'Underwater Detection Method' is a thing of firsts. While Greg Lisher is a familiar face to most fans of made-in-California alternative rock (thanks to his work with Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom), 'Underwater Detection Method' sees Greg moving in a totally new direction. While not his first solo record, CVB and MOD fans likely will be surprised by the music on his new album. It has all the feeling of discovering a new artist for the first time.
“While many fans of Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom know me strictly as a guitar player in an ‘alternative’ band, I purposely stepped outside my comfort zone making 'Underwater Detection Method,'” said Lisher. “I wanted to explore a completely different aspect of music that I love. This album might surprise a few people.”
After completing the guitar-based solo album 'Songs from the Imperial Garden' (a collection of instrumentals brimming with acoustic intimacy that he would release in 2020), Lisher thought it was time for something different. 'Underwater Detection Method' sees Greg for the first time writing songs using keyboards and exploring a new world of synthesized sounds. Always a lover of keyboards and synths, and of the more experimental excursions of favorite artists such as Brian Eno, Greg took the plunge and made the decision to finally release a solo album that was anything but guitar-centric.
The resulting 12-songs make for an instrumental record shaded with elements of art rock, ambient, dub and prog conjuring an inspired fusion that manages to split the difference between the melodic and the experimental. Some tracks seem born to accompany the emotional climax of an unforgettable movie, while others wouldn’t feel out of place in a volume of the KPM 1000 series. With this new self-produced album Greg approached songwriting with an open-minded disposition; he’d start songs by experimenting with sound collage which would take him to places he did not expect to go. “It’s like fishing,” he says, “I have no idea what I’m going to catch.” The album’s title reflects that analogy and reveals a most vibrant, creative eagerness. Lisher might have joined Camper Van Beethoven some 39 years ago, but 'Underwater Detection Method' shows that you never know when you’ll discover new things about yourself or the music you make and love.
This clear vinyl LP edition of Underwater Detection Method features a 5-color custom Unipak-style LP jacket with metallic ink, along with a pinhole-perforated photographic insert and an oversized download card for a free digital download of the album. Comes with a numbered barcode/OBI wrap with promotional text, limited to 500 copies on clear vinyl. See our other UDM merch listings for our black vinyl LP edition, our numbered Special Edition CD version, and a normal-sized Wallet Edition CD.
Greg Lisher (keyboards, programming, fretted and fretless bass, baritone guitar, electric guitar)
Michael Jerome (drums, percussion)
Stevie Blacke (violin, viola and cello)
Track Listing
1. All Things Japanese
2. The Illusion of Depth
3. Travels Through Liguria
4. Finding the Future
5. Patterns
6. Snowblind
7. Softly Pushed Through the Crowds
8. Tunneling
9. Late Afternoon Progression
10. Zen and the Art of Long Distance Driving
11. Caterpillar to Butterfly
12. Planets Unknown
GREG LISHER - Underwater Detection Method - Clear Vinyl LP
"Underwater Detection Method proves that after nearly four decades in music, Lisher is still finding new ways to surprise both himself and his listeners."
—Klemen Breznikar, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine"The entire thing is very sophisticated... Any fan of music that is "ambient" would almost certainly love this labor of love release."
-Mike Frame, Razorcake"Underwater Detection Method puts the man known for quirky postpunk and art rock in the realm of space rock. Using synthesizers as a base, Lisher adds propulsive grooves, sensuous guitars, and a sense of, well, space to make lush instrumental tracks that would sound just as good soundtracking a documentary on string theory as they would coming out of the radio. "Tunneling," "All Things Japanese," and "Zen and the Art of Long Distance Driving" roll along as near perfect blends of groove, texture, and melody, while "Planets Unknown" and "Late Afternoon Progression" engage in lovely ambient balladry. There are lots of musicians doing similar work, but Lisher's lack of pretension and ear for a good tune make Underwater Detection Method a standout in the cosmic rock marathon."
—Michael Toland, The Big Takeover