Limited double vinyl LP pressing. 2015 release, the fourth album by the Vancouver-born and New York-based acclaimed cellist. Julia Kent rose to prominence with Rasputina and Antony & The Johnsons. Her extensive résumé includes recent work with Swans, Aidan Baker, Rachel Grimes, Rutger Zuydervelt, Barbara Morgenstern, Library Tapes and Khan of Finland. As the title suggests, this is a record born of conflict: internal, personal and global. Universal themes. The build of pressure and the threat of violent release. Modern guilt. Modern fears. Kent draws from a rich well of emotion, the pieces deceptively rendered, each feeling like a miniature dramatic epic in its own right-sculpted and self-contained. Her work on recent film scores is very much in evidence. While cinematic in scope, there is no trite Hollywood ending here. There is tension and darkness, the edges cracked and frayed. Asperities was recorded, produced and mixed in its entirety by the artist in her New York studio. Looped cello, electronics and found sounds create a world where the technological and the organic merge in perfect symbiosis, the layers of sound peeling back to reveal a beating, bloody human heart at its center. Throughout the plaintive strains of opener "Hellebore," the prowling grace of "The Leopard," the elegant restraint of "Heavy Eyes" and the immersive closer "Tramontana," Kent's cello evokes romance and loss, a yearning for simplicity. This is the soundtrack to the transitory nature of life and the inevitability of death.
Release date:
February 8, 2019
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Technics SL-1500C Turntable
Features a direct-drive motor, a high-precision tonearm, and a premium MM cartridge, delivering exceptional sound quality
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
Features an elliptical stylus that accurately tracks the grooves of vinyl records, delivering a rich, detailed sound with an output voltage of 5.5 mV
-
Cartridges - Top Picks
A selection of turnatble cartridges that provide great performance and sound quality
-
Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
The Divine Comedy Rainy Sunday Afternoon (Dark Green)
Divine Comedy Recs
September 19, 2025 -
Tanita Tikaram LIAR Love Isn't A Right
Cooking Vinyl
October 10, 2025 -
Lebanon Hanover Asylum Lullabies
Fabrika Records
September 12, 2025 -
Hollie Cook Shy Girl
Mr Bongo
October 10, 2025 -
The Hives The Hives Forever Forever The Hives (Gold)
Play It Again Sam
August 29, 2025 -
FM Brotherhood [2xLP]
Frontiers New Recordings Physical Only
September 5, 2025 -
Behemoth Pandemonic Incantations [2xLP]
Metal Blade
September 12, 2025 -
Múm History Of Silence
Morr Music / M.m.
September 19, 2025 -
Soulwax All Systems Are Lying [2xLP]
Because Music
October 17, 2025 -
Sabrina Carpenter Man's Best Friend (Light Blue)
Island
August 29, 2025 -
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA Foggy Horizon [2xLP]
Motown Gospel
September 19, 2025 -
Max Richter SLEEP CIRCLE [3xLP]
Deutsche Grammophon
September 5, 2025 -
Hand Habits Blue Reminder
Fat Possum
August 22, 2025 -
Alan Parsons Project I Robot (Super Deluxe Edition Box Set) [2xLP]
Cooking Vinyl
October 17, 2025