Warp Records has announced the release of Battle’s ‘EP C/B EP’ on vinyl for the first time, as well as ‘Mirrored’ and ‘Gloss Drop’ reissues with their original deluxe packaging.
C/B EP (2006)
Made while forging an incendiary live reputation in New York City, Battles’ debut Warp release was a double CD compilation of the band’s US-only, highly limited and ravenously in-demand vinyl releases to that point. Featuring the music from ‘EP C’ (originally released on Monitor Records), ‘B EP’ (Dim Mak), and the Tras single (Cold Sweat Records) it formed the global introduction to the band’s work.
This Warp edition featured new artwork by Battles guitarist Dave Konopka and comes to Double 12” for the very first time in 2016.
Mirrored (2007)
Battles’ first LP proper was dropped amid a golden phase of New York creativity, with other landmark recordings from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, !!!, Liars and more also emerging from the city in 2007. Mirrored was preceded by the lead single Atlas, a twisted schäffel jam that, at over seven minutes, became one of the more unique and enduring musical highlights from that (or any) year.
Atlas was further immortalised with a video directed by Tim Saccenti that features the band performing within a rotating mirrored cube deep in space and that bright yellow drumkit – a feature of the band’s burgeoning live reputation. The Atlas video has been newly remastered in HD by Saccenti to celebrate the reissues and can be watched now. The song recently featured in a high profile Super Bowl 50 ad in Feb, 2016.
Following the album’s release, British collective United Visual Artists transformed a quarry in deepest Wales into an intricate tech-art studio for the video for Tonto. Featuring a programmed and responsive LED light rig, the piece was far ahead of its time, predating the now ubiquitous digital art happenings and gargantuan EDM festival rigs. Further establishing Battles as a singular and influential visual voice as well as musical, was Konopka’s artwork, shot during the Atlas filming.
Gloss Drop (2011)
Battles’ sophomore album teems with glorious melody and mischievousness. Despite Konopka’s assertion that the artwork was inspired by the “mess” of the album’s creation, none of that affects the unerring sense of fun in the music and the intriguing list of vocalists.
Once again there were landmark videos. Ice Cream (ft Matias Aguayo) saw the band’s first film collaboration with Barcelona’s CANADA (who would go on to also direct The Yabba in 2015). My Machines (ft Gary Numan) featured an unforgettable endless tumble down a mall escalator by Daniels. Not to be outdone were the instrumentals. The loose funk of Futura is a fixture of live shows to this day and in Africastle and Wall Street you can hear some of the most epic recordings in the Battles catalogue.
In a move that showcased the band’s growing cross-genre influence, the album spawned an ambitious remix project ‘Dross Glop’. Album retakes included UK future-beats (Kode 9, Hudson Mohawke), old and new school hip hop visionaries (Alchemist, Shabazz Palaces), techno-via-Berlin (The Field, Kangding Ray, Gui Boratto), New York art-rock (Gang Gang Dance, Patrick Mahoney) and even Hans-Joachim Roedelius’ legendary Qluster.
Battles live dates:
Battles travel the world in 2016. Expect to hear music from ‘La Di Da Di’ and classics from the release catalogue. In addition. the band are announcing a special date at New York’s Music Hall of Williamsburg in May. Support at London’s Electric Brixton is confirmed as Vessels and
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.
February
12 – Melbourne, Max Watts, AU
13 – Laneway Festival, Melbourne, AU
14 – Laneway Festival, Fremantle, AU
March
12/13 – NRMAL, Mexico City, MX
22 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory (Tickets)
23 – Liverpool, GB @ O2 Academy 1 (Tickets)
24 – London, GB @ Electric Brixton w/ Vessels, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (Tickets)
25 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale (Tickets)
26 – Reims, FR @ La Cartonnerie (Tickets)
27 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique (Tickets)
29 – Milan, IT @ Magazzini Generali (Tickets)
30 – Rome, IT @ Spring Attitude Festival (Tickets)
31 – Roncade, IT @ New Age-Roncade (Tickets)
April
01 – Bourgoin-Jallieu, FR @ Electrochoc Festival (Tickets)
02 – Den Haag, NL @ Rewire Festival (Tickets)
05 – Lausanne, CH @ Lausanne Les Docks (Tickets)
06 – Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik (Tickets)
08 – Berlin, DE @ Astra (Tickets)
May
26 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York, NY, USA (on sale Friday Feb 12)
27-29 – Boston Calling festival, MA (Tickets)
June
1-5 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Festival 2016
3 – Nîmes, FR @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival
9-11 – Porto, PT @ Primavera Sound Festival 2016
August
18-21 – Neath, GB @ Green Man Festival 2016
18-21 – Katowice, PL @ Tauron Nowa Muzyka Festival
For more information, visit warp.net.
