Stick Men, the progressive trio of King Crimson’s Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto alongside multi-instrumentalist and composer Markus Reuter, have released Let’s THRAK Again, their first album in over a decade. It is out now via Unsung Records and 7D Media, and it is a Robert Fripp-sanctioned homage to King Crimson’s 1995 record THRAK.
The album arrives as two entirely separate versions. Reel One was mixed by Stefano Castagna, producer and engineer for Super Eurobeat and founder of Ritmo & Blu Studio. Reel Two was mixed by Fabio Trentini, producer, engineer and bassist for H-Blockx and Guano Apes. The two carry different mixes, alternate track sequences and contrasting sonic perspectives, turning the same material into two distinct listening experiences.
“Let’s THRAK Again is 60 minutes of pure, kinetic energy,” the band notes. “We didn’t just write 12 new compositions; we designed an entirely new sonic vocabulary for them.”
On the two-reel concept, the trio adds:
“Our audience listens deeply. They don’t just want to hear the notes; they want to understand the architecture of the sound. By having Stefano and Fabio approach the exact same music with completely different visions, we are handing the listener the ultimate audiophile puzzle. It’s a roll of the dice, a sonic triptych, and a tribute to the heavy, mechanical impact of the original THRAK era.”
Get Let’s THRAK Again: stickmen.bandcamp.com
Stick Men Tour Dates
Tickets are available at Stickmenband.com.
- September 8 – Austin, TX, The 13th Floor
- September 13 – Vancouver, BC, Rickshaw Theatre
- September 14 – Seattle, WA, Hidden Hall
- September 15 – Portland, OR, Starlight Patio & Lounge at the Star Theater
- September 16 – Eugene, OR, Wow Hall
- September 17 – Corvallis, OR, Whiteside Theatre
- September 19 – Stockton, CA, Haggin Museum
- September 20 – Santa Cruz, CA, UCSC Music Center
- September 21 – Petaluma, CA, Mystic Theatre
- September 22 – Pacifica, CA, Winters Tavern
- September 24 – Los Angeles, CA, The Baked Potato
- September 25 – Los Angeles, CA, The Baked Potato
- September 27 – Escondido, CA, California Center for the Arts
- September 29 – Phoenix, AZ, Walter Studios
- September 30 – Tucson, AZ, La Rosa
About Stick Men
The band rests on a partnership spanning decades. Tony Levin, whose credits include Peter Gabriel, John Lennon and Pink Floyd, is one of the most recorded bass players in rock. In Stick Men he plays his signature Chapman Stick, a 12-string instrument tapped with both hands like a piano, which lets him deliver driving bass lines and complex melodies at the same time.
Pat Mastelotto, his longtime King Crimson rhythm section partner and previously of Mr. Mister and XTC, runs a sprawling hybrid kit that mixes acoustic drums with electronic pads, loops and industrial samples.
Markus Reuter completes the trio on his self-designed 8-string Touch Guitar, using a similar two-handed tapping technique to move between cinematic chords and soaring leads. Together the three build an orchestral wall of sound well beyond what a three-piece would normally manage.
Photo credit: Jeff Myers
