Update update update

Hello friends,
Sorry it's been so long since we've last posted. We've been under the radar but very busy continuing to prepare for our performance at Project Soundwave's Green Sound Festival this summer.

Here are some details about the show. We'll be performing on Friday, July 17. Our show will take place in the Illuminated Forest at The Lab in San Francisco. The installment we are contributing to is titled "Ground/Shift", where (as discussed in our project proposal for Green Sound) we will be exploring the aural and visual relationship between human consciousness and natural environments via a continuing collaboration with filmmaker Jaakko Vilpponen. That evening electronic artists Jim Haynes and Lissom will also be performing.

Another couple words on the Green Sound performance. The band has been working hard on developing both the songs and Jaakko's visual documentary for Ground/Shift. We've been renovating "Reflection", which we initially wrote as an ambient track back in October, into a kind of psychedelic blues piece that more accentuates the presence of natural environments, how we correspond and interact with them, both unconsciously and as a form of naturalizing consciousness.

"Refraction" is the companion piece to "Reflection". Conceived originally as a kind of antithesis to "Reflection", in its developing form it further explores our consciousness of an environment, both in its natural state and in response to human effects of and upon that environment, whether that be through pollution or preservation. We'll be recording these pieces very soon.

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In other news, Sean and I recently moved into a warehouse space in the Mission district of San Francisco, together with Jaakko and film blogger and longtime friend Brian Darr. The space is a live-work artists' loft space where Shores have moved their operations, after about a year of rehearsals at Darr el Salaam (i.e. Alex's living room, which we'll miss very much!)

We are almost done conceiving material for our first studio album. It will be called "Open-Ended", or some variation on that evocative antiphrasis. In addition to Reflection and Refraction as the first movement, it will also contain two new songs titled "Emersion" and "Extension", which continues our score upon environmental experience. "Emersion" is almost written, and "Extension" is in its rudimentary stages. We are also considering a cover of Flying Saucer Attack's song "Oceans" I've been developing as a kind of interlude near the end of the album.

Finally, and this on the down low, we will be performing a private outdoor show in Big Sur at the Apple Pie Ranch, in a beautiful meadow space which offers vistas looking down on the main valley and oceanside of Big Sur. The show will be taking place on Saturday, June 5th, with camping offered between June 4th and the 6th. The ranch features a pool, 150 tree orchard, miles of surrounding hiking, and some of the most sublime private coastal views in California: we're very excited! Since it is a private show, apart from this blog entry we will not be announcing or advertising the show, but as a special offer to blog friends, if you'd to come contact us at our email address (weareshores@gmail.com).

Lots in the works, expect a profusion of new material this summer. Peace and sounds,
Jude