelia
2. I'd Expect Babies Should Fly, If Not at Least Float Away
3. Mosaic of Bolts
4. Stephen's Song
5. The Bird's Nest Wrapped Around the Security Camera
6. Jury Duty
Read our timeline on Tim and Mike Kinsella here.
