Alpinisms Explained

Alpinisms
Type:	studio
Artist:	School of Seven Bells
Cover:	AlpinismsAlbumCover.jpg
Released:	October 28, 2008
Length:	55:00
Label:	Ghostly International
Next Title:	Disconnect from Desire
Next Year:	2010

Alpinisms is the debut studio album by American band School of Seven Bells. It was originally released on Ghostly International on October 28, 2008, and re-released on Vagrant Records on July 14, 2009.^[1] The deluxe edition with bonus tracks was released on October 13, 2009.^[2] The album peaked at number 17 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.

Background

In 2004, Alejandra Deheza and her twin sister Claudia (both of On!Air!Library!) met Benjamin Curtis (of Secret Machines) when they were on tour with Interpol.^[3] In 2007, they formed School of Seven Bells and started making music together.^[4] The group's debut studio album, whose working title was Wired for Light, was officially titled Alpinisms.^[5]

Critical reception

Eric Harvey of Pitchfork said, "Throughout Alpinisms, the group finds a perfect middle ground between the indie realms of tribal and choral, layering electronic flourishes without letting them overwhelm the arrangements." M. R. Newmark of PopMatters commented that "School of Seven Bells hit the sweet spot with enough frequency to make Alpinisms worthwhile, and though not every experiment works, it should give those who have been following these musicians around some satisfaction to realize that this is the sort of album they've been waiting so long to create." Lukas Suveg of Tiny Mix Tapes stated, "Although this final version could have featured more diverse song selections, Alpinisms is an undoubtedly singular album, setting the bar quite high for this burgeoning trio."

Accolades

Publication	List	Rank
MusicOMH	Top 50 Best Albums of 2009	24	^[6]
NME	Best Albums of 2008	42	^[7]

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.^[8]

School of Seven Bells

• Benjamin Curtis – music, recording, mixing
• Alejandra Deheza – music, recording, mixing
• Claudia Deheza – music, recording, mixing

Additional musicians

• Simone Pace – drums (8)
• Niki Randa – vocals (10)

Technical personnel

• Geoff Sanoff – recording (8)
• Joe Lambert – mastering
• Bryan Collins – cover design

Charts

Chart (2009)	Peak position
French Albums (SNEP)^[9]	142
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[10]	17

Notes and References

1. Web site: School of Seven Bells Partner With Vagrant Records, Announce Tour . . Laura . Studarus . July 9, 2009 . November 7, 2024.
2. Web site: "Iamundernodisguise" (Alternate Version) . . Tyler . Grisham . September 23, 2009 . November 7, 2024.
3. Web site: You'll Fall In Love Again: The Story of School of Seven Bells . . Kim Taylor . Bennett . November 13, 2015 . November 8, 2024.
4. Web site: School Of Seven Bells - Interview . . David . Renshaw . March 6, 2009 . November 8, 2024.
5. Web site: Throwback Thursday: School of Seven Bells Interview from 2007 . . John . Motley . August 7, 2014 . November 8, 2024.
6. Web site: musicOMH's Top 50 Best Albums Of 2009: 30-21 . . August 3, 2009 . November 7, 2024.
7. Web site: NME's best albums and tracks of 2008 . . October 10, 2016 . November 7, 2024.
8. . 2008 . Alpinisms . CD booklet . Ghostly International.
9. Web site: Lescharts.com – School Of Seven Bells – Alpinisms . Hung Medien . November 8, 2024.
10. Web site: Official Independent Albums Chart on 1/3/2009 . . November 7, 2024.