THALASSA
“Bonds of Prosperity”

Thalassa is the avant-drone project for Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis, Mamiffer, House Of Low Culture, etc.) and William Fowler Collins. In his many guises, Turner articulates a chimerical aesthetic that intrepidly explores beyond the scope of sludge, hardcore and post-rock. In Collins’ blackened earth drones, he steadfastly engages in the elemental exploration of the New Mexican landscape that often inspire comparisons to the potency of black metal without the need for a single blast beat. It makes a hell of a lot of sense these two would eventually cross paths and collaborate.
The project name Thalassa harkens to ancient Greek mythology of a primordial sea-goddess, later reprised in the early 20th century through an obscure psychoanalytic treatise by Sándor Ferenczi who posited ideas of human sexuality in symbolic return to the sea. For Turner, the project’s name was sparked by a blood disorder called Thalassemia, whose root name is that very same Greek goddess. The ocean, blood, rain, sand, the desert, heat, fog — all of these elemental / environmental forces are at play in the heavily sedimental drones and crumbled noise from Turner and Collins on their debut release, Bonds of Prosperity.
Pressurized torrents of sound build incrementally through layers upon layers of
aggregated grit, soot and flotsam. Given the ecological and mythic references, these tracks suitably take the long-view through a uniquely muscular approach to American minimalism. Thalassa finds itself in very good company with Maeror Tri, Deathprod, Sunn O))) and Lustmord.
2XLP edition of 300 copies, housed in a custom printed 2LP sleeve, pressed on black vinyl only.