Pitchfork

Based solely on their recent album titles, one gets the feeling that the experimental-rock loving dudes in Cul de Sac are jonesin' for some sort of cosmic catastrophe: First there was 1999's Crashes to Light, Minutes to Its Fall, and now comes Death of the Sun, set for release via Portland's awesome space-rock label Strange Attractors' Audio House on February 18th. With any luck, the moon won't shift from its orbit before then, but you may want to hedge your bets and purchase the album early at the label's website anyway.

n During the nearly four-year layoff between albums (their 2002 live album Immortality Lessons notwithstanding), the band has been busy giving itself a makeover: bassist Michael Bloom left for greener pastures, and was replaced by bassist/violinist Jonathan LaMaster and electronics guru/turntablist Jake Trussell. According to the band, Trussell's "modern electronics" approach has greatly influenced Death of the Sun's musical direction; his vinyl and knob-twisting fingerprints are smeared all over the damn thing. While Cul de Sac's amalgamation of folk, trance, ambient, and field recordings remains intact, the band promises a more sample-heavy approach. You be the judge. Tracklist:

n 01 Dust of Butterflies
02 Bamboo Rockets, Half Lost in Nothingness, Searching for an Inch of Sky
03 Turok, Son of Stone
04 Bellevue Bridge
05 Death of the Sun
06 I Remember Nothing More

n Cul de Sac is also re-joining forces with ex-Can frontman and Krautrock pioneer Damo Suzuki for a handful of east coast tour dates. As they did last time around in May 2002, Cul de Sac will perform their regular set before being joined onstage by Suzuki for a round of "instant composing." Or as we here at Pitchfork call it, "banging on a keyboard." Ze tourdates:

n 02-12 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (Upstairs)
02-14 Baltimore, MD - Ottabar
02-15 Winston-Salem, NC - Project Space 211
02-16 New York, NY - Knitting Factory

n The Cambridge show will double as the album release party for Death of the Sun. Very tidy, indeed, how that all worked out for the Boston-based band. After their jaunt up and down the eastern seaboard, Cul de Sac will head across the pond with Damo Suzuki in March for their first European tour. Dates:

n 03-21 Bonn, Germany - Harmonie
03-22 Dortmund, Germany - FZW
03-23 Weinheim, Germany - Café Central
03-24 Frankfurt, Germany - Nachtleben
03-25 Wurzburg, Germany - AKW
03-26 Worgl, Austria - Komma
03-27 Munchen, Germany - Kafe Kult
03-28 Zagreb, Croatia - KSET
03-29 Beograd, Yugoslavia - (to be announced)
03-30 Wien, Austria - B-72
03-31 Berlin, Germany - Magnet
04-01 Halle, Germany - Object 5
04-02 Marburg, Germany - KFZ

n In less Teutonic news, Cul de Sac have contributed the score to the Boston-based independent film The Strangler's Wife. Whether anyone outside of Southie will see the film remains to be seen, but Cul de Sac's score will be released by Strange Attractors later this year. Pitchfork eagerly awaits the chance to hear their haunting "Love Theme to The Strangler's Wife".

n And, finally, for those of you late to the Cul de Sac game, Strange Attractors (again!) is releasing (not to mention remastering) the band's 1992 debut, Ecim. No definite release date for the album has been set, but expect it at some point in '03.

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