Trance To The Sun exhibits a unique brand of dark psychedelic post-punk music, spiced with the lustre of dreampop & the atmophere of shoegaze. Signing with the seminal California label Tess Records in 1993, they released a series of 8 critically acclaimed albums until their '01 departure. College radio embraced key tracks like "August Rain", and "The Nun V.V." in their time, while listeners held on to TTTS much more indefinitely for the sake their longer works of music, which hold a sense of almost-prog-symphony amidst a heavy dose of the smoldering aesthetic that defined the most darkly resonant music to have proceeded from the 80's.
Retrospecive releases bubbled up during the zero years, and fans got a glimpse of TTTS live in '07, but now in 2014/2015, Trance To The Sun is back as a touring act, and they're sounding better than ever! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqSW212Mh8Q
Making their recorded debut on cassette in 1990, TTTS expanded their membership & oeuvre over the course of the next decade, assembling a dreamy treasure trove of 8 albums alongside a vertiable cornucopia of compilation one-offs. Along the way they captivated and mystified their following with a succession of three equally compelling female lead singers. The 1995 album 'Venomous Eve' established Trance To The Sun as a genre-challenging contender across a broad spectrum of US colege radio, charting as high as #1 on SF bay area stations like Sunnyvale's KFJC. Later, in 1998, Ashkelon Sain connected with the snake charmer vocal talent of Ingrid Luna Blue to write and record such cult favorites as "Thistle Lurid", "Execution Of The Stars", and "Homewrecker".
In 2002 Trance To The Sun went on ice while Sain relocated to Portland, Oregon. This led to him launching a new band (Submarine Fleet), falling in with TheXplodingBoys (Cure Tribute), and eventually recording two noteworthy albums with Soriah (released on Projekt Records). A brief Trance To The Sun reunion took place in '07 for the occasion of the 13th annual Convergence Music Festival. Come 2013, with TTTS's audience only expanding in their relative absence, and with the successfully released "b-sides" & "covers" collections 'The Blue Obscurities' / 'All The Covers' (both in 2011), the core band members felt the time had arrived to create some new material.
And so...
A very productive demoing session in the Summer of 2013 led to the enlistment of drummer Daniel P. Henderson (TheXplodingBoys, Soriah), and the initiation of what was to be a highly successful Kickstarter campaign. Backers of the project have since been privy to new demo collections, candid interviews, and the new EP 'Island 13'. https://trancetothesun.bandcamp.com/album/island-13-ep
Winter of 2014 finds the band immersed in recording (with a sprinkling of Northwest concert dates and clandestine video shoots), with Ingrid Luna Blue flying in to Portland from the band's old stomping grounds of Santa Barbara, CA (marrying between sessions one Terry Luna; imminent touring bassist for the group). In Portland, Trance To The Sun has retained the services of Magic Closet Recording Studios, with engineer Ian Watts overseeing the details of their instrumental tracking...
The much anticipated new release is scheduled for October of 2014.
Musicwerks Seattle & El Corazon present Aurelio Voltaire with Special guests Trance to the Sun, live in concert, Saturday January 11, 2014. Voltaire appears amid the spectacle of his new release "Raised By Bats"!!! Trance To The Sun returns to the live stage for the first time since 2007! Spider Ferns is an exciting add on; Jeff Ferrell plays too; not to be missed! 109 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle, Washington 98109. All Ages. Tix $15adv / $20door.
https://www.facebook.com/events/600514953319494
Hive Presents Trance to the Sun in their first Portland show since 2007 at Star Theater! Doors at 8. 21+. Suggested Donation $10. Featuring old and new material. Early show W/merch available.
After the band enjoy the one and only OWEN making his return to Hive! No (suggested) cover after the show, one of only two appearances with Owen! Don't miss it!
13 NW 6th Ave. Portland, OR 97209
https://www.facebook.com/events/182192571981088
Performing with Deadfly Ensemble & Mercury's Antennae. Details coming soon.