Progressive-Psych Band, BIRTH, (ex-Astra) Drops New Music Video “Long Way Down”
Debut LP from Seasoned San Diego Stunners Lands on Billboard Charts in First Week of Release
“Birth’s dedication to exploring the sounds of the late sixties and early seventies is impressive enough, but their ability to bring those sounds back to life on ‘Born’ is even moreso.” – The Big Takeover
Southern California psychedelic/progressive rock unit, Birth, released its full-length debut LP, ‘Born’, on July 15 via UK rock label Bad Omen Records (Wytch Hazel, Spell, Satan’s Satyrs). Featuring members of San Diego’s revered retro rockers Astra, along with current or former members of Joy, Radio Moscow, and Sacri Monti, Birth owns a cavernous cache of credibility rarely found in developing musical groups. Described as “a magic-eye journey into kaleidoscopic sound”, and “a dystopian take on the here and now”, ‘Born’ is available for purchase at THIS location.
Proof of Birth’s growing greatness is in the proverbial pudding as the band’s debut has landed on the Billboard charts in its first week of release. ‘Born’ placed at #17 on Billboard’s Top New Artists Albums, #19 on its Current Hard Music Albums, and at #66 on the Independent Albums Chart. Simultaneously, the album earned the #12 position on the Official UK Independent Album Breakers Chart, #16 on the Official UK Rock / Metal Album Chart, and the #31 spot on the Official UK Independent Album Chart while also scoring the #31 Hard Music Album on the Canadian Billboard Chart and #110 on its Top Current Albums ranking. In its review of the debut, San Diego Magazine called Birth’s sound “head-trip wizardry” and stated, “Born’ showcases the kind of cosmic journey four seasoned veterans can conjure up when they get into the same room together.”
In celebration of the record’s debuts, Birth unveils a video for the album’s penultimate track “Long Way Down”. The clip, created by Vince Edwards (Behemoth, Motor Sister), sees the band performing the track amidst a kaleidoscopic, Beat-Club setting. View Birth’s “Long Way Down” at THIS location.
“‘Long Way Down” is one of the darker tracks on the album. It was written out of frustration at the state of the world,” says Birth’s Conor Riley. “It’s really about watching the slow decline and trying to hype myself up for the end of it. For the video, we wanted a vintage vibe that captured the darker and chaotic theme of the song. We worked with Vince Edwards who really helped us develop that vision.”
Featuring guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Riley and guitarist Brian Ellis, musicians who burst onto the prog-psych scene in the late aughts with Astra, a formidable, foundational group hailed as “prog goliaths” (AllMusic), who would shape the sound of things to come alongside co-conspirators such as Earthless, Diagonal and Dungen, and whose albums ‘The Weirding’ (2009) and ‘The Black Chord’ (2012) stand proud as two of the greatest progressive achievements of this century thus far, there is a palatable excitement surrounding Birth and the group has been pegged as one to watch in underground circles. Excitement surrounding the group kicked into a gear once a now-deleted demo ep was unleashed, on a pay-what-you-will basis, on the Bandcamp platform in 2021, which marked the spark of creation for the Birth universe, delivered a blast of vibrant progressive rock rich in cinematic scope and psychedelic intensity, and laid the groundwork for what was to come.
“Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” . So wrote Mary Shelley in Frankenstein, arguably the first science fiction tale. A full 204 years later, the quest remains – how best to elucidate our daily lives with some form of inspiration that moves the spirit beyond its earthly shackles? On ‘Born’, Birth musically and creatively constructs a science-fiction-inspired sound-world in which bleak tumult and skybound rapture co-exist. The result is an intoxicating album haunted by earthly concerns while its sonics aim simultaneously for the stars.
“I’m a scientist by trade and I read a lot of dystopian sci-fi, which I believe is relevant to many of the events that have been occurring lately,” notes Riley. “These views feed a dark, spiritual and mystical relationship that I have with scientific thought”.
Track listing:
1.) Born
2.) Descending Us
3.) For Yesterday
4.) Cosmic Tears
5.) Another Time
6.) Long Way Down (watch VIDEO)
Birth features Conor Riley (vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar), Brian Ellis (lead guitar, keyboards), Trevor Mast (bass), and Thomas DiBenedetto (drums). Drums on ‘Born’ performed by Paul Marrone. Follow Birth online at Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook.
Birth is available to speak with interested media. To request a review copy of ‘Born’ and/or to chat with the band, simply contact Sarah Lutz at Metal Blade Records.
“an absolute treat…recreating the music of this era often results in the sonic equivalent of the uncanny valley – but Birth get the vibe right while adding lashings of Hammond organ, Mellotron and Moog” – Shindig!
“The pedigree of the lineup is significant, of course. San Diego’s well-discussed boom in heavy psych wouldn’t have the shape it does without the likes of Astra or Radio Moscow…they’ve made a resounding first impression, and one looks forward to what explorations and sonic discoveries may lay ahead.” – The Obelisk
“Astra members resurface in new prog outfit Birth…with those roots planted deep in such psychic territory and expressive techniques, Birth can stretch their vines upward and allow their collective imagination to reach fresh and unfathomable new heights” – PROG
“Born’ is a terrific slice of heavy psych/prog rock indulgence that’s made more impressive because it’s Birth’s first collection. Each passage is captivating and resourceful, with a striking balance between retro prototypes and contemporary production. All in all, then, Birth completely nail what they’re going for, so fans of this kind of music will absolutely adore every moment.” – Metal Injection
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