Cottonwoodhill Music präsentiert: a/lpaca (I)
“Laughter” is the second album by a/lpaca, set for release on May 16, 2025, via Dischi Sotterranei (Italy), Sulatron (Germany) and Sour Grapes (UK).
Following their striking debut, “Make It Better”, and the hundreds of shows that followed, a/lpaca (post- punk/kraut | Mantua) are releasing their second album, Laughter, via Dischi Sotterranei (Italy), Sulatron (Germany), and Sour Grapes (UK).
In these four years spent electrifying venues and festivals across Europe, the UK, and the US (notably including their participation at SXSW in Austin, Texas), a/lpaca have continued writing music, evolving their sound – moving away from “psych” to incorporate more electronic elements – while staying true to their kraut origins and their “sonic” spirit, two of the traits that define them. The themes have also evolved: “The concept of the album,” they say, “is probably a continuation of *Make It Better*. The difference is that the temporary remedy for life, the thing that saves for a while, is no longer music, the club, the concert, and an artistic world to discover and live in, but only the presence of friends, the blurring effect of drinks, and the ‘laughter’ that pushes away responsibility and the everyday grind.”
The process of selecting songs for the album was long and winding: several tracks were recorded at Happenstance Recording Studio by Marco Degli Esposti (who had also mixed Make It Better) during the summer and fall of 2023, while others were recorded earlier, in Andrea Verrastro’s home studio in 2021 and 2022. “The repertoire was mainly born in the rehearsal room,” they say, “both through improvisation and ideas brought from home. It was, however, completed in the recording studio, where we finished and rearranged several tracks. We recorded 15/16, but in the end, we selected 11 for the album. One of these (‘laughter, us us’, which was recorded shortly after the Make It Better sessions) was recorded months after the initial sessions because we realized that one of the tracks we had recorded, which was meant to be part of the tracklist, wasn’t quite ready and ‘right’ for the album.”
Compared to their debut, a/lpaca have grown both artistically and personally. They’ve had new experiences and met people who have influenced their way of thinking and writing music. “We’ve listened to a lot of experimental and electronic music, and met many people from this ‘underground’ world. Of course, we also continued listening to a lot of punk and other genres closer to our style. We also organized concerts for two years at Arci Tom, and that experience was undoubtedly important for our approach to the new tracks. The fact that it took us so long to make this second album is due to the fact that the process, with its ups and downs, with songs we were initially excited about and others we no longer care for, was quite natural. We wanted to offer something more diverse while still staying true to our compositional style, which relies heavily on melody, riffs, and repetition.”
This diversity is reflected in a more stylistically varied repertoire, marked by new elements such as the use of drum machines and a reduced focus on guitars, in favor of bass sounds. The lyrics have also evolved, partly thanks to the “external” contribution of Nicolas Pedrazzoli and Laura Bindelli. “We believe that this album reveals various sides of our personalities. We’re not just referring to the innate passion for joking about whatever situation life throws at us, or to a certain discomfort with life itself, but also to something a bit deeper. There are tracks full of noise (Evil Pawn, Balance) and seemingly disconnected sounds (the ending of Brano Fantuzzi) that show a search, or rather an experimentation, necessary for feeling good. Furthermore, Kyrie, with its title, leads us to a more spiritual aspect. Even the last two tracks on the album take a different turn, with seemingly sweeter tones. Laughter is something we confront with, understand, and accept all the sides of ourselves that both distinguish and unite us.”
Laughter us, us will be available on all major streaming platforms, as well as on vinyl and cassette.
https://www.sferacubica.com/pressroom/alpaca-laughter-eng/