From subtle beauty to explosive bombast, The Alaska explores a vast sonic spectrum with a precision and intention that is rarely found in modern rock music. The result is their forthcoming debut EP, Above and Below, on which dynamic guitar textures mix with ever shifting rhythms to create an aural assault that is soothing and abrasive in equal measure. A journey, from one extreme to the other, Above and Below, never forgets the beauty that lies in between.
Formed in late 2008 by Sunny Banipal (guitar/vocals), Kevin Giesbrecht (guitar) and Mike Potusek (bass), The Alaska spent the next year and a half crafting songs and developing their sound before making their live debut in the summer of 2010. After several changes behind the drum kit, the bands lineup was solidified in the winter of 2012 with the addition of Adrian Peters. The Alaska is truly the combined vision of four different individuals that bring together a diverse set of influences to contribute to the unique identity that The Alaska has created for itself on stage and on record.
Not afraid to embrace their natural curiosity and desire to explore new musical depths, The Alaska, as evidenced by ‘Nightmute’, the epic eight and half minute first single from Above and Below, eschews song writing conventions, hitting listeners with both bursts of unexpected energy and shimmering atmospherics. Drawing on a wide range of collective and individual influences, including Tool, Oceansize, Thrice, David Bazan, Sigur Ros, O’Brother, Mars Volta and Explosions in the Sky, The Alaska has worked to create a sound all their own. A sound that keeps both the band and its audience constantly on its toes with expansive soundscapes, thunderous riffs and drop of the hat shifts in rhythm and dynamics.
Crafted by The Alaska in their rehearsal space in Abbotsford, BC, Above and Below was co-produced, engineered and mixed by Johnny Velasquez at The Candy Shop Studios in Langley, BC and mastered by Nick Moon (Everclear, George Clinton) at Tone Proper Mastering in Portland, OR. The Above and Below EP wonderfully captures all that The Alaska embodies; sounding in turn both lush and gorgeous, and distorted and mean.
Band Members
Sunny Banipal - guitar/vocals
Kevin Giesbrecht - guitar
Adrian Peters - drums
Mike Potusek - bass
