Just announced is the forthcoming release of a brand new record, Ponder Machine (Shimmy Disc), the heady new concoction from banjo virtuosos JD Pinkus (Butthole Surfers) & Tall Tall Trees (Mike Savino), due June 30, 2023. 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 comes the arrival of its first single, “Fungal Mountain Breakdown,” with an accompanying video directed by Pinkus himself.

On the track, Pinkus wrote: “Come take a rare peek at life up on Fungal Mountain, where music can literally take you away. Only two Banjo pickers in the world know how to play this song and when played at the proper tempo and tuning, it can transport the players and the listeners to other dimensions. We were lucky enuff to capture it on tape one day…”