Beginners & Elkion Records are pleased to announce the Self-Titled LP from Detroit scene veterans Touch The Clouds, produced by Joe Philips , Erik Maluchnik, Adam Cox and mastered by His Name is Alive paragon, Warren Defever. Drawing from the distinctive sense of community that has lifted their home base of Detroit from collapse, Touch the Clouds have crafted their debut LP by leaning on the rich histories of their Motor City artistic scene.

 Though a certain generation may know him from post punk local heroes, Few and Far Between, Joe Philips is nonetheless recognized by throngs of millennials and zoomers as the voice behind the theme song to wildly popularity series and movie Pokémon: Black & White.

 Which may or may not be an extension of Few and Far Between, Touch the Clouds finds three members of the band returning to the fold for this expansive 15-track/41-minute full-length.

 After a pair of celebrated releases in the ‘00s—where they shared the stage with Chamberlain, Cursive, and Piebald—Few and Far Between entered a gap period that found members spreading their roots across (and beyond) some of Detroit’s most influential cultural spaces.

 Darrin Hunt(who recently received his PhD in biology/ecology) would continue working with punk mainstays King for a Day, Brian Galindo partnered with Jonni Randall (The Armed) for Red Iron Orchestra .Joe Philips continues as Adjunct Faculty at the College for Creative Studies—teaching Sound Design alongside his role of Director of Sonic Branding and lead composer for Another Country, writing music for GMC, SC Johnson, and the Detroit Lions.

 Longtime bandmate of journalist/musical legend Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good to Me/His Name is Alive), bassist Nikkie Margosian-Galindo, joined Philips, Hunt, and Galindo to form Touch the Clouds in the early‘10s. “Every musical thing that we do together,it's just like a love of being together and a love for playing music,” says Margosian-Galindo on her swift acclimation with her bandmates. “Which is nice to be able to just reach that point where nothing else stands in the way.”

 Following the release of a single (“By Fire Light”) and two EPs (Ara,Baetyl),Touch the Clouds self-titled LP finds the four Detroit veterans drawing on each other’s experiences for a musically and emotionally diverse set of songs.“ Our whole scene, which was probably 50 to100 friends, would gather and see bands play at various venues throughout the city,” says Hunt while describing their collective musical upbringing. “So when I think back to those things, that’s what motivates me.”

Tracks like the gossamer “Tension” and the dynamic “You Got No Soul” combine Hunt’s angular guitar work with Philip’s soaring vocals—creating tracks that snap between postpunk iciness and the warm groove of vintage R&B.“I grew up listening to Motown and pop music,” says Philips about his distinct vocal style.“ And I started singing in a choir really early.  So my sense of melody is kind of foundational.” The brash “Split Down the Middle” and sputtering “I Hear You Clearly” show off the tight rhythms of partners Margosian-Galindo and Galindo ,as Philips suspends his stunning wordplay and complex phrasing for waves of unbridled energy. “I lived and breathed with these guys for decades,” says Galindo about his close relationship with his bandmates. “And then, Nikkie, I always loved her style on bass.” From the sleek “Feeling Light” to the anthemic “Dissolve”, Touch the Clouds’ self-titled debut finds a group of seasoned artists extoling their rich backgrounds to a world-renowned music community that refuses to elapse. “At this point in time, I think we are our own biggest influences. In a weird way,” reckons Philips.

RIYL: Built To Spill, Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World, Appleseed Cast, Joyce Manor, Fontaines D.C.