Mount Eerie has been described by Elverum as being about mountains, earth and space. The album is a concept album, consisting of a linear narrative spanning its five songs. Elverum establishes a metaphor for life in which he depicts the womb, birth, and through to death, in the second-last track. His lyrics depict a cast of characters, while the music includes cinematic drums, choirs and drones. Sonically, the album is a continuation of The Glow Pt. 2 (2001), the previous studio album by the Microphones.
After the release of Mount Eerie, Elverum adopted the Mount Eerie moniker, as the themes of his music had changed. The album was released alongside 2 EPs, The Singing from Mount Eerie and The Drums from Mount Eerie, featuring isolated tracks from the album. After its release, Elverum felt that the ending of Mount Eerie's narrative was inconclusive, leading him to release the sequel Mount Eerie pts. 6 & 7 in 2007.
Recording and background
Pictured: A section of the chart Elverum used to plan out "I. The Sun".
Mount Eerie was named after the mountain Mount Erie near Anacortes, Washington. Elverum explained: "from where I grew up, the south side, [the mountain] has a pretty dramatic rock face, and so it was always looming there, especially from where I caught the school bus".[2]
Mount Eerie was recorded between November 21, 2001, and June 10, 2002, at Dub Narcotic Studios in Olympia, Washington.[1] 2 sections of the album, labelled "Big Black Death" and "Wind / Vultures" are solely attributed to Kyle Field and Karl Blau respectively. "Wind / Vultures" was recorded at Quatro-Syncho in Trafton Lake, Washington. Elverum describes Mount Eerie as "a continuation of the sound that concludes The Glow Pt. 2", the Microphones' previous studio album.[3] "I. The Sun" was sonically tied to the closer of The Glow Pt. 2, "My Warm Blood",[4] using the foghorn tape sound that concludes "My Warm Blood".[5]
Elverum used different vocalists to represent different characters because he wanted the album to be more ambiguous and theatrical.[5] He wanted these characters to "feel and seem different".[5] Elverum conceived the first lines for "I. The Sun" during a six-week American tour between November and October 2001. While touring Florida, the presence of the sun, and the state's "menacing" atmosphere led him to writing the chorus of the song.[5] "I. The Sun" was heavily inspired by the soundtrack of Brazilian film Black Orpheus (1959).[5]
The vocal melody for "II. Solar System" was taken from "Fall Flood" by Little Wings.[5] Elverum used the melody due to it being stuck in his head, and noted "our friendship during that time was very freely giving and taking from each other’s ideas and notebooks."[5] Elverum notes about "III: Universe", "the way I recorded the drums was just like, 'Well let’s see what the mic is like if it’s recorded here."[5]Calvin Johnson was cast as the voice of the Universe due to his deep, taunting and booming voice, with Elverum stating "it could only be him I think."[5]
For the choir of "IV: Mount Eerie", Elverum put up posters in Olympia, Washington, asking for singers.[5] He recorded eight singers. In the section labelled "Big Black Death", referred to by Elverum as "Kyle's rap", Kyle Field wrote and sang the lyrics for the personification of death.[5] A line from the section, “Do you see what happens?” is a reference to the 1998 film The Big Lebowski.[5] Elverum attempted to write down all of his ideas for the album prior to recording the album. He created a chart of elements outlining what later became "I. The Sun" and the start of "II. Solar System".[3] Another chart was used to map out the complex drum rhythms on parts of "I. The Sun".[3] A further two charts were used to plan out the harmonies and track recordings for "III. Universe", and another with rough lyrics from "V. Universe". Some lyrics from the album were inspired or directly taken from lines in Elverum's journals, which date to late 2001.[3]
Music and themes
Pictured: Mount Erie, which provides the album's name and the setting of its narrative.
