Album Notes

GLAD You Were Born, the debut album by Heliconia, is available now on Isolation Recordings (Isolate 07).

Heliconia, whose guitar-driven sound has been described as neo-shoegazer, have gigged extensively with German electronic artist Ulrich Schnauss and previously recorded for Isolation and AC30.

Glad You Were Born, which includes work done with producer Pat Collier (Primal Scream, House of Love), captures the band's distinctive combination of laidback stoner grooves alternating with sheets of guitar and distortion.

Whether it’s the plaintive but powerful Bliss – a wall of noise rising from stuttering drums and resigned vocals; the delicately haunting Girl I Need You – music for walking along rainy 4am streets; the bass-sculpted Loose Ends – all jittery guitars, angst and adrenalin; or Deep In Winter – hushed boy/girl vocals reciting some private mantra over flowing guitar lines.

The three-piece have gigged extensively in London and Brighton over the past couple of years, honing their powerful live sound.

A review of a pre-release copy of Glad You Were Born on webzine shotgunreviews.com commented on Heliconia’s “dynamic mix of neo and classic shoegaze”, concluding that the album “should bring the band some of the attention and respect they so richly deserve”.

The band’s corrosive take on Ride classic Drive Blind for the AC30 compilation Never Lose That Feeling was described by starvox.net as “adding a dreamier/druggier edge to the original".

Heliconia’s debut EP on Isolation was described by Organart as “beautiful, stunning, the kind of musical treat that just stops you in your tracks and takes your breath away; a classic in the Chapterhouse/Slowdive mould".