Hush - My Darling Dia

 

Camel Crusader - My Darling Dia 

 

History: Past, Present and Future

Shanks and the Dreamers was formed in 2004, a couple years after Amir Motlagh's first attempt at composition, which came in the form of the soundtrack to his short film, Still Lover (2002). Officially, Shanks and the Dreamers became a project while recording music for what became it's first record release, 2007's "A Day Late: Instrumentals for Illegal Aliens". While the album was officially released in July 2007, the album's initial recordings were started in 2004 up till 2006. It was mostly recorded at the fabled Bassland Studios in Santa Ana California, along with Motlagh's home studio, Polaroid Palace Homes.


After the record was released, Motlagh started to play more frequently with guitarist Art Toussi. They continued the project with the conception of the a new album, and also a drastic move away from the instrumental, and some may say, post rock past. After a year in the studio, 2008 saw the release of the first full length record, "My Darling Dia". They also went on to create soundtracks for three of Motlagh's films within relatively the same time frame, Knock. Knock. (2007), Plain Us (2008), and Whale (2010).

The Band went on to release several singles after, and continued to license music for other media projects. It went on permanent hiatus in August 2010, calling an end to a self manicured obscurity. However, what's left is more then an a conception, or a mere fleeting idea, in fact, what is left is two physical records, from a band that was never a band, and from a project that moved forward, alone in its own obsession's, free from the distractions of anything at all.

 

 

 

A Day Late: Instrumentals for Illegal Aliens     

   

Track List:

1. Surfriders Morphine

2. Little Miss Teddy Bear

3. Cookie the Thug

4. Lonely Palm Pilot

5. A black and white portrait of a woman with short red hair

6. Tweeds

Album Credits:

Music written and composed by Amir Motlagh.

Guitar/Keys/Etc. - Amir Motlagh

Bass - Sam Oak

Drums on tracks 1,3,4 - Chris Henderson

Additional FX on track 6- Art Toussi

Produced by Amir Motlagh, Sam Oak

Cover Art/Layout Design: Martin Nilchian, Amir Motlagh  

My Darling Dia 

Track List:

1. Extra Ordinary Machines

2. Hush

3. Camel Crusader

4. 405

5. IBM

6. Disintegration

7. 777

8. Charle, get a job

9. Popsicles

10. Whitehouse

11. Last

Album Credits:

All music written by Shanks and the Dreamers (Amir Motlagh, Art Toussi)

All instrumentation by Amir Motlagh, Art Toussi

Vocals - Amir Motlagh 

Additional Drums on tracks 1,4,6,7 - Chris Henderson

Additional Recording - Steve Sherlock

Additional Vocals on IBM - Art Toussi

Additional Vocals on Whitehouse - Detail

Produced by Amir Motlagh, Art Toussi

Mastered by Andy Vandette (MasterDisk NYC)

Cover Art/Layout Design: Amir Motlagh 

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