Toronto’s celebrated purveyors of psych-rock, LAMMPING, have just released Stars We Lost, on We Are Busy Bodies. The highly anticipated EP is available now on all streaming services and on one-sided, limited-edition, 12” vinyl. Stars We Lost is a collection of 70’s soaked space-rock bangers that’ll surely win the hearts of fans of Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Spacemen 3, Stereolab, De La Soul, Kraftwerk, and Hawkwind.
Reflecting on the title of the new EP single, Mikhail Galkin remarked, “Stars We Lost comes from the classic tabloid headlines of when celebrities pass. I thought it sounded like a good album title and thematically reflected some of the record.” In describing the unique direction the band has taken with Stars We Lost, Galkin explains, “Our first records were more traditional Psych/Stoner Rock albums, propelled by guitar riffs and solos, but we ultimately always wanted to reach beyond that. We love Sleep and Sabbath and King Gizzard but we also love De La Soul and Madlib, for example. The approach for this record was much closer to 3 feet High and Rising (De La), where we look at all the ideas and sounds we have in our minds almost as samples. Once you approach the recording process in that way, where you’re almost building a sound collage around a song you wrote with just a guitar, the world opens up musically. The end result is still under the psych umbrella, but we hope it translates to something that transcends cliche and categorization.”
The songwriting craft apparent on the new EP Stars We Lost is indicative of the band members’ rich and diverse history in the Toronto music scene. While Anderson’s contribution to the band is informed by the myriad of past and present rock acts he has played in (Biblical, Badge Epoque Ensemble, Stonegrass, Marker Starling, Comet Control), Galkin’s background is somewhat unique. He explains, “In my late teens, early 20’s, I had a career as a sample-based beat maker, under the name DJ Alibi – I was signed to Tres Records and put out “One Day,” and worked with J-Live, People Under The Stairs, Insight and other hip-hop acts.” The versatility in LAMMPINGs music could see it sit comfortably next to heavy hitters on mainstream radio, just as well as college stations and editorial playlists. Beyond The Veil (second single and focus track for the new EP) was written and sung by guitar player Matthew Aldred, who is known for other notable projects like Modern Superstitions and Micheal Rault.
LAMMPING was founded by singer/songwriter Mikhail Galkin and drummer Jay Anderson. Meeting at a concert where Jay and Mikhail’s previous bands were sharing the bill, they quickly connected over their musical tastes, drawing on their love of everything from mid-90’s boom-bap to Tropicalia and library music. Rounding out the lineup are Matt Aldred on guitar and Scott Hannigan on bass. As a starting point Galkin posed the question to his band mates: “What if we had the heaviness of Sabbath but with Beach Boys harmonies?” The band brought their various musical influences and ideas together under a psych-rock umbrella, expanding the possibilities of heavy music. Reflecting on the name of the band, Galkin acknowledges, “LAMMPING came from “Cold Lamping With Flavor” a Public Enemy song. I guess it was our way of saying hip hop is an influence on us. We added an extra “m” to give it an original touch.”