‘New Album’ is where a band or artist answers some questions about their latest release. Up next is The Shocking and Stunning, a duo that combine densely layered synths and live drums to make wall-of-sound music that sits between dance, trance, noise and drone. They were very active in the early 2010’s, releasing six EPs, collaborating with rappers Tourettes and Name UL, DIY touring constantly, performing at festivals such as Camp A Low Hum, Chronophonium and Rhythm and Alps, and playing many house parties. After laying low for a number of years, and despite members now being in separate countries, they have released their long-overdue full-length album. Ten tracks. Five new, five re-recorded from older releases. We caught up with Jack from the band to find out a bit more about it.

When/where was the new album recorded?
We recorded the drums first, with James Goldsmith at (the now demolished) Munki Studios all the way back in 2014. Everything else on the album is electronic, these parts were recorded and layered over the drums in Jack’s home studio.

Who produced/engineered the album? How did the tracks come together in the studio, or at home?
The album is self-produced, and mixed / engineered by James Goldsmith. The album is split 50/50 between new tracks and re-recorded older ones. Some tracks, such as Return of the Rock God are close recreations of the original versions. Other tracks like Sun Chief were completely remade after recording, with only the drum beat staying the same. James mixed the drums and electronic parts together at Bluebarn Studios, and made it all sound huge.

How did the songwriting happen? Are there any overall themes within the songs/album?
We have always written tracks through jamming and refining, Sam on drums and Jack on synth/sampler. In terms of an overall theme for the album, we wanted it to feel like a full live set, something that can be listened to all the way through as a singular work. There aren’t any silences and the tracks all fade into one-another.

Were you going for a different sound/approach on this album?
For the album we wanted to refine and consolidate our sound. We released six EPs prior to the album, each a little different in sound and approach. The album is like a ‘best of’, drawing from these different approaches.

Was there any specific gear you used to capture that?
Nothing too specific. James used many, many, many microphones when we recorded the drums. For the electronic parts, Jack uses Logic Pro and a stack of synths and effect chains.

Is there a particular single/track that you feel captures the essence of the album?
Not so much an individual track, but I think you get a good indication of the album within the first couple of tracks. Compared to our previous releases there is a lot of variation in this album: Sun Chief is short and frantic, Jeer and Crow is slow and droning. The other tracks are somewhere in the middle.

Is there a physical copy available? If not which digital platforms is it available on?
There are no physical copies (at this stage), however the album is available on all major digital platforms: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes & Youtube.

Are you working on a video/videos for any of the songs? Are you doing any gigs or promotion for its release?
The band members are now living in different countries, so there are no current plans outside of the album release. We hope people enjoy the album!