Lupine Howl

Early in 1999, Spiritualized frontman Jason Pierce dismissed guitarist Mike Mooney, bassist Sean Cook, and drummer Damon Reece. Mere months afterward, the three musicians launched Lupine Howl, whose sound fused psych, soul, and Krautrock. Having already collaborated with Massive Attack, the group issued its first single of 2000, Vaporizer, on the self-founded Vinyl Hiss label, with contributions from Portishead’s John Baggart and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci’s Euros Childs. Bronzage followed, after which Lupine Howl delivered its third single, 125, in early 2001. Beggars Banquet collected the three tracks as the 125 EP for release in the United States several months ahead of the band’s full-length debut. That autumn, Lupine Howl issued the lushly dramatic The Bar at the End of the World.