Mount Eerie is a concept album,[6][7][8] portraying a linear storyline with distinct characters.[9] It has been described as psychedelic folk[10], experimental rock[11], and experimental music.[9] The lyrics heavily focus on nature and the universe, and ultimately, death. Mount Eerie represents rock in a trilogy of albums based on nature, with It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water (2000) representing water and The Glow Pt. 2 (2001) representing fire.[12] In the album, Elverum[a] tells of a fictitious climb up Mount Erie, Washington (stylized as Mount Eerie in the album), passing by obstacles along the way. Adam Dlugacz of PopMatters interpreted that Elverum uses the climb of Mount Eerie as metaphor for life after continuously seeing the mountain while growing up in Anacortes, Washington.[13]
The album begins with "I. The Sun", a 17-minute long track. Eric Carr of Pitchfork described the drums as a "heart-like pulse"; they gradually build up and become more complex.[9] The drums sweep across the stereo channels, which Carr describes as "evoking either the rising and setting of our star, or the revolution of Earth".[9] According to Elverum, the track's first five minutes represent time in the womb, and that the section until 10:42 spans the first 24 years of life.[3] Far into the song, vocals enter, sounding desolate and vulnerable.[8] Once vocals enter and Phil[a] is born, he is forcibly chased up the mountain,[8][13] by a personification of Death riding on a black ship.[9] As the song finishes, it is consumed by a wall of distortion, which Carr describes as "a deafening drone and crash of cymbals".[9]
In "II. Solar System", Phil continues his climb. The wall of noise from the previous track is cut back into an acoustic strum, described by Carr as "delicate".[9] The lyrics have been interpreted as a self-reflection in nature,[11] or as isolation and worry.[9]
"I liked that idea also of this album not being a regular album where it’s just like the voice of one writer or a band or something. I wanted it to be ambiguous what’s going on here. Like, “What is this, a compilation? Who’s this singing now? And why does it sound totally different?” I wanted it to be confusing in that way. And also in a theatrical way. I wanted characters to feel and seem different.".[5]
— Phil Elverum, in an interview with Life of the Record
On "III. Universe", different voices are prominently used to represent different characters.[5] According to the liner notes written by Elverum, Headwaters, when Phil begins a sentence with "see me" he is speaking to the sun.[3] This lyrical scheme is used in the first lines of "III. Universe" and in "I. The Sun". He explained, "[The 'Phil' character] says 'see me' do this and that because the sun does see it all, impartially." The track ends with a massive choir acting as the voice of the cosmos.[9]
The title track, "IV. Mt. Eerie" acts as a climax for the album. In the start, Phil sees Death approaching, or as now fully named, the Big Black Death.[9] Soon, Death arrives, voiced by Kyle Field.[8] Carr describes Death's arrival as containing a "primal, percussive bloodlust".[9] Soon, accompanying vultures appear. They rip apart Phil's flesh and he dies, signaling the end of the track.[9][13]
"V. Universe" has been described as an apprehension and reflection following death. Phil obtains a greater understanding of the universe and feels his size within it. As the lyrics portray, "But Universe, I see your face / Looks just like mine / And we are open wide".[9] A "ghostly chorus"– similar to the one used on "III. Universe"– is present, along with a "titanic bass drum".[9] With that, Phil's journey ends.
Release
The cover of the CD version of Mount Eerie.
