US dark dream-pop duo Magic Wands released their new album, ‘Cascades’, via Metropolis Records.” We wanted to capture a sense of movement and energy, like rushing water flowing from a fountain or cascading across mountains into a landscape,” states Dexy Valentine. “Water represents a release of energy, emotions, creativity, a vision.”
Shaped by the duo’s cinematic, atmospheric and celestial sound, ‘Cascades’ explores transformation, reflection and the pull of distant horizons. “It was born from a fascination with how the past lingers inside us and explores the spaces where timelines blur into one,” they explain.
Chris Valentine: “I have a book about the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 that inspired a lot of the record. It includes pictures of a great Columbian fountain, and that’s where the idea for ‘Cascades’ came from. The album is very water-centric in both its sound and the lyrics.”
Infused with the essence of age-old poetry, gothic romance, and mythology, ‘Cascades’ resonates with post-punk and dream-pop melodies intertwined with echoes from the past, connecting the vibe of their initial album ‘Aloha Moon’ from 2012 with later works.
The album will be promoted with an appearance at the Substance festival in Los Angeles on the 7th of November, with further shows to be arranged.
Formed in 2008 in Nashville by vocalists/guitarists Dexy and Chris Valentine, but now based in Los Angeles, Magic Wands are known for a shimmering, dreamy sound that melds elements of shoegaze, dream-pop, post-punk and goth. Their music utilises heavily textured guitars, synth drones and ethereal vocals to conjure an otherworldly atmosphere, plus song lyrics that are emotionally engaging.
The duo built a loyal fanbase over the course of five studio albums to date, the most recent of which was ‘Switch’ (2023). Songs from it were subsequently remixed by guest artists and released as ‘Switched’ later that same year.
Cascades – tracklisting:
1. Across The Water; 2. Armour; 3. Hide; 4. Albatross; 5. Moonshadow; 6. Time To Dream; 7. Cascades; 8. Golden; 9. Room With A View; 10. Riverbed
Links:
Stream: https://linktr.ee/MagicWandsCascades
Bandcamp: https://magic-wands.bandcamp.com/album/cascades
https://www.magicwandsband.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magic_wands/?hl=en
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