Polar Bear – “Dim Lit” (Released 13th June 2025)

Description

//Edition//

£31.99 – 2xLP

This first-ever vinyl release offers a new perspective on ‘Dim Lit”s deep, layered soundscapes, giving longtime fans and new listeners alike the chance to experience the album in a fresh, immersive format.

Led by drummer and composer, Seb Rochford, the album introduced a band whose fearless approach to improvisation, rhythm, and texture would go on to influence a generation. Blending raw energy with intricate composition, ‘Dim Lit’ set the blueprint for Polar Bear’s signature sound – expansive, unpredictable, and entirely their own.

From the outset, ‘Dim Lit’ positioned Polar Bear as one of the most forward-thinking groups of their time. The album bridged jazz, electronic elements, and avant-garde sensibilities, carving out a new space in the contemporary music scene. The interplay between Rochford, saxophonists, Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart, bassist, Tom Herbert, and electronics specialist, Leafcutter John, created a dynamic, shape-shifting sound that blurred genre boundaries. With its hypnotic grooves, explosive improvisation, and unexpected sonic detours, ‘Dim Lit’ remains a vital document of a band redefining what jazz could be.

Tracklisting:

1. Heavy Paws on the Purple Floor
2. Not Here, Not Near
3. Eves Apple
4. Polar Bear Standing and Ready
5. Urban Kilt
6. Snow
7. Underneath You Can See Too Much
8. The Shapes in the Clouds Aren’t Always Happy
9. New Dark Park
10. Wild Horses