Description
This is a pre-order. It will ship on or around 10/23/26
Double LP version. Common Primitives is the second collaborative album between Andy Bell (Ride guitarist, Oasis bassist) and Essex-based harp and synth duo Masal. It's a stunning, meditative collection which veers from kosmische to astral jazz by way of Turkish folk tunes and all the way back again. Their first outing, 2023's acclaimed Tidal Love Numbers, consisted of four lengthy and almost ambient tracks and is included here on vinyl for the first time as part of a two-record set with the new album. By contrast, the seven tracks that make up Common Primitives are almost concise, but also a lot more layered and complex. "We tend to work from initial, free-jammed ideas, building form and arrangement from there," explains Masal's Al Johnson. "Above all, we believe you should go where the vibe takes you." For Andy, that vibe was very much jazz legend Pharoah Sanders' classic 1977 album Pharoah. "It puts me into a hypnotic state," he explains. "That's why I worked with more guitar loops on this record. The Tisziji Muñoz part on 'Harvest Time' has had me in a vice-like grip for the last three years and it arrives here via the Vini Reilly filter." For Özlem Simsek, there is nostalgia, too, and she even adds vocals as well as her heavenly harp to the opening track, "After Kâtibim," based on a traditional Turkish folk song she had sung as a child growing up in Istanbul. From there, the album takes listeners on a real journey, with the apt, impressionistic titles added by Andy once it had all been pieced together. There's the beautiful, elegant "I Swear We Are Infinite"; the atmospheric "Yuzuki Fighting Spirit" and the beatific "Soap And Water." "Tower Of Babylon" was named after the novelette by Ted Chiang, its structured creation reflecting that in the story; first single "The Morning Of The Trip" finds Andy playing his guitar "as if it was a waterfall". The journey ends with "Rudi's Dream -- The Third Bardo," the trio accelerating onto the autobahn for a krautrock crescendo inspired by their studio's resident cat.
Cancellations:
Because many payment processors no longer return transaction fees to sellers on cancelled orders, any orders or pre-orders that are canceled by the customer before shipment will be assessed a 5% cancellation fee.
Q: How do limited edition and exclusive releases work?
Limited and exclusive items are fulfilled in the order received and may be subject to availability. If we’re unable to fulfill your order, you’ll receive a full refund.
Q: When will my pre-order ship?
Pre-orders ship on or around the official release date. If your order includes both pre-order and in-stock items, everything will ship together once all items are available. All orders are charged at the time of purchase.
