{"title":"Vanishing Twin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVanishing Twin is an eclectic music group formed in 2015 by Cathy Lucas. The band takes its name from Cathy's identical sister who was absorbed in utero. Originally consisting of Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, library music head Phil M.F.U., and visual artist Elliott Arndt, the group creates a unique blend of sounds. Arndt left the group in late 2019, while Phil M.F.U. announced his departure in May 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith influences ranging from psychedelic rock to experimental pop, Vanishing Twin captivates listeners with their mesmerizing melodies and unconventional instrumentation. Led by Lucas' enchanting vocals and supported by Magaletti's rhythmic beats and Mukai's groovy basslines, their music transports audiences to otherworldly realms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnown for their captivating live performances and thought-provoking visuals, Vanishing Twin continues to push boundaries and defy genres. Their innovative approach to music-making has earned them critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"afternoon-x","title":"Afternoon X","description":"\u003cp\u003eVanishing Twin furthers their exploration of decidedly experimental territories with \u003ci\u003eAfternoon X\u003c\/i\u003e. Crafted with a playful balance of humour and rigour, with each member embracing the role of the multi-instrumentalist and process, over outcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing a series of line-up changes, Vanishing Twin is now the tightly honed collective of singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti (Holy Tongue, Tomaga, Moin) and bassist Susumu Mukai (Zongamin). Harnessing the diverse touchstones of its members; Lucas’ left-field song-craft, Magaletti’s singular approaches to experimental percussion, and Mukai’s long history in the production of electronic music, the band has refined a hypnotic sound at the juncture of minimalism, kosmische, post-punk, and dream-laden, psychedelic pop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese eight fluttering abstractions, culled, collaged, and built upon from a vast constellation of instruments, samples, and unclaimed sources. Lucas employs her voice as an instrument and a generator of raw sound, weaving surreal imagery and uncanny juxtapositions amongst the dance and propellant drive. From infectious grooves of the album’s title track and the constrained minimalism of “Subito”, to the ambitious heights of pieces like ‘The Down Below’ and Lazy Garden, which unfurl a psychedelic avant-gardism on the scope and scale of David Axelrod and Scott Walker.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVanishing Twin embark upon a new multifaceted journey that collectively culminates as the bands most forward-thinking and groundbreaking release to date.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fire Records","offers":[{"title":"White LP | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50383488352587,"sku":"2046546","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50383487729995,"sku":"2046544","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"White LP","offer_id":50383488123211,"sku":"2046545","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50383487566155,"sku":"2046543","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50447609626955,"sku":"2222500","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Vanishing_Twin_-_Afternoon_X_470fcbc2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726270944"},{"product_id":"the-age-of-immunology","title":"The Age of Immunology","description":"\u003cp\u003eVanishing Twin’s seminal LP, \u003ci\u003eThe Age Of Immunology is an \u003c\/i\u003eessential take on psych-pop futurism and a must for fans of Broadcast, Sun Ra and Ennio Morricone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis was the group’s first LP for Fire Records, at the time of recording the band’s evolving lineup consisted of songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, synth\/guitar player Phil MFU and visual artist\/film maker Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album was produced by Lucas in a number of non-standard, non-studio settings. ‘KRK (At Home In Strange Places)’ summons up the spirit of Sun Ra’s Lanquidity and Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio and was simply recorded on an iPhone during a live set which crackled with psychic connectivity on the Croatian island of Krk. The magical Morricone-esque lounge of ‘You Are Not an Island’, the blissed-out Jean-Claude Vannier style arrangement of ‘Invisible World’ and burbling sci fi funk ode to a 1972 cult French animation, ‘Planète Sauvage’, were all recorded in nighttime sessions in an abandoned mill in Sudbury.