Fang's third album 'Swim Up Stream' released

Today Arch Hill release Fang's third album 'Swim Up Stream'

Fang also have a brand new website at http://www.fang.co.nz/ where you can watch a few videos and also listen to the album on low-fi streamed audio....the website was also made by the talented Mr Hayden Sinclair

The album is getting good reviews, RipItUp gave it four stars saying "Fang are still musically adventurous...Their ear for a good tune obviously hasn't been lost". The Sunday Star Times also gave it four stars stating "Overall it packs a pop rock punch that'll take listeners by surprise. It's loaded with tracks that demand to be on high rotate". Also look out for a Hugh Sundae interview with two of the band (and the new video for Yellow) on TV1's late news Tonight...which is on, er, tonight (Monday)

The next gig Fang will be playing is in support of the underground dark alt-country legends The Renderers , at the Kings Arms in Auckland on Friday August the 6th. The Renderers are perhaps better known by those in the know in indie circles from North America, having had releases on US label Siltbreeze as well as touring over there. Some will remember the time they supported and provided the backing band for Will Oldham last time he was in NZ (Bonnie Prince Billy, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Palace...he also happens to be playing again in Auckland and Wellington on 10th and 12th of September)

Upcoming album release gigs including one at the Kings Arms on 27th of August with Arch Hill's Wellington friends Ghostplane....and other release gigs to be announced shortly.

Since the last Fang album (SOMEWHERE OUT THERE 2002), the band has transformed with three new members and their unusual musical perspectives. First on board was Bronwen Robertson on violin, guitar, percussion and reluctant keyboards. Trained and tortured at high-ranking classical music schools since before she could walk, she now works hard at unlearning her learned musicality. Tom Clark was next recruit on guitar - forging ahead with evil electrotrash 80s tendencies (he is also in the Fanatics); Tom is the bands breakfast beer drinker - well disguised by immaculate personal hygiene. Finally there was dynamo drummer Brignall Wood - philosopher, father and beat minimalist.

And like most stories of musicians at work, the recording process was hell. The easy part was recording the instruments the hard part was finishing. Tracked and mixed by Ben at Arch Hill Studios, he was almost driven crazy in his freezing bedroom above the cluttered studio control room. At night, in the rare sleeping hours, the songs haunted his dreams. During the day, red bug eyed and restless, the band struggled with engineering ethics and problems of production: ŒTechnology. Cut. Splice. Paste? Or the puritanical road - self-expression and the single take?¹ These were troubling questions. A notice appeared on the studio wall: Œno-one will ever hear this song¹. Apparently this might encourage some kind of detached Œmusic for it own sake¹ sort of attitude.

The album is called SWIM UP STREAM because making quality music is never easy. The struggle to try and find something new is a hard but necessary road. On this album the left-of-center melodic hooks remain, and they continue to be embedded in minimalist rhythms, haunting keyboards, dark violins and angular guitars. But the tracks on this album also represent a more focused and dynamic Fang: better performances, better production and better songwriting. The first three singles ŒI Can¹t Help It¹, ŒYellow¹ and ŒSomething Good¹ are the more accessible end of the album (the first two singles have already had extensive airplay on the b-net, and "I Can't Help It" on ChannelZ and videos on C4 - ŒSomething Good¹ has a video in production). Other tracks on the album such as ŒMilkshakes and Orange¹, ŒA Reckless Moment¹ or Snowtown are more expansive and cinematic in scope.

Thanks
Arch Hill

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