As we head into a new chapter for buying, listening to, and going to see music in the coming months the team here at Runout Record Club wanted to provide a little treat for our subscribers.
We are very proud to announce that we have been in touch with one of the UK’s most exciting bands, Gengahr. From the band's musical repertoire RRC has chosen Gengahr’s most cohesive yet expansive record to date 2020’s ‘Sanctuary’ as our curated album for May. Not only have we chosen a stellar album for you, but we will be providing a limited edition transparent vinyl version of the album, a signed print designed by bassist Hugh Schulte, and a pin badge!. We also had a chat with Hugh Schulte from the band about the album and the future for Gengahr which can be found in our member’s area.
Gengahr formed in 2013 with Hugh Schulte, Felix Bushe, John Victor, and Danny Ward, while studying at Stoke Newington School in Hackney. Gengahr is probably most famous initially for their DIY style and being labelled as the rebirth of British Indie Rock. They garnered a lot of attention from radio programmers, promoters and fans from their outset and the release of their first album via Transgressive Records called ‘A Dream Outside’ saw the band in 2015 make a big splash with critics.
“This is savvy, intelligent music.” After the first album’s release, the band toured the album extensively supporting big acts like Alt J, Alvvays, and Wolf Alice before embarking on their sophomore album. Hugh explained that ‘Where Wildness Grows’ was formed with a live album intention, which is essentially a body of work that easily transfers from record to live gigs. Tracks from the album, particularly ‘Carrion’, were picked up by radio stations and enjoyed.
Tracks and especially ‘Carrion’ off the album were picked up by radio stations and enjoyed heavy rotation on BBC 6music. The album again received critical appreciation and was noted as “‘an ode to patience, determination... Gengahr have smashed it.”
Gengahr’s first two albums were released by Transgressive Records in a more structured manner. And as the band headed towards the formation of their third album, a decision was made to return to their more independent roots and a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach. This return to a self-guided and independent music creation approach led to the recording of 'Sanctuary’ in 2020.
'Sanctuary’ was released on 31st January 2020. The band took on a new producer in the form of Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman, to help craft their vision for the album. Gengahr’s Felix Bushe uses experiences from his own life as inspiration, in particular, both the tragic death of his mother and the long-distance relationship with his wife. These motifs run throughout the album and are entwined with the Greek mythology of Homer’s ‘Odysseus’, which Felix felt was a fitting parable for his life experiences.
Despite dealing with some of the heavier concepts of the human experience, the music is exciting, expansive and buoyant, with an overarching feel of positivity. One critic notes that the opening track: “Everything & More’ is an ethereal, powerful, and very personal sounding track. Coloured with beautiful reverbed guitars, painful falsetto, and haunting keys. This track sounds like the sad but strangely beautiful dream you wake up from in the middle of the night and you pray it’ll pick up where it left off.”
Tracks like ‘Heavenly Maybe’ create a funky heavy bass-feel, and harness disco-inspired inflexions which create a real upbeat and danceable tune that is a real radio and fan favourite. Further inspiration from the use of bass is seen in ‘Never A Low’, which is perhaps RRC’s favourite track on the album. The track could have been influenced by the trip-hop of Smith & Mighty, Massive Attack and Tricky, with a darker feel penetrating throughout, and a sadness inflicted by Felix’s lyrics. ‘Anime’ leads the listener into a retro style, influenced by classic video games set in a dream-pop bubble.
The guitar and keys transport the listener to a fluffy cloud to play their SNES or Mega Drive. The final track on the album ‘Moonlight’ provides a beautiful closing ceremony, where the simplicity and delicacy of instruments bring the album to a warm and comfortable close.
‘Sanctuary’ allowed Gengahr to explore deep lyrical content for inspiration, but also a deeper musical map than their previous efforts. It allowed them to create a more dense soundscape using bass, keys and vocals to sometimes supersede the normal guitar lead of previous records. The inspiration to explore could be attributed to not only the band's return to a more D.I.Y approach but also to the use of Jack Steadman’s guidance during the production and engineering process which allowed them to create a truly ethereal feel from start to finish, anchored by multi-layered musical production.
Runout Record Club spent much of 2020 returning to ‘Sanctuary’ to help inspire and uplift ourselves during the difficult months spent apart from friends and family. We used the inspiration which Felix uses to craft the lyrical content before the pandemic to soothe us. Listening to the album has been like receiving a big hug from Gengahr when we needed it most.
We are honoured that Felix, Hugh, John, and Danny have allowed us to create a truly amazing curated package for our subscribers, and we would like to give them a massive thank you.
Stu - Runout Record Club
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