Destroyer - Thief - VINYL LP

180-gram black vinyl. Playing with a Different S*x was the debut album by seminal postpunk band Au Pairs, released in 1981. Described retrospectively by AllMusic as 'one of the great post-punk records', a review by Record Mirror on it's said the band's 'critique of all forms of possession and sexual stereotyping assumes a devastating power'. Themes include sexual politics and the torture of women imprisoned in Northern Ireland during The Troubles of the 1970s, as well as a stunning cover of David Bowie's 'Repetition' about domestic violence. It peaked at No. 33 in the UK, and features the single 'It's Obvious', which reached No. 37 on the US Club Play Singles chart.

Thief is the brainchild of Dylan Neal, a dulcimer player for the critically acclaimed experimental black metal band Botanist. During his time with Botanist, Neal began to experiment with a new sound. Deeply inspired by sacred Christian vocal music, Gregorian chants and the limitlessness of electronic music, he began to connect the dots between the new and ancient; the past and sonic expressions of the future. This involved crate digging for strange medieval hymns and melding them with electronic and black metal elements. The lyrics are heavily inspired by traditional Christian dirges and hymns, but they take on their own life in Thief's rendering. While their first album, InchThieves Hymns In D MinorInch (2016), was more of an exploration of textures and mood, the band's sophomore album and Prophecy Productions debut, InchMap Of Lost KeysInch, is a bombastic, expansive, and at times aggressive development on their earlier sounds. It's an extension of the band's drive to progress, also tapping into the mystical world of the Russian and Eastern Orthodox Church. It's an exquisite blend of electronica, classical hymns and alternative rock which comes together to create a unique sound - sometimes upbeat and quick paced, sometimes slower and textured. InchMap Of Lost KeysInch is out via Prophecy Productions on LP, CD Digipak and digital platforms on July 26th, 2019.

Vinyl LP pressing. More than an arcane puzzle for the listener, Labyrinthitis warps and winds through unfamiliar territory for Bejar as well. Written largely in 2020 and recorded the following spring, the album most often finds Bejar and frequent collaborator John Collins seeking the mythic artifacts buried somewhere under the dance floor, from the glitzy spiral of InchIt Takes a ThiefInch to the Books-ian collage bliss of the title track. Initial song ideas ventured forth from disco, Art of Noise, and New Order, Bejar and Collins championing the over-the-top madcappery. InchJohn is in his 50s, and I'm almost there, but we used to go to clubs,Inch Bejar laughs. InchOur version may have been punk clubs, but our touchstones for the album were more true to disco.Inch