| Ataraxia/Taraxis | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | April 10, 2012 | |||
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| Genre | Post-metal | |||
| Length | 18:03 | |||
| Label | Southern Lord Records (LORD155) | |||
| Producer |
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| Pelican chronology | ||||
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Ataraxia/Taraxis is a 2012 extended play (EP) by American post-metal band Pelican, released through Southern Lord Records on April 10, 2012. [1] Ataraxia/Taraxis was Pelican's final release to include founding guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. [2]
In 2010, two years prior to the release of the Ataraxia/Taraxis EP, founding member and guitarist Laurent Schroeder-Lebec retired from touring with Pelican. [2] In an official press release, it was clarified that the parting was amicable, and that he chose to focus on his family and career instead of the band. [3] After concluding recording of Ataraxia/Taraxis, Schroeder-Lebec admitted that his "heart wasn't fully in" preparation for the next full-length album, and he removed himself from the composing process.
Pelican's goal with Ataraxia/Taraxis was to capture all major sides of the band's sound, "melodic rock, smokey doom, ambient soundscape, acoustic desert-folk, and minimalist electronics." [3] Aaron Harris of fellow post-metal outfit Isis aided in recording percussion for the EP.
A music video for "Lathe Biosas" was released on August 20, 2013. [4] A brief clip of the EP's first track, "Ataraxia", serves as the introduction to the video, which goes on to intersperse acted scenes with live performances. [5]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100 [6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Alternative Press |   [7] |
| Consequence of Sound | C+ [8] |
| Drowned in Sound |   [9] |
| Exclaim! | [10] |
| Metal Injection | (positive) [11] |
| PopMatters | [12] |
| Thrash Hits |  [13] |
Ataraxia/Taraxis was met with positive reception. The EP received an average score of 74/100 from 7 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [6] Alternative Press reviewer Jason Pettigrew called the EP "ambitious" and "essential". [7] Denise Falzon of Exclaim! wrote, "Each song on Ataraxia/Taraxis is diverse, with moments of melodious prog-rock, powerful riffs and hazy ambience; however, there's also cohesion to the EP that makes it feel expansive and utterly epic." [2] Writing for Drowned in Sound , Michael Brown said the EP "reinstates Pelican at the top of the instrumental food chain and, if they continue like this, they show no sign of coming down." [9] Brice Ezell of PopMatters called moments of the EP disappointing, but also wrote that as a whole, it is excellent and never boring. [12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ataraxia" | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Lathe Biosas" | 4:46 |
| 3. | "Parasite Colony" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Taraxis" | 5:14 |
| Total length: | 18:03 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 5. | "An Inch Above Sand" (Live) | 3:58 |
| 6. | "The Creeper" (Live) | 6:10 |
| 7. | "What We All Come to Need" (Demo) | 5:22 |
| Total length: | 33:33 | |
Pelican
Additional personnel
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [15] | 23 |
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