Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
The dually urban-based INSECT ARK, an instrumental twosome – with membership located in New York, New York, and Salt Lake City, Utah – announces their third punishing, and possibly most harrowing, record to date.
‘The Vanishing‘ will arrive February 28th, via Profound Lore Records, and is sure to impress appreciators of mind-warping audio soundscapes. With heavier, darker, and denser compositions, in comparison to anything INSECT ARK has done previously, the new material explores a progression both malevolent and enthralling.
Engineered by Colin Marston (Dysrhythmia, Krallice, Behold The Arctopus), the opus delivers haunting servings of eerie psychedelia impacted into chilling-yet-intimate sonic constructs. These crushing creations coming straight from Swans’ Dana Schechter and her INSECT ARK collaborator, former SubRosa drummer Andy Patterson (also of DØNE, The Otolith, INVADRS).
INSECT ARK is well known for exploring internal visions translated into a stylistically gritty, audio noir by means of their much-praised prior offerings, ‘Portal/Well’ (2015) and ‘Marrow Hymns‘ (2018). The latest chapter from the pair possesses the same personality and sense of disconcerting dread as the earlier efforts, though Dana Schechter offers the following insight into ‘The Vanishing‘, saying:
“The album’s title refers to a recurring daydream I had of disappearing completely – floating out to sea alone and never being found. On a much bigger level, it’s about the impermanence of life itself, trying to retain the perspective of how small we really are.”
INSECT ARK‘s ‘The Vanishing‘ will be released worldwide from Profound Lore Records on CD, vinyl LP, and digital formats on February 28th, with pre-orders to be unveiled next month.
In the meantime, sample the album teaser as well as the opening hymn, “Tectonic“, in an audio single format. ‘The Vanishing‘ album artwork features a stunning painting by French artist Sonia Merah.
