The Birbmen are back, and I am so happy to have worked with my stars again on album number two. Takeoffs & Landings is a record all about travel and adventures, encompassing the highs and lows, stresses and triumphs that come along with them. With a helping hand in the pitching process, Din Of Celestial Birds found a new nest with Big Scary Monsters, a beloved label who just reached their 25th birthday. This album is bigger and better than ever before, and it set a real precedent for the Leeds based band. They’re now doing everything bigger and better. Whether it’s travelling to China to play Can Festival or playing at ArcTanGent Festival for the third (soon to be fourth) time. I was lucky to catch the birbs play in Manchester on their October headlining tour, and they truly blew me away. Everything about their stage show has gone next level – fancier gear, an amazing new lighting rig, and such a loud and crushing sound. They made the small local venue feel like the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury! Where can they go from here??? To infinity and beyond!
ACCOLADES
“From Leeds to the world, post-rock travellers Din Of Celestial Birds take you on a journey – and yes, it does stick the landing.”
~ KERRANG! – KKKK
“Takings & Landings sees the collective spreading their wings in glorious fashion, with a heavier edge adding a further dimension to their instantly recognisable sound.”
~ Noizze – 8/10
“An impassioned listen that comes with layer after layer of heartfelt melodrama and excitibility.”
~ Grave Noise – 10/10
FROM THE PRESS KIT
The instrumental quintet have chosen to work once again with producer and studio engineer Joe Clayton (also guitarist of Pijn) at his own sonic altar No Studio, a small basement dwelling a stone’s throw from Manchester’s Strangeways Prison. No Studio has been a safe haven and vintage gear heaven for many heavy and experimental bands searching for nuanced layers and brimming textures in their recordings – including Bossk, Conjurer, Mastiff, Pupil Slicer, Wildernesses, Hidden Mothers and many more. Speaking with OST Magazine, “We just love [Joe’s] sounds. He’s as hands-on as you want him to be. We wanted to have his fingerprints a bit more on it because he’s written and produced a lot of really good records.” The band doubled their studio time with Clayton compared to the recording of their debut, fully intending to allow more time for experimenting, playing with sound and finding those off-the-cuff moments without the pressure of the clock. “There’s a lot more synths and double-tracked guitars,” confirms bassist and synth player Matt Benatan. Whilst their debut captured the band’s live sound so well, Takeoffs & Landings proves to be a brave step to create a deeper studio album listening experience, unique and independent of the band’s live performances. “There are details that you’re only going to hear on the record,” adds Benatan, “We wanted to lean into the possibilities and use everything we could throw at it.”
Released on August 7th 2026 on Vinyl, CD and Digital via Big Scary Monsters (UK/EU), A Thousand Arms (US), and Tomato Records (China).
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