What might appear to be the most unlikely collaboration of 2024 proves also to be one of the most invigorating listens of the year! Shackleton & Six Organs of Admittance are in full aural/metaphysical alignment in their mutual effort to become Jinxed by Being. On first listen, it becomes immediately clear that this fusion of Shackleton's bass-heavy cosmic dread and Six Organs' ritual folksong makes total sense. Longtime listeners know that both Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance have been unafraid to pursue their muse into any and all encroaching depth of darkness or outer boundary of potential dissonance -- in fact, that has always been their default mode, finding more of resonance way out there in the process. They also share that ol' maverick psychedelic ritual transcendental music vibe, don't they? And a fascination with repetition and cycles. And a mutual inspiration drawn from alternative tunings and literature -- all this considered, it's been basically inevitable that Ben Chasny and Sam Shackleton would work together. It took a while for them to find each other -- and once they did, it was almost eerie, how preordained it felt. When the music started coming, though -- that's when it got really eerie. The mood rises from the music like smoke, a sure signal of total integration. Jinxed by Being finds Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance delighting in their synthesis.

Reveling in the unique sonic textures found in the collage, they launch small details that unfold into a massive space, then fracture into multiple lines of dimensional reality, crossing the stereo spectrum with enervating motility. Here lies all the proof you need against the danger of categorizing by perceived genre rather than intention -- encounters like Shackleton and Six Organs of Admittance might never have found the linear space in which they sit next to each other, beyond alphabets and other institutional organizing principles. Rearrange your libraries -- or you might miss getting Jinxed by Being.