NEW RELEASE SHEET Avantgarde Music 22/04/2021

Label Avantgarde Music

Format CD / LP
Artist Lycia
Title Casa Luna
Cat# av419CD / av419LP
Barcode 0301660560546 / 0301660560553
File under Darkwave
Release date 11.06.2021
Release info text Anyone with the slightest interest in darkwave music and the goth
counterculture is familiar with Lycia. Born in Tempe, AZ, in 1988 from the
creative mind of Mike VanPortfleet, Lycia is as seminal and influential as a
band can get. Devoted to cold, somber and synthetic sounds, these
pioneers of the ethereal are responsible for some of the most acclaimed
underground albums of the ‘90s.

The current lineup of the band is John Fair, David Galas, Tara Vanflower
and Mike VanPortfleet, who has been the only constant member since the
band’s formation. Although only achieving minor cult success, the band is
notable for being one of the groundbreaking groups in the darkwave and
ethereal styles. Their 1995 album The Burning Circle And Then Dust
"remains a high point of American dark rock" according to AllMusic, and
1996’s Cold has been cited as one of the genre’s best by Post-Punk.com
and Alternative Press. Lycia's sound is characterized by rich soundscapes
and layers of heavily effected guitars, dark atmospheric keyboards, heavy
reverb drenched drum machines, VanPortfleet's somber raspy vocals and
Vanflower's vivid melodic voice.

Avantgarde Music had the pleasure to bring the 1991 debut full-length
Ionia to a vinyl edition for the first time in early 2021, and this brought along
the chance to cooperate on new music. This turned out to be a rich studio
EP, Casa Luna. We reached out to Mike VanPortfleet, who describes Casa
Luna as a followup to 2018’s In Flickers, with a more varied approach,
stylistically and thematically. “In Flickers and Casa Luna are Lycia’s purest
releases. Originally planned as a split 7” with the song “A Quiet Way to Go”,
as more songs were written they evolved to an EP”.

Casa Luna features re-recordings of a couple of John Fair and Mike

VanPortfleet-written early synth-based songs (“Except” and “Galatea”) from
1989, previously only heard in rough demo form. The EP also revisits an
interest in Spanish/Flamenco styles previously explored by Mike
VanPortfleet and John Fair in 1983. Tara Vanflower’s desire to do a heavier
piece, along with David Galas’ background in heavier music led to the song
“Do You Bleed?”, while Mike VanPortfleet’s interest in older Art Rock and
Electronic Music led to the sequenced break to “Salt & Blood”.

Casa Luna will be released June, 11th, 2021, adorned by a photography

taken by Tara Vanflower and chosen because of it’s somber ghosts of the
past feel.
Preview (click on link) N.A.
Tracklist ● 01 - A Quiet Way To Go
● 02 - Do You Bleed?
● 03 - Except
● 04 - On The Mezzanine
● 05 - Galatea
● 06 - Salt & Blood