New Music From Azalia Snail

Azalia Snail is an American avant-garde musician who was once called a “heroic… singular creative influence on us, our scene, and our generation” by Elephant 6 luminary Robert Schneider. With her 16th solo album Gentle Mental, her aim is to take listeners on a journey of reflection and spiritual uplift with an ambient immersion that reflects both humanity’s difficult modern plight and a hope for human kind to find a way back to a gentler, calmer state. It is an all-instrumental album described by Snail as “an homage to Brian Eno’s ambient soundscapes and a bow to Ennio Morricone’s soothing instrumentals.” The album features Azalia Snail on omnichords, synths, and effects with composer/arranger/musician Dan West on bass, and it follows her acclaimed 2024 release Powerlover. Both albums have been released on cassette by Cloud Recordings, the label run by Olivia Tremor Control‘s John Kiran Fernandez.

Snail says, “I continue to be confounded by feelings of deep distress about the uneasy state of the world and the impending doom. These songs are pleas for humanity to be kinder. My pieces begin with a simple yet determined riff, played on a few different omnichords, and build tension as I add layers of synths, casios, and other unusual sounds, as I attempt to turn the pieces into transcendent hymns. The album takes a more uplifting, hopeful tone as it goes on. I think the titles speak for themselves, but to be clear, we are on ‘defense duty’ as ‘the beast remains.’ I feel that an artist should reflect the times that he/she is living in. I feel an imminent duty to call out the disturbing chaos while also presenting beauty in a world that often overlooks it.”

“In a world often besieged by negativity, Azaila Snail emerges as a beacon of light” -Strange Brew

“A trailblazing avant-garde musician renowned for her unique blend of experimental sounds and heartfelt emotion.” -It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine

FCC Clean

Label: Cloud Recordings

Recommended Tracks: Track 4, “The Beast Remains,” Track 8, “Viva Zapata!,” Track 9, “Stay Blue”

Goes For Adds 6/23