pelt: effigy

ltd repress. MIE Records are unbelievably honored to present Effigy by Pelt, the first album recorded since 2007 by the acoustic-only droners. Recorded live in June 2011 in an old yoga studio in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and a decommissioned synagogue called the Gates of Heaven in nearby Madison, the band have laid down their most accomplished and fully-realized work to date. Epic in every sense of the word, Effigy is a sprawling journey through their singular plan on the musical map. Layer upon layer of droning strings melt over never-ending harmoniums which threaten to engulf you while peals of gongs ring out to mesmerizing effect. Effigy sees Pelt reaching their blissful sonic enlightenment. Effigy is a testament to the ancient animal-shaped mounds called "effigy mounds" which dot the landscape in and around Madison, Wisconsin. No one has yet managed to work out who built these creations. Over the centuries they have greatly reduced in size but still the largest can measure up to 400 feet in length, and the outlines of birds, lizards, deer and bears are all clearly visible to the observer. Soil would have been carried from afar to construct these huge monuments with only crude implements at hand. The erection of the monuments would have surely been carried out by practically an army of workers or inhabitants and taken a very long time to build, indeed. Effigy comes as a 2LP with stunning gatefold artwork by Jake Blanchard. Mastered by James Plotkin. The first edition was limited to a run of 500 2LPs. Repressed in 2013 in a second run of 500 2LPs.