{"product_id":"glenn-branca-the-ascension","title":"GLENN BRANCA - THE ASCENSION","description":"\u003cp\u003e2025 Repress.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGlenn Branca\u003c\/strong\u003e's first full-length album The Ascension is a colossal achievement. After touring much of 1980 with an all-star band featuring four guitarists (Banca, fellow composers\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNed Sublette\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eDavid Rosenbloom\u003c\/strong\u003e, and future Sonic Youth member\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLee Ranaldo\u003c\/strong\u003e) along with\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeffrey Glenn\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eon bass and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStephan Wischerth\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eon drums, Branca took his war-torn group into a studio in Hell's Kitchen to record five incendiary compositions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in the summer of 1981,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ascension\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eeffectively tears down the genre-ghettos between 20th century avant-garde and ecstatic rock'n'roll. On \"The Spectacular Commodity,\" chiming, shimmering tones unfold into sinister drone-territory a la\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTony Conrad\u003c\/strong\u003e, while abrasive guitars and repetitive beats retain the raw primitivism of No Wave. The title track attains a densely packed, larger-than-life sound and (as author Marc Masters says best) \"never stops climbing skyward.\" With artist\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRobert Longo\u003c\/strong\u003e's stark front cover that depicts Bancabattling an unidentified man,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ascension\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a must-have record not only for fans of early\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSonic Youth\u003c\/strong\u003e, but also of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSteve Reich\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eor\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSlint\u003c\/strong\u003e's Tweez.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Volcanic Vinyl","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52732390211884,"sku":null,"price":78.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/3947\/9852\/files\/sv056_web_1024x1024_d5ecd0e4-0d18-4a3f-8508-d70b9374a228.webp?v=1773019392","url":"https:\/\/volcanicvinyl.co.nz\/products\/glenn-branca-the-ascension","provider":"Volcanic Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}