"Form and Fate paint musical portraits that can be simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. soaring melodies, dense harmonies, and sonic assaults are the trademark of this San Francisco quartet. the name form and fate was derived from the process through which a lake is born. as the definition would imply, the music is something of a tribute to the turbulent ways in which new landscapes are formed, sometimes through dramatic and violent upheaval, sometimes through the simple, slow passing of time. whatever the approach, this post-apocalyptic wall of sound will leave you wanting more. bring earplugs!" - Three Ring Records
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The Form and Fate of Lakes
Form And Fate "Norwegian Black Metal Swordfight to the Death" (mp3) from "The Form and Fate of Lakes" (Three Ring Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Pure Tracks Buy at Amazon Buy at GroupieTunes Buy at mTraks Download More On This Album.
Recirc EP
Form and Fate "Masking" (mp3) from "Recirc" (Three Ring Records) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Pure Tracks Buy at Amazon Buy at GroupieTunes Buy at mTraks Download More On This Album.
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Some Reviews
Post-rock bands never let a lack of words hinder a sonic journey of emotional catharsis. On the EP Recirc, San Francisco's Form and Fate, a primarily instrumental quintet, guides listeners through its bleakest moments with five melancholy songs that reach for the core.
Their epic compositions build from restrained to bursting and make imminent comparisons to stars of the style like Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai, with differences that are hard to pinpoint. But the band does right by the genre. With three guitarists to buoy the bass and drums, Form and Fate employs multiple melodic layers to drive songs to climax.
"Nobody ever told me the airlock would unlock" a faraway voice murmurs on opener "Airlock," one of two tracks with vocals. The song settles into a dreamy groove before feedback sets the stage for a thundering unravel. The meditative repetition of the funereal "He Grows" is a controlled exercise in subtlety that bleeds into the somber reflection of "Magnets in My Bones." "Masking," the unmistakable standout of the album, pairs comforting guitar riffs with distant vocals seemingly recorded in an era gone by. With a heavy and soul-elevating pinnacle coupled with the revelation "sunsets can only be admired through a rusty, wired fence," the band affirms that sadness has its place and makes happiness feel even better. Form and Fate ostensibly concludes the trip underwater on "No Really, You Should Be Stopping" with a soothing tremolo picking pattern that conjures a peaceful glide through a pure, tropical sea.
Strong musicianship and well-crafted emotive outbursts makes Recirc an enjoyable and qualified shepherd for these troubled times. (500 Records/ Three Ring Records)
-Julia Cooper at West Coast Performer Mag
Okay, I want to take a moment to talk about this CD's illustrations. I know, there's music to be had—and pretty music, too; located in a small valley between math-rock and soundscaped jam-band acrobatics, Form and Fate's trio arrangement, which is sometimes paired on this recording with cello and trombone, is basic but artful, wading through the twisty, graceful jams of "Emoticons Vs. Decepticons" and the country feedback of "The Ballad Of Austin Post" with a dreamlike single-minded-ness and splendor.
The illustrations are something to be reckoned with, as well. There are glossy black-and-white photographs of glaciers from the U.S. Geological Survey that range in year of origin from the 1940s until just a few years ago. But, if not for the dates, you wouldn't be able to tell. The clouds in these pictures are as sharp as mountaintops; the fields of snow and the snake-like arc of rivers are the kind of beautiful that knocks you out. It's way beyond simple album art. The gatefold underneath the CD tray of a river and its subsidiaries look like a massive prehistoric skeleton: its spines reaching out to take over the world. And, if that makes sense, that's what the music sounds like too.
Matthue Roth at Zero Magazine
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"Just like the black and white photo from their album cover, local band Form and Fate's lovely post-rock meanderings spread out like epic landscapes in front of your ears on their debut 'The Form and Fate of Lakes' until you reach the jagged cliffs ahead that crash back down on you with a wall of fuzzed-out distortion. Epic and yet isolating, Form and Fate's melodies and interesting instrumentation keep their music fresh in the always competitive land of post-rock. While obvious comparisons to Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai are not unjust, the band also brings to mind what may have been my first taste of the noodly instrumental genre: Sonic Youth. Form and Fate will be at the Bottom of the Hill on April 11th to celebrate the release of their new cd with We Be The Echo and Aim Low Kid. Click on the headphones above to listen to 'Emoticons vs Decepticons'. 'The Form and Fate of Lakes' is available on April 10 on Three Ring Records." The Deli Magazine SF
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Don't be fooled. Form and Fate of Lakes is not a lesson in plate tectonics and isn't nearly as boring. Initially, the listener is wrapped in a soft blanket of gorgeous cello and mellow, muddy guitar lulling you into an imposing and unwanted rest. And when you least expect it, a grungy smash snaps you back to the land of the living and out of the rut of predictable instrumental arrangement.
This album starts out like many other, artsy instrumental albums out there yet adds the right amount of almost startling variation. Pattern-wise, most of the songs are a slow burn, building momentum. Despite the met level of mandatory complexity, Form and Fate could use a little more color - even if it's black which could only be expected of a song titled "Norwegian Black Metal Sword Fight to the Death." Come on, guys. That was just cruel. Overall, intriguing and stimulating. 4 out of 5 Owls!
Briana Hernandez of The Owl Mag
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From Dog In A Sweater.com
- 6.5 out of 10 -
At this point in time you could probably say that everything that is gonna be done within the realm of "post-rock"
has been done (this may or may not be true, but it sure does feel that way to me at least). So it becomes more
important than ever to look at quality over substance, and Form and Fate have quality bursting out all over. I'll
drop the easy comparisons here: Explosions in the Sky, From Monument to Masses, Mogwai, otherwise known
as the usual suspects. Now they don't really sound like any of those bands exactly – not quite as cinematic as
EITS, not full of political vitriol like FMTM, not as "depressingly sounds like a rainy day in Gasgow" as Mogwai –
but fans of those heavyweights should certainly give these new kids a listen. They may not have the name rec-
ognition of these godfathers of the sound but they aren't lacking a thing musically – a high-quality debut from
start to finish. (SLAP)
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From Song.Oaklog
Adequate local post rock group. great production on this record, which seems to be a rare commodity in locally produced fare. curious to see how they come off live, if i can ever get off my ass to go see them.
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Featured in the San Francisco Chronicles "Essential" Nightlife/Shows in the next 96 hours for the week of Oct. 25th.
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From Chris Cline (owner of 3 Ring) after our set at our SXSW Bay Area Take-over show (click for link to tour pictures), "You guys are gay."
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Us getting retarded loud at BOTH. without Matt.
thanks to Stephen from Evacuee for this footage! There is more footage here.
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Last but not least.
R2!
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THE WIDOW MAKER
aka Toy Guitar and/or Pinnoccio Guitar
PICKUPS
G&L Hummaker V with rusted chrome cover in neck position, traditional size G&L Quantum Accelerated Ear Destroying Design (QAEDD Technology) single coil in bridge position
BODY WOOD
Glued pressboard coated in urethane
NECK WOOD
Hardened cardboard with blackend cat gut fingerboard
NECK RADIUS
5 1/2 to 7 3/4 depending on humidity
NECK WIDTH AT NUT
This pencil neck guitar has no nuts
TUNING KEYS
Guaranteed not to stay in tune, ever
BRIDGE
Rusting boxed steel bridge with cheap chrome saddles
CONTROLS
3 position pickup selector, volume, tone, all for looks, you have no control
FINISH
Standard finishes include plastic wrap and led based paints
OTHER
Cheap chrome hardware; recycled milk jug pickguard; G&L moldy softcase
