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May 07, 2021 By Caleb Campbell

It’s no easy feat releasing music in a pandemic. For most, the accomplishment of simply creating would be enough to warrant a long respite. Not so for Chicago post punk, no wave, and noise band Ganser. After releasing their sophomore LP Just Look at That Sky in 2020 the band has already returned this year, sharing a fresh EP of remixes entitled Look At The Sun.

Bonding over the creative stressors of quarantine, the band took to collaboration, drawing from across the spectrum of their connections. Andy Bell (GLOK and Ride), as well as Adam Faulkner (Girl Band), have previously shared stages with Ganser. Algiers would have toured with the band as well were it not for COVID. And finally, the band built new relationships online during lockdown with Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz and Sad13) and Bartees Strange. This diverse mix of talents came together on Look At The Sun, with each artist putting a unique spin on a song from Just Look at That Sky. The resulting remixes offer both imaginative interpretations of the source material and a powerful testament to building creative possibilities from tragic circumstances.

Alicia Gaines of Ganser explains, “I feel like there’s a group of us that released any kind of art project in 2020, we were all on Twitter wondering what the hell was going on, doomscrolling. We were all reacting to everything that was happening in real time, it felt like a surreal limbo. In a way, it was very vintage internet, commiserating with folks we’ve never met in person yet. The idea of getting back into the world, finally meeting Sadie and Bartees, it’s something to look forward to.”

In addition to the EP, the band also have announced a live residency at Chicago’s Empty Bottle, from July 8-10. Get tickets here and stream the full remix EP below.