John Dwyer of garage rock outfit Oh Sees has announced a new supergroup, Bent Arcana. Bent Arcana’s self-titled debut LP is out on August 21 via Castle Face, and you can listen to the band’s first song, “The Gate” below. The band’s members will include modular synthesist Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio), drummer Ryan Sawyer (Gang Gang Dance, more), keyboardist Tom Dolas (Mr Elevator & The Brain Hotel), bassist Peter Kerlin, saxophonist Brad Caulkins, guitarist Marcos Rodrigues, violinist Laena “Geronimo” Myers-Ionita, tenor saxophonist Joce Soubiran and percussionist Andres Renteria.
In a statement describing the band’s forthcoming LP, Dwyer said, “This is the first interstellar transmission from five days of electrified & improvised sessions recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio, edited down to 40 minutes for your earballs,” he continues, “This one is very much on the ECM / 70s hard fusion / prog-kraut tip. It is a many pronged weapon, swung by the spontaneous sentinel.”
Listen to “The Gate” below, and while you’re here, check out footage of Thee Oh See’s full set at Cafe Du Nord back in 2009.
