New York instrumental trio The Royal Arctic Institute are excited to announce their sophomore album Accidental Achievement, due October 19, 2018 on Rhyme and Reason Records. The video for the album's first single, "The Grubert Effect," premiered via Tiny Mix Tapes, who called it "a propulsive concoction of guitar, bass, and drums that braked at the right moments and careened most of the rest of the time." The video is available to stream HERE, and the audio-only track can be found on Spotify. The vinyl edition of the album can now be pre-ordered HERE. The band also has several performances lined up in the coming months -- see below for a list of all announced shows.
The band's guitarist, John Leon, shared his thoughts on the inspiration for the song:
"My favorite artist is Moebius. He was one of the Frenchmen who started Heavy Metal Magazine in the late 70s. Anyway, he did a long running story called The Airtight Garage. The main character is this guy named Major Grubert and he possesses the ability to travel between dimensions. He created a world called the Airtight Garage inside a pocket universe in the constellation Leo. The Airtight Garage has three levels and they are intended to metaphorically represent Freud's concept of id, ego, and superego. 'The Grubert Effect' is the means by which Major Grubert travels between dimensions. The song itself is in three parts, just like the Airtight Garage. Just like Freud's concept of the id, the ego, and the super ego. So 'The Grubert Effect' in our context is essentially the means by which we transition between the three parts of the song."
The Royal Arctic Institute are a New York trio playing an eclectic blend of cinematic mood music. The group formed in 2016 and released their debut record The French Method in 2017. The three members of the Royal Arctic Institute include John Leon (Roky Erickson's backing band), Gerard Smith (Phantom Tollbooth), and Lyle Hysen (Das Damen). The three members of The Royal Arctic Institute take a "post-everything" approach to their compositions while pulling from many different genres and sonic palettes.
Accidental Achievement track list:
1. Leaky Goes To Brooklyn
2. The Grubert Effect
3. When Razors Were Works Of Art
4. Raymond Roussell
5. The Lark Mirror
6. Frosted Tips
7. The Vorhh
8. Dear Mr. Bookman
9. Dark Matter
10. Northern Progress Exploration Company
The Royal Arctic Institute's upcoming performances:
10/6 - White Eagle Hall - Jersey City, NJ
10/18 - Pianos - New York, NY
10/19 - The Nest - Brooklyn, NY
10/20 - Guitar Bar, Jr. - Jersey City, NJ
11/9 - Quinn's - Beacon, NY
11/11 - The Bowery Electric - New York, NY
11/13 - The Pet Shop - Jersey City, NJ
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