{"id":23629,"date":"2016-09-30T12:15:31","date_gmt":"2016-09-30T16:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=23629"},"modified":"2016-09-28T10:14:23","modified_gmt":"2016-09-28T14:14:23","slug":"flowers-of-hell-announce-symphony-no-1-reveal-movement-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=23629","title":{"rendered":"Flowers Of Hell announce &#8216;Symphony No. 1&#8217; + reveal &#8216;Movement 1&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Praise from Lou Reed, a cargo freighter voyage, capture by a rebel army, a past discussion with Malcolm McLaren, synesthesia. and a chance encounter with an opera soprano, all factored into the creation of trans-Atlantic Toronto\/London group The Flowers Of Hell&#8217;s fifth album, &#8216;Symphony No.1,&#8217; which is due for release on December 2nd. An orchestral work with shades of psychedelic ambience, the band premiered bits at Liverpool Psych Fest and Austin Psych Fest last year.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F284894093&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&color=a09c9b\"><\/iframe>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Group leader and composer Greg Jarvis, explains how the Sex Pistols&#8217; now deceased manager, Malcolm McLaren, gave him the notion that if you can make a punk song, you can make a symphony, &#8220;<em>I spent a few days with Malcolm in Prague when I worked at a label there and I got to ask how he&#8217;d made the symphonic versions of the Pistol&#8217;s songs along with his more operatic records. He told me, &#8216;I don&#8217;t play anything, I just know what I want and tell people in the studio what to do or what to try to do &#8211; and eventually it becomes what I&#8217;m after.&#8217; That gave me the belief I could do symphonic stuff too, despite not being able to read or write a note.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Alas it took Lou Reed to save the day when Jarvis had doubts and abandoned the symphony half way. Reed began his final BBC6 show playing three Flowers Of Hell recordings in a row, declaring them to be &#8220;beautiful&#8221;, &#8220;amazing&#8221;, and &#8220;great&#8221; \u2013 praise that provided the resolve to return to work and finish. \u00a0Listen to the moment with Lou Reed\u00a0below.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F73656173&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&color=8a8887\"><\/iframe>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The composition and production was influenced by synesthesia, a rare neurological condition of fused senses, which causes Jarvis to involuntarily see all sounds as abstract shapes around him. He uses his synesthesia to craft moving sonic paintings, <em>&#8220;When it looks right, it sounds right &#8211; whether you can see it or not,&#8221;<\/em> he explains, <em>&#8220;For me the record&#8217;s an album length abstract animated movie.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Some of the recording was done with producer Jeremy Darby (Reed, Cale, Bowie, Laurie Anderson) in Toronto, though the majority was produced by Jarvis at home. As a means of mixing without distractions, Jarvis spent two weeks aboard a cargo freighter, crossing the ocean with 30 sailors and 800 cargo containers on the Fort Saint Louis. The project nearly came to an early end when Jarvis was held by Organisasi Papua Merdeka fighters in West Papua and had to play a ukulele to prove he was a musician not a spy (an incident that made headlines at the NME, Pitchfork, and Espionage.com).<\/p>\n<p>The record marks the debut of opera soprano Danie Friesen (whom Jarvis chanced upon in a Toronto cafe), and also features the group&#8217;s regular coterie of Canadian and British musicians, including British Sea Power&#8217;s Abi Fry, a long time Flowers Of Hell member. The group was begun by Jarvis in London as a studio project in 2002 and expanded to Canada in 2007 with his relocation to his native Toronto.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Symphony No.1&#8217;\u00a0sees the Flowers Of Hell perform an uncommon merging of Wagnerian bombast, Eno-y ambience, and soaring Morricone strings, with the fluttering sounds of Spacemen 3, Jesus &amp; Mary Chain style feedback squalls, and reverb-maxed opera vocals. Unlike traditional symphonies, it&#8217;s composed as a recording, not as a live orchestra piece. &#8220;There&#8217;s sounds like symphonic strings reversed and run through delays and swells, things that go beyond the realm of a live orchestra,&#8221; Jarvis explains.<\/p>\n<p>The record is being released internationally through Toronto&#8217;s Optical Sounds label, with a numbered first pressing run of 300 LPs. Rare live dates in North America and\u00a0the UK this December are to be announced.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mcnImage alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gallery.mailchimp.com\/9483419c321081821c0b1a040\/images\/db09d1a8-cc6d-4dd3-8a8a-d4ef26a10e55.jpg?resize=526%2C526&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"'Symphony No.1' Flower Of Hell cover\" width=\"526\" height=\"526\" \/><\/p>\n<div><strong>Movement 1<\/strong><br \/>\nChoral Spirals<br \/>\nAria 51<br \/>\nFortitude<br \/>\nOblique Flows<br \/>\nEulogy<br \/>\n<strong>Movement 2<\/strong><br \/>\nSketches Of Space<br \/>\nShades &amp; Shapes A<br \/>\nBohemska<br \/>\nRequiem Incarnate<br \/>\n<strong>Movement 3<\/strong><br \/>\nHeiligen<br \/>\nShades &amp; Shapes B<br \/>\nWarm Waves<br \/>\nAria 51 (Choral Reprise)<br \/>\n<strong>Movement 4<\/strong><br \/>\nDarkness<br \/>\nLightness<br \/>\nFloating Bridge<br \/>\nAria 51 (Solo Reprise)<br \/>\nWall Of