RUSSIAN CIRCLES
RUSSIAN CIRCLES Usa

Across the span of their previous seven studio albums, Chicago-based instrumental trio Russian Circles traversed a diverse topography of sounds, moods, and approaches with their limited armory of drums, bass, and guitar. It’s difficult to chart an evolution in their sound when their records have always felt like well-curated playlists. It wasn’t uncommon to hear drone-heavy meditations, dazzling prog exercises, knuckle-dragging riff-fests, haunting folk ballads, and tension-baiting noise rock all within the span of one album. Still, it’s difficult to ignore the progression from the pensive and intricate melodies of Enter (2006) to the layered distorted dirges of Blood Year (2019). It’s been a gradual sonic shift owing to the band’s rigorous tour schedule and a predilection towards playing their more authoritative material on stage. But with their latest album, Gnosis, Russian Circleseschew the varied terrain of their past work and bulldoze a path through the most tumultuous and harrowing territory of their sound. 

As was the case for so many artists in the age of COVID, the obstacles of geography and isolation forced Russian Circles to reevaluate their writing process. Rather than crafting songs out of fragmented ideas in the practice room, full songs were written and recorded independently before being shared with other members, so that their initial vision was retained. While these demos spanned the full breadth of the band’s varied styles, the more cinematic compositions were ultimately excised in favor of the physically cathartic pieces.  

Gnosis was engineered and mixed by Kurt Ballou. Drums and bass were tracked at Electrical Audio in Chicago to maximize the natural room sounds of the rhythm section. Guitar and synth overdubs were conducted at God City in Salem, MA to take advantage of Ballou’s vast inventory of amps and effects pedals. Despite the entirety of the album being written remotely, the songs were recorded with the full band playing together to retain the live feel of the material. Owing to the climate of the times and a new writing method, Russian Circles created their most fuming and focused work to date—an album that favors the exorcism of two years’ worth of tension over the melancholy and restraint that often colored their past endeavors. 



BAND CONTACT


LINKS


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TOURDATES
09-10-2024
Astra
Berlin
Germany
w/ Rezn
10-10-2024
Kantine
Nurnberg
Germany
w/ Rezn
11-10-2024
Keep It Low festival
Munich
Germany
w/ Rezn
12-10-2024
Archa Theatre
Prague
Czech Republic
w/ Rezn
14-10-2024
Arena
Vienna
Austria
w/ Rezn
15-10-2024
Estragon
Bologna
Italy
w/ Rezn
17-10-2024
La Bam
Metz
France
w/ Rezn
18-10-2024
Desertfest Antwerp
Antwerp
Belgium
w/ Rezn
20-10-2024
Monument
Gothenburg
Sweden
w/ Rezn
21-10-2024
Parkteatret
Oslo
Norway
w/ Rezn
22-10-2024
Slaktkyrkan
Stockholm
Sweden
w/ Rezn
24-10-2024
Vega
Copenhagen
Denmark
w/ Rezn
25-10-2024
Lasher fest
Aalborg
Denmark
w/ Rezn
26-10-2024
Uebel & Gefaehrlich
Hamburg
Germany
w/ Rezn
27-10-2024
Samhain festival
Hasselt
Belgium
 
29-10-2024
O2 Institute2
Birmingham
United Kingdom
w/ Rezn
30-10-2024
Slay
Glasgow
Scotland
w/ Rezn
31-10-2024
Limelight 2
Belfast
Northern Ireland
w/ Rezn
01-11-2024
Button Factory
Dublin
Ireland
w/ Rezn
02-11-2024
Damnation festival
Leeds
United Kingdom
w/ Rezn
03-11-2024
EartH
London
United Kingdom
w/ Rezn
05-11-2024
Le Trianon
Paris
France
w/ Rezn
06-11-2024
Antipode
Rennes
France
w/ Rezn
07-11-2024
Krakatoa
Bordeaux
France
w/ Rezn
10-11-2024
Nazca
Madrid
Spain
w/ Rezn
11-11-2024
Salamandra
Barcelona
Spain
w/ Rezn