Released August 18, 1996 Length 32:20 Label V2 Records | Recorded Late July, 1996 Release date 18 August 1996 | |
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Studio Commercial Soundworks Hollywood, CA Producer Blaze James, Doug Green Similar At the Drive-In albums, Experimental rock albums | ||
At the drive in star slight
Acrobatic Tenement is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on August 18, 1996 on Flipside. The album, along with In/Casino/Out and Relationship of Command, was reissued by Fearless Records in 2004, and was re-released again in 2013.
Contents
Only one of the album's tracks made it to the 2005 compilation album, This Station Is Non-Operational, with "Initiation" appearing as a live BBC recording.
Background and recording
The album was initially released on August 18, 1996 exclusively on CD format through the Los Angeles independent record label/fanzine Flipside after a few of the label's staff members were impressed by the band's performance in a small Los Angeles club. The record was recorded in Los Angeles for only $600 after concluding a U.S. tour. Reflecting upon the aftermath of recording Acrobatic Tenement, vocalist Cedric Bixler stated in 2013: "Before [the album's release], the band had broken up. We did a U.S. tour and we decided to split up. I always needed Jim to be there, but he'd had a falling out with Omar. We'd made a bunch of dumb moves at the time — kicked the drummer [Ryan Sawyer] who was on the record out, and then the other guitar player [Adam Amparan] — but then Tony and Paul came and played. Omar switched to guitar at the time, because he played bass on that album, so when we played live, it was a lot different."
Much of the album, including the track "Ebroglio", was inspired by the life and suicide of Julio Venegas, a friend of the band. Venegas later became the inspiration of The Mars Volta's 2003 album De-Loused in the Comatorium.
Personnel
Songs
1Star Slight1:18
2Schaffino2:49
3Ebroglio2:48