We are delighted to announce the Wagon Repair debut of Montreal native Stephen Beaupre. One half of Crackhaus, a long time collaboration with Deadbeat, Stephen has recently released solo material on labels from Musique Risque and ~scape, and put out his debut album on Mutek’s own imprint in 2006. In honour of the great ancient Persian empire, ‘Achaemenid’ roams stridently with tight kick, clangorous melodic cascades and prodding rhythmic tones. Ethereal string pads and moaning atmospherics imply conflict, narrated by catchy vocal passages from beyond the murky depths. A reverberant rhythmic synth line injects life into ‘Lotus Eaters’, with static vocal samples and penetrative melodic tones forming sonic structures around deep tom and rattled hat. Grossly intoxicating, elements lull into a mellow haze before reanimating into a wildfire finale.