End Beginnings

Description

Following a compilatory recap of the techno-man-band's greatest hits on the 2024 collection Where Next?, Sandwell District reforms the group with trusted new members, Monic and Rivet, to produce their first new material in over a decade. This release comes about a year after the tragic passing of their legendary member Juan Mendez, aka Silent Servant, who left us far too soon. Rest in peace, friend. End Beginnings is a majestic fusion of cinematic techno and hypnotic, dancefloor-ready dynamism; an album that marries the Drexciyan idea of techno as an act of seditious innovation with a jubilant insouciance, an essential imperative for O'Connor. "Having a good time is pretty much why you get into it in the first place," he wisely notes. "And it's fun. I think we feel a lot luckier now, especially after what happened to Juan. We're grateful." Thus, End Beginnings is also a poignant requiem for a fallen soldier - Juan Mendez. In early 2024, Mendez tragically passed away, just as things were looking up for the collective. His stunning artwork and visuals had always been a central pillar of Sandwell District; he was even working on a piece titled End Beginnings, which was to be the album's cover. This project was never completed, but O'Connor and Sumner chose to repurpose the title to honor their friend's contribution. A poignant tribute to the chaotic and discontinuous nature of this rebellious alliance.