Story: Ralph Greco, Jr.
Calls From A Seething Edge sees LEILA ABDUL-RAUF handling all vocals, trumpet, synth, and a variety of programmed beats, drum tracks, choirs, and string quartets, self-recording and producing the album with assistance from Sammy Fielding (Ancient Owl Audio), who also masterfully mixed the album, ensuring each layer of synth, horn, drum, choir, and string quartet could be fully realized. The enigmatic photography gracing the album’s cover is by psychoanalyst, artist, and poet Terrance McLarnan, and the mastering was handled by Frederic Arbour at Cyclic Law Mastering. Known for her evocative and boundary-pushing soundscapes, presents her fifth, most ambitious solo album to date, Calls From A Seething Edge. She has been a key member in dozens of musical entities since the 1990s, including Vastum, Ionophore, Cardinal Wyrm, Fyrhtu, and more in recent years, preceded by time spent in Amber Asylum, Hammers Of Misfortune, Bastard Noise, Saros, and more.
Over the past decade she’s showcased her talents as a composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist through four varied solo efforts, each one more challenging than the last and venturing into new territory of sound and reaching new heights of creativity. This this ambitious project features contributions from several talented musicians, including Gregory C. Hagan (ex-Common Eider, King Eider, ex-Thomas Carnacki) who provides viola solos that backbone and bookend the album, acoustic guitar from Derrick Vella (Tomb Mold, Dream Unending), hand percussion and additional drum sampling by Sam Foster (ex-Saros, ex-Weakling), violin from Ryan Honaker (Ionophore, Betterthief), electric cello and upright bass from Vincent van Veen (Kali Ra), and acoustic upright bass by Ed Lloyd Grey.
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Calls From A Seething Edge will be released on October 11th, on all digital platforms, on vinyl through Cyclic Law [100 copies on Marbled Black And White, 200 copies on Black, in a gatefold LP sleeve], and on tape via Syrup Moose [limited to 50 with a UV printed cassette], with both labels co-releasing the album on CD in a 6-panel digisleeve with matte lamination. Find preorders for all formats HERE.
A Bandcamp listening party for Calls From A Seething Edge has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 9th at 1pm Eastern, where fans can hear the entire record early and discuss the songs with LEILA ABDUL-RAUF and several of the album’s audio/visual collaborators. RSVP/save the date HERE.
LEILA ABDUL-RAUF is also booking sporadic live performances supporting the record, including a set at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan on September 20th. A New York City show is being booked for December alongside additional live performances early in the new year. Watch for updates to post shortly.
LEILA ABDUL-RAUF Live:
9/20/2024 Arab American National Museum – Dearborn, MI w/ Zekkereya [tickets]
Guest musicians on LEILA ABDUL-RAUF’s Calls From A Seething Edge:
Gregory C. Hagan – viola on “Summon”, “Failure To Fire,” and “The Summoned”
Sam Foster – percussion on “Summon” and “Mukhalafat,” additional drum sampling on “Crimes Of The Soul”
Derrick Vella – acoustic guitar on “Summon” and “The Summoned”
Vincent van Veen – electric cello, electric upright bass on “Depths Of Us” and “Failure To Fire”
Ryan Honaker – violin on “Failure To Fire”
Ed Lloyd Grey – acoustic upright bass on “The Light That Left You”
Ralph Greco, Jr. is the devilishly clever nom de plume of professional writer/musician Ralph Greco who lives in the wilds of suburban New Jersey. He is also a podcast co-host, but as everyone has a podcast these days, this fact is of very little consequence.
Ralph can be reached by writing ralphiedawriter@gmail.com
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