The debut longplayer from Washington, DC-based Ekko Astral is a complex mesh of bubblegum noise punk and no-wave art rock that holds an elastic space for the knotty, tangled horrors of living in the imperial core. Their songs thrash with intense, necessary defiance against codified gender-based violence, their distortion and sibilance a direct response to the dangers outside our front doors. pink balloons opener “head empty blues” specifically bites back against the terrors of the normative male gaze that dominates so much of American culture. Over a post-punk passage that plays call and response with a wall of harsh noise, frontwoman Jael Holzman belts playfully morbid details of the head-exploding anxieties that haunt her daily: “is it bon eye-ver or bon iver? / i don’t care / i’ve got stalkers outside / not going out tonight / gonna sit and take pics / in my underwear.” Holzman formed the band in 2021 with best friend Liam Hughes (guitar), and eventually rounded out the band’s lineup with Miri Tyler (drums), Guinevere Tully (bass), and Sam Elmore (guitar). Ekko Astral’s local scene quickly welcomed the band for their wildly fierce live presence, emboldened by the community-building message behind the band’s mascara mosh pit brand. Ultimately, Ekko Astral are here to uplift, a mission exemplified by the frenetic and bewitching pre-release singles “baethoven” and “devorah,” cornerstones of pink balloons in both style and theme. The former serves as a reminder to keep your larger than life personality in a world that wants to downsize you, where the latter proclaims urgent solidarity with missing and murdered people. Such crucial messages of upliftment are the foundation of pink balloons, and, by extension Ekko Astral, whose thrashing debut leaves no stone of solidarity unturned.
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Recommended equipment and accessories
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Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
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Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
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Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
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Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
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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.
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
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The Vintage Caravan Portals [2xLP]
Napalm Records
September 26, 2025 -
Neptunian Maximalism Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu
I, Voidhanger Records
August 29, 2025 -
Old Dominion Barbara
Sony Music Nashville
August 22, 2025 -
Jonas Brothers Greetings From Your Hometown (Cobalt Blue)
Republic Records
August 8, 2025 -
Cwfen Sorrows (Translucent Red)
New Heavy Sounds
August 8, 2025 -
Bad Suns Accelerator
Epitaph
August 8, 2025 -
Celeste Woman Of Faces
Capitol
November 14, 2025 -
Stevie Salas Back From The Living [2xLP]
Deko Music
September 26, 2025 -
Higher Power There's Love In This World If You Want It in sleeve
Nuclear Blast
September 19, 2025 -
Robert Plant Saving Grace
Nonesuch
September 26, 2025 -
Mariah Carey Here For It All
Gamma.
September 26, 2025 -
HARDY COUNTRY! COUNTRY! (Clearwater) [2xLP]
Big Loud Records
September 26, 2025 -
Oh He Dead Ugly
Inkind Music
September 5, 2025 -
Max Richter SLEEP CIRCLE [3xLP]
Deutsche Grammophon
September 5, 2025