krano

lost solo LP by Vermillion Sands guitarist Krano getting release (stream "Mi E Ti")

Some of you may remember Italian band Vermillion Sands who had records out on Sacred Bones, Trouble in Mind, and Fat Possum, five or six years ago. The band’s guitarist, Krano, made a solo album in 2012 by taking a an 8-track machine up into the hills of Valdobbiadene. It never got released, and Krano all but disappeared. A tape of the record, titled Requiescat In Plavem, eventually fell into the hands of Jonathan Clancy of His Clancyness, who runs Maple Death Records and the label is going to finally release the album on April 8. He picks up the story:

When I received this record I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It came with no notes, just a letter in broken English. For days I made up lyrics to it trying to crack and uncover the language, dreaming of some Latin American retreat. Little did I know I was actually taking a stroll up the Piave river, plunging through pre-war cascades, seeing feverish trees set mountains in motion and a Veneto valley full of psychedelic beauty naked in front of my eyes. If only this river could talk I’m sure the stories from the 1918 battles would ring bloody loud and clear. 2012: Birds watched as Krano recorded R.I.P up in the hills behind Valdobbiadene, armed with a trusty 8-track tape machine. Then he disappeared into silence. As always it took a faithful caring friend to deliver the goods. Four years later here we are, music on wax, a man that deserves to be heard and a river that is still flowing.

The album, which is sung in the Veneto dialect (the region around Venice), tells stories about the Plavem, the Piave river that flows from the Alps to the Adriatic sea, which was the site of bloody fighting during WWI. Musically, it’s just as out-of-time, mixing folk, psychedelia, countrified garage, all with a dusty, bare-bones production. The lonesome, harmonica-driven “Mi E Ti,” opens the album and makes its premiere in this post:


The album’s liner notes were written by Sic Alps/Peacers frontman Mike Donovan and pre-orders are available now. This has pulled Krano out of hibernation too, and he and his new band are starting to play shows. Stay tuned for more info on that but, meanwhile, check out album art, tracklist and a teaser video, below…

Krano LP


Krano – Requiescat In Plavem tracklist

Mi E Ti
Tosca
Busiero
Vergine De Luce
Romit
Amighi
Schei
Va Pian