San Francisco’s progressive/doom/stoner rock band GIANT SQUID have completed a week of studio work on their upcoming, self-released album The Ichthyologist with Matt Bayles (MASTODON, ISIS, PEARL JAM).
In an update posted online, singer/guitarist Aaron Gregory posts: “GIANT SQUID just finished a grueling seven days of recording in Seattle’s Litho Room studio with highly regarded producer, Matt Bayles, and will return in September for another six days to finish tracking and mixing at Bayles’ personal studio, The Red Room. The results so far have been incredible. Our new album, The Ichthyologist, is just over an hours worth of music, ten full songs ranging from immensely heavy riffs to other worldly melodies that GIANT SQUID is known for. Bayles is a true master of his trade, and the rough mixes already sound beautiful. We can’t wait to hear how our music will come across after he’s finished having his way with it.
“GIANT SQUID will be self releasing only a thousand physical copies of The Ichthyologist, available only through the bands website, giantsquidlives.com and our MySpace page, myspace.com/giantsquid, along with digital versions of the record available for purchase as a download as well. Hopefully, we can find a solid label to release a full vinyl version simultaneously. We’re shooting for a January 2009 release, so wish us luck and keep checking in to see how it’s coming along!”
GIANT SQUID’s debut album, Metridium Fields, was released on August 22, 2006 on The End Records.
In other GIANT SQUID news, the band has also recorded a cover song for the upcoming Syd Barrett tribute album. The guitarist comments, “We’re also excited to finally announce the release of Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett on Los Angeles based label, Dwell Records, upon which we cover Syd’s, ‘Octopus’. Dwell approached us a while back to take part in this amazing compilation of artists to pay homage to one of the founding members of PINK FLOYD, and unarguably one of the most influential artists in psychedelic and experimental rock music. Upon hearing the roster of bands taking part in the album, it was a no brainer for us, and a real honor to have GIANT SQUID considered to be amongst them as well as the chance to try our hand at interpreting one of Syd’s bizarre yet equally brilliant songs.
“Not only is ‘Octopus’ the first song GIANT SQUID has ever covered, it is also the first song we’ve recorded with cellist/vocalist, Jackie Perez Gratz (GRAYCEON, ASUNDER), and so will be an interesting glimpse into future material to come from us. Since this recording took place before Chris Lyman, GIANT SQUID’s latest drummer, joined the band, we kidnapped GRAYCEON’s bombastic drummer, Zack Farwell and convinced legendary heavy music producer, Billy Anderson (CATTLE DECAPITATION, HIGH ON FIRE, NEUROSIS) that this ‘madcap’ idea would sound like something musical at the end of the day if he was willing to twist some knobs for us. We feel the end result came out far better than we could have expected.”
Like Black Holes in the Sky: The Tribute to Syd Barrett track listing is as follows:
KOSMOS – “Vegetable Man” KYLESA – “Interstellar Overdrive” INTRONAUT – “Arnold Layne” STINKING LIZAVETA – “Matilda Mother” JARBOE – “Late Night” PENTAGRAM – “Flaming” GIANT SQUID – “Octopus” JESU – “Chapter 24” UNEARTHLY TRANCE – “Long Gone” DREDG – “Astronomy Domine” CIRCLE – “Rats” ZODIAK – “See Emily Play”