{"title":"Antony Szmierek","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"service-station-at-the-end-of-the-universe","title":"Service Station At The End Of The Universe","description":"\u003cp\u003eManchester-based poet, writer and producer Antony Szmierek releases his debut album, now on green vinyl, \u003ci\u003eService Station At The End Of The Universe\u003c\/i\u003e. The past few years have been a wild ride for the artist. Cutting his teeth on the Manchester spoken word scene and gaining notoriety for his seamless flow skewering everything from the hardships of contemporary British life to finding the unexpected beauty in the everyday, it was the 2023 release of his single ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy’ that kicked off his meteoric ascent. Yet, with the release of his 2023 indie-influenced EP Poems To Dance To and now his banger-filled, dancefloor-focused debut album, \u003ci\u003eService Station at the End of the Universe\u003c\/i\u003e, Szmierek cements his sound as one that is distinctly his own. While the album provides a culmination of the deep dancefloor poetry that began with ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Fallacy’, it also showcases a new side to Szmierek’s writing, producing moments of downbeat, dark poignance. The album produces a cohesive and infectious journey through pop melodic hooks and thumping dancefloor orchestrations. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mushroom","offers":[{"title":"LP - Clear","offer_id":50513477468491,"sku":"2225953","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":50513477304651,"sku":"2225954","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50513477140811,"sku":"2225930","price":4.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Transparent Green","offer_id":56924892725579,"sku":"R4325-8149","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot_2024-10-02_at_12.57.38_3ea0269c_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727932676"},{"product_id":"service-station-at-the-end-of-the-universe-lp","title":"Service Station At The End Of The Universe - RSD 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eBuy in-store on Record Store Day (12\/04\/2025). This product is an RSD Exclusive title and is not available to pre-order. Remaining stock available online from: US - 08:00 ET (13\/04\/2025) EU - 21:00 CEST (14\/04\/2025) UK - 20:00 BST (14\/04\/2025). Some titles will sell out prior to online sale and some will only be available in specified regions. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAntony Szmierek\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Manchester-based poet, writer, and producer, releases an exclusive color version of his acclaimed debut album, \u003cem\u003eService Station At The End Of The Universe\u003c\/em\u003e. The past few years have been a wild ride for the artist. Cutting his teeth on the Manchester spoken word scene and gaining notoriety for his seamless flow skewering everything from the hardships of contemporary British life to finding the unexpected beauty in the everyday, it was the 2023 release of his single \"\u003cem\u003eThe Hitchhiker's Guide To The Fallacy\u003c\/em\u003e\" that kicked off his meteoric ascent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe earworming track soon found its way onto the BBC 6 Music airwaves and led Szmierek to be named an Artist of the Year 2023 by the station. There followed appearances on Later... with Jools Holland, a BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session, multiple triumphant Glastonbury sets and a flurry of comparisons: to the pavement prose of The Streets, the poetry of John Cooper Clarke if he found himself at the Haçienda, or like Jarvis Cocker for the UK Garage generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet, with the release of his 2023 indie-influenced EP '\u003cem\u003ePoems To Dance To\u003c\/em\u003e' and now his banger-filled, dancefloor-focused debut album, '\u003cem\u003eService Station at the End of the Universe\u003c\/em\u003e', Szmierek cements his sound as one that is distinctly his own. While the album provides a culmination of the deep dancefloor poetry that began with '\u003cem\u003eThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Fallacy\u003c\/em\u003e', it also showcases a new side to Szmierek's writing, producing moments of downbeat, dark poignance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mushroom Music \/ Virgin Music Group","offers":[{"title":"LP - Purple","offer_id":51404123341131,"sku":"R3405-9830","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/YMCI-NHfuVkuCbFYFpAKTvSibv9NW3eVh_Jndc23AeY-1920w.jpg?v=1741344206"},{"product_id":"roadmap","title":"Roadmap","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAntony Szmierek\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Manchester-based poet, writer, and producer, gained recognition in the Manchester spoken word community with his 2023 single \"\u003cem\u003eThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Fallacy\u003c\/em\u003e\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis debut book, \u003cem\u003eRoadmap\u003c\/em\u003e, was unveiled at Hay Festival 2025. This hyper-visual masterpiece is filled with exclusive content, featuring the lyrics from Szmierek's debut album and an in-depth analysis of the tracks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, the book includes extra poems, sketches, and stories, all presented in a vibrant full-color paperback.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Faber Music","offers":[{"title":"Paperback | Signed Bookmark","offer_id":51782287524171,"sku":"R0278-0121","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":51857008230731,"sku":"R0278-3312","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/61i3ZoA2UWL._SY522_967b73c2-5e2c-4ded-8b60-ac212bd3e1f0.jpg?v=1752242495"},{"product_id":"decoding-birdsong","title":"Decoding Birdsong","description":"\u003cp\u003eManchester-born poet, writer, and producer Antony Szmierek releases his second album, \u003cem\u003eDecoding Birdsong\u003c\/em\u003e. Just eighteen months after his critically acclaimed debut, Szmierek returns with a new body of work that signals a clear evolution in both sound and scope. Rooted in his personal touchstones within electronic music, the album pairs expansive, immersive production with his trademark razor-sharp lyricism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere his debut had been a solo endeavour, \u003cem\u003eDecoding Birdsong\u003c\/em\u003e brims with collaboration, including Australia’s Pretty Girl, London band Los Bitchos, and Bristol producer 1-800 GIRLS, as well as Imogen and the Knife and indie pop star Ellur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeaking about the new record, Antony explains “Decoding Birdsong is about choosing to believe in something. Coincidence as a religion. Making your own luck in the face of loneliness and doubt. The smallest things can feel seminal, seismic and life affirming if you just choose to lean in, but it also asks if this is a dangerous way to live. What happens when your numbers come in? What are the consequences of luck? Should you listen to the birds, or are you only ever going to hear what you want to hear? To help us explore this: a heron, dice, a plummeting airplane, the late-night TV show Aussie Gold Hunters and a fibreglass replica of Godzilla.”\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDecoding Birdsong \u003c\/em\u003efollows the wild success of his debut album, 2025’s \u003cem\u003eService Station at the End of the Universe\u003c\/em\u003e, which launched Antony into a whirlwind of Glastonbury, Jools Holland, and repeat BBC airplay. He’s sold out venues across the UK and Europe, and in February 2026 performed to 20,000 while closing Solomun’s Alexandra Palace shows. The former English teacher had been working at a college for special needs students when his blend of spoken word and dance music started taking off, earning him accolades such as 6Music’s Artist of the Year in 2023 following his Poems To Dance To EP, and frequent comparisons to Mike Skinner, Jarvis Cocker and John Cooper Clarke.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mushroom","offers":[{"title":"LP - Beak Yellow \/ Alt Sleeve \/ Signed \/ Rough Trade Exclsuive","offer_id":57164187468107,"sku":"R6628-4112","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Beak Yellow","offer_id":57164187500875,"sku":"R6628-0234","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":57164187533643,"sku":"R6628-6839","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":57164187566411,"sku":"R6628-6543","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/AS_Album_4000x4000_1.jpg?v=1777555669"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/antony-szmierek.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}