The Russian Circles live from Maida Vale session will be airing this Sunday, August 18th on BBC Radio 1 on Daniel P Carter's Radio 1 Rock Show - starting at 21:00 - 23:00 UK Time // 4pm -6pm EST / 1pm-3pm PST .. Tune in HERE

(via New Noise)

Interview with guitarist Mike Sullivan | By Douglas Menagh | Photo by Alicia Armijo 

Chicago’s Russian Circles, comprised of guitarist Mike Sullivan, drummer Dave Turncrantz, and bassist Brian Cook, dropped Blood Year through Sargent House on Aug. 2. 

Ahead of the new album, the instrumental trio released “Arluck,” a song with intricate and dissonant hooks, search-and-destroy drumbeats, and aggressive basslines. The single is a technically impressive banger that alternates between moments of tranquility and broadly powerful episodes. 

Below, Sullivan shares a bit about creating “Arluck,” recording Blood Year, collaborating with producer Kurt Ballou, loving hockey—the game that inspired the name Russian Circles—and what’s in store for the future.

(via New Noise)

Interview with guitarist Mike Sullivan | By Douglas Menagh | Photo by Alicia Armijo 

Chicago’s Russian Circles, comprised of guitarist Mike Sullivan, drummer Dave Turncrantz, and bassist Brian Cook, dropped Blood Year through Sargent House on Aug. 2. 

Ahead of the new album, the instrumental trio released “Arluck,” a song with intricate and dissonant hooks, search-and-destroy drumbeats, and aggressive basslines. The single is a technically impressive banger that alternates between moments of tranquility and broadly powerful episodes. 

Below, Sullivan shares a bit about creating “Arluck,” recording Blood Year, collaborating with producer Kurt Ballou, loving hockey—the game that inspired the name Russian Circles—and what’s in store for the future.

(Full feature via LOUDER)

"This is our seventh album," Chicago post-rock group Russian Circles tell Louder of their new album, Blood Year. 

As the group stood on the cusp of the recording sessions for the new record, it turned out tackling their seventh album would leave them facing some big questions.

"What do you do when you’ve written seven albums? Do you pull a U2 and make an electronic infused record like Zooropa, or hire KRS-One to rap on your first song like R.E.M. did on Out of Time? Frankly, that’s not our style." 

They found their answers in the work of the experimental pioneers who came before them – bands who've carved out their own path while staying resolutely true to their vision. 

"We chose to stay the course like Fugazi, Lungfish, or Neurosis," the band say. 

The result is a typically progressive, powerful record, that throws together exploratory jams, relentless riffs, bold experimentation, battle cries, as well as the odd "unapologetically straight-forward song". It finds them expanding their sound while building on a back catalogue of genuinely innovative music. 

Here, the band talk us through Blood Year one track at a time.

(Full feature via LOUDER)

"This is our seventh album," Chicago post-rock group Russian Circles tell Louder of their new album, Blood Year. 

As the group stood on the cusp of the recording sessions for the new record, it turned out tackling their seventh album would leave them facing some big questions.

"What do you do when you’ve written seven albums? Do you pull a U2 and make an electronic infused record like Zooropa, or hire KRS-One to rap on your first song like R.E.M. did on Out of Time? Frankly, that’s not our style." 

They found their answers in the work of the experimental pioneers who came before them – bands who've carved out their own path while staying resolutely true to their vision. 

"We chose to stay the course like Fugazi, Lungfish, or Neurosis," the band say. 

The result is a typically progressive, powerful record, that throws together exploratory jams, relentless riffs, bold experimentation, battle cries, as well as the odd "unapologetically straight-forward song". It finds them expanding their sound while building on a back catalogue of genuinely innovative music. 

Here, the band talk us through Blood Year one track at a time.

(via Bandcamp)

Writing about instrumental music is a tricky task, as you’re trying to read meaning into songs that are inherently textural. In the absence of lyrics, it’s easy to look to recording details to gain a better understanding of where the musicians were, both physically and mentally, during the creative process. While that’s often foolish, in the case of Russian Circles, those facts mean something. Their new album, Blood Year, builds a direct link between the band’s past and present. 

