Gnod | White Hills - Drop Out III

Manchester’s Gnod and New York’s White Hills stand as titans of Psychedelic & Space Rock. Together they bend the very notions of what rock can do, seemingly suspending our sense of time. Their alchemical chemistry and a fateful session at the Dropout Studio in Camberwell gave rise to the legendary, ongoing series of records under the moniker Drop Out. The records became an influential and sprawling series of extended pieces that remain touchstones of contemporary psychedelia. Having been called “absolutely essential,” “best I have heard – ever,” “A masterpiece,” the Drop Out series finally gets its definitive edition.

Drop Out III is a wholly new iteration of Gnod & White Hills’ collaboration, the “director’s cut,” if you will. Drop Out III is replete with sounds recorded in the “Drop Out era” that have never been heard before. The double LP features a cornucopia of expanded versions of essential songs complete with new arrangements, mixes, and instrumentation. Classics like “Run-A-Round” and the eponymous “Drop Out” maintain their motorik drive and fizzing melodies with a new shine. The set also features a full LP of pieces never before included on vinyl, including the beautifully serene “Air Streams” in its original droning arc. The album comes with a download of a full album’s worth of bonus material, all crafted around the Drop Out era. White Hills’ “Decorating Time” showcases the depth of the band’s subtlety, rich with minute turns and a twist of psychedelic ambience. “Nothing NEU! Under the Sky” captures the invigorating pulse and dynamics of Gnod’s live performances. Together, this expansive body of work epitomizes the sense of possibility each band exudes, and the potency of their expertly crafted brand of Transatlantic psychedelia.

15 years after the series began, Drop Out III is an essential album for lovers of contemporary psychedelic rock, a testament to the power of this collaboration.