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CD
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THRILL 640CD
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$14.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 9/26/2025
"Sam Prekop's work over the last 30 years, whether created primarily on his guitar or on his modular synth, is consistent in its powerful melodicism, delicate arrangements and subtle evolution. Prekop's singular blend of melody, impressionistic lyricism and quietly intricate rhythms are the core of the singular sound of The Sea and Cake. Since 2010's Old Punch Card, Prekop's exploration of modular synthesis and electronic atmospheres, has come into its own. Highly skilled at manipulating the sonic interplay, Prekop has established a style all his own, his pieces are complex expressing real movement. Harmonies bloom with granular detail and contrary to their machine sources are able to convey emotion. Open Close is an album that captures the flow and energy of a live performance through the lens of a deft craftsman, an equilibrium of intuitive composition and the excitement of possibility. The music of Sam Prekop is defined by his signature curiosity and his ability to mold and refine that curiosity into a wholly unique sound. His process in naming album Open Close mirrors his creative practice and the worlds he builds across the album: 'I like simple words that become complicated if you think of them more than a second or two, beyond face value. And Open Close could be: close as in 'close to you' or close as in 'close the door.' If it gives everything away too quickly, then I'm not interested.' Each movement across Open Close is replete with simple gestures that suggest new complexities with Prekop's careful arrangements. Open Close unearths new, soulfully human sounds from synthetic textures precisely juxtaposed, its subtle contrasts in texture and rhythm are a free-flowing celebration of sonics as stunning as they are ephemeral."
"Every track is awash in sumptuous, eminently hummable melodies; the album swells with a newfound sense of joy." --Pitchfork, Best New Music
"The best improvisation transforms music into a living thing." --NPR, Best Albums of 2022
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LP
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THRILL 640LP
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$25.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 9/26/2025
LP version. "Sam Prekop's work over the last 30 years, whether created primarily on his guitar or on his modular synth, is consistent in its powerful melodicism, delicate arrangements and subtle evolution. Prekop's singular blend of melody, impressionistic lyricism and quietly intricate rhythms are the core of the singular sound of The Sea and Cake. Since 2010's Old Punch Card, Prekop's exploration of modular synthesis and electronic atmospheres, has come into its own. Highly skilled at manipulating the sonic interplay, Prekop has established a style all his own, his pieces are complex expressing real movement. Harmonies bloom with granular detail and contrary to their machine sources are able to convey emotion. Open Close is an album that captures the flow and energy of a live performance through the lens of a deft craftsman, an equilibrium of intuitive composition and the excitement of possibility. The music of Sam Prekop is defined by his signature curiosity and his ability to mold and refine that curiosity into a wholly unique sound. His process in naming album Open Close mirrors his creative practice and the worlds he builds across the album: 'I like simple words that become complicated if you think of them more than a second or two, beyond face value. And Open Close could be: close as in 'close to you' or close as in 'close the door.' If it gives everything away too quickly, then I'm not interested.' Each movement across Open Close is replete with simple gestures that suggest new complexities with Prekop's careful arrangements. Open Close unearths new, soulfully human sounds from synthetic textures precisely juxtaposed, its subtle contrasts in texture and rhythm are a free-flowing celebration of sonics as stunning as they are ephemeral."
"Every track is awash in sumptuous, eminently hummable melodies; the album swells with a newfound sense of joy." --Pitchfork, Best New Music
"The best improvisation transforms music into a living thing." --NPR, Best Albums of 2022
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LP
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THRILL 640X-LP
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$27.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 9/26/2025
LP version. Clear color vinyl. "Sam Prekop's work over the last 30 years, whether created primarily on his guitar or on his modular synth, is consistent in its powerful melodicism, delicate arrangements and subtle evolution. Prekop's singular blend of melody, impressionistic lyricism and quietly intricate rhythms are the core of the singular sound of The Sea and Cake. Since 2010's Old Punch Card, Prekop's exploration of modular synthesis and electronic atmospheres, has come into its own. Highly skilled at manipulating the sonic interplay, Prekop has established a style all his own, his pieces are complex expressing real movement. Harmonies bloom with granular detail and contrary to their machine sources are able to convey emotion. Open Close is an album that captures the flow and energy of a live performance through the lens of a deft craftsman, an equilibrium of intuitive composition and the excitement of possibility. The music of Sam Prekop is defined by his signature curiosity and his ability to mold and refine that curiosity into a wholly unique sound. His process in naming album Open Close mirrors his creative practice and the worlds he builds across the album: 'I like simple words that become complicated if you think of them more than a second or two, beyond face value. And Open Close could be: close as in 'close to you' or close as in 'close the door.' If it gives everything away too quickly, then I'm not interested.' Each movement across Open Close is replete with simple gestures that suggest new complexities with Prekop's careful arrangements. Open Close unearths new, soulfully human sounds from synthetic textures precisely juxtaposed, its subtle contrasts in texture and rhythm are a free-flowing celebration of sonics as stunning as they are ephemeral."
