Static Motor Recordings :: Kurt von Stetten

December 13th 2011 marks the release of Kurt von Stetten's sixth full-length solo album, Cyclops. Diverging from the pop-centric sound of his last release Pyramid, the eclectic and intricate garage rock on Cyclops deals with fantasy and the fever of awesome ideas; everything from war to fashion. As with each of his releases, he relies on minimal story telling and the power of simple song structure...

A man spends his whole life pretending to be a writer and as a result never has an authentic experience. A young couple tries to escape a war zone, but the two warring factions constantly try to force them to pick a side. A futuristic soldier rethinks his life while he is trapped in a fox hole, pinned down by enemy robot fire. An old boxer grows tired of hitting people and life. A father tells his son about his "wild years" and the son realizes that his father is really just a big pussy. A young man gives himself entirely over to fantasy and spends his days fighting a Cyclops and an Invisible Menace. An artist tries to communicate complex ideas through interpretive dance and realizes that, on some level, he must take into account the vernacular of the audience. A fisherman and his crew are bested by a whale and almost starve on the open water. After a man-made accident, a man and woman realize that they have super powers and after denying it they come to accept their awesome responsibility. An older office worker writes a graphic novel and after years of hiding it away starts showing it to people despite being terrified of criticism. A man realizes that scientific inquiry always has its risks- especially if society does not like what you discover. A man berates the hipsters on bikes blocking the sidewalk as he is trying to walk by the Middle East club... in Central Square.

Quotes

New England has a prolific genius on its hands and his name is Kurt von Stetten. — Ryan's Smashing Life

Cyclops hits the right notes, pushes the right buttons and becomes near and dear to the heart — Music Savage

Bursts with unparalleled joy and spontaneity; it is packed with wonderfully quirky, restlessly melodious guitar pop that recalls indie rock’s best moment in a playful and condensed mishmash. — The Owl Mag

Kurt definitely can not be genre defined. If you come up with one, well then shit, he’s sitting alone in it. But with the amount of aural pleasure that’s coming from that genre, I’m sure it’s not much of a lonely place. — Dysonsound

Somewhere between hypnotic and epic. — Online Rock

You'll have to seek out "Cyclops," but I assure you it's worth the effort. — In Tune (The Daily News)