Drop Out III (Vinyl 2LP)

Manchester’s Gnod and New York’s White Hills stand as titans of the exploratory rock community, stretching and bending the very notions of what rock can do and suspending our sense of time in a fluorescent fog. Together, their alchemical chemistry gave rise to the legendary, ongoing work that is Drop Out, an influential and sprawling series of extended pieces that expand and contract across the rock continuum and beyond. Originally conceived and assembled in the late 2000s from across the Atlantic Ocean, and further iterated in an extended, more widely released Drop Out II, the collective’s work has become a classic of 21st century psychedelia. Drop Out III further expounds on the lysergic glory of the previous versions with new arrangements, mixes, bonus tracks, and songs assembled as they were initially intended.

Drop Out III stands as a wholly new iteration of Gnod & White Hills’ initial collaboration. Reaching well beyond a mere reissue, Drop Out III is replete with sounds recorded in what the bands term the “Drop Out era” that have never been heard before. The double LP’s first two sides feature instrumentation and arrangements originally recorded but not included on previous releases. Embodying the two bands’ inquisitive natures, the already hypnotic flow of the songs take on new character, their timbres shifted and color palettes swirled in deft mixes. Classics like Run-A-Round and the eponymous Drop Out maintain their motorik drive and fizzing melodies, yet capture a new spirit. The latter two sides feature pieces never before included on vinyl, including the beautifully serene Air Streams in its original droning arc, previously broken bisected into separate tracks with completely different arrangements. In addition to those intoxicating pieces that will sound familiar and reinvigorated to fans, the album comes with a full album’s worth of bonus material, all crafted around the Drop Out era. White Hills’ Decorating Time (later repurposed into Undressing Time) showcases the depth of the band’s subtlety, rich with minute turns and a twist of psychedelic ambience. Nothing NEU! Under the Sky captures the invigorating pulse and dynamics of Gnod’s live performances.

Drop Out III’s new elements make clear the unified ethos of both bands. The reimaginings of these timeless pieces epitomize the sense of possibility brimming throughout the album. That an album over 15 years out from its inception could continue to grow well past its roots is a testament to Gnod & White Hills’ ability as artists and collaborators.

Tracklist:

1. Drop Out
2. Run-A-Round 
3. Wellhang
4. Spaced Man
5. Elka
6. Undressing Time
7. Air Streams
8. Unify
9. Per Sempre
10. Decorating Time
11. Changesaw
12. Model Citizen
13. Nothing Neu! Under The Sky
14. Hole In My Eye
15. Ovid's Poem