Recorded in Glasgow by John McEntire and Bal Cooke, and mixed in Chicago by McEntire, Slow Summits features the core Pastels lineup of Stephen McRobbie, Katrina Mitchell, Tom Crossley, Gerard Love, Alison Mitchell and John Hogarty.  Guests include original member Annabel Wright (Aggi) and Norman Blake.  Two-thirds of To Rococo Rot (Stefan Schneider and Ronald Lippok) contribute and Tenniscoats too.  “Kicking Leaves” features a memorable string arrangement from Craig Armstrong, the Glasgow-based composer.

Slow Summits is the culmination of all the music The Pastels been engaged in since their 1997 set, Illumination. Not quite as shadowy a presence as sometimes suggested, their music has continued to grow by way of other activities; a well-regarded film soundtrack (The Last Great Wilderness, Geographic, 2003), some theatre pieces (for 12 Stars) and a collaboration with Japan’s Tenniscoats (Two Sunsets, Geographic, 2009). Slow Summits gathers on all these works but moves off in newer and older ways too with its flowing montage of autumn instrumentals, pop songs, slow motion build ups and suddenly optimistic melody lines.

The Pastels will be performing at the Chickfactor 21 Festival at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY on June 13^th. This will be The Pastels first New York area show since 1997. The Chickfactor 21 line up also includes: Lilys, The Cannanes, Versus, Rose Melberg, Future Bible Heroes, Aluminum Group, Honeybunch, True Love Always, Dump, Jim Ruiz Set and Lois.

The Pastels will be playing the following European shows as well:

June 1^st Glasgow, CCA

July 27^th: Indietracks Festival, Derbyshire

August 16^th: Green Man Festival, Black Mountains, Wales

August 24^th: Doune the Rabbit Hole, Doune, Scotland

http://www.dominorecordco.us/artists/the-pastels