Formed as a psych-folk super duo, August Born unites Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance with Hiroyuki Usui, whose past projects include L, Fushitsusha, and Eikyukonran. Their initial contact occurred through music journalist and Japanese music specialist Alan Cummings while he translated the liner notes for VHF’s reissue of L’s elusive album Holy Letters. An admirer of both musicians, Cummings proposed Six Organs of Admittance to Usui and subsequently arranged an email exchange between Chasny and Usui that developed into a mail-based collaboration. Drawing on a wide array of sounds such as guitar solos and field recordings, the partnership produced August Born’s self-titled debut, which Drag City released in summer 2005.
