Ruth Goller Announces Vinyl Reissue of Debut Solo Record ‘skylla’
TRACKLIST
Often they came to visit, even just to see how she was
In more turbulent times, she managed to take the perfect shot
What’s really important she wanted to know – part 1
What’s really important she wanted to know – part 2
When they came closer she realised they were alien creatures
The shine of gold was too strong
When she curled up they started dancing
He was painting her face with colours she had never seen
I is One
CREDITS
All music written and recorded by Ruth Goller.
Electric bass, double bass and vocals on all tracks by Ruth Goller.
Vocals on tracks 3,5,6 by Alice Grant
Vocals on tracks 4,6,7 by Lauren Kinsella
Produced and mixed by Kit Downes
Mastered by Tyler McDiarmid
Artwork by Paula Rae Gibson
Design by Pedro Velasco
Reissue design by Craig Hansen
This record is dedicated to my father Paul Goller.
Originally released by Vula Viel Records (VVLP004) July 9, 2021
Thank you: Kit Downes, Alice Grant and Lauren Kinsella, Bex Burch, Pedro Velasco, Paula Rae Gibson, Barbara Goller, Max de Wardener and Sebastian Rochford for his poem.
skylla [Reissue] is out December 6, preorder it here.
Today, Italian-born and London-based composer, bassist, and vocalist Ruth Goller announces the vinyl reissue of her debut solo record skylla, available on December 6 via International Anthem. This album of otherworldly detuned bass harmonics and dense vocal arrangements was initially released in 2021 by longtime collaborator Bex Burch’s Vula Viel Records, and quickly went out of print. Since then Goller’s notoriety has only grown, and her follow-up record, SKYLLUMINA, was released by International Anthem in early 2024 and met with high praise.
skylla is the genesis of her sound, and it’s a sound that is hard to place. Listener’s could be convinced that these recordings came out of contexts as disparate as 80s Downtown NYC or some mysterious Björk-adjacent project of the Icelandic 2010s. It’s hard to imagine a person making this music despite the fact that its elements are instantly recognizable.
Listen to skylla here and preorder the reissue here.
To celebrate the reissue of skylla, Ruth (amateur octopus enthusiast) worked alongside filmmaker Pedro Velasco (Freeze Productions) to create this otherworldly new music video for the album track “What’s really important she wanted to know, pt. 2” – which they filmed entirely underwater at a local public pool (apparently freaking out the life guard in the process).
Watch “What’s really important she wanted to know, pt. 2” here.
skylla comes on a deluxe 140 gram *Octopodic Iris* color vinyl LP, with an IARC dome patterned poly-lined inner-sleeve inside a heavyweight matte jacket. Pressed at Pallas in Germany with lacquers cut by Daniel K at SST.
Starting November 13th in London, Goller and her skylla ensemble (featuring vocalists Lauren Kinsella and Alice Grant, and percussionist Max Andrzejewski) kick off a short run of shows to close out 2024. See all of the tour dates here.
ABOUT RUTH GOLLER
Italian born, London based Ruth Goller is known for her bass and vocal work with Alabaster DePlume, whose music she elevates in live contexts with her genre-less improvisational intuition. She’s also known for work with Bex Burch’s Vula Viel, whose DIY label released Goller’s solo debut Skylla in 2021. And she is known to creative musicians far and wide, with an incredibly diverse CV that includes performance and recording with Shabaka Hutchings, Rokia Traore, Melt Yourself Down, Sam Amidon, Damon Albarn, and many more.
In March 2024, she released her International Anthem debut SKYLLUMINA. Expanding on the wholly original sound Goller established with her solo work on Skylla – i.e. compositions of detuned bass under a spectra of soprano voices she arranged and overdubbed herself – SKYLLUMINA complicates matters as every piece is augmented with a different drummer. “As a bass-player, I love playing with drummers and I decided to focus on my close connection to that instrument and to the amazing people I met in my life who play it,” says Goller. Her accompanists on the album include International Anthem labelmates Bex Burch, Tom Skinner, and Frank Rosaly, as well as prolific British player Sebastian Rochford and longtime Vula Viel collaborator Jim Hart. But more importantly: the music is an immersive hyperfocus for Goller and her patently distinct, singular compositional vision.
“…Goller and guests create a world that is childlike, beatific and slightly terrifying.” – The Guardian (Contemporary Album of the Month, March 2024)