{"title":"Cistern","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"new-standard-6","title":"New Standard","description":"\u003cp\u003eCistern is a rock band from Squamish, BC on the unceded land of the Squamish Nation. The restless souls that make up Cistern, a tight-knit gang of four, are comprised of Noah Varley, Noah Wilson, McKinley Languedoc, and Chris Boys. Cistern play rock music like the best bands formed at the periphery: raw, scrappy, intuitive – a group of friends forging awe and anguish into song. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing debut album \u003ci\u003eHead Full Of Questions\u003c\/i\u003e earlier this year, Cistern's most recent release is \u003ci\u003eNew Standard\u003c\/i\u003e. Languedoc stumbled upon a different tuning, jokingly rebranding it as “new standard tuning\", and somehow, the gag stuck. On “Crisis”, the band tries to make sense of the tangle of personalities. “Metal Detector” unravels as a hymn for those who have chosen to march to their own peculiar beat. “Pendulum” is high-wire, jittery and tense, a song about seeking balance in a world that won’t let you achieve it. The record is a 5 track display of DIY-rock anthem recorded on an 8 track tape machine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCistern is a band defined by tight musicianship, harmonious and dissonant instrumentation, do-it-yourself recording and experimentation. With the band already wading knee-deep into the musical chapter that will follow, expect more saturated, tape-warmth dance riffs to come.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Meat Machine Records","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":51128568316235,"sku":"2227018","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2f1f1c8d-6ed4-cfb5-9203-d4145073f007_6d9f9177_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1737352306"},{"product_id":"rhizome","title":"Rhizome","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn contrast to the band's previous release,\u003cem\u003e New Standard\u003c\/em\u003e, which was written around a central theme, \u003cem\u003eRhizome\u003c\/em\u003e opens the field to many different but resonating voices. A rhizome is a root system with no established hierarchy - every part of the rhizome is equally a start and a beginning - and the songs on this album follow this same theme. There is no dominating concept but it is a tapestry of connected ideas. Picture four friends writing bits of songs and then cutting, stitching and sewing them back together. A rhizome is also an analogy for constructing social territories that resist hierarchical organization - a theme explored in some of the lyrics and also an ethos in the way the band attempts to operate. The album was written during the second half of 2024, with songs originating from 3 different songwriters. The writing process usually involved jamming and iterating on an initial rough idea until something started to take shape, with parts being added and worked out in a group setting. Most of the lyrics followed the music, and were primarily written by a single member which resulted in a wide variety of themes and ideas. The album’s first song “Illusion” alludes to the ways we are deceived by institutions and the lack of empathy shown by those in positions of power. Songs like “In it”, “Volcano” and “Ephemeral” touch on love and personal relationships. “Ego” and “Silent Seed” are songs of self-reflection and meditations on how we should live. “Apology” was inspired by a story of an anonymous apology hotline. “Stimulants”, the album’s final track, is a reflection on how we use substances to alter our perception and a response to the ongoing opioid crisis. The album was recorded live off the floor to tape (with added overdubs) in August 2024 in the studio of friend and collaborator, Mikhail Oreskov. The band’s concept for the production of the album was to try to stay true to a live band sound with limited use of heavy handed post processing, keeping sounds clear and relatively dry to allow the song writing and playing to shine. It was mixed by Michael Halls and mastered by Mikey Young. Teetering between post-punk, indie rock and pop, \u003cem\u003eRhizhome\u003c\/em\u003e has many voices, many directions, and is a mosaic not of starts or endings but of becomings. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Meat Machine Records","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56471323246923,"sku":"R4100-7012","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a3701223586_16.jpg?v=1770308744"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/cistern.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}