IIVII (pronounced “ivy”) is the enigmatic intergalactic solo project spearheaded by visual artist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Josh Graham. Focusing on sonically engulfing and moody soundscapes, layered with a science-fiction edge, IIVII transcends genre confines exploring elements of drone, classical, ambient, electronica, and vaporwave. As a founding member of Red Sparowes, Battle Of Mice, and A Storm Of Light, IIVII has allowed Graham to strip away the bombast and distorted guitars, and channel the intensity and dread through subtle orchestration and manipulation of dense sonic atmospheres.
Live shows mix visuals, guitar, analogue and digital keyboards, cassette loops, and more. The Postrocker.nl review for the DUNK Festival states, “Transcendental soundscapes featuring stunning imagery from outer space, this was hallucinating. I sat down in the Stargazer tent and after ten minutes, I drifted away in a slumber with great soundscapes touching my ears. After a half hour, the set finished without a warning and the whole floor immediately awoke out of a deeply induced trance. A great diversion from the loud, up-tempo postrock on the main stage. This could go on for hours, but it had to end sometimes. A beautiful orchestra of ambient sci-fi for a movie that will never be.”
And now, this June IIVII will unleash the engrossing Invasion full-length via Consouling Sounds. Captured entirely by Graham, the follow-up to 2015’s critically-lauded Colony debut centers itself on an invading species of alien origin. The artwork was also completed by Graham, who currently serves as Soundgarden’s art director. Working as a designer and director, he has also collaborated with a variety of bands including Mastodon, Neurosis, Jesu, Shrinebuilder, ISIS, and The Dillinger Escape Plan.
As a precursor to its release, today BrooklynVegan brings adventurous listeners the first taste of Invasion with the visual accompaniment to “Painless.”
Comments Graham: “In the timeless words of Lee Ving, ‘Let’s have a war.’ Let’s put the humans out of their misery and have a good old fashioned alien invasion. Goodbye cruel world. C’est la vie orange wig. Arrivederci saints and sinners. Another score to a non-existent movie, ‘Painless’ is track six of nine, and tells the sonic story of where we cease to be human, and are reborn into something magnificent, or terrifying.”
Take in “Painless,” courtesy of BrooklynVegan, at THIS LOCATION.
Invasion will see release on June 23rd on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. For preorders point your browser to THIS LOCATION.
Invasion Track Listing:
- We Came Here From A Dying World (I)
- Unclouded By Conscience
- Hidden Inside
- No More Enemies
- Tomorrow You’ll Be One Of Us (II)
- Painless
- We Live
- You Die
- Sanctuary (III)
In related news, IIVII will appear at 24-Hour Drone at Basillica Hudson. An immersive event and all-encompassing experience, 24-Hour Drone is a roving, international series presented by Basilica Hudson and Le Guess Who?, featuring musicians and sound artists experimenting within the spectrum of drone. On June 29th IIVII will perform a special record release show at the renowned Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York as part of the AISA/By Norse showcase with BardSpec.
IIVII:
4/29/2017 24-Hour Drone @ Basilica Hudson – Hudson, NY [info]
6/29/2017 Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY w/ BardSpec [tickets]
Stand by for further info on the IIVII invasion in the coming weeks.
http://www.resonantiivii.com
http://www.consouling.be
http://www.facebook.com/ConsoulingSounds