Velcrocranes' debut album ‘What If I Die’ is coming on the 27th October 2023.
Started out as a small jazz ensemble, it wasn’t until they discovered the music of Porcupine Tree and the malleable world of progressive rock that their true sound came into focus. This new, expansive direction was the future of Velcrocranes.
In 2018, the band released the EP 'Afterlife', which would bring the stirring and ethereal vocals of Efim Kolitinov into the forefront, as well as the harmonious guitar leads of Liza Kotova, who serves as a primary songwriter for the group, and the intricate arrangements from Alexander Papsuev.
Speaking about the creative drive behind the themes explored on the LP, the band says, "We imagine the main idea of the album as changing as the listener goes along. Our goal was to draw a parallel to the way your understanding of life’s meaning, your values and choices, and your perception of death change during your lifetime."
The debut album also features keyboard contributions throughout from Adam Holzman of Steven Wilson’s band: "We'd been trying a lot of different options until at some point we got desperate enough to take a chance and write to Adam ... which was totally worth it because he just hit the spot! He managed to keep our original ideas, embellish them and beautifully highlight the genre features."
The artwork for the band’s forthcoming debut was created by Carl Glover of Aleph Studio, known for his work with Steven Wilson, Frost*, Marillion & more.