Piano Magic - Artists' Rifles

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: RGIRL19LPRE 
Barcode: 5063176010117 
Release Date: 15 Sep 2023
Genre: Indie

Limited to 500 copies worldwide.

Baroque post-rock classic’s first [me on vinyl since its original release in 2000.
Originally released on Rocket Girl in 2000, Piano Magic’s third album proper heralded a seismic and surprising shiy away from its more electronic predecessors, ‘Popular Mechanics’ and ‘Low Birth Weight.’ ‘Ar[sts’ Rifles’ is Piano Magic’s first band-band album and marks their debut, actual recording studio appearance. Improvised on the spot and produced/recorded over just five days by John A. Rivers (Dead Can Dance, Felt), at his Woodbine St Studios in Leamington Spa, stylis[cally, the record could feasibly be described as the first (only?) baroque post-rock record, u[lising as it does, consciously or otherwise, influences as broad as Bach and Codeine.

For ‘Ar[sts’ Rifles’ the core of Glen Johnson (vocals/guitars/keyboards), John Cheves (guitars), Paul Tornbohm (bass) and Miguel Marin (drums/percussion) were augmented by guests Caroline Po`er (vocals) and Adrienne Quartly (cello).

The success of ‘Ar[sts’ Rifles,’ par[cularly in Spain, kickstarted a wealth of touring possibili[es and over the next 16 years, the band toured all over Europe. It also caught the a`en[on of 4AD Records, for whom they signed to the following year.
This 2023 vinyl re-pressing honours the original (Ma` Dornan) sleeve design and beau[ful photography of Royal Ar[llery Memorial (Hyde Park, London), by John Cheves of the band.

“Classic English folk music for the 21st century” – Record Collector

“Glen Johnson and cohorts explore a doomed English roman[cism, boldly linking contemporary roman[c mores with the lost genera[on of 1914 – 18…. strangely it works….” – The Wire

“Another endearingly odd record, driying along the seawall between the macabre and melancholy. This is the work of 4AD obsessives who have learnt to love electronica.” - Q

Tracklist: 1) (1.16) 2) No Closure 3) A Return To The Sea 4) (1.22) 5) You & John Are Birds 6) The Index 7) (1.50) 8) Century Schoolbook 9) Password 10) Ar[st’s Rifles