Arsenal - Lotuk (2008)

LOTUK features a highly impressive cast of guests that confirms their international appeal, and highlights the broad spectrum of not only their interests but also of those who are inspired by their music. John Garcia, formerly of the enormously influential Kyuss, guests on two tracks, Diggin’ A Hole and Not A Man, while Seattle luminary Shawn Smith (of Brad, Satchel and Pigeonhed) brings his funk-inspired tones to the album’s title track. Elsewhere Mike Ladd delivers a furious tirade on Turn Me Loose and longstanding Brazilian collaborator Mario Vittalino Dos Santos bring a glorious South American vibe to proceedings on Egun and Selvagem. Proving that they still know their underground and that there is far more to their selection than mere wish fulfillment, however, Roan and Willemyns also invited enigmatic and critically acclaimed Nashville chanteuse Cortney Tidwell to contribute to the track Who We Are, while Scott Masson from Chicago indie popsters Office kicks things off on the album’s original title track Estupendo (Spanish for ‘amazing’). Finally, bringing things to an extraordinary and far from conventional close, Grant Hart (ex-Husker Du) reads from a mysterious but heartrending letter to a former lover. Like the album itself, it’s unexpected, compelling and utterly original. LOTUK, as with OUTSIDES before it, features a DVD filmed and edited by Willemyns featuring all the album’s guests. “It was a pretty cheap thing to do,” the trained video editor explains, “so it didn’t take a lot of effort to persuade the record company to finance another docu-trip by saying it was important for the fans to have some background information on some of the guests. There are small features on Shawn Smith, John Garcia, Cortney Tidwell and Grant Hart, all of them sharing personal stories and opinions on life, and we used some previously unreleased ARSENAL music in it as well. We have to admit, though, it was also a great excuse to go and get drunk with all these artists that we admire!”

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