Adebisi Shank

Imagine it's 1985 and you're making a movie that takes place in 2011. You picture myriad technological devices that simplify our lives -- every mundane activity can be accomplished with the push of a button -- freeing us to travel the globe, living a life of total awesomeness. The anthemic optimism of your era, you assume, will eventually enrich the entire world and create a global new form of music. This Is the Second Album From A Band Called Adebisi Shank is just the type of futuristic-utopian sound of a parallel 2011 universe breaking through the time-space continuum to guide us all to perfection.

The Wexford, Ireland trio deftly merges the triumphant guitar harmonies of Fang Island with the mathematic precision of Battles, the genre-surfing playfulness of Daft Punk and churning intensity of HEALTH. But it's much more than the sum of those parts, it's a sound befitting of the retrofuturism we've come to love about old films where archaic technology collide with far more further-reaching ideas. To wit, the album cover depicting two zebras galloping across a Tron-style neon landscape perfectly embodies the transcendent intersection of triumphant guitars and rollicking drums with vintage synthesizers, marimbas, horns, vocoder, synthesizers, ensemble percussion and musical instruments we're not sure have even been invented yet.

Adebisi Shank has been doted on by Irish, European and UK press since its 2007 debut EP, 2008 full length and the 2010 Irish release of This Is the Second Album From A Band Called Adebisi Shank -- which topped countless Year-End Best of 2010 lists and named by Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper one of the Top Five Best New Irish Bands. US label and management company Sargent House has signed Adebisi Shank for worldwide management and will release the album in North America on March 15th, 2011. The album was previously issued in Ireland/UK by equally likeminded and groundbreaking DIY Irish label Richter Collective (co-founded and co-operated by Adebisi Shank drummer, Mick Roe) in 2010.

This is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank features contributions from Mercury Prize nominated Villagers frontman Conor J O'Brien and Ireland's Choice Prize winner Richie "Jape" Egan among others. The album was recorded and produced by the band and Stephen J. Caffrey in various locations around Ireland and mixed and mastered by TJ Lipple at his home in Washington DC. The trio's debut full length, This is the Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank was produced by legendary musician (Jawbox, Government Issue) and producer (Jawbreaker, Dismemberment Plan) J. Robbins.

"On the first album, our mission was get in, tear it up, get out," explains bassist Vin. "The whole thing is over in about 24 minutes, which is really cool, but this time we wanted to make something that you could really spend a bit of time with, get a bit lost in. This one's 40 minutes, which might not sound a lot, but to us that is almost like a double album. There's a real sense of geography to the songs, you can really feel the places we've been and to an extent, the people we've met as we've travelled around. It seemed to make sense to bring in as many of our friends as we could to give the album the party vibe we felt it deserved." He continues, "It's a big glorious mess."

Adebisi Shank have gained considerable reputation for their explosive and energetic live performances; NME describing it as,"baffling, terrifying and utterly riveting" and Rock Sound exclaiming the band are "one of the most exciting live bands in Ireland right now."

This is the second album of a band called Adebisi Shank was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize 2010.

"Easily one of the best records of the year. 10/10" -- The 405

"This is a raucous, fun ride which you'll want to be a part of. 9/10" -- Rock Sound

"Baffling, terrifying and utterly riveting." -- NME

"Top 5 Best New Irish Bands" -- The Daily Telegraph