Irish experimental post-rock instrumentalists And So I Watch You From Afar have released their seventh full-length album, ‘Megafauna’, via Berlin’s Pelagic Records.
A sonic tribute to the two places the collective call home, their beloved Portrush on the Irish North Coast and the beating heart that is Belfast; ‘ Megafauna’ is headstrong exploration and heartfelt appreciation with all the intuition, intimacy and humour of four firm friends approaching their 20th year as a band as well as a grateful nod to the Irish roots that simultaneously ground & propel them forward.
Like so many other bands and creatives throughout the pandemic, ASIWYFA found themselves suddenly stationary, with any plans outside of their immediate vicinity put on indefinite hold. However, where this might have seen other acts falter, ASIWYFA took comfort in their communal bond and, as soon as they were able, began writing a record that quickly became a love letter to the communities they’re surrounded by.
The intent behind ‘Megafauna’ is clear from the outset. Two guitars, bass and drums all recorded in a week erupt into effervescent life in an endorphin rush of collaboration and togetherness after the physical and psychological wilderness of isolation.
With a percussive pulse that pounds like a heartbeat, album track ‘Mother Belfast (Part 2)’ is ASIWYFA celebrating the riotous clash of community, creativity and defiant continuity that inspired ‘Megafauna’ in its entirety. An unmistakable traditional Irish folk lilt is propelled to dizzying heights by post-punk swagger and duelling, polyrhythmic guitar refrains as the four-piece soundtrack the idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of the inspirational people and places they’re proud to call their home.
‘Megafauna’ is the band’s first new music since 2022’s critically-acclaimed ‘Jettison’, an ambitious multi-media ensemble piece packed full of experimentation and collaboration. Jokingly referring to ‘Jettison’ as their ‘mature record’, the band framed the writing of ‘Megafauna’ around the their long-running mantra of ‘DO THE SCARY THING’ which sees ASIWYFA constantly hurtling towards newness, towards progress, evolution and the thrill of the unknown. Whilst the new record can be seen as ASIWYFA taking on a more familiar form; in this post-’Jettison’, post-pandemic world ‘Megafauna’ is a deafening and defiant statement of intent from the band’s propulsive core – a clarion call for the communities that shape them, a resplendent celebration of togetherness over separation.
Megafauna is out now
https://orcd.co/asiwyfa