"Every track is awash in sumptuous, eminently hummable melodies; the album swells with a newfound sense of joy." --Pitchfork, Best New Music
"The best improvisation transforms music into a living thing." --NPR, Best Albums of 2022
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CD
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TAL 027CD
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"'Is it too Sam Prekop?', Sam Prekop asked me in an email conversation in which he delivered his wonderful illustrations which would become the front cover artwork. No, it is not too Sam Prekop at all. His drawings as well as the freeform music on this album are subtly different from anything else he has produced in his solo career. Regardless of the style he is working in, Sam Prekop's music is always imbued with a sense of wide-eyed discovery and unpredictable exploration. On The Sparrow, Sam Prekop expands his electronic cosmos with a remarkable expression of timeless simplicity and coherent execution. It's deceptively simple music that feels accessible without abandoning the experimental legacy of the modular hardware system which serves, besides a polyphonic Prophet 5 synthesizer, as the center piece of this production. The side long title track 'The Sparrow' opens this album with unpredictable synth dissonances and broken step sequenced patterns. 'Palm' brings the set to a close with its irregular fragility while 'Fall is Farewell' is built around a yearning brassy fanfare which resembles the noir romance theme of Michael Smalls soundtrack for the 1971 film Klute. The sparkling essence of 'Step and Stair' seems a suitable space for unforgotten summer holidays of our childhood. On his first solo release for Düsseldorf's label TAL, electronic experimentalist Sam Prekop offers his most captivating yet stripped-down modular music. All compositions on The Sparrow were gradually developed piece by piece. Best known for his jazz-leaning tropicalismo with The Sea And Cake, a key part of the Chicago scene with the likes of Tortoise or Chicago Underground Duo, he has in recent years established himself as a modular synthesist, building his instrument meticulously to create a unique system that allows him to create highly individual music through mechanical patterns, repetitions and chance. In this context his widely acclaimed community forming public tutorials on fb should be noted as well. The Sparrow is an exciting new chapter in his development as a constant creative influence." --Stefan Schneider, Düsseldorf August 2022 CD version comes in an edition of 500.
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LP
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TAL 027LP
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Limited restock. LP version. Includes printed inner sleeve; includes download code; edition of 700. "'Is it too Sam Prekop?', Sam Prekop asked me in an email conversation in which he delivered his wonderful illustrations which would become the front cover artwork. No, it is not too Sam Prekop at all. His drawings as well as the freeform music on this album are subtly different from anything else he has produced in his solo career. Regardless of the style he is working in, Sam Prekop's music is always imbued with a sense of wide-eyed discovery and unpredictable exploration. On The Sparrow, Sam Prekop expands his electronic cosmos with a remarkable expression of timeless simplicity and coherent execution. It's deceptively simple music that feels accessible without abandoning the experimental legacy of the modular hardware system which serves, besides a polyphonic Prophet 5 synthesizer, as the center piece of this production. The side long title track 'The Sparrow' opens this album with unpredictable synth dissonances and broken step sequenced patterns. 'Palm' brings the set to a close with its irregular fragility while 'Fall is Farewell' is built around a yearning brassy fanfare which resembles the noir romance theme of Michael Smalls soundtrack for the 1971 film Klute. The sparkling essence of 'Step and Stair' seems a suitable space for unforgotten summer holidays of our childhood. On his first solo release for Düsseldorf's label TAL, electronic experimentalist Sam Prekop offers his most captivating yet stripped-down modular music. All compositions on The Sparrow were gradually developed piece by piece. Best known for his jazz-leaning tropicalismo with The Sea And Cake, a key part of the Chicago scene with the likes of Tortoise or Chicago Underground Duo, he has in recent years established himself as a modular synthesist, building his instrument meticulously to create a unique system that allows him to create highly individual music through mechanical patterns, repetitions and chance. In this context his widely acclaimed community forming public tutorials on fb should be noted as well. The Sparrow is an exciting new chapter in his development as a constant creative influence." --Stefan Schneider, Düsseldorf August 2022
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