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C is for co-dependent. A feeling of guilt and terror like a soldier who has abandoned his post. Where do we learn such things from? Did you know that starving Scorpions will eat their young? The first but not the last Thief track to feature organ and probably the most ‘trip-hop’ song off of the new album.
Video created and edited by: Sera Timms
THIEF have already gained cult status among the initiated, which might be taken quite literally considering that the backbone of their sound has been formed by manipulated sacred chant and choral samples. Although the band project of American multi-instrumentalist Dylan Neal from Los Angeles, California continues along this path, his third album "The 16 Deaths of My Master" surprises with a much heavier use of original instrumentation such as strings, organ, harpsichord, bass, guitar, and other hardware synths.
The reason for this twist in dynamics, which makes "The 16 Deaths of My Master" more accessible, aggressive, and straight forward in comparison to its two predecessors is to some extend the energetic fallout of THIEF performing live an the crowds generally favouring rather hard hitting songs over the more atmospheric tracks.
Lyrically, "The 16 Deaths of My Master" is subtly hiding allusions to Joyce, Salinger, Nabokov, and Mobb Deep among a more personally approach including topics such as rebellion, grief, addiction, mysticism, and spiritual horror. "Relating to the album title, ' The 16 Deaths of My Master', each track may be considered to be a 'master' that upon its death either sets fee his servant or the student then becomes the teacher", explains Dylan by offering a riddle. "Or maybe they just become lost, because they have relied on something other than themselves for too long."
Such illuminating thoughts are probably less surprising when considering that Dylan lives at a Zen Buddhist temple along with THIEF live bassist Chris Hackman, where both participate in residential training. The mastermind recorded and mixes most of the album in his apartment. The other 10% were conceived in a cabin in the woods to which Dylan had hauled all of his gear into. Of the originally 24 tracks that were written between 2018 and 2020, he decided to use only 16 on "The 16 Deaths of My Master".
Dylan Neal first made himself a name as a musician by playing hammered dulcimer in San Francisco-based experimental black metal outfit BOTANIST from whom he recruited THIEF live-drummer Robert Chiang. Dylan parted way amicably from his former band mates as beautifully demonstrated by the BOTANIST & THIEF split-album "Cicatrix/Diamond Brush", which will be released in parallel and as a companion to "The 16 Deaths of My Master".
Eager to explore new musical ways of his own way, Dylan released "Thieves Hymn in D Minor" (2016) and "Map of Lost Keys" (2019) under the banner of THIEF. Although his electronic music is inspired in his own words by such ground-breaking acts as NINE INCH NAILS, PORTISHEAD, and ULVER, while critics also found traces of TOOL and TEARS FOR FEARS, THIEF accomplished the rare feat to gain recognition and leave an impact in the metal world by scoring features in leading US print magazine Decibel among others. With "The 16 Deaths of My Master", THIEF return in an even heavier incarnation than ever.
Line-up
Dylan Neal – everything
Recorded, produced & mixed by Dylan Neal in his apartment in Los Angeles, CA
Mastered by John Greenham at Clearlight Mastering, Los Angeles, CA
Vinyl Master by Nick Townsend
Artwork by Joseba Eskubi
Layout by Luis Cuervo
Album design by Dylan Neal
Available formats
"Beautiful Ghosts" is available as Gatefold-LP on 180g black vinyl and on 180g rosé vinyl, and as Digipak CD.
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