Anamanaguchi just released their new single, “Lorem Ipsum (Artic Anthem)” which has a phantasmical sound with instrumentals exploding throughout the track. The lyrics are sung in Latin using Vocaloid taken from the popular “lorem ipsum” dummy text used in typesetting and graphic design. The chorus lyrics “La, la la“ are also a musical form of dummy text but are sung to an imperative sounding melody. Their upcoming album [USA] took over five years to create and is set to release on October 25 through Polyvinyl Record Co. The album is available for pre-order here.

Peter Berkmann describes the new song, “This song deals with environmental forces so immense as to be beyond our control, but not our ability to notice and grasp the effects they bear on us. There’s a lot more in the album about these unavoidable realities — conditions, names, identities, labels — that none of us chose, but have to learn to live with.”

Anamanaguchi includes members, Peter Berkman, Ary Warnaar, James DeVito, and Luke Silas. The band combines hyper-melodic squarewaves from hacked Nintendo hardware. Their earliest releases have been distributed on NES cartridges you can actually play, and in 2010 they created the official soundtrack to the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World game.

Berkman says, “The decision to use words on this album gave it a new kind of structure that let us explore familiar feelings in a different way, like the feeling of ‘happy tears’ that comes from the combination of losing and understanding, but neither on their own.”

Warnaa says, “While fantasy can be an amazing way to experience beauty, happiness… feelings in general, it often stands tension with reality: in our interactions with other people and the world we live in. [USA] is inspired by the struggles of acknowledging the distinction between the two… a process so many of us seem to be undergoing.”

[USA] trackamanalisting:
01. [ U S A ]
02. Lorem Ipsum (Arctic Anthem)
03. The C R T Woods
04. Speak To You [Memory Messengers]
05. Sunset By Plane
06. Air On Line
07. Apophenia Light [Name Eaters]
08. Overwriting Incorporate
09. B S X
10. On My Own
11. Up To You
12. Tear
13. We Die
14. [ L O M ]

Anamanaguchi is gearing up for its North American tour starting October 30 in various cities across the United States. They will perform [USA] in its entirety with extended visual production. Before the show, the [USA] Expo will feature special events curated by and featuring the band, plus a limited edition pop-up shop. Pre-sale starts next week.

Tour Dates
10/30 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
10/31 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/2 – Austin, TX @ Empire Garage & Control Room [USA EXPO]*
11/3 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s
11/5 – St Louis, MO @ Firebird
11/6 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
11/7 – Indianapolis, IN @ Citadel
11/8 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s
11/10 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge [USA EXPO]*
11/12 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
11/13 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick