Mount Eerie – “Lone Bell (Pre-Human Ideas Version)”

Mount Eerie – “Lone Bell (Pre-Human Ideas Version)”

The forever restless Phil Elverum better known as Mount Eerie (and formerly known as the Microphones) has a new release out soon called Pre-Human Ideas which features remixed, auto-tuned, and occasionally re-written songs. Though the majority of its tracks come from Mount Eerie’s dual releases from last year (the stunning Clear Moon and Ocean Roar) some cuts stretch back to the black metal tinged Wind’s Poem and much earlier Mount Eerie releases like Dawn and No Flashlight.

One interesting theory, via the Elverum fansite Mount Eerie Preservation Society, is that these might be the skeletal versions of songs Elverum developed in Garageband (which is visible on the album cover) to help convert his music to a full live band with multiple singers (thus the title Pre-Human). That might make more sense than a “Mount Eerie remix album,” but anything’s possible these days considering Bill Callahan is making dub remixes. The song you can hear below is the Pre-Human version of “Lone Bell” off Clear Moon. The ominous horns from that track have softened a bit, and the vocals bring to mind some of Justin Vernon’s work with Bon Iver as well as that album’s slightly Auto-Tuned title track. Listen below, and look for the record in November, followed by a new Mount Eerie book (titled Dust).

Pre-Human Ideas is out 11/12 on P. W. Elverum & Sun

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