Saxophist, composer, one half of Fresh Pepper, and sometimes Destroyer live member Joseph Shabason has announced a new album, Welcome to Hell, which will be out October 20 via Western Vinyl / Telephone Explosion. The album was inspired by the classic 1996 Toy Machine skate VHS of the same name. The tape made a big impact on Shabason as a teenager; he likens skateboarding to jazz, and this is his re-scoring of the whole thing.
“As a 14-year-old, the video blew my mind. Everything about it was gnarly,” says Shabason. “The skating was bigger and more aggressive than anything I had ever seen. The whole team seemed impossibly cool and punk. From Jamie Thomas skating rails with no shoes on, to Ed Templeton’s graphics, collages, and overall artistic vision, to the eclectic soundtrack that ranged from Jefferson Airplane to Iron Maiden, Welcome To Hell felt like pinnacle of cool to a teenager from Bolton, Ontario.”
As for his approach to this album, Joseph says, “I wanted to take the parts for each skateboarder, segments I had watched hundreds of times, and set them to new music. I wanted to write songs that matched the vibe of each skater’s personal style and that also conveyed how their skateboarding made me feel.”
The first single is the song he wrote for Jamie Thomas’ part of the video. “Few people have pushed the boundaries of street skating further than Jamie, and his part in Welcome to Hell was my introduction to him,” Shabason says. “His style is so fast and aggressive but it also feels effortless and absolutely fearless. No one was skating gaps and rails like this at the time and I feel like this part in particular changed the game.” Watch the video, which uses footage of the original Welcome to Hell video, below.
Joseph will be on tour this fall, including a few shows opening for Balmorhea. One of those is in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge October 7. All dates are listed below.
Welcome To Hell:
1. Intro/Mike Maldonado
2. Brian Anderson/Satva Leung
3. Parks & Demos
4. Ed Templeton
5. Jamie Thomas
6. Zero/Donny Barley
7. Interlude
8. Elissa Steamer
9. Friends
10. Welcome To Hell
JOSEPH SHABASON – 2023 TOUR DATES
10/5 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theater *
10/7 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge *
10/8 – Portland, OR @ Washington Baths
10/9 – Montville, ME @ High Ridge Farm
10/10 – Burlington, VT @ Savu Lakeside
* Opening for Balmorhea