Pelagic Records release ltd. THE OCEAN – THE GRAND INQUiSITOR 10″ EP – feat. previously unreleased track

THE GRAND INQUISITOR is a 10″ vinyl E.P. featuring the 3 “Grand Inquisitor” – tracks from current album “Anthropocentric”, as well as the 4th, previously unreleased chapter entitled “The Grand Inquisitor IV – Exclusion From Redemption”. This 7-minutes track is thematically completing the “Grand Inquisitor” – series, which makes reference to the
chapter of the same title in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamasov.

The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor finds Christ in medieval Seville during the Spanish Inquisition, healing the sick and raising the dead. He is captured and sentenced to be burned at the stake. The Grand Inquisitor, who questions Christ, views his presence as an encroachment in his own work: by rejectingthe Devil’s 3 temptations, the grand inquisitor argues, Christ is consciously and willingly depriving humanity of happiness – for the sake of freedom, which entails suffering.

The grand inquisitor, representing the church, claims to have “corrected Thy work, and founded it upon miracle, mystery, and authority”; corresponding to the three temptations
of the Devil – under the false guise of Christ himself. Humanity is not meant to ever be free, the grand inquisitor argues. By denying man freedom, him and his church are providing for his happiness.

The lyrics of “The Grand Inquisitor IV – Exclusion From Redemption” make reference
to the grand inquisitor’s ideas and to his fierce speech about Christ’s naive notion of
humanity and his uncompassionate ideal of freedom.

Two different artists visualized the grand inquisitor for us: Dawid Piprek from Berlin and Chris Smith from Pittsburgh.The result showcases the individual artists’ very different take on the subject: Piprek’s stark pencil-drawing captures the smug, authoritative gesture of the grand inquisitor, holding his hands over the cathedral of Seville.

Smith’s coloured approach, in contrast, depicts the inquisitor as a hermit, who, much like jesus, went out to the wilderness himself, before wising up: “I too have been in the wilderness, I too lived on roots and locusts, I too prized the freedom with which Thou hast blessed us… But I awakened and would not serve madness.”

THE GRAND INQUiSITOR 10

artwork by Chris Smith

  • 2-colour-split vinyl (brown / clear)
  • lavish double-sided 6-colour silk-screen print on thick 650 (!) g natural cardboard
    (typical vinyl gatefold cardboard is 300 g), including 3 special metallic inks (brass, gold and brown).
  • lyrics printed on back-side – strictly limited to 151 hand-numbered copies
  • comes with download coupon for “The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption”

THE GRAND INQUiSITOR 10

artwork by Dawid Piprek

  • 2-colour-split vinyl (brown / clear)
  • rasterized double-sided 1-colour silk-screen print on thick 2-coloured cardboard
    (frontside grey, backside white)
  • logo silk-screened in 2 extra print-runs onto the PVC overbags!
  • strictly limited to 151 hand-numbered copies
  • comes with download coupon for “The Grand Inquisitor IV: Exclusion From Redemption”

The EP is strictly limited to 302 hand-numbered copies. The covers have been silk-screen printed by hand. Every piece is unique. Both versions come with a unique download coupon for the unreleased track. The track will not be available elsewhere. Support artists by buying music and artwork as physical product.

pre-order your copy now at www.pelagic-records.com/shop

Below some pictures that show the stages of the silk-screening process.
It was great fun, props to Olli for doing an amazing job with this challenging project!!!

THE GRAND INQUiSITOR 10

Some updates!

Long time no hear, we’re just too lazy to update this regularly, or too busy trying to find and sell good music ;-)

2010 was a good year for Pelagic Records, and we got lots of exciting things coming up: the EARTHSHIP and ABRAHAM records will be released in January 2011, but are already available for direct orders through our shop, along with THE OCEAN’s “Heliocentric / Anthropocentric” 4xCD and 4xLP boxes!

PELAGIC RECORDS to release KRUGER’s 4th album “For Death, Glory and the End of the World” on vinyl!

Kruger - For Death, Glory And The End Of The World

Just like their mates from ABRAHAM, Pelagic brings you yet another awesome swiss band hailing from Lausanne – Kruger’s latest effort on wax! Double LP edition of the swaggering fourth studio effort of the swiss quintet, originally released on Listenable records this year. A thick mix of Converge frenzy, oily Entombed-style riffs and Mastodonian exuberance. This deluxe vinyl contains also two live tracks (one featuring Jo of Gojira) and a couple of dubious covers, one being Kyuss’ “Hurricane” and the other Kraftwerk’s “Radioactivy”, recorded with the Swiss infamous queer Greta Gratos. The album was recorded by the band themselves and mixed by Kurt Ballou of CONVERGE.

