Photo by Nathan Schmidt
Astral Hand
Astral Hand
Heavy psych rockers Astral Hand will be playing Cactus Club this Friday, March 10 in celebration of their debut full-length album Lords of Data, which just hit streaming platforms on Monday. Playing with them will be gothic synth act BLOOD and Chicago psych-blues rockers Dead Feathers.
Consisting of Al Kraemer on vocals and synths, Vic Buell on guitar, Anthony Smith on bass and Dan Dahl on drums, the band formed from the ashes of psych rock outfit Calliope. With Astral Hand, the musicians have broadened their sound with thunder, space and darkness, incorporating lyrical themes of exploring the vast cosmos and embarking on adventures beyond what the eye can see.
Lords of Data was recorded and mixed by Shane Hochstetler at Howl Street Studios, mastered by Justin Perkins, and its cover art is by Bruno Borges. The album has been three years in the making, as Buell explains.
“What a relief,” he said about finally getting it out into the world. “We were nearing completion when COVID hit, and we finished the remaining parts remotely. The mastered tracks were done in early 2020, so we’ve just been sitting on it, waiting for the right time to do a proper release.”
On Vinyl
Astral Hand 'Lords of Data'
The album releases on vinyl on March 18 via Romanus Records, whom the members had previously worked with as Calliope. “They’re a boutique label specializing in smaller runs of custom vinyl, which is perfect for us.” Buell said. “Fans of our music and people who buy LPs are usually one and the same. Vinyl production has been really bogged down so it’s been great having them in our corner to help navigate that environment.”
On what to anticipate Friday, Buell says, “Expect a kick ass psychedelic rock show at the best sounding club in the city. Music just hits differently at Cactus Club. It’s immersive. You really hear and feel the energy of the performers on stage.”
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Tickets for Friday’s show are $12 and available at cactusclubmilwaukee.com/events/astral-hand-record-release-dead-feathers-blood. Everything kicks off at 8 p.m.; a limited amount of vinyl will be available for purchase as well.
Astral Hand already have material written for their next album and are excited to keep things moving. “It’s been nothing short of glorious to be able to play again,” Buell concluded.
Stream “Lords of Data” on Bandcamp at astralhand.bandcamp.com/album/lords-of-data. Check out the music video for the song “Contact” at youtube.com/watch?v=l3u-GHY3jIM.
