[Photo Credit: Chris-Carlone]

Psychedelic doom duo INSECT ARK, featuring founder Dana Schechter (Swans) and Andy Patterson (ex-SubRosa), recently unveiled a compelling mini documentary celebrating the one-year anniversary of their stunning full-length, The Vanishing.

Elaborates Schechter, “I made this eight-minute DIY mini-doc film to mark the one-year birthdate of The Vanishing. This film briefly follows that story: Making the album, touring it, and all the steps in between…a lot of work. Blood and tears. Sleep was lost. Hands got dirty. After just a few days on the road, COVID came knocking and the whole thing fell to pieces. At the time, along with the rest of the world, we couldn’t know how significantly changed our lives were about to become. It’s been intense to recount those days and weeks. The past year, time has become very abstract. Sometimes it flies by; other times like it’s made of glue.

“At its heart,” she continues, “The Vanishing is about impermanence. It is a deeply personal album in ways I can’t — and so, don’t try to — describe with words. I decided to make this short film to recount a story that is deeply rooted in the primal need to make art, and to communicate through it – no matter the personal cost or difficulty involved. I am not normally a filmmaker, but it somehow has brought me some peace to tell the story. We hope it brings you a bit of light, just as many of us are remembering March 2020, with bewilderment, as we transitioned to our new world order…exactly one year ago.”

View the making of The Vanishing at THIS LOCATION

In related news, Schechter was recently included in a special YouTube series celebrating International Women’s Day. The project aims to inspire by discussing issues, sharing advice, and celebrating experiences. View Schechter’s interview at THIS LOCATION

Engineered by Colin Marston (Dysrhythmia, Krallice, Behold The Arctopus), The Vanishing serves as INSECT ARK’s third and most harrowing record to date. The interplay between the bass, lap steel guitar, synths, and drums represent a strong and defiant collection of songs that demand your exclusive attention forcefully. It’s heavier, darker, and denser than anything INSECT ARK has ever done, without losing any of the writing characteristics that have become synonymous with their personality like the persistent coating of eerie psychedelia, the alien feel of their melodies, or the ominous dread they often innately exhale.

The Vanishing is available worldwide on CD, LP, and digital formats via Profound Lore. Find physical orders HERE

INSECT ARK Online:
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