Upstart Canadian imprint Label Obscura has announced the vinyl reissue of the debut EP by Czech Republic shoegaze/ noise pop quartet Manon Meurt, making it available in North America for the first time.
Manon Meurt have played alongside The Raveonettes, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, LSD and the Search for God, and My Bloody Valentine. During the soundcheck for the latter, while Kevin Shields was still in the locker room, MBV’s sound engineer actually complained that Manon Meurt were playing too loud.
Manon Meurt is Vojtech Pejša (guitar, vocals), Káta Elznicová (vocals, guitar), Jirí Bendl (drums) and Jana Karlíková (bass guitar, giggler). They hail from the small Czech town of Rakovnik, located just outside of the capital, Prague. Inspired by the British shoegaze movement of the early 90s, bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride and Slowdive have clearly helped shape the band’s sound.
Originally self-released on vinyl in their native country in autumn 2014, this self-titled 6-track 12-inch record sold out shortly after its initial release and now fetches upwards of $50 USD via Discogs.
This debut album shows the band in a number of different musical moods, from the rollicking opener To Forget to the dreamy atmospherics of both ’94 and Until You Can and the show-stopping B-side closer Blue Bird, nicely bringing the album to a close and foreshadowing what lies ahead for this exciting new band. Watch the video for To Forget via YouTube below.
Label Obscura, as a website and record label, was created with the goal of shining a light on some of their favourite labels, bands, and albums from the past and present, with a focus on indie rock that never got a vinyl release or is currently out of print.
This reissue will be limited to 200 copies on white vinyl in North America, and will be available through the label’s website and via select independent record retailers on May 6, 2016. All copies come packaged with a high quality plastic inner sleeve and a digital download card. It is also available digitally via the label’s Bandcamp.
Track list:
1. To Forget
2. Glowing Cityscape
3. ’94
4. Until You Can
5. In These Eyes
6. Blue Bird
Bohemian tour dates:
April 30 – Cheb, CZ – Jazz Rock Café
May 3 – Kladno, CZ – Auto da Fé
May 4 – Prague, CZ – Most Legií – Ponton (open air)
May 5 – Brno, CZ – TBA
May 6 – Beroun, CZ – Metro Club
May 7 – Rakovník, CZ – Adolf Engel café/bistro (open air)
British tour dates (with Garrett Klahn):
May 18 – Kingston – The Fighting Cocks
May 19 – Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach
May 20 – Glasgow – The Broadcast
May 21 – Wrexham – Rewind
May 22 – Plymouth – The Underground
May 23 – Milton Keynes – The Craufurd Arms
May 24 – Birmingham – The Rainbow
May 25 – London – The Islington
