Influential Australian post-punk/electronic outfit Essendon Airport have made an unexpected return, sharing their first new music in 40 years. The new material takes the form of a 7″ single, with Anne Cessna joining the outfit for the tracks ‘Agua Por Favor’ and ‘Ten Thousand Steps’, with accompanying visuals animated by drummer Paul Fletcher.
Officially released today, the two songs follow in the footsteps of their debut recordings in 1980. While ‘Agua Por Favor’ is described as having all the “idiosyncratic energy and magic” of the pairing of Essendon Airport and Anne Cessna, ‘Ten Thousand Steps’ is on the other end of the spectrum, taking a gentler and more reflective approach.
Anne Cessna & Essendon Airport – ‘Agua Por Favor’
Essendon Airport formed in 1978 as a duo comprising keyboardist and percussionist David Chesworth and guitarist Robert Goodge. Following 1979’s Sonic Investigations (Of The Trivial) EP, they teamed up with Anne Cessna for the ‘Talking To Cleopatra’ single, which became an influential recording within the world of minimalist post-punk.
The band released their sole album, Palimpsest, in 1982, and broke up the following year. They’ve occasionally reunited in the following decades and just last week, it was announced that Essendon Airport would reform to play for the 30th birthday celebrations of Chapter Music, with a one-off show scheduled for Saturday, 5th November in Melbourne.
‘Ten Thousand Steps’
Further Reading
Chapter Music Announces Full Lineup For 30th Birthday Event This November
A Six-Week Music and Arts Festival Is Taking Over Sydney’s Long-Dormant Harbour City Cinema
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