Upgrade And Afterlife (Reissue LP)

Way back when, 'Upgrade & Afterlife' was the umpteenth release from the individual and collective forces of David Grubbs (known then for Bastro, The Red Krayola, Codeine, Squirrel Bait) and JimO'Rourke, whose further history has since numbered at least another umpteen or so essential listens.

As part of its time-traveling function, 'Upgrade & Afterlife' is a return to roots, but not always necessarily Gastr's. They were more than happy to stand on branches up above other folks in order to see any next thing worth leaping for.

A delightful result, to our way of thinking, of the band's ability to push at the far boundaries of their music while consolidating upon pleasure points within sounds and songs. Gastr used these polarities to compulsively draw the listener intimately close with sudden injections of g-force and an uncanny interpolation of space.