Simian Life

“Another Way Down” b/w “Briefing”

In making “Another Way Down,” the brothers Campanella were joined by Misha Bullock on drums and vocals along with Gabriel Lazar on piano. In producing the track, they were inspired by the studio wizardry and experimentation that came out of the latter half of the 1960s, much as it did with Revolver-era Beatles. For example, a Roland Space Echo tape delay and ADT (Artificial Double-Tracking) were applied to the vocals for an otherworldly vibe. Additionally, they used a recording technique known as varispeed on the guitar solo, which was purposely recorded at half-speed and an octave lower, thus giving it a frantic effect when sped up to song’s actual tempo. 

The flip side, “Briefing,” is an excerpt from a forthcoming Simian Life song that took on a life of its own. On it, Matt Cooker provided the cello, Isabel Escalante the violin, Garret Wayne Walters the saxophone, and Rishi Dhir of Elephant Stone the sublime sitar. Largely inspired by the lush, semi-orchestral soundtrack work from late ‘60s and early ‘70s Europe, this track layers a repeated string theme and solos by sitar and saxophone over a driving, rock backbeat. 

A full-length Simian Life LP is due out in 2021.

Singles are pressed on 7-inch, 45 rpm vinyl records.