Essential Aliens

On Clear color vinyl. Essential Aliens is the 10th album by Helvetia. Helvetia is the solo project of Jason Albertini from Duster. Based in Portland, Oregon, Helvetia was originally formed in Seattle, Washington in 2005 during a hiatus of Duster. The tracks on Essential Aliens were recorded in Jason's basement over the past year. Since its inception, Helvetia has seen Jason collaborate with various band members and artists, including Steve Gere and Samantha Stidham. Steve and Jason were also part of Built To Spill together from 2012 to 2018. In 2019, Duster resumed performing and recording. During this period, Jason began crafting what would later become This Devastating Map. Described by Post-Trash as "a constantly shifting project that takes experimental lo-fi into brilliantly colored psych directions with a concise glow," the album was released in early August last year. Subsequently, the pandemic altered daily life, prompting Jason to focus on his daughter's homeschooling routine and music production. This led to the creation of a new album, with Jason concentrating on completing one song per day. Essential Aliens presents a distilled and simplified version of the Helvetia sound. Reverb and delay take a back seat, making way for warm fuzz and intimate room sounds. Musical progressions evolve with stoner-like repetition, culminating in thought-provoking conclusions. Drums distort, subdued bass lines support