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fire Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50412678414667,"sku":"1059653","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Yellow LP","offer_id":50412694143307,"sku":"2207159","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50412690571595,"sku":"2188649","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Pink LP","offer_id":50412687065419,"sku":"2188648","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50412679037259,"sku":"1059652","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50412680446283,"sku":"1059655","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3a6bab17-ad9a-4225-aa1d-f61dffa13f20_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726668232"},{"product_id":"girl-with-no-face","title":"Girl With No Face","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlbums of the Year 2024 - Number 61\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInfused with industrial synths \u003cb\u003eAllie X\u003c\/b\u003e's \u003ci\u003eGirl with No Face\u003c\/i\u003e is a world-building exercise, showcasing how synthpop and its retro-futuristic nature works so well in contemporary music. With nods to The Human League and New Order the sound is motorik, alluring dark pop with crisp melodic production, a call to the dancefloor for fans of gothic tinged production or Billie Eilish's electro-pop leaning. - \u003ci\u003eGeorgia, Rough Trade Office\u003c\/i\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/blog.roughtrade.com\/gb\/uk-albums-of-the-year-so-far-2024\/\"\u003eAlbums of the Year So Far 2024\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAllie X’s fourth album, \u003ci\u003eGirl With No Face\u003c\/i\u003e, is a daring excavation of her identity. A maniacal journey into the mind of an artist who just spent three years in isolation, refusing any input as she became the solitary producer, writer and creative voice for the first time in her career. “This record documents an intense struggle for power and control – creatively, professionally, mentally and physically,” X explains. Inspired by the technology and hedonism of the early 80’s new wave scene, the album’s analogue-leaning songs are a series of stark contradictions – retro in feel but ultra-modern in subject matter, pointed, unpredictable yet danceable, approachable while delightfully menacing. In short, \u003ci\u003eGirl with No Face\u003c\/i\u003e is completely orthogonal to the hyper-tuned, automated shapes that dominate today’s alt pop. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Infused with early 80’s British experimentalism, with nods to The Human League and New Order, the album is a strident move away from 2020’s introspective and spare \u003ci\u003eCape God\u003c\/i\u003e - so much faster, more threatening. It’s not difficult to envision an industrial booted and black-eyed 80s subculture mouthing the German verses of “Weird World” and thrashing about to the relentless pulsing bass. Self-deprecation and the driest of wits lighten the aggressive mood of the record, especially in songs like You Slept on Me (a musical manifestation of the age-old tweet ‘Stop sleeping on Allie X!’) and Off With Her Tits (an upbeat satirisation of some of Allie X’s more unsettling thoughts). Her signature deranged Disney-princess pop sensibility still manages to weave its way into most songs . “I always need a bit of camp,” says X, “it counterbalances the dark thoughts in a necessary way.” In the end, the multi-platinum songwriter enlisted the help of Justin Meldal Johnsen (Beck, M83, Wolf Alice). “The best comparison I can make is intentionally locking yourself in a room and sitting in front of a mirror staring at yourself. When everything is refracted through your lens you get high on the sense of power and control. But as you get to know yourself intimately, you see your own ugliness, your limitations, your pain. It’s terrifying and enlightening all at once. A total ego fuck.” - Allie X\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Twin Music","offers":[{"title":"Red LP | Signed Copy","offer_id":50413851574603,"sku":"2205695","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Yellow LP","offer_id":50413851345227,"sku":"2167633","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50413851246923,"sku":"2167632","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50413850329419,"sku":"2167631","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/20000000229244_1_d5f2ffc2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726678535"},{"product_id":"ookii-gekkou","title":"Ookii Gekkou","description":"\u003cp\u003eTheir previous album was one of Rough Trade's Albums Of The Year, and they played one of the best ever instores at the East shop around that same time - so we are totally stoked (and honoured) to have a beautiful package of this amazing new album. Vanishing Twin explore new ground on \u003ci\u003eOokii Gekkou\u003c\/i\u003e incorporating elements of afrofunk, outer jazz and avant-garde, all while referencing Sun Ra to Alice Coltrane, Martin Denny to Morricone, Can’s Holger Czukay to meditative Gamelan, or The Free Design, to library music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Locked into their strangely-accessible groove is a history of ‘other’ sound, a crafted hauntology that evinces something completely new. Hurricanes, organisms, vibes, bells, and percussive rallies purvey throughout \u003ci\u003eOokii Gekkou\u003c\/i\u003e, each infiltrated with influences as diverse as Piero Umiliani, Art Ensemble of Chicago and ELO among others. Indeed, even a cursory earful adds to an ever-expanding palette of sound, no mean feat for the newly-trimmed quartet of songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, and synth\/guitar player Phil MFU, this reduction resulting in no fewer ideas and even bigger steps. Vanishing Twin is a conundrum in these fragmenting times; familiar, yet different; appealing to this world, but from another, parallel one.