Castor - Moving Backgrounds [2LP Orange & Clear]

Castor’s Moving Backgrounds finally gives one of the Midwest’s great underground secrets the expansive vinyl treatment it deserves. Gathering the band’s complete recorded output for the first time on wax, this 2025 collection shines a long-overdue spotlight on a group that quietly carved its own path through the fertile Champaign-Urbana scene of the 1990s.

Emerging alongside influential peers like Hum and Braid, Castor never settled into a single lane. Their 1995 self-titled debut explored patient, experimental slow-core textures, while 1997’s Tracking Sounds Alone pushed toward a dreamier, post-shoegaze sound filled with layered guitars and atmospheric depth. Across both albums, the band balanced introspection with ambition, creating music that felt equally suited for headphones and dimly lit clubs.

This 2LP set features a newly remastered version of Castor alongside a reimagined remix of Tracking Sounds Alone by vocalist and guitarist Jeff Garber. Standout songs from both eras reveal a band fascinated by mood, space, and subtle emotional shifts, with shimmering guitars and thoughtful arrangements that anticipated many of the sounds indie rock would embrace in the years that followed. Five bonus tracks further deepen the story, offering an even fuller picture of Castor’s creative evolution.

Pressed on orange and clear 180-gram vinyl, Moving Backgrounds also includes new artwork by Andy Mueller, original album jackets, and extensive liner notes. It is a beautifully assembled archival release that celebrates a band whose influence quietly echoes far beyond its brief original run.

Tracklist

LP1 - Castor S/T

1. Anecdotes
2. Pontiac
3. Grind In Motion
4. Ceremal Frame
5. Dust Gun
6. Trans
7. The Package
8. Baroque
9. Silent Type
10. Repousse
11. Carinval (7" Version)
12. Miss Atlantic

LP2 - Tracking Sounds Alone 

1. Stay Lo
2. Moving Backgrounds
3. Trackstar
4. Five Hours Later
5. Carnival
6. The Halo Befriends Me
7. 1000 Miles From Nowhere
8. Above Water
9. Tracking Sounds Alone
10. Untitled