From the instrumental cinematic-soul outfit behind 2021's critically acclaimed The Black Stone Affair comes Whatitdo Archive Group's most recent foray into the realms of the esoteric and arcane, and their most adventurous album to date: Palace Of A Thousand Sounds, available May 5th, 2023 on Record Kicks on limited edition LP, CD and digital platforms.
After The Black Stone Affair enthralled record collectors by traversing the cinematic landscape of an imagined 1970s Spaghetti Western, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds Whatitdo Archive Group entrenched deeper in the worlds of mid-century exotica and library music—from the Tropicalia-steeped Amazon to the minor key tonalities of the far-out Near East.
When the dust finally settled from their debut album, composer and tireless sound scientist Alexander Korostinsky set out to discover the band's new direction, with the ultimate goal to breathe new life into the mid-century era sound with the compass of modernity as his guide.
From its conception in 2021, Palace has sought to carry on a legacy set in motion by the likes of Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Juan García Esquivel. Korostinsky, guitarist Mark Sexton, and drummer Aaron Chiazza recorded the album in marathon sessions from Korostinsky’s Studio “A,” in Reno, Nevada—a mysterious sonic laboratory where the year 1970 has yet to happen, and vintage analog equipment interfaces with modern musical perspectives and experimental recording techniques to produce era-defining sounds.
Not content to appeal to the sensibilities of armchair anthropologists, Palace Of A Thousand Sounds finds the band interrogating the genre itself while making studious tributes to the real places and times it draws from. It’s in this tension between here and there, fantasy and reality, that Whatitdo Archive Group find their groove.
Drawing from a century of pop and folk sounds from around the world the way only 21st-century crate-diggers can, Palace is rooted in an undercurrent of heavy funk that is decidedly here and now. Whatitdo Archive Group showcase the breadth of their influences with disarming confidence, equally at home behind sweeping harp, loungey vibraphone or Turkish bağlama saz. This instrumental mélange entices listeners to imagine a borderless planet, unified by melody and rhythm.
The album is unafraid to explore the strange and uncomfortable in pursuit of an authentic musical identity, subverting expectations in pursuit of forwarding the genre while paying homage to its past. Fans will appreciate the architectural complexity of the record accessible only through multiple listens—each visit to the palace yielding new details to marvel at, curiosities to ponder, grand mysteries to explore.
Once the needle drops, W.A.G carefully guides you from room to room, sound to sound within the walls of the album’s sonic palace. Listening becomes an aural journey providing glimpses into different worlds both real and imagined; you are everywhere and nowhere all at once—a guest in the grand halls and hanging gardens of time and sound.
Enter The Palace
Beyond The Crimson Veil
Astral-Desia
Delirium
Exotique
Sun Harp
The Cashmere Chamber
Iron Tusk
Secrets In The Sand
Mirage
Ritual Of Gods
The Second Moon
Forbidden Cove
Important information when ordering with Fatbeats.com
Order Processing Time
Online orders are processed within *3-4 business days or *7-9 business days depending on availability.
Order processing time is separate from shipping time requested.
Pre-Orders
We try and offer as many upcoming projects available for pre-order when the releases have moved into production. However, due to the nature of manufacturing and production, pre-order dates may change.
If your order contains pre-order items with a release date further than 30 days from the date of purchase, we will split all in-stock items from your order and ship them immediately. Please specify in the comments section of the checkout if you would like to hold your order until it can be entirely fulfilled.
Out of Stock Items
Our stock rapidly changes and we try and set in place a system that avoids purchasing items that become out of stock. However, if a product ordered is out of stock or on back-order, we will reach out and give you the chance to change or cancel your order. If you choose to cancel, you will be refunded in full.
Digital Items
If your order contains digital items you will receive a digital download link after checkout and it will also be sent to the email provided at checkout.
Return Policy
All sales are final. However, if the item ordered is different from the item you receive, please contact us and we can arrange to get you the desired product.
