Asklepius

It's not always easy to keep a band going. Some make it 20+ years, while others fizzle out after a year or two. As important as it is for fans to stay loyal, it is just as important for bands grow as musicians and keep putting out great music. Sometimes that means switching things up a little bit, and that's one thing that Ancient Language has done over the years. What started out as a solo act, then became a duo, has now become a full band that has grown both literally and musically.

For over a year now, Ancient Language has been playing as a full band. Earlier this year, they released their first full length together, entitled HYGGE. Now, Ancient Language has created more new music and they are getting ready to release it to the world. This Saturday, they will be celebrating the release of their latest 7"In A Different Light on Jett Plastic Recordings. The release show will take place at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, where they will be joined by Radio Wire Empire, Asklepius, and The Wayburns. Tickets to see these four great acts live are only $7 and can be purchased in advance here.

We are also giving two lucky readers a chance to get into this show with a friend for free! To enter to win a pair of tickets, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #AL in the subject line. We will draw two winners on Saturday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

Doors will open at 8 p.m. on Saturday and the music will start promptly at 8:30. So don't get there late! For more info on this show, click here. - Hip in Detroit

Ahead of the group’s debut EP Four Shadows the Past and release party on February 9, percussionist duo Asklepius is teasing the first of four new tracks titled “Circulation.”

The Detroit-based partnership of Justin Groppuso-Cook and Matt Smiley highlights the city’s mostly-untapped percussionist community, which strays from dependence of drum kits, in an attempt to add more adventurous instrumentation. On a previous release by Groppuso-Cook, A Life Forever Once, listeners were exposed to the sounds of the vibraphone and the upper register of the German-rooted glockenspiel, mixed with the familiarity of piano and the creativity of the early-2000s Korg MS2000 synthesizer.

Asklepius’ newest track is robust, building its strong percussion upon a bed of keys with rising intensity. Taking influence from jazz’s flexibility and blues’ rhythm-driven structure, “Circulation” shows the undeniable range of Groppuso-Cook and Smiley’s musicality. Once listeners cross the three-minute mark, the melody shifts into a lively breakdown, creating a momentum that lasts until the track’s final, lingering low-end note.

DMM is excited to premiere Asklepius’ “Circulation.” Stay tuned for the group’s release event on Friday, February 9, at Hamtramck’s Ghost Light, and find more music on the duo’s BandCamp. - Detroit Music Magazine