Art Of Fighting – The Very Strange Year

Description

Format: CD
Label: Half A Cow Records
Catalogue: hac74
Barcode: 0637377007723
Country: AU
Year: 1998

Condition: New (storage wear)

New and unopened. Cover stock wear. See scans.

01. Sliding
02. The Unappreciate
03. Wild Beast
04. Twenty-One & Eighty
05. East And The Night
06. Not Exactly Fading Away

From press release

Art Of Fighting’s mini-album, The Very Strange Year, a work of grace, poise and real beauty, has been winning the band no shortage of fans, as have their live shows, which further explore those dynamics of time & space. The Very Strange Year (Hac 74) is out now on Half A Cow, over 40 minutes in length.

Having formed in 1995 around the nucleus of Ollie Browne (guitar/vocals) & Peggy Frew (bass/vocals), the first incarnation of Art of Fighting played just three gigs & released one demo tape before splitting up. Reforming as a three piece in mid 1996 with a new drummer, Cameron Grant, Art of Fighting released a further two demo tapes to growing label & booker interest, the second selling out its run of 250 copies within a few months. Much gigging around Melbourne ensued through 1997, as well as trips to Sydney & Adelaide, the year culminating with Art of Fighting releasing two songs (The Chorus Is Suffering & You & Me On Mars) on the Au Go Go Records compilation Wonder From A Quarter Acre).

The end of 1997 also saw Art of Fighting enter the studio to begin recording their debut release. Working with Nick Carroll at his North Melbourne studio, with songs that had been carefully chosen with the intention of becoming their first complete offering, the band have delivered a 6 song set exploring expansive, involved arrangements within fully realised songs. To those familiar with the demo tapes, the difference in approach & sound will be obvious, with a quieter & more subtle vein coming to the fore, something the live shows have been hinting at for some time. The Very Strange Year is indeed their most introspective & their most interesting work to date.

Packaged in unique cardboard sleeve of the band’s own design, a cover befitting the unique & beautiful sounds contained within, The Very Strange Year, was released November 23 on Half A Cow Records.

In March 1998 original second guitarist & now occasional trumpet player Miles Browne rejoined the band. Art of Fighting have continued to write & play prolifically through 1999, as well as planning & recording their follow-up.

Currently finishing a big run of shows with Polyyanna & Icecream Hands, that has seen them play in places such as Mooloolabah, Coffs Harbour & Bendigo, as well as more major centres such as Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Art Of Fighting will hardly have time to unpack before they once again embrace the road, this time as guests of Bluebottle Kiss who are launching a new album.