THE BEAST

Band: Pencarrow
Album: Growth In The Absence Of Light
Label: Independent
Release Date: 15th August, 2020
Genre: Progressive Rock

Album Description:
An exploration of love, loss, the sense of self, and the unfathomable fluctuation of time in complex human relationships. This cinematic musical journey is driven by progressive rock and embellished by orchestra, Javanese gamelan and multiple guest soloists. What started as 4 chords in a bedroom in 2014 has slowly evolved into Pencarrow’s most ambitious composition to date. With a deep love of the extended format the band approached this work with an acute focus on tension and release, cultivating an assortment of moods that evolve and interchange seamlessly over the duration of the album. With careful orchestration and abundant instrumental skill the band engages the attentive listener to follow the music through a wide range of dynamics. Autobiographical lyrics and unique photographic imagery illuminate the story world and emphasise the underlying themes.

Influences for the album:
Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Marillion, King Crimson, Opeth, Anathema

Track Suggestions:
Stasis/Flux
Twins Paradox: Confessions of a Capitalist Lover
Portrait of My Intimate Frailty
Time Dilation

Bio:
Kiwi prog rockers Pencarrow first made their mark on the music scene in 2016 with their debut album Dawn Simulation, a high energy homage to classic prog with a dark contemporary twist, featuring all the odd time and musical flair those familiar with the genre know and love, but with cinematic overtones and a lingering darkness led by their academic background in composition and their shared passion for narratives in music.

After a number of local shows around Wellington and a few small festival appearances following the release of their debut, the band took to the road on a 6 show north island tour, joining forces with artists ranging from avante garde noise through to dark acoustic folk and old school 80’s thrash metal.

Pencarrow perform live as a four piece, led by guitarist and vocalist Tonnie ten Hove, with Justin Chorley on drums, Anthony Rose on keyboard and Todd Thompson on bass. In the studio, they have worked with a number of guest musicians including a solo vocalist, a flautist, and even a full community choir.

In August 2020, Pencarrow released their second album Growth in the Absence of Light, described by the band as “An exploration of love, loss, the sense of self, and the unfathomable fluctuation of time in complex human relationships”. It was intended to be released as a single continuous track, but was split into separate tracks near the end of production in order to complement ten Hove’s art work for the physical album and limited edition art book. It begins by fading in slowly over two minutes, paying proud homage to Pink Floyd, before exploring light and darkness on an introspective musical journey, balancing flourishes of classic prog rock with more sombre moments featuring Javanese gamelan, solo piano passages and a 7 minute orchestral piece.

The band are currently working on multiple music videos and, pandemic permitting, hope to tour the new album throughout New Zealand in 2021.

Band Line-Up:
Tonnie ten Hove - Guitar/Vocals
Justin Chorley - Drums
Anthony Rose - Keyboards
Todd Thompson - Bass

CD Track Listing:
1. In Medias Res
2. Portrait of My Intimate Frailty
3. A Meeting of the Shadows
4. Time Dilation
5. Stasis/Flux
6. Silent Beauty: Bittersweet Memories of Embrace
7. New Light
8. Memory Terminal
9. Twins Paradox: Confessions of a Capitalist Lover
10. Deep Abandon
11. The Approaching Shade

Web and Social Media Links:
https://pencarrow.bandcamp.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/pencarrowband 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYBQ2vtFmNYO4VaUJdrV59w 
https://www.instagram.com/pencarrowband/ 
https://pencarrowband.wixsite.com/pencarrow