Name: To Be a Cloud
Brand: The Saxophones

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

FTH486LP

Colour

Green

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-06-02

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5060626466418

Total Cap

Green LP

FTH486CD

5060626466401

Artist

The Saxophones

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

Full Time Hobby

Full Time Hobby is an independent music label based in London, England. Established in 2004 by Nigel Adams and Wez Westley, the label has been a platform for showcasing diverse and talented artists from various genres. With a focus on quality music production, Full Time Hobby has gained recognition as a leading authority in the industry.

Since its inception, Full Time Hobby has consistently delivered exceptional music releases that have captivated audiences worldwide. The label's commitment to nurturing emerging talent and supporting established artists has earned them a reputation for being at the forefront of cutting-edge music.

With *Nigel Adams* and *Wez Westley* at the helm, Full Time Hobby continues to push boundaries and explore new musical territories. Their passion for discovering unique sounds ensures that every release from the label is a testament to their unwavering dedication to artistic excellence.

The Saxophones are a husband and wife duo from Oakland, CA. Comprised of Alexi Erenkov and Alison Alderdice, their music is a captivating blend of indie folk and dream pop. With haunting melodies and introspective lyrics, The Saxophones create an atmospheric sound that transports listeners to another world. Their unique style has garnered them a dedicated following and critical acclaim. Discover the enchanting sounds of The Saxophones today.

Back In Stock

Resonating between sky and sea, you will hear The Saxophones; the husband and wife duo of Alexi Erenkov and Alison Alderdice whose minimalist after-hours tones will prop you up amidst the darkest corner of a smoky lounge bar. Documenting the next chapter of their lives having returned to Alexi’s childhood home 20 years later - this time with kids of their own - their third album To Be A Cloud resounds like a backyard soundtrack of rediscovery; rekindling their love for the jazz of their instrumental namesake and revealing what happens when just as a cloud transforms to rain, then snow, then river and returns once again to cloud, life comes full circle.

Never far from water, the album was recorded in the coastal town of Anacortes, Washington, under the high ceilings of Phil Elverum’s The Unknown studio. A former Catholic church where the pair lived during 24/7 recording sessions, time was no object as they experimented and developed the sound of the record. Its magical setting and ample space provided natural acoustics for Alexi’s arresting vocals which were recorded live to 24-track tape, suspending them in an ambiguous historical and chronological context between analogue and digital. Enhanced by Alison’s percussion alongside the bass and keys of Richard Laws, together they made the most of the studio’s many instruments which fill out and bookend their exploration of the billions of years of evolution that have led to this moment in time.

Like an ornate stream of consciousness telling journal entries, ‘Speak for You’ and ‘Boy Crazy’ are intimately personal stories of the exhausting joy of parenthood – raising boys with an awareness of the pitfalls and dangers of typical masculine behaviours. Elsewhere the intimate and contrasting gentle-ominous melody of ‘Margarita Mix’, the languid ‘Goddess in Repose’, and ‘Hunter,’ attempt to navigate what’s deemed to be roles of ‘woman’ and ‘man’ before ‘In My Defense’s lyrics (I don’t want to be a cloud / It bored me then it will bore me again) return to Hanh’s deep observations. “It can be comforting to think that upon death we continue to exist in other forms within the same system,” Alexi ponders, “but I find what I’m most afraid to give up is my consciousness. I haven’t come to terms with ego death. There is beauty in the idea of being a cloud, but also dread. I fear the nothingness of my cloud nature.”

Whether bringing the saxophone back into spotlight through instrumental solos and live performances, or delving deeper as they continue to explore the process of nurturing a new record as mindful as they do their own children, every step taken may be further from the start and yet, To Be A Cloud is another note closer to a reawakening of more good things come.

The album sits somewhere between Eden Ahbez, Angelo Badalamenti, Bill Callahan etc. Goes very well with a margarita in the sun.

To Be a Cloud

Music GB