Phase 4

Original Release Date: 06/01/7003 (2003 AM) - Clouds
Original Release Date: 06/08/7003 (2003 AM) - Crystl
Original Release Date: 06/15/7003 (2003 AM) - Carbon

Dear Audionauts, we are excited to announce that the IBP has officially decoded the entirety of the audacious 7003 triple debut by Phase 4: Clouds x Crystl x Carbon. We are now offering this exciting opportunity through our radio channels. We will be releasing one album each week (as originally intended) according to the release date schedule above. Updates to each new release will be posted here for your enjoyment!

Listen to the Clouds x Crystl x Carbon Trilogy on:
Spotify | Soundcloud | YouTube

Purchase Clouds on vinyl or cassette.
Purchase Crystl on vinyl or cassette.
Purchase Carbon on vinyl or cassette.

Purchase the Clouds x Crystl x Carbon Trilogy
on vinyl or cassette.

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The fortuitous meeting of the trio of Cirrus, Poly, and Siks occurred entirely by mistake. At an interstellar diner (part of the Bartlebee's chain), Cirrus had busted his behind washing dishes for nearly a decade. As a seven-armed mollusk, he was the right invertebrate for the job, but how was he to advance in this business if he was always thought of as merely a cog in the machine (the machine here being piping-hot, quality meals at affordable prices)? Disenfranchised, he stormed out of the kitchen, tossing his apron into the mouth of his manager and waddling into the parking lot. Here, truckers parked their shuttles (and space whales enjoyed a free shower and bucket of krill), refilled their external tanks, grabbed some grub, and hit the starway, hoping to remain on schedule. Pulling up, as Cirrus was on his way out, was Siks, a Quabaldian from Centaur XVI. A mere four feet (Earth measurement) tall and sporting a mane of bright blue, he had just completed a 23 light-year leg and had had enough. He burst from the cockpit of his shuttle and dropped to the sidewalk, tackling Cirrus and pinning him against the concrete by mistake. They tussled, unsure if one had been sent to harm the other, knocking over trash cans and splashing in the crude oil that careless patrons had spilled at the refueling pumps. Poly, a dreepal sandwich in one claw and a Tregeeta Soda in the other, was watching curiously as the two creatures fought with the vigor of two kitchen sponges. She had set up a stand near the diner's entrance with a metal tin for donations and a battery-powered keyboard providing sweet melodies to patrons and drivers alike. She began to play an atmospheric soundtrack to Cirrus and Siks' performance, tentacles flying, fur entangled. The chirpy tune paused the maelstrom, luckily before they could knock over a barrel of fryolator runoff. To her instrument they waddled, inquiring about her playing. Moments later, sitting in a back booth in the diner, they had officially formed Phase 4. Over never-ending pots of caffeinated bean water, they plotted out their debut album. Well, their first of three debut albums. Dear Audionauts, the trio, after much deliberation, could not agree on a solid direction for their music. After more bean water and several slices of pie, they placed their tentacles, paws, and claws in the center of the table and sealed the pact. Each member would design and lead their own album with the help of the others, no questions asked, no matter how insane their ideas were. Whichever album sold the most copies would determine the band's official direction. Clouds x Crystl x Carbon is one of the most miraculous debuts in our Collection. Clouds, written by Poly, was a journey through her homeworld of Viana III, where the skies were free and the waters below churned with harsh chemicals and creatures suited only to its caustic flavors. Here, a twinkling keyboard casts a sheen of mystique and piety, moving dreamily over a pulsing, marshmallowy backbeat. In Crystl, Siks drew on his glory days of trucking through the stars, picking up his paycheck in gems and jewels to trade on the black market. Looking back on the past invokes a lo-fi adventure of long, lonely days and cold nights. From dangerous curves to endless starfields, you are locked inside his cockpit, but not eager to leave any time soon. Missing his coworkers from Bartlebee's, Cirrus was struck by the quiet air, reminiscing about the bubbling atmosphere that permeated the kitchen and stockroom. Carbon was an ode to the other cogs out there, the incessant drone of menial work, and the heroes who grind each day in service of others. Here, the music chugs, much like a machine, beeping with excitement as it outputs another widget or two, and expels carbon into the atmosphere. The irony, dear Audionauts, is that, upon release, each album sold the exact same number of copies, leading to a tremendous rift within Phase 4. It was a momentous achievement to perform as well as they did (not once, not twice, but three times in an already cramped market). Finding no alternative to their dilemma, they decided to part ways, a little bit richer, but still just as unhappy as before. We are holding out hope for a reunion someday, but until then, we have 24 tracks across Clouds x Crystl x Carbon to hypnotize us and wonder which direction Phase 4 could have truly taken. Until then, choose your own adventure, or take all three; there is no wrong answer when it comes to the value of triple the tasty beats for the price of one.

Side A

1. Frequent Flyer

2. Aerosol

3. Rain Beneath the Surface

4. Nephological Wonder

Side B

1. Lucid Dreaming

2. Bursting with Energy

3. Dive Bomb

4. As Above, Not So Below

Side C

1. Cave of Wonders

2. Scales

3. I'll Be Back Before You Know It

4. Asleep At The Wheel

Side D

1. A Few In My Pocket (More On My Mind)

2. Starfield In My Rearview

3. The Excavator

4. Free Solo

Side E

1. Order Up!

2. Back Booth (3 AM)

3. Not Cut Out

4. Carbonation

Side F

1. The Drip

2. Mountain of Debt

3. End of the Month (Zero)

4. ¡Asi Viene El Sandwich, Mang!