Following the cult success of their 2009 debut album, Symbiosis, Demdike Stare – the duo of Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker – will release a new LP on April 26, entitled Forest of Evil.

Forest of Evil is the first of three vinyl-only releases – forming a distinct trilogy – that Demdike Stare have planned for release on Modern Love in 2010. It’s described in a press release as a more “unearthly” affair than Symbiosis, featuring two long tracks, ‘Forest of Evil (Dusk)’ and ‘Forest of Evil (Dawn)’, that explore drone, ritualistic percussion and claustrophobic atmospheres, and will likely appeal to fans of other throat-choking artists such as Shackleton, Muslimgauze and The Caretaker.

Sean Canty is one of Manchester’s most formidable record collectors, obsessed with “everything from obscure Nordic Doom to Antolyan funk”, and works behind-the-scenes at Andy Votel’s Finders Keepers, while Miles Whittaker is a Modern Love stalwart, having released several records on the label both solo as MLZ and as one half of Pendle Coven. The Pendle Coven project was named after Pendle Hill in north-east Lancashire, an area beloved of ghost-hunters and famed for its witch trials of 1612, when ten suspected witches were executed. Demdike Stare take their name from the most famous of the ten – Elizabeth Southern, better known as Demdike.

Demdike Stare are performing live at the 2010 Mutek festival in Montreal, as part of the FACT-partnered Nocturne 3 event. More info here.

Tracklist:
A. Forest of Evil (Dusk)
B. Forest of Evil (Dawn)