Angel Guts: Red Classroom (album)

Angel Guts: Red Classroom is the ninth studio album by Xiu Xiu, released on February 4, 2014. It was released in the US via Polyvinyl Records and in the UK via Bella Union. The album was recorded in the Los Angeles home studio of frontman Jamie Stewart, and in the Dallas, Texas studio of producer John Congleton.

Angel Guts: Red Classroom
Studio album by
Xiu Xiu
ReleasedFebruary 4, 2014 (2014-02-04)
GenreArt rock
Length41:34
LabelPolyvinyl (US)
Bella Union (EU)
ProducerJohn Congleton
Xiu Xiu chronology
Nina
(2013)		 Angel Guts: Red Classroom
(2014)		 Unclouded Sky
(2014)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
The 4057.5/10[2]
AllMusic[3]
Consequence of SoundD-[4]
Drowned in Sound8/10[5]
MusicOMH[6]
NME7/10[7]
Pitchfork6.6/10[8]
PopMatters[9]
This Is Fake DIY[10]
Tiny Mix Tapes[11]

Lyrical themes

Angel Guts is Xiu Xiu's follow-up studio album to its 2012 Always.[12] The title of the album is based on the 1979 Japanese erotic film Angel Guts: Red Classroom.[12] Its themes include "racialized sex, double suicides, double penetration, criminality, [and] fear of physical harm".[12] Tiny Mix Tapes described the album preview as "the most Xiu Xiu album ever released", darker than its preceding albums, and "the sound of Xiu Xiu's death".[13] Record label Bella Union compared the album's tone to that of Suicide, Einstürzende Neubauten, and Scott Walker.[14]

Recording

The album was recorded at Nurse, the home studio of Jamie Stewart, and the Elmwood studio of producer John Congleton in Dallas, Texas.[14] The instruments on the album are limited to analog drum machines, analog synthesizers, and a drum set.[14]

Stewart's songwriting was influenced by his move from North Carolina to a crime-ridden area of Los Angeles, as well as the aforementioned erotic film.[13] Stewart's home was near "a park divided among four gangs, a lake routinely dragged for bodies, [and] a building wherein two infant skeletons were recently uncovered".[14]

The album's first single, "Stupid in the Dark", was released via Pitchfork[14] on SoundCloud on November 20, 2013.[13] The album was released on February 4, 2014[12] in the US via Polyvinyl Records and in the UK via Bella Union[12] on CD, clear vinyl, limited-edition red vinyl, and as a digital download.[13]

Music videos were made for "Stupid in the Dark," "Botanica de los Angeles," "Lawrence Liquors," "Bitter Melon," "El Naco," and "Black Dick." The latter two were premiered on non-music websites rather than YouTube ("El Naco" on a horror site and "Black Dick" on a porn site).

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Angel Guts:"3:28
2."Archie's Fades"3:28
3."Stupid in the Dark"2:50
4."Lawrence Liquors"2:59
5."Black Dick"3:43
6."New Life Immigration"2:47
7."El Naco"3:13
8."Adult Friends"2:23
9."The Silver Platter"3:39
10."Bitter Melon"2:55
11."A Knife in the Sun"2:55
12."Cinthya's Unisex"4:22
13."Botanica de Los Angeles"3:05
14.":Red Classroom"2:27
gollark: I can use a face editor.
gollark: Oh, I might have just been discussing it with Heav.
gollark: This idea was promulgated by GTech™ several time units ago, actually.
gollark: This is illegal. You have PREEMPTED your reminder.
gollark: We should never have given it AGI.

References
  1. "Angel Guts: Red Classroom Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  2. Whitfield, Robert (February 14, 2014). "Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts". Thefourohfive.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  3. allmusic
  4. Geffen, Sasha (February 6, 2014). "Album Review". Consequenceofsound.net. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  5. Zevolli, Giuseppe (February 3, 2014). "Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts". Drownedinsound.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  6. Horton, Ross (February 3, 2014). "Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts". MusicOMH.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  7. Gardner, Noel (January 30, 2014). "Album Review". Nme.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  8. Cohen, Ian (February 5, 2014). "Album Review". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  9. Catchpole, Kevin (February 6, 2014). "Album Review". Popmatters.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  10. Lee, Tim. "Album Review". Thisisfakediy.co.uk. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  11. Chandler, Simon. "Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts". tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  12. Minsker, Evan (November 20, 2013). "Xiu Xiu Announce New Album Angel Guts: Red Classroom, Share 'Stupid in the Dark'". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  13. Nagurney, E. (November 20, 2013). "Xiu Xiu announce new album Angel Guts: Red Classroom, ensure delivery of Xiu Xiu-iest album ever". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  14. "Xiu Xiu return with 'Angel Guts: Red Classroom'". Bella Union. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
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