Airiel – Winks & Kisses [20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] (2023)
Review:
First released as 4 EPs from 2003-2004, the new 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Winks & Kisses includes all the original tracks with 13 demos, plus 11 unreleased demos of songs recorded around the same time as the original EPs. — bandcamp
***
Active since the late ’90s, Airiel’s ambitious brand of spacy, wistful dream pop has earned a small but dedicated following. The Chicago-based group’s lush washes of effects-heavy guitars and yearning vocals bring to mind U.K. shoegaze acts like Kitchens of Distinction and Ride as well as American indie songwriters like Bob Mould. Guitarist/vocalist Jeremy Wrenn, formerly of shoegaze band Black Olive, founded Airiel Project One in Bloomington, Indiana in 1997. Following a 1998 split EP with the Sunflower Conspiracy, Wrenn shortened the band’s name to just Airiel, and British label Roisin Recordings released their debut 7″ single, “Shirley Temple Tidal Wave.” Eventually relocating to Chicago, the group sporadically appeared on compilations and gave away a limited CD-R EP titled Christmas Colors in 2002, but no proper Airiel releases surfaced until 2003, when they initiated a series of Winks & Kisses EPs, each of which included one epic approaching (or exceeding) the ten-minute mark. After being individually released by Clairecords between July 2003 and June 2004, all four were issued as a limited CD box set at the end of the year. A self-titled EP was issued by Sonicbaby Records in 2005, and Airiel toured across the East Coast of America. Their debut album, The Battle of Sealand, appeared on Highwheel Records in 2007. Recorded by the lineup of Wrenn, guitarist Chris DeBrizzio, bassist/vocalist Cory Osborne, and drummer John Rungger, the album featured a collaboration with electro-shoegaze producer Ulrich Schnauss, who programmed skittery beats on the song “Sugar Crystals.” Airiel toured Europe with Schnauss in 2008, although Osborne and Rungger had left the band by this point. Airiel resurfaced on Shelflife Records in 2012 with the Kid Games EP, recorded by Wrenn along with Andrew Marrah and Chase Johnson, and sporting a more synth-heavy sound than the band’s prior work. In 2015, Winks & Kisses was released as a triple LP, including three new bonus remixes. The 2016 single “Cloudburst” preceded Airiel’s second proper full-length, Molten Young Lovers, which arrived in 2017. For this album, the group’s lineup consisted of Wrenn, Marrah, bassist Matt Blanton, and drummer Spencer Kiss. by Paul Simpson / musicgateway.com
Track List:
Disc 1:
01 - Liquid Paper
02 - Kiss Me Slowly
03 - Rainflower
04 - Halo
05 - Liquid Paper (2000 Demo Version)
06 - Kiss Me Slowly (2000 Demo Version)
07 - Rainflower (2000 Demo Version)
08 - Halo (2000 Demo Version)
09 - Cobalt (1998 Unreleased Demo)
10 - Pineapple (1998 Unreleased Demo)
Disc 2:
01 - Stratosphere
02 - Ri
03 - This Is Why I Can't Sleep
04 - 500 Deep
05 - Ri (1998 Demo Version)
06 - This Is Why I Can't Sleep (2000 Demo Version)
07 - October's Theme (2001 Demo Version)
08 - Ping (1999 Unreleased Demo)
09 - Crash Override (1998 Unreleased Demo)
10 - Stationary Lights (1997 Unreleased Demo)
Disc 3:
01 - Jeanette
02 - Sharron Apple
03 - Firefly
04 - In Your Room
05 - Jeanette (1998 Demo Version)
06 - Firefly (2001 Demo Version)
07 - In Your Room (1998 Demo Version)
08 - Prophet 5 (1998 Unreleased Demo)
09 - Iodine (1999 Unreleased Demo)
10 - Ventilator (1998 Unreleased Demo)
Disc 4:
01 - Airtight Angels
02 - Swimming Through Us
03 - Where It Belongs
04 - Shirley Temple Tidal Wave
05 - Airtight Angels (2001 Demo Version)
06 - Swimming Through Us (2001 Demo Version)
07 - Shirley Temple Tidal Wave (1997 Demo Version)
08 - The Couch (1998 Unreleased Demo)
09 - Rose Cardigan Cloud (1997 Unreleased Demo)
10 - Wasteland Cupid (1997 Unreleased Demo)
Media Report:
Genre: dream-pop, shoegaze
Country: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)
Note: If you like the music, support the artist.