Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun (IA11 Edition) (Vinyl LP)
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Ben LaMar Gay’s de facto debut album, Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun, was our attempt to introduce the legendary Chicago composer / improviser / renaissance man to the rest of the world with a compilation of tracks from 7 albums he made over 7 years (though he hadn’t yet made the effort to actually release). The material showcases Gay’s penchant for genre-hopping – from Steve Reich-ian soundscape voyages to Don Cherry-esque polyrhythm treks to Jorge Ben-style vocal-and-string earworms – while keeping his singular musical voice in focus.
In the years since its release, this long OOP collection has become a touchstone, foreshadowing the breadth and scope of Gay’s output since. The songs-between-the-songs warped Soul Americana madness and beauty of Open Arms To Open Us, the unhinged long form freedom of Certain Reveries – each fresh mode would defy expectation if without the context established by Downtown Castles. To quote our OG announcement of the album: “to call it ‘eclectic’ would only scratch the surface. This music is everything.”
The IA11 Edition of this LP comes with an IARC2025 obi strip plus a 4-page insert booklet featuring new (old) photos and new liner notes by musician (and longtime BLG friend/collaborator) Gira Dahnee.
Tracklist:
1. Vitus Labrusca
2. Muhal
3. Music For 18 Hairdressers: Braids & Fractals
4. Jubilee
5. A Seasoning Called Primavera
6. Miss Nealie Burns
7. Me, JayVe & The Big Bee
8. Uvas
9. Galveston
10. Swim Swim
11. Kunni
12. Melhor Que Tem
13. Gator Teeth
14. 7th Stanza
15. Oh no...not again!