Recorded with Kurt Ballou, both at his GodCity Studio as well as Chicago’s revered Electrical Audio (where they’ve now recorded four of their seven albums), Blood Year reunites the band with the producer who pushed them to new heights on 2016’s Guidance. On songs like “Milano” and “Sinaia,” Ballou understands that guitarist Mike Sullivan’s black metal-styled riffing is not meant to pummel the listener, but is meant as an expression of his own introspection. Where lesser producers would bring Sullivan’s tremolo-picked riffs to the forefront, on Blood Year those moments hang back in the mix, showing that as the band move further away from their math rock-indebted beginnings, they’ve found ways to insert their interest in aggressive music without it going into rote or predictable territory. 

No song on Blood Year highlights the fact that Russian Circles have been able to build upon their original ethos as much as “Arluck.” Throughout this moving tribute to Matt Arluck, the Sweet Cobra guitarist who died a decade ago, Sullivan builds some of the poppiest guitar parts he’s ever recorded, the kind that are reminiscent of 2006’s Enter, or even his old band Dakota/Dakota. But around the midsection, it gives way to a darker, chug-heavy motif, one that the band always reached for, but never made into something as potent as they do here. It speaks to the fact that, after all these years together, Russian Circles are still growing as a band, incorporating new influences into their sound while still honoring the foundation they first set down all those years ago. 

-David Anthony

(via Bandcamp)

Writing about instrumental music is a tricky task, as you’re trying to read meaning into songs that are inherently textural. In the absence of lyrics, it’s easy to look to recording details to gain a better understanding of where the musicians were, both physically and mentally, during the creative process. While that’s often foolish, in the case of Russian Circles, those facts mean something. Their new album, Blood Year, builds a direct link between the band’s past and present. 

Recorded with Kurt Ballou, both at his GodCity Studio as well as Chicago’s revered Electrical Audio (where they’ve now recorded four of their seven albums), Blood Year reunites the band with the producer who pushed them to new heights on 2016’s Guidance. On songs like “Milano” and “Sinaia,” Ballou understands that guitarist Mike Sullivan’s black metal-styled riffing is not meant to pummel the listener, but is meant as an expression of his own introspection. Where lesser producers would bring Sullivan’s tremolo-picked riffs to the forefront, on Blood Year those moments hang back in the mix, showing that as the band move further away from their math rock-indebted beginnings, they’ve found ways to insert their interest in aggressive music without it going into rote or predictable territory. 

No song on Blood Year highlights the fact that Russian Circles have been able to build upon their original ethos as much as “Arluck.” Throughout this moving tribute to Matt Arluck, the Sweet Cobra guitarist who died a decade ago, Sullivan builds some of the poppiest guitar parts he’s ever recorded, the kind that are reminiscent of 2006’s Enter, or even his old band Dakota/Dakota. But around the midsection, it gives way to a darker, chug-heavy motif, one that the band always reached for, but never made into something as potent as they do here. It speaks to the fact that, after all these years together, Russian Circles are still growing as a band, incorporating new influences into their sound while still honoring the foundation they first set down all those years ago. 

-David Anthony

'Blood Year' by Russian Circles is OUT EVERYWHERE NOW. Available for stream and purchase here: smarturl.it/BloodYear

All upcoming tour dates: russiancirclesband.com

'Blood Year' by Russian Circles is OUT EVERYWHERE NOW. Available for stream and purchase here: smarturl.it/BloodYear

All upcoming tour dates: russiancirclesband.com

(Premiered on Loudwire)

Russian Circles are back with the new album, Blood Year, which will hit fans in full Aug. 2. To hold you over until next month, however, Loudwire has the exclusive premiere of the seven-minute “Kohokia.” 

“Kohokia” is the middle track on Blood Year, closing out Side A for vinyl fanatics. The brooding instrumental cut lurches forward with each minute, disorienting the listener with abstract bass lines and ambient guitar work. 

Converge’s Kurt Ballou manned the helm for Blood Year, which was recorded at Steve Albini's (Nirvana / Pixies) Electrical Audio with all three band members in one room, playing complete takes together with no click track. This is the second time Ballou has worked with the Chicago band, who previously released a number of records with Brandon Curtis. 

Russian Circles, "Kohokia"

Listen to Russian Circles’ “Kohokia” in the player above and click here to pre-order Blood Year. Russian Circles will spend two months touring North America starting in September, so check out the full list of dates below. 

Russian Circles 2019 Tour Dates