Sydney-based Art Rock collective, Eunuchs, is set to unveil their sophomore record, “Harbour Century.” Marking the culmination of a musical journey that began in primary school when childhood friends, Linus Hilton and Kristo Langker, initially bonded over stumbling through AC/DC covers. Stream the track through the YouTube player below:
Reflecting on the band’s evolution, drummer and writer Kristo Langker shares: “We’ve known each other since a young age. Over the years, more session musicians were lucky enough to write for a wider variety of instruments, which led us to make decisions on what instruments we like the most, which at the point of recording was harp and saxophone Quartet.”
The accidental emergence of a theme led to the album’s title – “Harbour Century.” Each song delves into symbolic stories of lies, ruses, scams, tricks, and boat crashes, drawing inspiration from the band’s impressions and interpretations of Sydney’s landscapes and characters.
“Harbour Century” is a manifestation of the odd personalities Eunuchs encountered in Sydney and the truthfully ambiguous stories they’ve embraced. And the newly released “Magic Death Sea Nemesis” is the perfect representation of both the diversity on the record and the multi-stylistic approach of Eunuchs. “Our most manic song off the record’ according to the band. ‘…abruptly cutting in and out of sections meant to sound as if John Barry wrote metal and other sections that sound like 1960s Folk Pop. The lyrics are a parable telling the story of a fisherman who throws a boy overboard for money and glory. Having not written anything like it before we found it quite difficult to play as some of the rhythms in the heavy sections, especially the horn stabs, are hard to anticipate, but we got there in the end!“
Lead singer Linus Hilton recounts: “I went to a fortune teller who urged me to release 55 minutes and 55 seconds of impressive music within the next year for great luck over the next 55 years.” Motivated by this revelation, the band embarked on 55 days of intense music writing, capturing the essence of Sydney. In a way, it reflected with lush arrangements, incorporating dozens of instruments like harp, vibraphone, and horns.
“We were trying to combine the harmonic density and rich orchestration of 20th-century classical composers with the intensity and focus of modern pop production.” – explains Kristo. While textural work was influenced by band’s guitarist, Enzo Legge and his experience of working as a bush regenerator and landscaper. “No forced lyrics will ever beat the inspiration you get from coming across a very short man dressed in robes in the outskirts of Sydney.” – jokingly explains Enzo.
In a unique twist, the band drew inspiration not only from musical sources but also from the built environment around Sydney Harbour, local businesses, and memorable characters. As Kristo Langker elaborates: “We recorded some parts of the record underwater in Sydney Harbour, using a hydrophone.”
“Harbour Century” is a sonic exploration of Sydney’s depths, bringing crooning and maximalism back with a backdrop of stormwater drains, dimly lit back rooms, and mossy rock pools.
Pre-order “Harbour City” coming out April 5, 2024 via Bandcamp: https://eunuchs.bandcamp.com/album/harbour-century
Tracklist:
1. Magic Death Sea Nemesis
2. Pat a Dragon
3. Estuary of Dreams – available from now here.
4. Siren
5. Magnificent Stallion
6. Gnome and Fortune
7. Bird Angel Dynasty
8. Hierophant
9. Heroin King