We are thrilled to announce the release of the sophomore LP from Spiral Wave Nomads. Recorded live one afternoon in the pre-pandemic halcyon days of the summer of 2019, paradoxically First Encounters documents the first time Albany-based guitarist Eric Hardiman and New Haven-based drummer Michael Kiefer met and played music together in the same room.
Despite the geographic distance between their respective bases of Albany, NY and New Haven, CT, Kiefer and Hardiman's collaboration started in 2018 after becoming label mates on the These Are Not Records imprint. They spent the better part of that year getting to know each other over digital pathways and recording their self-titled debut--a collection of asynchronous improvisations and extended psych jams--by file-sharing, collecting layers of convergent truths along the way. This time around, they wanted to see how their ideas would come together in an unscripted live setting. With no plan to speak of, no talk of what it should sound like, and no overdubs, it's a testament to the magic that happens when two seasoned improvisers trust each other and let it flow. But don’t take our word for it. Longtime underground music head guru Byron Coley had this to say about it:
"The four tracks on First Encounters are wonderfully explosive, difficult to predict and utterly mind-melting. Just the thing to soak in during what looks to be a hard-ass winter. Spiral Wave Nomads' music reminds us that spring will eventually blossom again."
We look forward to turning the page on 2020 as we celebrate the album’s release on January 1st and hold out hope for a better ‘21. Co-released with Feeding Tube Records, it comes in a limited edition of 250 on black vinyl in reverse board, heavy stock jackets. Pre-orders available here. View a video outtake from the recording session and a music video for preview track “Radiant Drifter” down below.