Translation Wave

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Translation Wave
ElCantadorTranslationWave.jpg
Studio album by El Cantador
Released 26 February 2013
Recorded May–August 2012
Genre Indie rock, indie pop, dance-rock, experimental rock
Label Mod Mobilian Records, This Is American Music
Producer El Cantador

Translation Wave is the fifth extended play (EP) by El Cantador, released on February 26, 2013.

Extended play musical recording longer than a single, but shorter than a full album

An extended play record, often referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single, but is usually unqualified as an album or LP. EPs generally contain a minimum of three tracks and maximum of six tracks, and are considered "less expensive and time-consuming" for an artist to produce than an album. An EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) and LP, but it is now applied to mid-length CDs and downloads as well.

El Cantador was an American rock band formed in 2007 in Mobile, Alabama, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from dance-rock and folk to experimental rock. The band consisted of Heath Underwood, Sean Murphy, and Alex Scharr. They self-released several EPs including their debut Orange EP (2007) and a studio album Fools for Light, released on May 3, 2011.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written and performed by El Cantador. All lyrics by Heath Underwood (except "Ennui," written by Underwood and Lesley Smith Jones) [1]

  1. "Black Sound" – 2:25
  2. "My Way" – 3:56
  3. "Ennui" – 3:04
  4. "Particle and Wave" – 5:53
  5. "Reynosa" – 3:20
  6. "Pilgrims" – 5:03

Recording

El Cantador took residence at the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center of Arts and Education in Ocean Springs, MS for a total of six days in May and September 2012 to work on Translation Wave. With access to the building's Scharr-Ello studio, performance arts room, and main theater the trio was once again free to explore their sound within high ceilings and stairwells in one of the coast's most richly and artistically diversified areas. Chris Staples (TwoThirtyEight, Discover America, Telekinesis) was invited in to engineer three of the EP's more percussion oriented tracks (BlackSound, Particle and Wave, Reynosa). [2]

Chris Staples is a singer/rapper and songwriter from Pensacola, Florida, currently the frontman and main musician for Discover America. Previously, he was the vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Twothirtyeight. One of the founding members in 1995, Staples stayed with the band until its split-up in April 2003, due to members' individual ambitions. He subsequently pursued a solo career, recording the acoustic albums Panama and Burned and Blistered. In 2004 Staples released Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes on Makebreak Records, including recordings from his earlier releases and two additional songs. In 2005, Staples moved to Seattle, Washington and formed a separate project he called "Discover America". Psychology, the project's first album, was released on Tooth & Nail Records and was engineered, produced, and recorded in Staples' home studio. Discover America then independently released an untitled EP in 2007, followed by Songs for Sale, another EP released only on iTunes, in 2008. The project's second full-length album, Future Paths, was released in 2010 by Lujo Records.

Twothirtyeight was an indie rock band from Pensacola, Florida, United States. They disbanded in April 2003.

Telekinesis (band) American rock band

Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner, an indie rocker based out of Seattle who is currently signed to Merge Records. The band was signed to Merge Records in early 2009, and shortly afterward released the debut album Telekinesis! on April 7, 2009. Recorded in September 2008, the album was produced, mixed, and engineered with the help of Chris Walla, who also played on most tracks. Lerner and Walla recorded one song per day on analog tape.

Style

In this new collection of music we find a more intimate, cinematic, and sporadic group of songs. Translation Wave is an expression of how a band can morph and evolve from time on the road and turn to reflect on those experiences through instrumentation. Having already freed themselves of popular expectations on the previous album, El Cantador appears willing and able to take us anywhere at any time without notice.

In the EP's first track, "BlackSound", the listener is greeted by a sparse and intricately picked out acoustic guitar riff alongside Underwood's immediate foretelling to "Don't buy into most of my dreams/I'll make your head spin with my own disconnectivity" - lyrics which imply Underwood's satisfaction in playing with language and could serve to intimate the EP's darker hues and cathartic uplifts. Translation Wave proudly hums with a warmth and rawness akin to older classic albums you might find in your local record bin. [2]

Personnel

Those involved in the making of Translation Wave are: [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 This Is American Music (2013-02-26). "El Cantador - Translation Wave". This Is American Music . Retrieved 2013-02-26.
  2. 1 2 Valso, Doc (2013-02-26). "El Cantador's "Translation Wave" Available Now". Mod Mobilian . Retrieved 2013-02-26.