It’s been four years since the release of Scientists of Sound’s award winning album Electric Scissors. A lot has happened since then. The world has changed, and not necessarily for the better. Every day the apocalypse is looking like a better option. Fast food, Trump, and the American Dream are out. Geiger counters, hoarding tinned food, and Henry David Thoreau are very in. While there’s still time to celebrate, Scientists of Sound are releasing their new album, The Beginning of the Beginning of the End, along with a video trailer to know what we can expect in our shiny, new, post-apocalyptic lives.
Directed by Matt Corkum of fadetowhite photography and featuring actor Luke McGillivray, the trailer follows the narrative the narrative of a character experiencing feelings of detachment from the modern world and increasing isolation from society—and the subsequent unrest and ultimate rebellion that these feelings give rise to.
That trailer is just the beginning for the concept double album. The melody from the video is taken from the album’s title track, and functions as an overture of sorts, weaving its way through five or so tracks. For the album the band have also slightly veered away from synth instrumentation in favour of something more organic, as one does in preparation for an impending apocalypse.
“It wasn’t really supposed to be that way when we started writing the thing a few years ago – but then Trump got elected and some of the themes on the record seemed a little too real,” says Craig Mercer of the prog-rock duo.
“We had an album’s worth of tracks pretty close to being finished when shit started to go sideways in the US. We had a bunch of other tunes that were not quite there yet but decided that we were going to release it as a double album so the current state of affairs in the world of course influenced the newer tracks.”
“The storyline kind of occurred organically and it kind of moves from an awareness of things that are prevalent now – rabid industrialization, fake news, technology breeding laziness, etc. to a subsequent sense of dread and fear, and ultimately to an uprising – lets hope it isn’t too closely tied to real life!”
Mercer teases that there’s another video in the works to show us where this apocalypse is heading. While the album isn’t going to be available until 2018, listeners will have the option to pick it up in a vinyl format so that it might be enjoyed via gramophone. The band will be re-releasing their 2013 album, Electric Scissors, as well.
“In all the years I’ve been making music I don’t have anything I’ve done pressed to vinyl so that ends with this record! Considering it’s all I buy, it would be a bit hypocritical if I didn’t get it pressed…”
Tour Dates:
10-26-17 – The Capital – Fredericton (w Math Class / Cooltrainercody)
10-27-17 – Pepper’s – Saint John (w Math Class / Mazord)
10-28-17- The Marquee Ballroom – Halifax (w Slowcoaster, Elephant Skeletons, and norc)
11-24-17- The Commune – New Glasgow (w Elephant Skeletons)
11-25-17- Hunter’s – Charlottetown (w TAAPE)