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Arc

by Xander Naylor

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

  • Cassette + Digital Album

    Hear Xander's landmark "Arc' recording, the one that makes you look up and go, 'wait, was that a guitar?' every few seconds, the way it was meant to be heard. Pop one of these gorgeous little cassettes in your boombox/hi-fi system/Sony walkman/Corvette cassette deck/etc and let er rip. Gorgeous design and gold and black lettering on either side of the tapes make them even more attractive.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Arc via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a lovely gatefold envelope. No shrink wrap, so you can sleep at night..

    Includes unlimited streaming of Arc via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days

      $7 USD or more 

     

1.
Pinball 04:17
2.
3.
Hellespont 01:49
4.
5.
Appearances 02:15
6.
7.
Glass House 01:07
8.
Ratchet 04:14
9.
Elegy 01:15
10.
11.

about

Brooklyn guitarist Xander Naylor has consistently proven to defy genres. Spinning through a diverse set of scenes, he has found homes in free improv, indie rock, experimental jazz, and North Indian classical music. Equally drawing elements from noise, rock, eastern rhythms, and sound collage, his latest solo album, Arc, creates a stimulating mash-up that is both startling and comforting in today's tumultuous world.

"This album is a release. A literal release of emotions that I've carried since my father passed away nearly five years ago. The music was written on a hillside in Vermont in the month after his passing while I was trying to understand my place in a world without him. I polished the music later in a high rise in Brooklyn after waking up one day and realizing I needed to put this out in the world. There are a lot of elements at play." This is the summation of the creative process for Xander Naylor, cultural explorer of the guitar.

For the mixing process, Naylor enlisted the invaluable help of fellow guitarist and Brooklyn aural wizard Ian Hersey (Rubblebucket) to add depth and contour. Naylor: “He found ways to reveal nuances in the music that I had yet to find. It was the syrup on the pancakes!”

We can immediately grasp this disparity of emotion and polish here on Arc. From the Fred Frith reminiscent, carefully honed extended techniques of "Pinball" and "Ratchet," and the highly stylized Aphex Twin-goes-to-India samples of "Glass House," to the mind-expanding sonics of “Bad For Glass” and ernest yearning of "Hellespont" and "Elegy," (which continent are we on?), this record showcases a multifaceted talent.

"The music is volatile and random - it represents the state of mind of a person dealing with a heavy loss. I hope this music speaks to others who have experienced something similar - shows them that it's possible to carry a soul with you despite their lack of physical presence. Their lessons remain."

On August 13, 2017, Naylor will perform solo at a weekly series, Fire Music at the Legion Bar, in Brooklyn, NY, 8pm. On August 24, the Xander Naylor Group will embark on a northeast tour including Burlington, VT, Saratoga Springs, NY, and Montreal, QC.

credits

released August 13, 2017

Xander Naylor - guitar, electronics, sequencing

Recorded, edited, and mixed by Xander Naylor,
January 2013 in Charlotte, VT and July 2017 in Brooklyn, NY.

Additional mixing by Ian Hersey

Mastered by Kevin Blackler

All songs (c) 2017 Little Volcanoes Music (ASCAP)

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all rights reserved

tags

about

Xander Naylor Brooklyn, New York

Xander Naylor is a guitarist, improviser, and composer who combines avant jazz, post-rock, and Indian classical music, into a singular new sound, described by The Critical Masses as “a language all his own.” Naylor has performed all over the world, most recently a two-month tour of India (Feb-March, 2020). Continuum it is a statement of inclusivity. ... more

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