Using only a scavenged MIDI keyboard and sounds plundered from a wide swath of archaic media (90’s sampler CDs, 80s VHS docs, 70s student films) musician Jonathan Orr creates startlingly accomplished slabs of thick, lo-fi electro that shimmer and pounce like nothing else on the Vancouver scene. As on his previous release (2023's 'Bulk Order') the spiritual template here is the early unreleased tapes of Scotland’s Boards of Canada, particularly the twin holy grails of 'A Few Old Tunes Vol 1 & II', but this time around things feel noticeably weirder and more destabilized, as if that template were cracking apart under the weight of older, less definable influences. The title of the album is taken from the Gospel According to Thomas: “Give not that which is holy to dogs, in case they throw it onto the dunghill.” Reading the text on the verge of sleep, Orr had mistakenly understood it as pertaining not to ‘holy things,' but instead to things which were specifically ‘holy to dogs.’ What would such things be? Orr pictured a shrine of objects not valued by the world; garbage, refuse, decay, the discarded. Things forgotten or only half-remembered, like the rusted bones of ancient cities or the clips of dead media entombed on his hard drive. 'Holy to Dogs' charts a weaving course through this narcoleptic vision, from the bright epiphany of ‘Petroglyph Park’ to the blackened repetition of ‘Roman Concrete’, the eerie momentum of ‘Split Foot,’ and the rhythmic hypnosis of ‘Far Speak’; each track building on the last in a series of audio snapshots of lost worlds, forgotten rituals, and discarded histories. An absolutely essential release from one of Vancouver’s brightest (and darkest) lights.
Release date:
December 6, 2024
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Cartridges - Top Picks
A selection of turnatble cartridges that provide great performance and sound quality
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Knosis Genknosis (Translucent Crystal)
Sharptone Records
August 1, 2025 -
Honeymoon Suite Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down
Frontiers New Recordings Physical Only
July 25, 2025 -
Black Keys No Rain, No Flowers (Amazon Exclusive; Emerald Green)
Warner Records
August 8, 2025 -
Guedra Guedra MUTANT
Smugglers Way
August 29, 2025 -
Tom Odell A Wonderful Life
Urok
September 5, 2025 -
Helloween Giants & Monsters [2xLP]
Reigning Phoenix Music America, LLC
August 29, 2025 -
Vindicator Communal Decay
Nltm Records
July 11, 2025 -
Hayes Carll We're Only Human
Hwy 87 Records
August 8, 2025 -
Grant-Lee Phillips In the Hour of Dust (Signed; Clear Golden Smoke)
Yep Roc Records
September 5, 2025 -
Auri III (Candles & Beginnings Gold Incl. 16-Page Booklet) [2xLP]
Nuclear Blast
August 15, 2025 -
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard King Gizzard (Live In Las Vegas '24; Triple Splatter) [3xLP]
Reverberation Appreciation Soc
July 25, 2025 -
Rory Restoration
Late Nation Ltd
June 27, 2025 -
Teethe Magic of the Sale
Winspear
August 8, 2025 -
Ambush Evil In All Dimensions
Napalm Records
September 5, 2025