NEWS

Super Furry Animals
Phantom Power DVD
(XL Recordings/Beggars Group)

"[Phantom Power is] saturated with aching pop moments and sophisticated arrangements, each one coming on like a distant dream of a favorite 60's song. And though the songs may at first glance seem whimsical, they often serve here as gateways to deeper reflections on war, nuclear power and the tarnished American Dream." - Neil Strauss, The New York Times

Unleash your elation for the Phantom Power DVD - a stunning audiovisual component to the remarkable musical journey that is Phantom Power, Super Furry Animals' most successful US release to date! As a testament to the band's unique, progressive vision, Phantom Power is the second Super Furry Animals album released on CD and DVD.

Fashioned by the band with collaborators No.Brake (www.nobrake.com), the Phantom Power DVD features 5.1 stereo surround sound, and is - for the first time - entirely animated by Monsterism creator Pete Fowler (www.monsterism.net). Pete Fowler is the artist-in-residence behind the animations that made the cover art, posters, t-shirts, and other various merch for previous SFA albums so visually striking.

Featuring audio commentary, an animated "listening booth" that plays the entire album, audiovisual remixes for all fourteen tracks, and fourteen exclusive Pete Fowler animated intros (all soundtracked by new, never-before-heard SFA music), this Phantom Power DVD is not your average music DVD. Says Super Furry singer Gruff Rhys…

"I think what people missed on the last one was that the DVD was created primarily for the surround sound mix. What we constantly want to remind people is that it's an audio medium as much as a visual medium. Last time, too much emphasis was given to 'there's a video for every song,' whereas the reason we made it was because of our surround sound live show - we wanted to capture that on record. That's what we've done again, really. This time the films are more minimal, but Pete Fowler's done 14 animations that are between the songs rather than during, and the films that have been made for the songs are almost like screensavers - otherwise there's too much information going on and you don't listen to the music.

"We're still experimenting with the technology, and refining it. We enjoyed doing the last one but we thought we could take it further. A lot of the technology is more accessible for people to hear it this time. When we do things we tend to do it properly, we don't give up on things until we've bled it dry, you know? [Laughs] 'Til we've covered it comprehensively."

Be sure to catch the tour of the year - SFA + GRANDADDY!
9/18 San Fran., CA Fillmore
9/19 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theater
9/20 San Diego, CA 4th & BB 9/21 Tempe, AZ Marquee
9/23 Dallas, TX Gypsy
9/24 Houston, TX Numbers
9/26 Austin, TX Stubbs
9/27 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
9/29 Atlanta, GA Roxy
9/30 Louisville, KY Headliners
10/2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/3&4 New York, NY Irving Plaza

Super Furry Animals
Phantom Power
(XL Recordings/Beggars Group)

"...saturated with aching pop moments and sophisticated arrangements, each one coming on like a distant dream of a favorite 60's song. And though the songs may at first glance seem whimsical, they often serve here as gateways to deeper reflections on war, nuclear power and the tarnished American Dream."
- Neil Strauss, The New York Times

The wait is finally over for Super Furry Animals' new album, Phantom Power - and as a testament to the band's unique, progressive vision, it's the second Super Furry Animals album to be released on CD and DVD. A technicolor, spacious, sonic poppy field, Phantom Power boasts otherworldly surround sound, Pete Fowler's monsterrific artwork, and singer Gruff Rhys' finest conceptual poetry to date.

One of the UK's most adored and acclaimed bands, SFA found a similarly ecstatic and pleasantly surprised audience in the US with the release of 2001's Rings Around The World. It's clever, ecological concept and companion DVD made Rings Around The World one of 2001-2002's best albums, both here and abroad. With across-the-board critical acclaim, SFA landed two full-US tours (complete with stunningly elaborate visuals and expansive live sound), "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," NPR, the Rolling Stone Cool Issue, Entertainment Weekly's "It" list, and a host spot on MTV's "120 Minutes."

The release of the Phantom Power DVD makes SFA the only band in history to release a CD and companion DVD…again! They first accomplished such a unique feat with the simultaneous CD/DVD release of Rings Around the World. Besides having 5.1 stereo surround sound, SFA's artist/designer Pete Fowler developed a different animation for each song.

They're already your favorite band of kaleidoscopic surrealists. Phantom Power will make them your favorite band, period.

Catch SFA on the road with Papa M this February!

2/2/04 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
2/3/04 Chicago, IL @ Metro
2/4/04 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
2/5/04 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theater
2/7/04 Boston, MA @ Somerville Theatre
2/8/04 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
2/9/04 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
2/11/04 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
2/12/04 Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
2/13/04 Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
2/14/04 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
2/15/04 Nashville, TN @ 40 Watt Club
2/17/04 Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
2/18/04 Dallas, TX @ Gypsy Tea Room
2/20/04 Lawrence, KS @ Granada
2/21/04 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
2/24/04 Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards
2/25/04 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
2/27/04 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
2/28/04 Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda

Hello Sunshine came out as a single the other day... apologies for not updating the discography but I'm still at university (they tell me it could take another two and a bit years!!) so it's difficult to update the site. Um, the b-sides are Cowbird and Sanitizzzed, which are fairly good. The new video on the DVD single is completely Pete Fowler, and very good! Bigger update coming towards Christmastime, meanwhile, support the band, go to the gigs, buy the singles and all that stuff. Go furry mad :D