An astounding work of passion and patience over one thousand hours in the making, Long Beach musician/composer Chris Schlarb bestows his latest musical vision, Psychic Temple, onto the world. Known for his work as half of the hypnotic, jazz/drone duo, I Heart Lung, Schlarb’s latest work expands wildly in new directions, incorporating wordless vocal choirs, string quartets and horn sections into his 29-member ensemble.

Inspired by the rhythmic pulse of microhouse, and the melodic vocabulary of jazz and folk music, Psychic Temple is a deeply considered meditation on beauty. Recording began in January of 2009 and over the next nineteen months Schlarb collaborated with twenty-eight musicians (including four bassists, three drummers and six vocalists) to build Psychic Temple.

It would not be an exaggeration to boast that Psychic Temple contains performances from some of today’s finest musicians including Mick Rossi of the Philip Glass Ensemble, legendary Minutemen bassist Mike Watt, vocalists Julianna Barwick, DM Stith, Joel St. Julien (of ELLUL), Aaron Roche, trumpeter Kris Tiner, Brian Blade Fellowship pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley, Weird Weeds percussionist Nick Hennies, guitarist Danny Miller and drummer Tabor Allen (of Rare Grooves and The Widow Babies), bassists Steuart Liebig, C.J. Boyd and Anthony Shadduck, and Danny T. Levin and David Moyer on horns.

Credits
Composed, Arranged, Engineered, and Produced by Chris Schlarb

Recorded and Mixed at Sounds Are Active, Long Beach, CA.
from January 4th, 2009 – August 18th, 2010

Mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering
Layout and Design by Elis Im
Photography by Ian Souter
Additional Artwork by Danny Miller
Mix Consulting by Ronan Chris Murphy
Master Consulting by TW Walsh

Track Listing
01. I Can Live Forever If I Slowly Die 10:10
02. Dream State > Police State 9:15
03. Daughters of Ursa Major 5:20
04. White Dove In The Psychic Temple 8:25

ellul’s massive, multilayered debut is born again in a series of specially commisioned remixes. Thavius Beck chops and screws “Esophagus” while Italian electronic duo Mickey Eats Plastic reconstruct “Freedom.” Fellow San Francisco-based artists Radius and Bookworms take completely original turns on their respective remixes while Siamese Sisters surmount a difficult task in re-approaching the delicate and powerful “Fragrance.” A trio of stunning remixes from Blevin Blectum, Deneir and Heezen with Xn. round out an impressive remix EP.

Artwork by Matias Coduri

Track Listing
01. esophagus (Thavius Beck Remix) [mp3]
02. freedom (Mickey Eats Plastic Remix) [mp3]
03. maniacs collide (Radius Remix) [mp3]
04. blood (Heezen with Xn. Remix) [mp3]
05. fragrance (Siamese Sisters Remix) [mp3]
06. enamel on iron (Blevin Blectum Remix) [mp3]
07. around the bend (Bookworms Beck Remix) [mp3]
08. swamp king (Deneir Remix) [mp3]

Press
None at this time.

Recorded in vaulted hill top church, an industrial warehouse, a community center and a living room, up and down the California coast, over the course of five months, ellul’s self titled debut is surprisingly established. Produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb the group added his electric guitar to contributions from Adam Garcia (Timonium, belltower) on drums and Anthony Shadduck (Nels Cline, I Heart Lung) on bass.

Dueling live/programmed drum patterns, shimmering guitar distortions and stunning choral harmonies are unearthed upon repeated listens. ellul have crafted a stunning debut album that reveals heavy doses of progressive electro-acoustic musicianship with each spin.

ellul is:
Joel Brown-Tarman- vocals, acoustic piano, organ, sythesizer, melodica, programming, drums, radio
Joel St. Julien- vocals, electric & acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums, programming

with:
Adam Garcia- acoustic drums
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar, electronics, drums, radio
Anthony Shadduck- electric & acoustic guitar

Produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb
Artwork by Matias Coduri

Track Listing
01. Ballet Faces
02. Maniacs Collide
03. Blood
04. Esophagus [mp3]
05. Listen
06. Freedom
07. Swamp King [mp3]
08. Around The Bend
09. Fragrance
10. Enamel On Iron

Press
“…nothing short of masterpieces of the songwriting craft. This is soul music for the turbulent 2000s. If quality equated with sales then Ellul would sell by the bucket-load… “- Ian Patterson, All About Jazz

“If you can imagine a vocal, instrumental, and lyrical collaboration between Radiohead and Neutral Milk Hotel, I think you’re about halfway to ellul’s sound… There is a beautiful balance of acoustic and electronic sounds throughout… I’m reluctant to highlight individual tracks because I think this set of songs is best enjoyed as a whole. There is a true sense of mood and flow here as one song carries flawlessly to the next… Skipping anything would just be missing out on a strong piece of the album. 9 out of 10″- Foxy Digitalis

“…an enjoyable if not totally surprising debut… the continuum can be more accurately labeled as the kind of not-unknown but not-top 40 version of rock and roll moodiness of bands like the Flaming Lips as well, fitting in a niche while not being entirely part of it.”- Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

“Over time, the LP proves itself as interested in hooks as much as atmosphere. And hooky or not, it is most often beautifully scary.”- Stereo Subversion

“Ellul’s music may be slow and quiet most of the time, but it is engaging enough to resist fading into the background. 4 our of 5″- Owl Magazine

“Ellul have created an utterly surprising collection of songs for their self titled debut album. Ranging in emotion and composition, the album has amazing production values…”- The Deli Magazine

“The production value of the album is stunning. Ellul manages to skirt the line between experimental and minimalist pop, mastering the ability to dip into both sides while maintaining the breathy subtlety that is the band’s signature.”- West Coast Performer Magazine

“Somewhere in between the darker side of late ‘90s indie rock and dissonant shoegaze comes the San Francisco duo Ellul. The band’s self-titled debut was recorded along the California coast in places as diverse as churches, industrial warehouses, and living rooms–which isn’t too surprising given the the guys’ lust for indie guitarscapes…”- XLR8R Magazine

“This is the sound of clouds not burning off. The sound of sleep seeds building up in the corners of your eyes. The sound of that last five minutes and five seconds before your alarm goes off. The sound of empty impossibility and pregnant pauses.”- Music For Robots

“Just another Radiohead rip-off? Only until you grasp Ellul’s reasons for calling its style “contemporary vocal music” by digging into upfront lyrics about “the painful history of a transplanted Haitian son.” Intriguing music and vocals give this debut two legs to stand on.”- East Bay Express