Gus Engelhorn Releasing New Album 'The Hornbook'

01-13-2025

(HER) If Gus Englehorn didn't exist, one of his songs would have to invent him. Two years after the release of his critically acclaimed album "Dungeon Master" -- cited by Under The Radar as "a fascinating dose of outsider indie rock, carried by Englehorn's yelping vocals, gleefully offbeat song writing, and darting melodies" -- former pro-snowboarder, reborn nomadic psych-pop prophet, Gus Engelhorn is thrilled to announce a brand-new album "The Hornbook," set for a January 31 release, available on CD and vinyl (Secret City Records).

Primarily written in Maui, recorded in Montreal with Grammy-winning co-producer Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire, Timber Timbre, Colin Stetson), and mixed by Paul Leary from the legendary noise-rock band Butthole Surfers, The Hornbook magically transmutes the entire history of 20th-century rock 'n' roll-'50s golden oldies, '60s garage spunk, '70s glam flamboyance, '80s indie transgression, '90s lo-fi weirdness-into an alien transmission from the future. The album also includes soundscaping from the Unicorns' drummer Jamie Thompson, as well as contributions from Englehorn's partner in music and life, Estee Preda.

"This one is pretty dada," Englehorn said of 'Metal Detector,' "but I imagine someone trying to play metal in their garage and one of their neighbors busting in the door and unplugging the amps. When I was writing these songs, it felt like I was making a children's book - every song was a little story," said Englehorn of the title concept. "But it also felt like a little bit of a cipher for our whole world."