Today, Brisbane indie rock trio Last Dinosaurs unveil their second “transmission” ‘KYO’, concluding the two-part storyline initiated by the space-age ‘RYU’, last year. Together, ‘KYORYU’, combines to form the soundtrack for the manga created with friend and writer Erick Carrara and artists Em Niwa (‘KYO’) and Chris Yee (‘RYU’). The ‘KYORYU’ manga details the dystopian future storyline, further immersing fans and listeners into their world. ‘KYORYU’ also pays homage to brothers Sean and Lach Caskey’s Japanese heritage with the title stemming from their respective middle names, Kyohei and Ryusuke. Combined, ‘Ky?ry?’ (??) also translates to ‘dinosaur’. This reflects the brothers’ duality and illustrates the album’s essence, and while each track and project stands alone, they merge harmoniously to create a cohesive masterpiece.
In celebration of their new project, Last Dinosaurs are happy to announce the ‘KYORYU’ physical album release on May 21st which happens to be International Dinosaur Day! The vinyl release will include physical printed copies of the manga.
Last Dinosaurs are also thrilled to share the head-spinning music video for the psychedelic cut Paranoia Paradise. In the not-so-distant future, we see a tortured Lach tethered to his devices with unending access. Despite having the world at his fingertips, he’s trapped in a constant mode of hyperactivity and anxiety. The sing-along chorus is juxtaposed with black and white performance imagery that harkens back to an age of innocence when American Bandstand-type shows were the peak form of entertainment.
Despite coming up in Australia, indie rock band, Last Dinosaurs would say they’re an international enterprise – and they’ve got a track record to prove it. Brothers Lachlan and Sean Caskey, along with Michael Sloane have played sold-out headlining shows and festivals across the US, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and Australia. The success of studio albums, ‘In A Million Years’, ‘Wellness’, ‘Yumeno Garden’, and ‘From Mexico With Love’, have taken them around the world and back, playing notable festivals like Lollapalooza, Corona Capital, All Things Go Festival, and more alongside artists like Florence + The Machine, Bad Suns, Foals, Matt & Kim, Foster the People, and more.
In 2023, the Dinos continued to enthrall audiences with high-energy live performances in bigger and bigger venues. At the same time, they launched a cryptic new story in the seven-song release ‘RYU’. Like a transmission from another dimension, Lach, Sean, and Sloane embark on a cosmic adventure through time and space. “The year is 3023. The artificial intelligence revolution has been fought, won, and lost. The earth is blanketed with debris from previous civilizations’ satellites and space junk. The most powerful AI satellite runs critically low in battery, and in its dying months, reprograms its protocols. It now functions as an ancient style radio station, generating music based on algorithms it learnt from the previous civilization. RYU is a collection of transmissions intercepted from this satellite,” explains Sean.
The motorik Afterlife takes a grungy wall-of-sound approach while Walking On Ice carries an apocalyptic undertone and far-out guitars. Elton feels like a space-age dancefloor banger while Yin and Yang makes a playful allusion to both the band’s brotherly songwriting duo.
Now, Last Dinosaurs follow-up ‘RYU’ with the second transmission, ‘KYO’, to conclusion to the post-apocalyptic tale that focuses on the egocentrism and greed that led to humanity’s downfall.
“N.P.D highlights the narcissist to the pathological level,” Lach explains. Elsewhere, Self-Serving Human Being and Paranoia Paradise further explore the dystopian reality.
Physical copies of ‘KYORYO’ will be released on May 21st
With thanks to Nettwerk Music Group
