VA - Primordial Energy (2025)

PV-51

Athens, Georgia-based label and multidisciplinary collective Primordial Void celebrates its 50th release with a 48-track mega-compilation, released in two parts. The first, Primordial God, brings together mostly folk and rock-oriented collaborators from the label’s sphere, whereas the second, Primordial Energy, focuses on a wide range of like-minded electronic experimentalists.

Founded in Lodi, California, in 2018, PV remains a unique entity within the contemporary American underground. Drifting from the psychedelic IDM of its early days to a current roster boasting indie rock ensembles, introspective singer-songwriters, and bedroom producers dabbling in hypnagogia and noise, the label has prided itself on its stylistic variation. “We’ve always made it a point to release music by artists who were either too experimental to be considered pop, or too accessible to be considered noise,” says label representative Otis Cash. “In addition to this, the label’s prolific nature and undefinable presence adds a rather interesting layer to the Elephant 6-like world it’s building.”

Primordial God begins with a somber home recording by Forrest Conifer, better known as Lawrence Moody of Dividers. A previously unreleased song by Athens legends Banned 37, recorded in 1985 at John Keane Studios (R.E.M., Widespread Panic), also appears, alongside Shadows Leap (Surface to Air Missive), whait (More Eaze and Wendy Eisenberg), April Magazine, Marbles (Robert Schneider of the Apples in Stereo), Magic Tuber Stringband, Dividers, and several other contemporary luminaries.

Primordial Energy is darker and more reflective of the label’s early sound, gathering everyone from Tokyo experimental pop great emamouse to recently reunited noise legends Yellow Swans. Susu Laroche, A.J. Pain (Stan Iordanov of Hounds of Hate), yyed, Bug Bus Piano, wird grau (Laszlo Horvath), Lee Noble, and many others also contributed.

PV artist Will Simpson (Crime Friend) designed both compilations’ collage-style artwork.

Primordial God and Primordial Energy are available separately on cassette and digital formats via Primordial Void. Digital editions out March 14th, cassette editions out sometime in April.