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fire Records","offers":[{"title":"Turquoise | LP.","offer_id":50429754573131,"sku":"1126070","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Turquoise | LP","offer_id":50429758734667,"sku":"1127725","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50429762535755,"sku":"1126069","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50429756932427,"sku":"1147310","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50429761290571,"sku":"1126068","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/76866dd0-e241-4f6c-b09c-f3cff6391e14_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726841338"},{"product_id":"cryonic-suspension-may-save-your-life-extended-life-version-who-wants-to-live-forever","title":"Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life (Extended Life Version) \/ Who Wants to Live Forever?","description":"\u003cp\u003eFeaturing a song from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/gb\/vanishing-twin\/the-age-of-immunology\"\u003eVanishing Twin - \u003ci\u003eAge of Immunology\u003c\/i\u003e (Rough Trade Album of the Year No. 8)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuch loved at Rough Trade, London-based international tunesmiths Vanishing Twin release a hypnotic 12” single, giving new hi-tech meaning to IDM (Intelligent Dance Music). Featuring an extended new version of “Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life” from Rough Trade’ Top 10 album The Age Of Immunology, plus algo-rhythmic new track “Who Wants To Live Forever?” It’s an avant-pop gyration, that’s a soothing, mesmerizing shuffle re-focusing their genre-shifting balancing act.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fire Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50430050632011,"sku":"1076332","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/16b76bb3-c625-41ab-b6d3-974f988ee076_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726843255"},{"product_id":"tell-me-not-here","title":"Tell Me Not Here","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVanishing Twin's\u003c\/strong\u003e expansive and magical psychedelic epic with lyrics adapted from \u003cem\u003eA.E. Housman's\u003c\/em\u003e 1922 poem, ‘Tell Me Not Here, It Needs Not Saying’, was initially commissioned by The Quietus for Sound and Vision subscribers before being released as part of state51's ongoing Singularity series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHere it's presented in transparent vinyl, over two sides. \u003cstrong\u003eVanishing Twin\u003c\/strong\u003e fly deeper into their sonic universe, blending elements from an improvisational session, raw recordings of the natural world, and early 20th-century poetry to create sublime, cosmic pop. This twenty-minute piece has embellishments of sparkling synth and lyrical vignettes that are reminiscent of English folk melodies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The state51 Conspiracy","offers":[{"title":"Clear 12\"","offer_id":50445834060107,"sku":"2205445","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/dd00c530-c93c-5870-35da-02116a20d40e_d14a01e5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727047151"},{"product_id":"choose-your-own-adventure","title":"Choose Your Own Adventure","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf you miss Stereolab or Broadcast then this is for you. Totally fantastic and you'll fall in love instantly with the songs, groove and style. Oblique pop ensemble Vanishing Twin formed in 2015 over a love of unusual instruments, freaky records and the irresistible seduction of A Good Groove. Founder Orlando, after releasing a string of conceptual cassettes on her own RAM* label, put a band together and named it for her other self, a twin absorbed and internalised in utero when they were both still a cluster of cells. She is joined by drummer Valentina Magaletti (Tomaga, Shit and Shine, Raime, Neon Neon), bassist Susumu Mukai (A.K.A. primitive electronic producer Zongamin), library music head Phil M.F.U. (Man From Uranus) on strange sounds, and film-maker and visual artist Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion. Last year the band teamed up with producer Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics, Gaslamp Killer) and wrapped their songs in layers of otherness and sub-aquatic obscurity. The resulting debut LP is released on Soundway. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Soundway","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50471373963595,"sku":"405747","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Green | LP","offer_id":50471374160203,"sku":"405748","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50471374389579,"sku":"405749","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e87c7278-ec42-4e92-8acf-5f3be999dd03_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727400453"},{"product_id":"collxtion-ii","title":"CollXtion II","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn collaboration with Rough Trade, Allie X has released a limited edition version of her second album \u003cem\u003eCollXtion II\u003c\/em\u003e on a Transparent Violet vinyl. The vinyl includes some of Allie X's biggest hits including 'Paper Love', 'That's So Us' and two additional tracks - the fan favourite 'Sculpture' and a voice memo version of her single 'Purge'.