Ponder Machine, the heady new concoction from banjo virtuosos JD Pinkus (Butthole Surfers) & Tall Tall Trees (Mike Savino), on Shimmy Disc, is set to drop on June 30. The new LP — which contains the spirit of high mountain bluegrass, laden with profound and somewhat sinister depth — is introduced with the following:

Take a Deep Dive into their secluded mountain stream, but beware the rapids and hang tight to your tube! That heretic howl is not in your imagination, and yes, the ancient trees may shift slightly as you rocket past, just enough to offer a glowing glimpse into the strange new world  illuminated by a pair of passionate, psychedelic banjo masters.

If a trembling string fails to find its traditional fret, the network of fungi beneath your feet may be alerted by the wanton sounds of SpaceGrass (or is it ‘SlowGrass’ ?) shifting magnetically in the cosmic blue-lit forest.  Watch out for boiling soils beneath your feet. Hold tight in that brainy space between your ears – better just lay back and enjoy the long slow slide. 

Alongside the record announcement came the arrival of its first single, “Fungal Mountain Breakdown,” with an accompanying video directed by Pinkus himself. Today, the duo returns with the record’s second single, “Afterlifer,” also with an accompanying video.

On the track, Savino wrote:

“A classic tale in which the author gazes blankly into the omphalos only to find the most ragiest of ragers at the end of the rainbow. And his dog is there. Recording-wise, this tune started off as a nice little banjo plunker and somewhere along the way, took a sharp left onto Roger McGuinn Blvd. I’m not sure what we did there. It was pretty much an accident, but a good one.”