Celestial Archive, by Jay Tholen

Celestial Archive

by Jay Tholen

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Asher Such a beautiful combo of interesting synthesisers and poignant lyrics. Favorite track: Even Though.

Harrison Lemke rolling up to heaven's gates in a windows 3.1 screensaver Favorite track: Celestial Archive of Ornately Authored Plans.

Jamison Barsotti CELESTIAL ARCHIVE feels like a counterpoint to Mount Eerie's A CROW LOOKED AT ME. Both albums are about the artist struggling to translate an intimate relationship (in both cases a marriage) into their art. Both are dreamlike but CELESTIAL ARCHIVE is a celebration of a new marriage, filled with all the strangeness we've come to expect from Tholen, and ACLAM is a dirge about the loss of one. From an outsiders perspective, these two albums complement each other in a profound way. Favorite track: Onus Productivity Suite.

systemmetternich Contemporary Christian music can often be self-aggrandasing or repetetive and bland. So it's great that "Celestal Archive" is none of these things, but instead creative, inventive, brillant and often plain fun - not to forget carried by a deep and profound love for God's radical goodness. And even if you aren't religious, then this album is definitely deserving of a listen or three just for its musical brillance. Give it a go!

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Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

comes with a few lovely wallpapers!

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Full Digital Discography

22

releases

Get all 22 Jay Tholen releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Hypnospace Outlaw OST Vol. 3, Image of God, Hypnospace Outlaw OST Vol. 2, Hypnospace Outlaw OST Vol. 1, Celestial Archive, Dropsy: Eternal Hug EP, Atomic Santa: Christmas Omega OST, Why, Shadow? Why?!?!, and 14 more. , and , .

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1.	Basic Human Rites 03:01	buy track
2.	The Second Greatest Meal 01:17	buy track
3.	New Digital Sax 00:54	buy track
4.	Sea Prophet Sees 03:40	buy track
5.	Celestial Archive of Ornately Authored Plans 05:38	buy track
6.	Even Though 03:48	buy track
7.	You Are Someone Special 02:52	buy track
8.	He Wrote It all Down 03:58	buy track
9.	Sea Prophet Rests 02:24	buy track
10.	Do I Deserve This? 00:43	buy track
11.	Bridesong (free) 03:45	download
12.	Onus Productivity Suite 02:40	buy track

about

The CELESTIAL ARCHIVE MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE is not to be missed. Stream Celestial Archive, play with fun interactive doodads, and learn interesting facts: jaytholen.net/celestialarchive/

Download includes 7 fancy wallpapers.

I very awkwardly hired two copywriters to do blurbs. Here are both in no particular order because they're both excellent:
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Celestial Archive is an exultant gospel-adventure through mundane, everyday moments -- a beach, a breakfast table, a coloring book, an insecurity -- that charts an unhurried, drifting course from song to song, scene to scene, and riff to riff.

Musically, Celestial Archive evokes vastly disparate sounds: from the wailing, choral psychedelics of the Flaming Lips to the gentle and fervent lyrical energy of Sufjan Stevens. Cheerful, synthy organs and sax blend seamlessly with gritty, reverb-heavy guitar and vocals. The end result culminates in a sound that touches genres from chiptune to prog, and makes for an affair that carefully straddles the line between ‘fun, easy listening’ and ‘thoughtful aural experience’.

Tholen’s 30th release, Celestial Archive has all the crusty, vaporwavey, art-rock goodness that fans have adored over the years, while simultaneously presenting a polished and diverse phonic thesis. While songs like “The Second Greatest Meal” and “Onus Productivity Suite” may seem out of place at first, this album is a love letter, and with trust, it guides the listener expertly. From the majestic highs of “Celestial Archive of Ornately Authored Plans” and the cover of Soul-Junk’s “Bridesong” from his album 1954, to the struggles and anxieties that arise across songs like “Even Though” and “Do I Deserve This?” the album explores what it means to love and be loved; as well as, how unexpected, random, and challenging the experience of love can be.

-- Leona J. Dougherty

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Swells of sound carry forth joyous synths, instrumentals collaged and created, honest words and gleeful melody; each track on ‘Celestial Archive’ is a collection of effervescent notes woven together to form a golden tapestry of hopefulness. Like waking to a spring morning for the first time after a winter that seemed to promise to never end. A frost, long frozen, finally has begun to thaw, blades of pale grass and brave violet blossoms stretch skywards, dare to reach up towards the sun, feel its rays warm them, stand tall and are freed all at once of the last casts of ice clinging above their roots. Rich earth, warming and again welcoming to the life it holds within it, parting with a soft sigh so that saplings can begin their journey to embrace the sky.

The landscape shifting, from blanketed shades of white and grey reaching past the horizon, to technicolor flashes of light and feeling, vivid tones shimmering and bold, sure of themselves at last, claiming victory for the season. Permafrost that threatened to hold fast, gnashed its icy teeth, now already being forgotten, air warm and glowing golden like sweet honey, poppies bloom and sway together rapturously in soft breezes. The season has exhaled and it smiles; pure joy, all love, let loose the hold of winters passed, look forward to leaves embraced in morning sun. Swells of sound again carry forth their golden tapestry and with them, bring this new season.

- Mia Antoinette

credits

released September 12, 2017

jay tholen - everything except:
jason sullivan - bass guitar on 5
james knoerl - drums on 5, 7 & 8
track 11 originally by Soul-Junk from the album 1954