Oblivion<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Praise from Lou Reed, a cargo freighter voyage, capture by a rebel army, a past discussion with Malcolm McLaren, synesthesia. and a chance encounter with <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=23629\" title=\"Flowers Of Hell announce &#8216;Symphony No. 1&#8217; + reveal &#8216;Movement 1&#8217;\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,28,30],"tags":[1544,5560,5558,5561,5559],"class_list":["post-23629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie","category-music","category-new-release","tag-flowers-of-hell","tag-lou-reed","tag-movement-1","tag-optical-sounds","tag-symphony-no-1"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2c48a319-2c3a-4006-96c8-d8f718510fd6.jpg?fit=600%2C262","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-697","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39258,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=39258","url_meta":{"origin":23629,"position":0},"title":"The Flowers Of Hell\u00a0announce the\u00a0first vinyl pressing of their\u00a0\u2018Odes\u2019 LP","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Toronto-London collective\u00a0The Flowers Of Hell\u00a0announce the\u00a0first vinyl pressing of their cult classic\u00a0\u2018Odes\u2019 album, to be released\u00a0on April 22nd\u00a0for\u00a0Record Store Day UK. With a deluxe die-cut sleeve, this 180-gram red coloured pressing will be released via\u00a0Space Age Recordings\u00a0(known for its tightly curated roster with releases from\u00a0Spacemen 3, Spectrum, The Telescopes, Acid\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Flowers Of Hell press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ED3CC03F-0A1A-4954-9C79-78956F0F818F.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ED3CC03F-0A1A-4954-9C79-78956F0F818F.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ED3CC03F-0A1A-4954-9C79-78956F0F818F.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ED3CC03F-0A1A-4954-9C79-78956F0F818F.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39821,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=39821","url_meta":{"origin":23629,"position":1},"title":"Austin Psych Fest announces 2024 lineup","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"January 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"LEVITATION and Resound Presents announce the return of Austin Psych Fest April 26-28, 2024\u00a0\u2022 The Far Out Lounge \u2022 Austin, TX. Austin Psych Fest lineup: FRIDAY, APRIL 26\u00a0COURTNEY BARNETT \u2022 CHICANO BATMAN\u00a0PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETSNO VACATION \u2022 LIDO PIMIENTALEVITATION ROOM \u2022 TROPA MAGICABRAINSTORY \u2022 ORIONS BELTE SATURDAY, APRIL 27THE BLACK ANGELS\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Austin Psych Fest 2024 logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/B6B48A99-0E0D-43F0-AF9A-36CB38F71345.png?fit=388%2C323&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41122,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=41122","url_meta":{"origin":23629,"position":2},"title":"AUSTIN PSYCH FEST announces 2025 lineup","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"February 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"AUSTIN PSYCH FEST 2025APRIL 25-27, 2025\u00a0| THE FAR OUT LOUNGE | AUSTIN, TX A Sonic Odyssey Awaits! Get ready for three days of mind-expanding music as\u00a0Austin Psych Fest 2025\u00a0takes over The Far Out Lounge\u00a0in South Austin! Expect a powerhouse lineup blending\u00a0indie rock legends, experimental rock visionaries, and psychedelic trailblazers\u2014from shoegaze\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_3751.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_3751.jpeg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_3751.jpeg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_3751.jpeg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35158,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=35158","url_meta":{"origin":23629,"position":3},"title":"Shanghai Restoration Project announce new album \u2018Brave New World Symphony\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Shanghai Restoration Project have announced that their new album \u2018Brand New World Symphony\u2019 will be out on December 11th\u00a0via Undercover Culture Music. 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The album is now\u00a0available for pre-order.\u00a0Watch\u00a0the video for the album's first single Retro Grade via YouTube below. [youtube_sc url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9LCbnyZ7Lus\" theme=\"light\"] WISH is a collection of songs spawned from the mind of 23 year old Kyle\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wish promo shot","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/WISH-promo.jpg?fit=800%2C546&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/WISH-promo.jpg?fit=800%2C546&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/WISH-promo.jpg?fit=800%2C546&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/WISH-promo.jpg?fit=800%2C546&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12377,"url":"http:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=12377","url_meta":{"origin":23629,"position":5},"title":"The Myrrors share new album details + reveal first single","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"February 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Myrrors\u00a0have shared a second track from their upcoming album,\u00a0'Arena Negra', due out March 24th on\u00a0Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records. 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