Release date: February 2011

PELAGIC RECORDS to release EARTHSHIP’s debut CD “Exit Eden” January 24th, 2011

Earthship - Exit Eden

EARTHSHIP surge ahead like a nuclear-powered icebreaker through the Barents Sea, laden with mighty riffs, tons of groove and home-brewn whiskey.

EARTHSHIP was launched by former THE OCEAN drummer Jan Oberg this year and his colleagues Dennis Boettcher on drums and Bastian Gutschke on bass guitar. THE OCEAN mainman Robin Staps joined the band on second guitars shortly afterwards. “I have not been involved in the songwriting at all though, it is entirely Jan’s creative work”, comments Staps.

The band is a newborn baby that came to life in the spring of 2010 after a long drinking night in Berlin: “Jan has been my neighbour for years here in Berlin, we’ve known each other for ages and had our first band together more than 12 years ago… we grew up going to shows and playing music together. Jan is a very skilled songwriter and I was always into his stuff, so when he asked me to join his band I agreed right away”, comments Staps.

The band played their first ever show supporting TORCHE in Berlin on December 2nd.

“Exit Eden” is the debut release by this new Berlin-based behemoth, recorded by captain Oberg himself at his own Hidden Planet Studios. It is the grim, ugly soundtrack to a rough and dangerous passage through dark, icy waters. Board the Earthship for a ride through the vast black sea of doom, metal and prog n’roll.

For fans of CROWBAR, BARONESS, MASTODON, IRON MONKEY and ZOZOBRA.

Listen at myspace.com/wearetheearthship

PELAGIC RECORDS to release ABRAHAM’s debut CD “An Eye On The Universe”

An Eye On The Universe

ABRAHAM create a barren aural landscape where grand rock faces of guitars loom large over occasional restrained moments of calm sublimity and haunting beauty. Abrasiveness is the word here: ABRAHAM will wash over you like a sudden cloudburst in the desert and make you feel like jagged rock exposed to the elements. Whoeever loves CULT OF LUNA’s “The Beyond” -album most: raise the torches, this is for you!

ABRAHAM was formed under the name “Le Baron Vampire” in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2007 by KRUGER guitar player Jacques Vierdaz and a few mates from uni. The band later changed their name to ABRAHAM and has played lots of shows since with bands such as Celane, Knut, Kruger, Mumakil and many others.

Listen now at myspace.com/abrahamband

GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT “AGE OF THE FIFTH SUN”

God is an Astronaut

You can now preorder the ltd. vinyl version of the new GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT album “AGE OF THE FIFTH SUN”.

The LP is going to be released through Viva Hate Records in collaboration with Pelagic Records.

There are three different versions:
1. ltd. 100 version on yellow vinyl
2. ltd. 200 version on orange vinyl
3. regular black vinyl version

The LP version contains one exclusive vinyl only track “Paradise Remains” and is coming on thick 180g vinyl.

Please note that there have been problems with the test pressing, all preorders will be shipped next week!

Heliocentric / Anthropocentric CD and LP box – preorder up now!

Heliocentric / Anthropocentric 4xLP box – preorder up now!
(scroll down for the CD box)

We are happy and proud to start the preorder for this very special limited vinyl edition of our upcoming album(s). To reserve your copy now, go here! For artwork and packaging mockups, scroll down.

This strictly limited box is designed to hold 2 gatefold covers and 4x 180g vinyl records: the “Heliocentric” album (April 13th 2010) and the “Anthropocentric” album (October 2010). For now, the box is only being delivered with the “Heliocentric” album included! The “Anthropocentric” album can be purchased separately in October, to be put into the box…

the box:
- heavy (950 g) silver hot foil-stamped cardboard box, exclusive artwork by Martin Kvamme
- the box has space for both the “Heliocentric” and the “Anthropocentric” albums.

inside the box:
“Heliocentric” gatefold cover with 3 revolving transparent & silver-foiled PVC dials attached to the front of gatefold with a screw: the inner dial shows the sun, the next (larger dial) shows the orbits of the planets revolving around the sun, the outer dial shows the zodiacs and a stellar map. These dials can be turned by hand.
- the “Anthropocentric” album will come in a separate gatefold cover with similar artwork, dials etc (October).

inside the “Heliocentric” gatefold:
- 2x 180 g colored vinyl (grey with white swirls and black with blue swirls).
- D-side has an engraving of special artwork by Martin Kvamme.
- 9 cards with images by Francisco de Hollanda and lyrics on backside.

