A busy 2024 at Centripetal Force rolls on with the announcement of Drew Gardner’s Cygnus A. The album is available for preorder starting today. The release date is June 7th. It will be available on vinyl, as well as digitally.
A majority of the music Drew Gardner has made over the years has been deeply collaborative, in contexts where his skills with improvisation can shine: with Elkhorn, Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders, and his own Flowers in Space band. Cygnus A, where Gardner is playing and multitracking all the instruments, marks a shift in his approach as well as his intention, drawing the audience closer for an inward listening experience.
Cygnus A is Drew's first proper solo album. Guitar playing takes a back seat on this release, allowing Gardner to showcase his talents on the zither (of the dulcimer/ autoharp family) and mriba (a kalimba type instrument). The results are as heady and cosmic as the other projects that he is known for, with Cygnus A being a more intimate listening experience. With an earthy yet cosmic vibe, this multi-instrumentalist solo foray explores themes of distance and nearness. The album title Cygnus A refers to a distant galaxy that is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky. Its broadcast from space comes from a supermassive black hole generating energy as it consumes material, causing electrons to emit radio waves as they spiral outward in magnetic fields. “Pollux,” the album’s lead track, is named for the star of the constellation Gemini, the star closest to our own sun. Its reddish hue long helping travelers navigate the glove before the advent of modern technology.
Cygnus A is being presented in a 200 copy vinyl pressing. Preorders are now live on the Bandcamp.
Drew Gardner will perform with his Flowers in Space Band at the Knitting Factory NYC on May 5. Emergency Group and Vague Plot are also on the bill. The band will then perform at this year’s Milwaukee Psych Fest on May 11.