Artifacts began humbly as a means of compiling a few early Beirut EPs for a proper physical release. However, as Zach Condon explains in album’s excellent liner notes, reconnecting with old recordings through fresh ears turned a simple re-issue project into something much more expansive. “When the decision came to re-release this collection, I found myself digging through hard drives looking for something extra to add to the compilation. What started as a few extra unreleased tracks from my formative recording years quickly grew into an entire extra records-worth of music from my past, and a larger project of remixing and remastering everything I found for good measure.”
Artifacts is a phylogenetic tree. A double-LP’s worth music that traces the evolution of Beirut from a 14-year old Condon’s first attempts at bringing the music he heard in his mind to life, to the fully formed Beirut we know today.
Released: April 2022
Cat: POMP009
Label: Pompeii
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Tracklist
SIDE A
01 - Elephant Gun
02 - My Family's Role In The World Revolution
03 - Scenic World
04 - The Long Island Sound
05 - Carousels
06 - Transatantique
07 - O Leãozinho
SIDE B
08 - Autumn Tall Tales
09 - Fyodor Dormant
10 - Poisoning Claude
11 - Bercy
12 - Your Sails
13 - Irrlichter
SIDE C
14 - Sicily
15 - Now I'm Gone
16 - Napoleon On The Bellerophon
17 - Interior of a Dutch House
18 - Fountains and Tramways
19 - Hot Air Balloon
SIDE D
20 - Fisher Island Sound
21 - So Slowly
22 - Die Treue zum Ursprung
23 - The Crossing
24 - Zagora
25 - Le Phare Du Cap Bon
26 - Babylon