Open For Business

Vinyl LP pressing. 2021 release. Transcontinental, experimental duo Smoke Bellow have been at it since 2012, relocating from Australia to Baltimore, MD and back again and then back again (now firmly settled in Baltimore). They eventually recruited one of their favorite drummers and dear friend, Emmanuel Nicolaidis. With Open for Business, the three members set out to create a set of songs more immediate and bare than previous outings. Half of the songs were written in a room together and the second half via email (for obvious reasons). At the time they were listening to a lot of post punk and were struck with the partnership of drums and bass as propulsive instruments. The trio started writing songs around that idea - with the rhythm as a brace to hang their decorations.