Levitation’s unreleased second album Meanwhile Gardens is set to be released on October 23rd, through the Flashback label.
Meanwhile Gardens recorded in 1992/3 could have changed the course of guitar music had it been released at the time. The album has been completely remastered with new artwork and with full co-operation of the band.
For track-listings and further band history, please go to www.flashback.co.uk/label.
1993.
Fans of British guitar music were wondering what was coming next. Shoe-gazing had run out of steam, Madchester was over, and nothing had sprung up in their place. The scene was dominated by imported grunge music from America with Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading the way. The three biggest British guitar bands of the mid-nineties – Radiohead, Oasis and Blur – had yet to release their iconic albums which would shape the course of the UK scene for the rest of the decade.
Levitation recorded their second album, Meanwhile Gardens, in early 1993, and were set to release this ambitious and innovative work when the band split later that year. The recordings were shelved indefinitely. Had this album been released as planned, it would have had a major impact on UK guitar music, of equal importance as the breakthrough albums by the three bands mentioned above and pre-dating them by at least a year. Unfortunately, no one apart from a few dedicated fans trading low quality bootlegs were able even to hear it, and the moment was lost.
2015.
Flashback Records release Meanwhile Gardens for the first time in the original planned format. The album has been painstakingly remastered at high resolution from the original tapes and sounds as fresh and new now as it did in 1993. New artwork has been commissioned from original sleeve designer Cally at antar.
Eleven tracks have been selected by the band as the definitive version of Meanwhile Gardens, to be released on Friday 23rd October as a gatefold double LP and single CD. Three tracks recorded at the same time but not included on the album were released as a limited edition vinyl only EP on Record Store Day, April 18th 2015.
Levitation:
Terry Bickers – Voice and Guitar
David Francolini – Drums
Christian Hayes – Guitar and Voice
Laurence O’Keefe – Bass and Voice
Robert White – Keyboards, Guitar and Voice
Meanwhile Gardens DLP and CD
Gatefold Double LP with CD – Limited edition of 500
Single CD in Triple Gatefold Card Sleeve
Cat No FB009 / FB009CD
Release Date: 23rd October 2015
Distributed by F Minor
Never Odd or Even EP
VINYL ONLY THREE TRACK EP:
Limited Edition of 500 with free digital download available two weeks after release.
Standard Single LP Sleeve.
Cat No: FB006
Released 18th April 2015 – Record Store Day
Distributed by F Minor