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Twin Music","offers":[{"title":"LP - Violet | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50526601937227,"sku":"2197836","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CollXtion_II_2f1c34d5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728045715"},{"product_id":"in-piscina-vq","title":"In Piscina","description":"\u003cp\u003eOverdue repress of \u003cstrong\u003eVanishing Twin\u003c\/strong\u003e’s rare 2020 EP \u003cem\u003e‘In Piscina’\u003c\/em\u003e, pressed on shimmering ‘pearl sunrise’ vinyl. A spectral collection of lost transmissions, drifting in from the periphery of their creative subconscious, a reverberant echo of the band's ever-expanding sonic universe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is four streams of analogue consciousness to super-soak your deckchair daydreams. Cocktail umbrellas and chlorinated fantasies! It’s time to get cool in the pool with \u003cstrong\u003eVanishing Twin\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘In Piscina’ features the lineup of Cathy Lucas, Elliott Arndt, Phil MFU, Susumu Mukai, and Valentina Magaletti. “This is a band that fearlessly floats in the hazy space between the real world and an imagined one, blurring the line between warmly nostalgic and eerily haunted” Pitchfork \/\/ “\u003cstrong\u003eVanishing Twin\u003c\/strong\u003e take us all on a trip to a strange new world.” The Quietus.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fire Records","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":51293317103947,"sku":"R8289-8390","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/VanishingTwin-InPiscina7.jpg?v=1739901466"},{"product_id":"archives-1","title":"Archives","description":"\u003cp\u003eShapeshifting trio Vanishing Twin present their new album \u003cem\u003eArchives\u003c\/em\u003e, a collage of postmodern songcraft that finds transcendence in the shared experience of creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album’s title alludes to Vanishing Twin’s distinctive approach of listening to, piecing together and reworking daily recording sessions. Founding member Cathy Lucas describes the process as “gathering material together, riffing with it, turning it around on itself, trying to put the pieces together and create a story with it”. With Lucas now relocated to rural France, and Valentina Magaletti and Susumu Mukai in London, the three connected by swapping songs and fragments of instrumentals in a virtual studio space. Geographic distance is bridged by their hivemind creativity, with multi-instrumentalist input from each member.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach player brings a wide experience of collaboration and improvisation, with listening back and editing studio sessions an integral part of the creative process. Concepts of authorship and ownership dissolve in Vanishing Twin’s music, as members swap instruments and lose themselves in the collaborative moment. The archives of the album title become documents of the trio’s collective intelligence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe chaotic energy of Archives pushes Vanishing Twin into unfamiliar shapes and directions. Out of their comfort zones, the trio find new moments of enlightenment and delight. Deep in the mix, you might hear Magaletti picking up the bass, Mukai unexpectedly sitting in on drums, or Lucas slipping chameleon-like between the gaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArchives\u003c\/em\u003e refines Vanishing Twin’s model of collective music making, where egos are dispelled in playful games of mix and match, and creativity flows between the three multi-instrumentalists. Operating between and outside conventional categories of genre, they sit alongside fellow travellers such as Tara Clerkin Trio and Still House Plants, stretching the idea of the contemporary music ensemble. A decade into their existence, Vanishing Twin are more mercurial than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Broadcast, Stereolab, Sun Ra and Ennio Morricone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fire Records","offers":[{"title":"LP - Deep Red \/ Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":57675919229259,"sku":"R7709-7629","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Cream","offer_id":57675919262027,"sku":"R7709-3914","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":57675919294795,"sku":"R7709-5915","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":57675919327563,"sku":"R7709-3157","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/VanishingTwin-Archives.jpg?v=1782382082"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_596d3081_thumbnail_4096_9783731b-5d4f-4496-bc7e-38c25f20a571.jpg?v=1726270896","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/vanishing-twin.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}