After recording finished for Mount Eerie, Elverum moved out of his house in Olympia, Washington, went on tour, and spent a winter in Norway, writing material for Dawn (2008).[2] After coming back, he released Mount Eerie and moved back to Anacortes, Washington, before deciding to adopt the Mount Eerie moniker. Elverum explained the name change: "when I first started recording music, I was actually singing about microphones, equipment, recording. But it had been awhile since I had done that, and I'd started singing about these weird, dark, natural themes."[2]
Mount Eerie was released in Japan with an extended track list on December 12, 2002, under 7.e.p.[14] On January 21, 2003, the album received its American release via K Records. Alongside the main album, two EPs, titled The Singing from Mount Eerie and The Drums from Mount Eerie were released.[15] They feature isolated vocal and drum tracks respectively; P.W. Elverum & Sun's website noted the tracks are "intended for sampling, but not really".[15][16]
After its release, Elverum felt the album was unfinished, inconclusive, and ambiguous.[2][4] A 6th track, "The Universe (Conclusion)" was kept off the album due to indecision,[2] although was included on the Japanese release of the album. He created a sequel in 2007, Mount Eerie pts. 6 & 7.[2][17] After receiving permission from K Records, Elverum decided to repress 5 Microphones records, including Mount Eerie.[18] Elverum explained they were "out of print for too long".[18] The album was repressed on August 20, 2013, by Elverum's label, P.W. Elverum & Sun.[18][19]
Mount Eerie received generally positive reviews from critics, receiving a 76/100 on review aggregate Metacritic.[20] On its release, Eric Carr of Pitchfork gave the album the publication's "Best New Music" title, and scored it an 8.9/10.[9] Lavina Lee of Flak Magazine called the album "a complete tragedy. Or a comedy." and criticized it for being overambitious, having "croaking" singing, and a presumptuous release.[6] Heather Phares of Allmusic described Mount Eerie as "deeply beautiful and unnerving, as well as deeply thoughtful".[8] In a review for PopMatters, Adam Dlugacz gave the album a positive review, especially noting that "it is in the details that Phil Elvrum's latest opus unfolds".[13]Stylus Magazine's Ed Howard wrote that Mount Eerie makes listeners "get to travel with him [Elverum] into the uncharted next ocean of Microphones territory."[22] A guest writer of Tiny Mix Tapes, who gave the album a perfect score, felt that "Elvrum on record is the same Elvrum in reality", and that "it's nice to know that Elvrum is lucid on both sides."[11]
In 2019, the album was included on Treblezine's list of "essential" psychedelic folk albums.[10] In 2020, Bandcamp Daily called the album "Elverum's most elemental but complex album" and highlighted the album's seamless transitions between genres.[7]
The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental project from Olympia, Washington. The project was founded in 1996 and ended in 2003, with a short reunion following in 2007 and revivals in 2019 and 2020. Across every iteration of the Microphones, it has been fronted by Phil Elverum. Elverum is the principal songwriter and producer behind the band's albums, but he has also collaborated with other local musicians on his other recordings and tours. Many of Elverum's recordings from the project's initial period were released by the label K Records.
Mount Eerie is the musical project of American songwriter and producer Phil Elverum. Elverum is the principal member of the band, but has collaborated with many other musicians on his records and in live performances. Most of Mount Eerie's releases have been issued on Elverum's label P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd., and feature highly detailed packaging with his own artwork.
Philip Whitman Elverum is an American musician, best known for his musical projects the Microphones and Mount Eerie. Based in Anacortes, Washington, in the mid-2000s he began to spell his surname Elvrum as "Elverum".
The Glow Pt. 2 is the third studio album by American indie folk and indie rock project the Microphones. It was released on September 11, 2001, through K Records and later through P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. Recording was done on analog equipment at Dub Narcotic, Olympia, Washington, from May 2000 to March 2001. The album takes influences from numerous music genres such as black metal, ambient and avant-garde, as well as non-musical sources like the American drama television show Twin Peaks and primary member Phil Elverum's relationship to Khaela Maricich. Elverum was responsible for the album's production in its entirety.
"No Flashlight": Songs of the Fulfilled Night is the debut studio album released by the band Mount Eerie. It was released on the 9th May 2005 and features appearances by Geneviève Castrée and Jason Wall.
It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water is the second studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones. It was released by K Records on September 26, 2000. After gaining a small following with 1999's Don't Wake Me Up, frontman Phil Elverum recorded It Was Hot at Dub Narcotic Studio in Olympia, Washington, between September 1999 and March 2000. Recorded on analog tape, Elverum embraced the medium's technical imperfections. Classified by critics as indie rock, lo-fi, and indie pop, It Was Hot revolves thematically around the concept of water, with lyrics focusing on nature. The 11-minute track "The Glow" acts as the album's climax and introduces the concept of the "glow", which would be explored in more depth on the Microphones' subsequent studio album, The Glow Pt. 2.
Don't Wake Me Up is the debut studio album by American musical project the Microphones. It was released by K Records on August 24, 1999, and reissued on vinyl via P.W. Elverum & Sun on April 16, 2013. The album was recorded between April 25, 1998, and March 1, 1999, in studios in Olympia and Anacortes, Washington.
Seven New Songs of "Mount Eerie" is the debut EP by Mount Eerie, released on June 1, 2004.
