Music Blog

From the Dead Oceans label comes word of a new release from the ever-searching, ever-seeking, 2/3 Portland act known as Akron/Family. The label relates the tale of receiving a mysterious cardboard box in the mail, with only "SHINJU TNT" written across the bottom, return address simply "AK, Detroit."

"Opening it revealed a sincere but poorly made diorama of futurist swirling spaces filled with toy astronauts and dinosaurs, four blown out song fragments on a TDK CDR in a ziplock bag, three pictures, a track list written in crayon, and a typewritten note from Akron/Family. A post-it on the bag declared the band refused to send the full album to anyone but the vinyl pressing plant, for fear of leaking and possible lost revenues.

From the note and a short video that arrived days later, we’ve pieced together that the album was written in a cabin built into the side of Mount Meakan, an active volcano in Akan National Park, on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. It was recorded in an abandoned train station in Detroit with the blackest white dude we all know, Chris Koltay (Liars, Women, Deerhunter, Holy F***, No Age). Chris, on tour after finishing the record, commented: 'this album will transcend the internet.'"

Having witnessed Akron/Family's set at MusicFest NW, we believe every word. More...