Fireworker (Bundle CD+Vinyl+Turntable Slipmat)

55.00

Fireworker (Bundle deal of CD in digipack + 180g double vinyl + Limited Edition Turntable Slipmat)

(CD in Digipack with 16 paged coloured booklet edition)
+
(180g double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with fourth side etching)
+
(Exclusive Limited edition turntable slipmat)

Out of stock

Description

Fireworker (CD in digipack + 180g double vinyl + Limited Edition Turntable Slipmat)
Conceptually, the album follows the band’s tradition of blending grand philosophical quandaries, stimulating literary leanings, and haunting personal turmoil. In a way, it acts as the culmination of the themes and techniques that’ve decorated earlier collections, combining the fatalistic isolation of Night and Missa Atropos; the ill-fated narrative drama of Tick Tock and Soyuz; and the hefty theological/scientific contemplations of Demon and Molok. Beyond that, its central premise (that humanity has always been controlled by an infallible and omniscient creature determined to propagate at any cost) means that Fireworker comes across like the overarching umbrella under which all of its predecessors occur.

Like Night, Fireworker is a single “trip” broken into five chapters but meant to be appreciated all at once. This time, however, Gazpacho’s recurring protagonist is investigating the labyrinthian hive of his own psyche to engage in a Bergman-esque confrontation with the “Fireworker.” This journey is even represented by the Wimmelbilder cover, which, as usual, was designed by collaborator Antonio Seijas and depicts “the billions of neurons that create the cave of the mind”.

Fireworker declares its mesmeric dominance right away via “Space Cowboy,” a side-long suite whose ominous lyricism (“The parasite / That lives in me / Murders words / From where I stop / And it breathes in / We’re biting our tail / The cycle begins”) is but one of many reasons why it’s among Gazpacho’s greatest compositions. From its heartbreakingly delicate first movement and chaotic centerpiece, to its mournfully symphonic penultimate phase and thunderous outro, it is a masterpiece onto itself, cementing how vivacious, evocative, and imaginative Gazpacho remain after all these years.

From there, the sequence remains just as seductively eccentric and beautiful. In particular, “Hourglass” is a gorgeous piano ballad that evokes March of Ghosts in its fusion of welcoming melodies and gentle orchestral flourishes. That then make way for the feisty layers and catchy hooks of the band’s first single and title track “Fireworker.” Fittingly, “Antique” takes over with angelic mystery and the album closer “Sapien,” echoes the dynamic range and epic scope of “Space Cowboy,” resulting in an awe-inspiring finale that envelops you in luscious arrangements and poignant existential realizations.

Fireworker is truly life-changing experience, so you would be wise to turn off all of the lights, clear your mind as best you can, and prepare to meet the Fireworker.

Vinyl:
Tracks:

    1. Side A: Space Cowboy [19:43]
    2. Side B: Hourglass [04:15]
    3. Side B: Fireworker [04:41]
    4. Side B: Antique [06:24]
    5. Side C: Sapien [15:22]

Side D: Art Etching

(180g double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with fourth side as an art etching)

CD:
Tracks:

  1. Space Cowboy [19:43]
  2. Hourglass [04:15]
  3. Fireworker [04:41]
  4. Antique [06:24]
  5. Sapien [15:22]

(2020 CD in Digipack with 16-page colour booklet edition)

&

A Limited edition turntable slipmat with the art design of Antonio Seijas which depicts “the billions of neurons that create the cave of the mind”.
(Full colour printed on white felt, limited availability of 30 copies…)

A slip mat is an accessory for a record player which has the size of an LP (30cm.) It is placed between the platter of the record player and the vinyl album. A slip mat ensures that the record
is not damaged by the hard surface of the record player, and is important for the final sound quality. The materials of the slip mat are ideal for increasing the sound quality. It reduces vibrations and static electricity. So there is less ‘noise’.