Mount Eerie Dances with Wolves, also known as Two New Songs of Mount Eerie, is an EP by Mount Eerie. It was released in Australia as Two New Songs in 2004 and released in the United States as Dances with Wolves in 2005.
Lost Wisdom is the second studio album by Mount Eerie, with Canadian musicians Julie Doiron and Frederick Squire. It was released on October 7, 2008 on P. W. Elverum & Sun, less than a month before Elverum's next album under the Mount Eerie name, Dawn, was released, which featured songs from this album. A follow-up album, Lost Wisdom pt. 2, was released in 2019, without Frederick Squire.
Black Wooden Ceiling Opening is an EP released by Mount Eerie. It was released on March 4, 2008. The EP was described by singer Phil Elverum as "black metal using natural materials".
Little Bird Flies into a Big Black Cloud is an album by the Microphones. It was released in 2002 by St. Ives.
Wind's Poem is the fourth full-length album by Mount Eerie, released on July 14, 2009. Several of the tracks are inspired by black metal, and showcases Phil Elverum's "relatively newfound affinity for Xasthur and other lynchpins of the unholy genre."
Clear Moon is the fifth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project by American musician Phil Elverum. It was released May 22, 2012 on Elverum's own label P.W. Elverum & Sun. The album was written and produced entirely by Elverum, who recorded it at his studio the Unknown.
Sauna is the seventh full-length album by Mount Eerie. It was released on February 3, 2015.
A Crow Looked at Me is the eighth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project of the American musician Phil Elverum. Released in 2017, it was composed in the aftermath of his 35-year-old wife Geneviève Castrée's diagnosis with pancreatic cancer in 2015, and her death in July 2016. Elverum wrote and recorded the songs over a six-week period in the room where she died, mostly using her instruments. His sparse lyrics and minimalistic musical accompaniment drew influence from a broad range of artists, including the poet Gary Snyder, author Karl Ove Knausgård and songwriter Julie Doiron.
Now Only is the ninth studio album by Mount Eerie, the solo project of American musician Phil Elverum. It was released on March 16, 2018, on Elverum's record label P.W. Elverum & Sun. Like the preceding Mount Eerie album A Crow Looked at Me, Now Only is a concept album in the aftermath of the death of Elverum's wife, the cartoonist and musician Geneviève Castrée; Elverum described it as the second part of that album. The album was entirely written and produced by Elverum, and recorded in the room in which Castrée died.
Lost Wisdom pt. 2 is the second collaborative studio album by Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron. It was released on November 8, 2019. Like the previous two Mount Eerie albums, it concerns the death of Geneviève Castrée, the first wife of Mount Eerie's principal member Phil Elverum, as well as his recent divorce from Michelle Williams. The album is a sequel to the 2008 collaborative album Lost Wisdom.
Microphones in 2020 is the fifth and final studio album by American indie folk and indie rock band the Microphones. It is a concept album consisting of one 44-minute song about frontman Phil Elverum's life and musical career. Elverum began the Microphones in 1996, releasing four studio albums before retiring the moniker in 2003. He instead opted to release his music under Mount Eerie as he felt the themes had changed. After performing a show under the Microphones name in 2019, the attention it received motivated Elverum to return to the project.
The Microphones were an American indie folk, indie rock, and experimental band, founded and fronted by Phil Elverum. The band has released 5 studio albums, 13 miscellaneous albums, 3 extended plays, and 8 singles. Elverum began the Microphones initially as a solo project, releasing cassette demos of tests and experiments. Between 1996 and 1998, Elverum released four demos, mostly on Bret Lunsford's label Knw-Yr-Own. The CD Tests, released in June 1998, was a compilation album comprising tracks from previous cassettes. The same year, the band released the 7" single "Bass Drum Dream". The band's first studio album, Don't Wake Me Up, was released on K Records in August 1999 and gave the band a small following. Two more 7-inches were released in 1999: "Feedback " and "Moon Moon".
References
1 2 3 4 Elverum, Phil (2003). Mount Eerie (Back of Vinyl Cover). K Records.
1 2 For the purposes of this section, "Elverum" refers to Phil Elverum, the musician; while "Phil" refers to the character Phil from the album, who attempts to climb Mount Eerie.
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