Circle founder and main composer Jussi Lehtisalo has announced the upcoming release of his debut solo album, «Dead». The album, to be released exclusively on cassette format come March, is described as “darkly percolating, digital-dungeon dread hovering upwards and beyond-wards from an alternate 8-bit reality.” Such description leads to the caveat that, alas, it “isn’t “synthwave” or “vaporwave” or any -wave waving back to retro-conformist tropes; rather, it is manic sales-pitch-spurred music for sound minds,” which sounds absolutely befitting of the Finn’s esoteric discography. The second track from «Dead», entitled «Grateful Dead» is already available and can be heard below.

«Dead» is set for release in cassette format on March 1 through Ruton Music, a subsidiary of Ektro Records. Pre-orders are available at this location.

Finally, note that amidst our break, Pharaoh Overlord released «Chewing Gum», a live recording from a 2014 show in Helsinki. To be more precise, this was a one-off show with an expanded line-up, comprised of alternate versions of four songs from 2015’s «Circle» and one from 2000’s debut «#1». The whole thing had a political flair to it, as the band, inspired by the “Cthulhu for President” campaign, decided to start their own “Julius for President” movement, with the now released live show then augmented by “background projections which displayed their presidential manifesto.” The result can be heard below.