Mission of Burma
Burmassouri Tour - April 2012
Dispatches from St. Louis

Burmassouri - St. Louis

Mission of Burma
Burmassouri Tour - April 2012
Dispatches from Columbia

Burmassouri - Columbia

Mission of Burma Burmassouri Tour
Dispatches from Middle of the Map Festival, Kansas City

Burmassouri - Kansas City

The first track from Mission of Burma's forthcoming LP, 'Unsound'.
Out 7/10 (7/9 UK) on Fire Records.



Pre-order 'Unsound'

Dust Devil

'Unsound' from Mission of Burma
Out 7/10 (US) 7/9 (UK) on Fire Records.

From the outset, ‘Unsound’ was not going to be like any other Mission of Burma
album. As expected, the material is raw, primal and aggressive. They still have a
signature knack for twisting even the most ferocious noise into complex structures.
There are, of course, those killer hooks scattered throughout, but just not quite
where you would expect. Yet with all three lead members resolutely making the
decision to deliberately stretch their boundaries even further, they stepped out of
their comfort zone to create their most rewarding, bewildering and multifaceted
long-player yet. With a new label home, ‘Unsound’ will be released on Fire Records
in July.

‘Unsound’ is Mission of Burma’s fth studio album, continuing their remarkable
legacy. It seems redundant now to even call it a comeback because they’re a
dynamic, current band. Originally together just four years, from 1979-83, Mission of
Burma reformed in 2002 for a handful of shows…which let to more concerts, then
more, and eventually the release of 2004's "ONo ON", their rst new recording in
over twenty years. But no one expected them to just keep putting out records, let
alone records that were every bit as vital and in uential as their seminal early
recordings. Their rst album ‘Vs’ is down in the annals of time as being one of the
most important post-punk records ever. Their subsequent recordings: "ONo ON",
"The Obliterati", "The Sound, The Speed, The Light", and now, "Unsound", continue
to grow in scope, depth and accomplishment with every step.

On "Unsound" we see Mission of Burma messing with their comfort zone by
recording in their Boston rehearsal space which doubles as a recording studio:
Analog Divide. As usual, Roger Miller (guitar, vocals), Clint Conley (bass, vocals) and
Peter Prescott (drums, vocals) share the songwriting credits with their distinct
styles. All of them tried their hand at other instruments and sounds, allowing them
to take risks with their creativity and giving them a more uid line-up. Of course,
regular fourth member Bob Weston (of Shellac) was on hand to provide the tape
loops and production duties.

As part of the manifesto to stretch musical boundaries, Roger wrote two of his
songs (“Opener” and “ADD in Unison”) on the bass rather than guitar. Another
("Dust Devil") was based on an acoustic guitar improvisation. Both Clint and Peter
also tweaked their writing just enough to make them feel it was actually
worthwhile making another record. They also decided to use trumpet on the
record, so Bob pulled out his trumpet playing skills to oblige. Peter Prescott
describes the experience: “We are a four headed hydra trying to create unity
without canceling or censoring each head. So we juggle melody, groove, noise,
depression, disruption, ecstasy… tension, release. I guess it’s thrilling for us to walk
that musical tightrope.”

Clint Conley describes being in the studio: “There were certain technological
advances, as well, that might have been unthinkable just a few short years ago, in
a distant time and century. During the mix at Woolly Mammoth, Peter occasionally
opted for a virtual presence. From time to time a hologram of his head would
appear, hovering in a darkened corner, issuing directives and encouragement. Not
to say there weren't occasional glitches in the system. For a few days the hologram
seemed locked in a mystifying loop, calling for more cymbals, regardless of
whether the band were working on a mix or ordering Vietnamese food.”

The results are spectacularly successful. With ‘Unsound’, Mission of Burma has
achieved its goal of making something utterly unique and stretching the realms of
musical possibility. Mission of Burma's curiosity and creativity remain
undiminished. The graph just keeps rising…the boundaries breaking…and the
ears ringing. Long may it continue.

MissionofBurma

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