A-Sun Amissa's latest release Black Rain (I) is released on CD today. Pre-orders have now been shipped (unless you combined it with the new Wren album, these will start shipping at the end of next week) - once again, thank you for the continued support.
During this rather apocalyptic year we have all endured so far, you guys have really stuck with us and helped us survive by picking up the vinyl and CD editions of the latest releases. Alongside the Bandcamp days this has ensured we are in reasonable shape to start planning the next batch of releases.
Who knows what the next few months will hold... certainly the lack of live shows continues to be a crushing blow to everyone. There are inevitably going to be venue closures up and down the UK and indeed across the world. We can only hope the damage is as minimal as possible.
ORDER BLACK RAIN (I) CD
Black Rain (I) takes the form of three extended pieces of new music from A-Sun Amissa, written and recorded by Richard Knox during the early months of 2020. Focusing on a more ambient and cinematic approach, Black Rain offers another texture to the A-Sun Amissa palette.
Lulling, melancholic atmospheres are the order of the day here as intricate layers of sound weave in and out of each other, forming a bleak and sentimental tone. Never one to repeat himself, Knox has taken the more ambient elements of previous releases and developed them into a more consistent whole. The three pieces of music found here work beautifully in unison as orchestral drones lay the foundations for each movement while heavily processed guitar, synth and piano jostle for the shafts of light that intermittently penetrate the gloom.
The soundscapes drip with warmth and hopeful fragility, yet the signature doom-ridden nervous tension is present throughout, seeping into the subliminal textures and impressionistic, distorted swells of noise. There is a great deal of restraint used here and certainly the minimalistic approach gives the tracks on Black Rain the space to breathe and evolve in a very natural way.
The record was written over a three month period where Knox had a self-imposed deadline of completing one piece of music per month to then be released digitally with immediate effect at the beginning of the following month. A deliberate move to be more impulsive and instinctive during the writing process and, for him, a new way of looking at releasing a record.
Pressing notes:
50 - CD label edition. Gizeh Store Exclusive. Silkscreened recycled card sleeve. Metallic silver ink and additional printed layer not found on the standard edition. Includes three mini-print inserts. Hand-numbered. Download code included. SOLD OUT
250 - CD standard edition. Silkscreened recycled card sleeve. Hand-numbered. Download code included.
SLOWSECRET.COM has had a deep clean and now serves as an artistic extension for Richard's creative endeavours. An evolving world of artwork, short videos, music and more. The shop section is now open with the A-Sun Amissa back catalogue available + some merch items, original artwork (coming soon) and more over time.