Red Sea (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Red Sea | ||
 |
||
| EP by Isis | ||
| Released | 1999 | |
| Recorded | 1999 | |
| Genre | Metal | |
| Length | 35:25 | |
| Label | Second Nature | |
| Producer(s) | Isis, Kurt Ballou, Mike Hill | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| Isis chronology | ||
| Mosquito Control (1998) |
The Red Sea (1999) |
Sawblade (1999) |
An expansion of the sound pioneered on the Mosquito Control EP, the Red Sea EP offers a slight evolution toward the direction Isis would begin to take with their first full length, Celestial. The three songs which make up the original EP (tracks 1-3) are tied together with spoken word samples from the short-lived television series Hotel Room (specifically, the third episode, entitled "Blackout" [2]). The song "Ochre" contains a sample from the film Dead Man[3] by Jim Jarmusch, and is a reading of a portion of William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence."
This is the only release with Jay Randall (Agoraphobic Nosebleed) on electronics and backing vocals, as he would leave the band after its release. His current and permanent replacement is Bryant Clifford Meyer.
The Red Sea also introduces two key themes in Isis' albums that would be expanded upon later: water (Oceanic) and the central female character (Celestial's "tower").
"Charmicarmicarmicat" may be a reference to the Melvins song "Charmicarmicat" (from the 1991 EP Eggnog), with an extra "carmi" added to poke fun at the general ridiculousness of the Melvins' sense of humor. This is seemingly confirmed in the liner notes, which thank "Earth, Bastard Noise and The Melvins for inspiration for track one."
Tracks 4-7 make up the initial cassette demo tape sent around to record companies as Isis were trying to get signed. Electronics are provided by former member Chris Mereschuk here. The album was also first released on 8" vinyl.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Isis.
- "Charmicarmicarmicat Shines to Earth" – 2:23
- "The Minus Times" – 5:26
- "The Red Sea" – 7:20
- "Smiles and Handshakes" – 6:02
- "Catalyst" – 4:26
- "Ochre" – 4:41
- "Lines Across Eyes" – 5:47
- "Hand of Doom" (Black Sabbath) – 8:36 (only on Mosquito Control / Red Sea japanese edition)
[edit] Personnel
- Kurt Ballou - Audio recording, producing [Tracks 1-3]
- Mike Hill - Audio recording, producing [Tracks 4-7]
- Dave Merullo - Mastering
- Jeff Caxide - Bass guitar
- Aaron Harris - Drums
- Jay Randall - Electronics, vocals [Tracks 1-3]
- Chris Mereschuk - Electronics [Tracks 4-7]
- Aaron Turner - Guitar, vocals, art and graphic construction
- G. Mortillaro - Photography
- J. Hellmann - Photography
| Isis |
| Aaron Turner | Jeff Caxide | Michael Gallagher | Aaron Harris | Cliff Meyer Chris Mereschuk | Jay Randall |
| Albums |
| Celestial | Oceanic | Panopticon | Oceanic Remixes | In the Absence of Truth |
| EPs |
| Mosquito Control | The Red Sea | Sawblade | SGNL>05 | In the Fishtank 14 |
| Live |
| Live.01 | Live.02 | Live.03 | Live.04 |
| DVD |
| Clearing the Eye |
| Official website |
