Following on directly from his debut solo EP, The Anchorite, Final Coil front man Phil Stiles presents his next startling collection of new music, The Anchorhold. Expanding on the promise of its predecessor and exploring unexpected sonic vistas, The Anchorhold is a journey into unknown territories, through fresh and vibrant palettes of colour. Born in the claustrophobia and constraints of lockdown this album is a cry of frustration, a call for companionship, reminiscence and hope, a painting on the walls of a prison.
Keenly feeling the absence of musical community, Phil sent out a message in a bottle to fellow musicians, kindred spirits, inviting them to join him in creating a musical escape from confinement. Over the weeks and months the responses came drifting back on the tide, communications between locked down islands and Phil found, to his delight, his songs augmented and transformed, his ideas sculpted and directed into new avenues by Kyle Brandt (A Light Within, Molitoth), The Medea Project, Richard Allsopp (A Distorted Utopia, Monachopsis), Roger Morter (Pornographic Sunset), Mark Gatland (Hats Off Gentleman It’s Adequate), Tomek Wolski (Metanoia) and Celtic Bluesman, Matt Steady. Combined with Phil’s own brave and thoughtful composition and performance this diverse battalion of talents has created something quite unique. An array of textures and tones, swathes of sound and atmosphere, a collection of dreams, universal hopes and personal fears. The contrasting swirls of colour, like drops of paint in water, were given order and coherent form by Phil’s mixing and the mastering skills of James Plotkin (Merzbow, Khanate, ISIS etc).
As with all his work, as part of Final Coil or for his solo projects, Phil’s lyrics are challenging and thought provoking and play a huge role in making The Anchorhold such an absorbing and rewarding listening experience and everything is drawn together within the evocative artwork and photography of Jola Stiles. The Anchorhold is set to be released on September 17th on cassette and CD by Trepanation and offers both a melancholy monument to the loss and turmoil of the last year and a testament to the creative spirit of humanity.
Track Listing:
1 – I’m Not Done Yet feat Richard Allsopp and Mark Gatland
2 – C21H22N202 feat Kyle Brandt
3 – Reflections From An Echo Chamber feat The Medea Project
4 – Dance Fucker
5 – End This Way
6 – The Wanderer feat. Matt Steady
7 – Sleep Take Me feat Tomek Wolski
8 – Silence
9 – It Follows Me (Bonus Track) feat Richard Allsopp and Roger Morter
