Cavum Reimagined
Far from the average assortment of remixes, Cavum Reimagined is an artful expansion of the ideas present in the original version, a more reflective and patient collection that acts as the other side of the looking glass, as the previously unrealized possibilities reflected over the face of the waters. Arranged to reflect the mirror image of its companion, this new vision of the record begins where Cavum leaves off, with the album-closing “Coda,” and traces its steps backwards, this time around stopping to examine details that may have gone unnoticed during the initial journey. This reimagining is meant to complete the experience of listening to the record, the contemplative Side B to the original version’s emphatic Side A.
Guiding the way is a collection of names that should be well-familiar to fans of the genre, with individual contributions carefully curated. Her Name Is Calla’s Tom Morris brings to “Coda” their delicate sensibilities and adept ability to fashion deeply dramatic and emotionally wrenching compositions out of spare, restrained arrangements; Tides of Man’s Spencer Gill brings their mastery of subtlety and carefully crafted builds to “Solace;” Coastlands’ Jason Sissoyev & Jordan Householder take the explosive “Black Prayer” and imbues it with a tension that is always on the verge of combusting; PILLARS’ alumni, zakè (Zach Frizzell) and Drew Sullivan of Slow Dancing Society carefully settle “Dying Light” down into a patiently pastoral piece that is rich with a curtain-like texture; Ryan Osterman of Holy Fawn delivers a glitchy, textured version of “Dissolution” that mirrors the band’s own dedication to blending striking beauty with unbridled fierceness. Appropriately, PILLARS’ Marc Ertel guides the reimagining of Cavum to its conclusion with a fresh take on “Escape,” balancing restraint and disquiet in a way that expertly leads listeners back to the beginning of it all to again set about on a new exploration of the source material.
The new exploration of the record represents the desired outcome for the remix album, one that brings in relevant voices in the genre and allows them to interpret the music in exciting new ways, but ways that also expand upon the experience of the original album. Listeners will find while working through this supplemental material that it’s like discovering a whole new album, rife with its own rewarding surprises and unique nuances. Cavum Reimagined will be featured as the back half of a double LP, combined with the second pressing of the original record. This release will be produced at dunk!pressing on crystal clear vinyl in a double gatefold, giving fans the ultimate version of the album to add to their collections.
Included remixes:
Coda- Tom Morris (Her Name Is Calla)
Solace- Spencer Gill (Tides of Man)
Black Prayer- Jason Sissoyev & Jordan Householder (Coastlands)
Dying Light- Zake & Slow Dancing Society
Dissolution- Ryan Osterman (Holy Fawn
Escape- Marc Ertel
Cavum
Following their highly regarded 2017 debut Of Salt and Sea, Indianapolis’ PILLARS set out to challenge and ascend beyond their previous accomplishments on both ends of the spectrum. Lauded for their ability to deftly balance patient melodic passages with propulsive, fiery riffing, the songs had an immediacy and sense of direct purpose that shook post-rock listeners to attention. For their sophomore release, the band demonstrates an ever-sharpening focus on a profound exploration of the sounds and textures they’ve become known for, expanding both upon their dreamier meditations as well as the roaring immensity of their heaviest escalations. Cavum sees a version of PILLARS that has only grown in confidence and conviction; it’s a searing and fiercely determined set of compositions that leaves no doubt that this band is now an entrenched force to be reckoned with as the genre moves toward a new era.
Conceptually, Cavum is an album about this unique moment in human history, when we are simultaneously more connected and yet more isolated than ever. The Latin word for a pit, the cavum is an emblem for the dissolution of our collective consciousness as it has grown more intertwined. In age in which one can reach out and speak to people anywhere in the world, we are finding an increase in depression, a loss of tangible experiences and physical interactions, a growing sense of existential dread. At the same time, there is a blossoming taking place, a heightened awareness of the arts, an ability to connect with people we never would have even twenty years ago. Indeed, the post-rock genre itself would not be advancing in the way that it is without this technology facilitating it. So, for every coin, two equally integral sides to consider. Cavum seeks to utilize its sonic palette to explore these themes of the light and the dark and find precious balance within them.
Listeners will find tension and rage and desperation in a track like the aptly-titled opener “Escape,” whereas they can seek a sweeter release in the second single, “Solace,” which conjures visions of vast skies and welcoming horizons with its gentle melodic refrain that patiently grows into a triumphant climactic swell. Where Cavum finds its truest peaks, though, are in the tracks that blend the entire spectrum. The lead single “Dissolution” is a perfect example of how the light and the dark work best as companions as opposed to adversaries. The sheer power of the track’s introductory detonation is given extra weight with the counterbalance of its more pensive and introspective middle section. When it all comes together for a final crescendo, listeners will find PILLARS functioning at level that is emphatically top-tier. But that is par for the course for the entire record.
2019 is shaping up to be a banner year for the genre, and many of its key contributors have emerged from places that may have gone wholly unnoticed prior to the evolution of social media – such is the grandeur of the light. Now it is up to everyone to find a way to fight the darkness, and as it’s always been, music is a sublime place to start.
— text by Young Epoch
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Pressing Information
Cavum Reimagined by Pillars is an extended repress of Cavum and comes on 180g double ultra clear vinyl in gatefold cover with embossing and debossing effect on front and back. This repress includes the original album on side A and B and remixes on side C and D. Limited to 250 EU copies. Pressed with our own hands at dunk!pressing.
First pressing of Cavum was released on 1x 12" on May 17th, 2019 on 180g milky clear vinyl with black/purple smoke. SOLD OUT (150 EU copies)