Birmingham, England-based ensemble Epic45 began when a group of school friends interested in instrumental sound projects discovered the twin post-rock meccas of the '90s, Glasgow (Mogwai et al) and Chicago (Tortoise et al).
Inspired by these bands' blending of mellow ambience and sonic experimentation, they began recording themselves, soon developing a style that marries the cinematic minimalism of Labradford, the desert drift of Calexico, the idiosyncratic post-jazz of Tortoise, and the moody electronic pop experiments of Hood.
Epic45 doesn't shout out a brave new direction for post-rock, combining instead the best efforts of the decade-old movement with solid musicianship and a keen ability to create and sustain a mood with their drifting, gentle, often lightly psychedelic compositions.