New York art punk act Cinema Cinema announces their seventh LP “Mjölnir”, now confirmed for release on July 14th, 2023, via Nefarious Industries.
Cinema Cinema vocalist & guitarist Ev Gold and drummer Paul Claro invited polymath percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Thor Harris (Swans, Angels Of Light, Shearwater) to collaborate with them on “Mjölnir”, which was recorded at historic BC Studio in Brooklyn, New York with legendary noise producer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Boredoms). Inviting Harris into the fold inspires new direction for the ensemble. Exploring his creative repertoire, Thor makes use of BC’s synth collection along with an assortment of drums and arcane percussion pieces to leave his fingerprints on the proceedings. The trio submerge themselves in the strange beauty of chaotic sound, captured inside BC’s cavernous recording space.
Tracked just before the pandemic, Bisi spent time cultivating the sessions in the months that followed, helping shape one of the band’s most expressive records to date. This marking the third time that Cinema Cinema and Martin have worked together (including 2014’s “A Night at the Fights” and 2017’s “Man Bites Dog”), the familiarity breeds wild results. The tracks were mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering, and “Mjölnir” was finished with artwork by Lauren Kelley.
With Mjölnir’s first single, “War on You”, the band writes: “We dig into themes of betrayal and acceptance on this record. ‘War on You’ is our arrow pointed at the enemy. Double drums, incensed vocals, and sonic chaos serve as reminder to the world that we are here and have no intentions of letting up. It’s hard to breathe, walking on my knees, watching rats chasing cheese, I’m in a war on you”.
Stream Cinema Cinema’s “War on You” here.
Nefarious Industries will release “Mjölnir” on Opaque Red vinyl limited to 250 copies and all digital platforms on July 14th, 2023. Find preorders at the label webshop here and stand by for videos and additional previews of the record to post over the weeks ahead.
Tracklist:
1. This Dream
2. War on You
3. Walk Into the Ocean
4. Zero Sum
5. Info Ghetto
6. My Vision of the Future
7. Riverhead
8. Voiceless Idaho
Directly in conjunction with the release of “Mjölnir”, Cinema Cinema will launch a multi-pronged live attack in support of the record. The band has multiple trips planned throughout the Northeast in July, August, and September, with more shows being booked. See confirmed dates below and watch for updates to post regularly.
US Tour Dates 2023:
7/14/2023 Dusk – Providence, RI
7/15/2023 Jewel Music Venue – Manchester, NH
7/16/2023 Rock! Away! Music Fest – Queens, NY
7/21/2023 Warwick DIY – Warwick, NY
8/04/2023 Century – Philadelphia, PA
8/05/2023 33 Golden Street – New London, CT
8/06/2023 Impetus Records – Claymont, DE
8/19/2023 Hart Bar – Brooklyn, NY
8/20/2023 Avalon Lounge – Catskill, NY
9/09/2023 Worthen Attic – Lowell, MA
Cinema Cinema was established in 2008 by Brooklyn-born cousins, Ev Gold and Paul Claro. They’ve been described as “experi-metal punks” by the Village Voice, a “jolt of adrenaline” by BrooklynVegan, and “feral and unrelenting” by Big Takeover.
Touring extensively through the past fifteen years, Cinema Cinema has performed over 475 shows across 11 countries, with multiple treks alongside SST Records founder Greg Ginn, including a 45-date North American tour opening for Black Flag in 2014, select dates supporting Black Flag in 2013, and shared dates in 2010, 2011, and 2012 with Ginn’s other outfits: The Royal We and The Taylor Texas Corrugators. In addition, the band has half a dozen European tours to their credit, including a 2013 stint in support of Martin Bisi Band.
Cinema Cinema appeared in and contributed music to the critically acclaimed 2014 documentary Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio. The band was also included on BC35, a celebration of the 35th anniversary of BC Studio – alongside members of Swans, Sonic Youth, Alice Donut and other studio alumni; released via Bronson Recordings in 2018.
Cinema Cinema has also worked with acclaimed D.C. recordist Don Zientara (Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazi). 2011’s “Shoot the Freak” EP and 2012’s full length, “Manic Children” and “The Slow Aggression were both helmed by Zientara at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia. Zientara also oversaw the session for “U.S. North”, the band’s contribution to Crooked Beat Records 2018 Record Store Day release.
In 2019, the duo joined with Nefarious Industries to release their fifth album, “CCXMD”. Described as “no-holds-barred punk-jazz” by Brooklyn Rail and “as intelligent as it is unintelligible” by Invisible Oranges, it saw the band take a stylistic left turn from any previously recorded output. Cinema Cinema invited reed aficionado Matt Darriau – best known for his work with Grammy award-winning world-music ensemble The Klezmatics – to join the group for the collaborative, entirely improvised affair.
Following in 2021, Cinema Cinema would continue the experiment delving into ambient and atmospheric territories, releasing “CCXMDII”. Culled from the sessions that yielded “CCXMD”, this collection of material would serve as companion to the 2019 release and conclusion, for now, of the band’s foray into free-jazz territory.
