{"title":"Cuneiform Tabs","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"cuneiform-tabs","title":"Cuneiform Tabs","description":"\u003cp\u003eLike an unsent love letter to a psychedelic London where everyone is trying to find their way to a secret Television Personalities gig, Cuneiform Tabs emerge with an astounding debut of lo-fi pop and DIY experimentation. A hazy collage of joyful heartaches, twisted children’s TV themes and sing-song melodies, the album echoes the sounds of ’60s AM radio from a dozen narrow alleyways to the North. Over 18 months, the Tabs’ Matt Bieyle and Sterling Mackinnon traded 4-track tapes between the Bay Area and the UK. While they previously played together in indie band Violent Change, the duo’s physical distance and their songwriting process of building, blurring and distorting across the Atlantic would create something no one saw coming. Grabbing any instruments at their disposal and splitting vocal duties, Bieyle and Mackinnon pushed their Tascam to its limit to make glittering, odd-shaped gems. There is an insular feel to Cuneiform Tabs, suited for late nights after the entire city has stumbled into dreamtime or lazy afternoons when you can’t quite recall where you need to be, but you know you won’t make it there on time. It’s like a pirate radio show where Bob Pollard alternates Swell Maps and Cleaners From Venus records while randomly unplugging various bits of gear and reading passages from a book on R.D. Laing. Originally released in a hyper-limited artist edition, W.25TH \/ Superior Viaduct is thrilled to bring this kaleidoscopic LP to a wider audience.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"W25th","offers":[{"title":"Yellow LP","offer_id":50433305051467,"sku":"2201131","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Cuneiform_Tabs_a4dae9f4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726878690"},{"product_id":"age-1","title":"Age","description":"\u003cp\u003eQuickly on the heels of their astounding debut, Cuneiform Tabs return with \u003cem\u003eAge\u003c\/em\u003e, an LP that takes a massive leap forward in both melodic sensibilities and inventiveness. Bathed in late night psychedelia, the group's experimental penchant remains, yet this time wrapped around tunes too sweet to be denied. In pulling back a little of the crackle and haze that made their first album so inviting, the Tabs have revealed more of their pop instincts. Happy to let a picked acoustic guitar stand alone like a Vashti Bunyan home recording and sit deep in the looping repetition of a drone sample like a bedroom My Bloody Valentine. The overall effect is of a perfect set of early Animal Collective demos or Syd Barrett attempting a Television Personalities cover at 3am.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe duo of Matt Bleyle and Sterling Mackinnon continue their system of trading songs back and forth across the Atlantic. A furtive correspondence between the Bay Area and the UK building, layering and blurring as they grab whatever instrument is needed until these sonic nuggets are fully formed. While these songs are very much the product of the Tascam and rudimentary software that is integral to the band, this album is truly the embrace of their melodic songwriting talents – not unlike the recent breakthrough of labelmate Cindy Lee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the dream-like strum of \"Ivy,\" the slow shimmer of \"Orbital Rings\" and enchanting madcap swirl of \"Blended Medal,\" this is hypnagogic pop at its finest. Age is the record Bob Pollard hears in his head every time he heads down to the basement to pick up a guitar. This is the sound of riding in an elevator hearing McCartney singing \"Blackbird\" in the distance, only to have it draw closer and closer with each floor as you finally race down the hallway, putting your ear to each door searching for the source. This is Leonard Cohen smoking in the middle of the street outside of a Suicide show. If all of this sounds phenomenal, it is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eR\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: rgb(32, 32, 32); font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none; display: inline !important; float: none;\"\u003eecommended for fans of Animal Collective, Syd Barrett and Cindy Lee\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"W25th","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51476991639883,"sku":"R6407-6465","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4cc70273-173b-03fc-43df-05270e7e3e8e.jpg?v=1742401700"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/cuneiform-tabs.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}