All preorders need to be paid up front and will be shipped as soon as the vinyls come in, no later than May 9th 2010. We have extra packing helpers so we can guarantee to ship all preorders within 1 week of receiving the finished products (so maybe even before May 9th). If you live in the EU and prefer to pay upfront by bank wire, send an email with your order details and shipping address to info@theoceancollective.com

Heliocentric / Anthropocentric CD box – preorder up now!

This strictly limited silver-foiled cardboard CD box is designed to hold 2 digipaks: the “Heliocentric” album (April 13th 2010) and the “Anthropocentric” album (October 2010), plus an extra CD called “Heliocentral”, a fully mastered instrumental version of ‘Heliocentric’.
For now, the box is only being delivered with the “Heliocentric” digipak and the “Heliocentral” extra CD included!
The “Anthropocentric” album can be purchased separately in October, to be put into the box…

the box:
- silver hot foil-stamped cardboard box, exclusive artwork by Martin Kvamme
- the box has space for both the “Heliocentric” and the “Anthropocentric” albums.

inside the box:

“Heliocentric” digipak (European version, Metal Blade Records) with 3 revolving transparent & silver-foiled PVC dials attached to the front of gatefold with a screw: the inner dial shows the sun, the next (larger dial) shows the orbits of the planets revolving around the sun, the outer dia

order your copy now at the PELAGIC RECORDS WEBSHOP

*** Due to problems and unforeseen delays with the lavish packaging, the release date of the CD has officially been moved to April 16th in Germany and 19th in the UK, 12th rest of the world ***

*** The first few thousand copies of the European CD version come in a similar packaging as the vinyl; a digipak with PVC dials attached to the front and 9 cards inside ***

*** The US-version does not have these dials, but comes with silver hot-foil stamped artwork instead ***

www.theoceancollective.com
www.myspace.com/theoceancollective
www.facebook.com/theoceancollective
www.youtube.com/theoceancollective

FRICTION FEST Announced

Friction Fest

We’re very happy to announce that PELAGIC RECORDS will be one of the three hosts presenting FRICTION FEST!

Berlin, May 7th & 8th 2010
@ Astra & Cassiopeia

BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE
EFTERKLANG
ENTOMBED
CYNIC
OLAFUR ARNALDS
THE OCEAN
NILS FRAHM + PETER BRODERICK
SAMAVAYO
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
LONG DISTANCE CALLING
GRAILS
AMEN RA
PG.LOST
MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE
TAINT
ARMS & SLEEPERS
AUCAN
DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT
ELYJAH
ZATOKREV
ROBIN TOM RINK
FREDY ROTTEN

+more to come…

ticket price: 59,59€

pre-sale starts february 8th – for more information visit www.frictionfest.com!

FRICTION FEST – the name says it all: our mission is to create friction between different genres and styles of music, mainly within the rock realm, but open in any possible direction. We aim to establish an international forum for bands and artists who are committed to exploring new sounds and taking things one step further than your average rock or metal band. In doing so, we intend to set a counterpoint to the prevalent festival routines which perpetuate musical boredom and mediocrity by offering only bands from a very narrow musical spectre.

FRICTION FEST, instead, is a festival for music lovers – for people who love the Cocteau Twins as much as the Swans or Napalm Death. A spirit of daringness and willingness to experiment and push boundaries is the leitmotif that unites all artists performing at FRICTION FEST and ourselves, the promoters. However, we never want to forget where we come from: the glorious land of rock n’ roll, home of the riff!

www.frictionfest.com

NEBRA will be supporting Baroness on upcoming Tour

Pelagic Records is very proud to announce that NEBRA will be supporting Baroness on the following mainland dates in January 2010:

23.01.2010 La Maroquinerie, Paris F
24.01.2010 Die Stadtmitte, Karlsruhe GER
25.01.2010 Feierwerk, Munich GER
26.01.2010 Hafenklang, Hamburg GER
27.01.2010 The Rock Copenhagen, DK
28.01.2010 Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin GER
29.01.2010 Zoro, Leipzig GER
30.01.2010 Gebaeude9, Köln GER

GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT – “All Is Violent, All Is Bright” – limited edition Vinyl

We’re happy to announce a limited vinyl release of GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT’s groundbreaking 2nd album “All Is Violent, All Is Bright”. The pressing is strictly limited to 300 copies on white vinyl, the first 150 of which come with a special silk screen poster designed by Gerd Kornmann (only direct sales through our shop). You can order it from our webshop for 15€ + shipping.