Nearly four decades since its initial release, The Moon and the Melodies by Cocteau Twins and Harold Budd is being reissued on vinyl for the first time on August 23, remastered from the original tapes by Robin Guthrie.
The Moon and the Melodies stands as an ethereal anomaly in the Cocteau Twins’ catalogue, guided by the free-form improvisations of ambient pioneer Harold Budd. This collaboration felt like a serendipitous convergence of celestial bodies, hinting at a potential future direction for the trio—a path they ultimately chose not to tread again. The album builds on the atmospheric bliss of Victorialand, released earlier that year, and has since garnered a devoted following. Tracks like “Sea, Swallow Me” have found new life on social media, becoming the backdrop to countless expressions of inarticulate melancholy.
Despite its understated origins, The Moon and the Melodies casts a long shadow. Simon Raymonde believes its uniqueness stems from its humble, unpremeditated creation: “It captured a moment in time between friends enjoying making music together. Really, that’s the essence of it,” he says. Pre-save and pre-order The Moon and the Melodies here.
To mark this reissue, Cocteau Twins have also unveiled a fully remastered HD library of their music videos, spanning from 1984’s Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops to 1996’s Tishbite. These upgrades bring newfound clarity to the band’s visual history. Check out the full music video catalogue here.
- Pearly Dewdrops’ Drops (1984)
- Aikea Guinea (1985)
- Love’s Easy Tears (1986)
- Crushed (1987)
- Carolyn’s Fingers (1988)
- Iceblink Luck (1990)
- Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
- Evangeline (1993)
- Bluebeard (1993)
- Rilkean Heart and Half-Gifts (1995)
- Tishbite (1996)
Prepare your wallets, Cocteau Twins fans: the band has launched their official webstore, offering t-shirts, totes, and sweaters—their first official merch since 1997.
In other Cocteau Twins news:
- Elizabeth Fraser is touring with Massive Attack, her first in five years, performing tracks such as “Song to the Siren.”
- Robin Guthrie is set to release Atlas, a four-track EP of new instrumentals, on July 19 via Soleil Après Minuit. Pre-order the EP here and here.
- Simon Raymonde has announced his new memoir, In One Ear—Cocteau Twins, Ivor and Me, to be released in September. The book chronicles the history of the Cocteau Twins and Simon’s musical journey from childhood to the present day. Pre-order a copy here.
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