Notes
Featuring Colin Moulding (XTC), Rick Wakeman (YES), Peter Banks (YES/Flash), Tony Levin (King Crimson/Peter Gabriel) and Billy Sherwood (YES/CIRCA:) - with artwork by legendary Paul Whitehead Los Angeles, CA - Possibly the most anticipated prog release of 2013 will be released on May 15 - the sophomore album by celebrated LA prog duo Days Between Stations titled 'In Extremis'. Boasting an incredible guest line-up of music legends featuring Colin Moulding (XTC), Rick Wakeman (YES), Peter Banks (YES/Flash) Tony Levin (King Crimson/Peter Gabriel) and Billy Sherwood (YES/CIRCA:), Days Between Stations reach a new level of creative artistry on their new album. With a title like 'In Extremis' (Latin, In extremity - A term used in reference to the last illness prior to death) one can begin to understand the intensity and sepulchral mood of the musical direction. Oscar Fuentes Bills and Sepand Samzadeh Keyboardist Oscar Fuentes explains the concept behind the album, "There's the saying that your life flashes before your eyes in near death - and, presumably, actual death - experiences, so the album begins at the climax with 'No Cause For Alarm' and, as told on 'Visionary', 'flashes back to the beginning' and then in not strictly chronological order tells the story of our protagonist's life. Not cheerful stuff, I know, but there's some humor in there and if you read the lyrics I think ultimately it's a positive message. I've had some personal losses in the last few years, so I tend to grapple with that in my lyrics, while Sepand is going to be a father soon...we tried to integrate those two themes, birth and death, into the lyrics." Billy Sherwood comments, "I really enjoyed working with Days Between Stations, the music is very deep and has a mystique about it that was intriguing from the first time I heard the songs. I can't wait for people to hear this record. Rick Wakeman and Peter Banks of YES, Colin Moulding of XTC and Tony Levin of Peter Gabriel and King Crimson (playing all the bass), all appear as guests on this record which makes it even more unique. I played drums and sang lead vocals on the record and it was a pleasure to do so." Founded in 2003 by guitarist Sepand Samzadeh and keyboardist Oscar Fuentes, the duo named themselves after the cult novel by Steve Erickson and have devoted themselves to, as they say, Art Rock and Post Prog - music that reflects their varied influences, as well as shared disregard for stylistic boundaries. This eclecticism continues apace on this follow-up. At times the music recalls Peter Gabriel or 'Duke'-era Genesis (as on the propulsive "Visionary", which features Sherwood's multi-layered vocals and Levin's driving Stick bass work), or an ambient marriage between Pink Floyd and Lisa Gerrard and Debussy ("In Utero"), or even a cross between Ultravox and Marillion and 'Abacab'-era Genesis (the Moulding-sung "The Man Who Dies Two Times"), but the band is about more than influences. As Oscar says, "We always try to create something new and not just re-hash a particular sound from the past. Sometimes it's the unlikely pairing that gives you something fresh." Although, Days Between Stations 'In Extremis' in some ways retains the dark somber mood of the group's first album (released to great acclaim in 2007), in other ways the music is completely different. Says Sepand, "There are four clear distinctions between the two albums. The first, is that we are five years older. Which means we have grown as players and have higher expectations of ourselves. The second, which is most noticeable is that we have vocals (with lyrics) on this album. The debut album provides landscapes and layers of sound that allow the imagination to run free. One negative aspect of having vocals is that the mind mainly focuses on the rhythm and lyrical content and often times constrains the music. We wanted a healthy marriage between the two. Even so, there are several instrumental tracks on this album, one in particular
