Process and Reality

For nearly two decades, Gun Outfit have prioritised longevity over trend, building a body of work rooted in shared experience and steady evolution. Formed in Olympia in 2006 and later settled in Los Angeles, they’ve grown from a raw duo into a supple five-piece whose sound balances space and intimacy with a persistent experimental streak.

Process & Reality is their most wide-ranging statement: an 80-minute double album recorded over a single month in late summer 2020 on a Pine Flat ranch, with a forest fire burning less than ten miles away. The setting seeps into the music’s atmosphere. The title nods to Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy, foregrounding intuition, experience and connection.

Core members Dylan Sharp and Carrie Keith are joined by Daniel Swire, Henry Barnes and Kayla Cohen, with contributions from Chris Cohen, Warren Lee and Danny Sasaki. Dulcimer, autoharp, sitar, melodica, homemade electronics and layered acoustic and electric textures broaden the palette. Reggae and dub inflect the production’s sense of space, while post-punk angles, folk currents and West Coast songwriting drift in and out of view.