In early 2023, Tresor Records will reissue the sole output from Shifted
Phases entitled The Cosmic Memoirs Of The Late Great Rupert J.
Rosinthrope. Initially released in 2002, soon after James Stinson passed
away, this LP plays a mysterious and compelling role in the Drexciya
journey. While other records of Drexciya and related projects have
received numerous reprints and editions, The Cosmic Memoirs... has
remained out of print since its release. This rarity leaves it more open to
interpretation with its place in the Drexciyan storm series, as it became
increasingly hard to fi nd and underexplored.
Track titles Solar Wind, White Dwarf, and Lonely Journey of the Comet
Bopp reveal a focus on cosmic realms, suggesting a link with the
Drexciya LP Grava 4 that moves from the underwater to the galactic. As
it launches with mechanical blows on a precise orbit, each repetition
entrenches the gravitational pull in the galaxy of Shifted Phases. In
many places, it sounds like the readout of frequencies harvested from
outer space, pockmarked with packet loss from the millions of
kilometres distance travelled.
The music is hard to contain, intuitively restless in motion through its
unfolding universe and achingly resonant. It shapeshifts across aectedly
melodic sequences such as in Lonely Journey..., to the sparse, hard-
hitting timbres found in Alien Vessel Distress Call and the mangled
reverse vocals in The Freak Show, somewhat reminiscent of another
Drexciya side-project, Glass Domain. The mythology of Drexciya is
evident in how keenly James Stinson and Gerald Donald created their
imaginary worlds. In Crossing Of The Sun-Ra Nebula, there is an
undisputable reference to another Afro-futurist who delved deep into a
galaxy of their own making.
This reissue does not merely close the loop on Tresor's reissue series of
the Drexciya catalogue but brings Shifted Phases to fresh ears more
than other records. Accompanied by newly commissioned artwork from
Matthew Angelo Harrison, the 3xLP vinyl reissue also features the tracks
Crossing Of The Sun-Ra Nebula and Alien Vessel Distress Call, which
were previously only on the original CD release.
In early 2023, Tresor Records will reissue the sole output from Shifted
Phases entitled The Cosmic Memoirs Of The Late Great Rupert J.
Rosinthrope. Initially released in 2002, soon after James Stinson passed
away, this LP plays a mysterious and compelling role in the Drexciya
journey. While other records of Drexciya and related projects have
received numerous reprints and editions, The Cosmic Memoirs... has
remained out of print since its release. This rarity leaves it more open to
interpretation with its place in the Drexciyan storm series, as it became
increasingly hard to fi nd and underexplored.
Track titles Solar Wind, White Dwarf, and Lonely Journey of the Comet
Bopp reveal a focus on cosmic realms, suggesting a link with the
Drexciya LP Grava 4 that moves from the underwater to the galactic. As
it launches with mechanical blows on a precise orbit, each repetition
entrenches the gravitational pull in the galaxy of Shifted Phases. In
many places, it sounds like the readout of frequencies harvested from
outer space, pockmarked with packet loss from the millions of
kilometres distance travelled.
The music is hard to contain, intuitively restless in motion through its
unfolding universe and achingly resonant. It shapeshifts across aectedly
melodic sequences such as in Lonely Journey..., to the sparse, hard-
hitting timbres found in Alien Vessel Distress Call and the mangled
reverse vocals in The Freak Show, somewhat reminiscent of another
Drexciya side-project, Glass Domain. The mythology of Drexciya is
evident in how keenly James Stinson and Gerald Donald created their
imaginary worlds. In Crossing Of The Sun-Ra Nebula, there is an
undisputable reference to another Afro-futurist who delved deep into a
galaxy of their own making.
This reissue does not merely close the loop on Tresor's reissue series of
the Drexciya catalogue but brings Shifted Phases to fresh ears more
than other records. Accompanied by newly commissioned artwork from
Matthew Angelo Harrison, the 3xLP vinyl reissue also features the tracks
Crossing Of The Sun-Ra Nebula and Alien Vessel Distress Call, which
were previously only on the original CD release.
