Official press release:
One of the Pacific Northwest’s hidden societies, Geist & The Sacred Ensemble forges a doom-inflected folk ritualism; dirges tinged with Eastern psychedelia and meandering meditative trances. For the last several years, the group has shown the Washington state underground a clear vision for their sound and lyrics – creating a shamanistic space for the listener, placing them into a trance, then building up the excitement. The overarching theme of their lyrical work is that of an idealist, a yearning for an end to the modern human condition, for destruction of the constructs and constraints of oppression. The group has appeared many times at Thirst For Light and on Hollow Earth Radio.
Geist & The Sacred Ensemble brings their hypnotic and emotionally-charged live show to a wider audience this spring with a West Coast tour. For this occasion, on March 31st, Scry Recordings is releasing Dig In Sessions: III, a cassette with two musical hypnosis sessions from the vault, recorded by the group and mastered by MS Waldron (Nurse With Wound, irr.app.ext).
Issues the band:
“What is that, you ask? Over the years (2012-present) we have recorded most of our practices. Sometimes, practice turns into improvised playing and listening which we call ‘digs.’ We say ‘digs’ because whether you’re digging a hole or creating music in the moment, it is the terrain that dictates the approach. The dig could become a foundation for something bigger than itself or covered up and forgotten. We want to share a side of our sound that you may not always hear.”
Excerpts from the tape can be heard below via Geist & The Sacred Ensemble’s official Bandcamp page.
Dig In Sessions: III Track Listing:
Side A: “Crotalus Cerastes”
Side B: “41617”
3/22 – Portland, OR | Azoth
3/23 – Ashland, OR | Ashland Community Center
3/27 – Arcata, CA | Miniplex
3/28 – Oakland, CA | Jack London Elbo Room
3/29 – Mt. Shasta, CA | Temple of Intention
3/30 – Corvallis, OR | DiMaggio’s
Geist & The Sacred Ensemble is:
M. Sauder – hollow body electric guitar, vocals, broken clarinet, effect pedals
S. Yoder – percussion, chains, cymbals, gong, various implements
C. Segawa – electric guitar, steel spike, slide, effect pedals
C. Howe – electric bass, metal door pin, bow, effect pedals