Newly remixed and remastered, Fluung’s debut record Satellite Weather has a breath of new life as well as a re-release on cassette via Den Tapes and, for the first time, vinyl via Setterwind Records.

Guitarist/vocalist Donald Wymer moved to Seattle in 2017 following a brief stint of scouring Craiglist for worn down rockers along the shores of Lake Erie where he reunited with his college pals, former bandmate and drummer Drew Davis as well as bass guitarist Brad Blasini, who were already familiarizing themselves with the motion of the Seattle DIY scene.

The three quickly got to creating the structures of the songs that would become Satellite Weather. Songs like “Spirit Well” and “Selfish Son” were riffs Wymer had previously reserved for his prior effort Critter whereas others, such as the band’s stand out single “American Money,” and the slow burning “Trouble” burst forth during damp November nights as the three adjusted to life post-Ohio, -Cleveland, and -college.

The EP Spirit Well quickly followed in January 2018 as did a conversation at the now defunct house venue Tacoma Dome in Wallingford with K Redden of Den Tapes. In May 2018 Fluung entered Buttermilk Studies and Seattle’s Wormhole with Dylan Hanwright to record what would become Satellite Weather. Hanwright considered the recording process a “a trial run” at Buttermilk as he had never engineered there, and in earnest, it was the first time the members of Fluung spent any meaningful time together in a professional recording studio – having previously relied on makeshift DIY recording setups, pro-bono work from friends, and the occasional warehouse basement in Chicago to put music to tape. It wouldn’t be until January 2019 that Fluung released Satellite Weather via Den Tapes on cassette.

Since it’s release Hanwright and Fluung often ruminated on what they would have done differently during the process at both Buttermilk and Wormhole – the flat snare tone on “Not Just Complaining,” the way the bass rang out during “Dig,” the guitars just not being loud enough to match what a live Fluung show was like. And oh yeah – the record wasn’t on vinyl.

So, following the release of Fluung’s second full length The Vine in 2022, Hanwright graciously started going back through the old files starting with “Trouble.” The result is a brand new sounding record, remastered by Justin Pizzoferrato and reissued on Den Tapes and a run on wax from Setterwind Records. The mix is perfect, the master is bumping, and most importantly the guitars are loud.

Purchase it here.

Photo by Mike Sampson