''Before Today'' is the eighth studio album by American recording artist

Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi music, lo-fi aesthetic and home ...

, credited to "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti", and released on June 8, 2010. The album marked Pink's debut on the record label

4AD 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD af ...

. It was his first official LP of new recordings since 2003's '' Worn Copy'' and his first written and recorded with a supporting band, referred to in the liner notes as "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". The album was critically acclaimed upon release, with '' Pitchfork'' placing the album at #9 on its list of "The Top 50 Albums of 2010". Lead single " Round and Round" was also ranked by ''Pitchfork'' as the best track of 2010.

Composition

The album's opening track, "Hot Body Rub" previously appeared (in an alternative version) on an EP ''Ariel Pink with Added Pizzazz'', which was a collaboration between

Vas Deferens Organization Vas Deferens Organization is an American experimental band and a production team founded in Dallas in 1994 by Matt Castille in association with Christopher Moock, Jason Cohen, Barbara Cohen, Craig Carlton, Breck Outland, and Reagen Boone. In 19 ...

(as producers) and Ariel Pink who are friends to each other. VDO provided production for this track, as well as thanks to one of its members, Eric Lumbleau, Pink made friends with Gonzales family who appeared on it.Niklas Records, Jakub Krawczynski (2011, August)
"Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner: Transcontinental Conspiracy presskit".
Retrieved 09 September 2012. The album contains several homages to vintage rock and pop songs, including "Bright Lit Blue Skies," written by Ronn Campisi and performed by the Rockin' Ramrods in 1966, and "Beverly Kills," which draws heavily on Ago's 1982 track "For You" and Olivia Newton-John's "Physical." "Reminiscences" is an instrumental cover of an

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

pop song, "I Remember a Man" by Yeshimebet Dubale.

Critical reception and legacy

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

named "Before Today" the No. 15 Pop & Rock Album of 2010.

writer Dimitri Nasrallah said that "Before Today is a hard-earned victory lap for Pink, not only the most triumphantly realized album of his left-of-centre catalogue, but a much-needed second wind for an artist who very nearly finished off the decade as another minor curiosity in outsider-pop's long lineage." The album placed seventh in '' The Wire''s annual critics' poll. As of 2011, it has sold 25,942 copies in the United States, according to

Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

Track listing

Personnel

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

*Ariel Pink * Aaron Sperske *

Cole M.G.N. Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, known professionally as Cole M.G.N., is an American musician, record producer, songwriter and mixer. He is a former member of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Cole has worked with Beck, Julia Holter, Christine and the Q ...

*Kenny Gilmore *Tim Koh

Guest musicians

*Tamara Cauble – violin (#1) *Aaron González – bass guitar (#1) *

Dennis González Dennis González, often credited Dennis Gonzalez (August 15, 1954March 15, 2022), was an American jazz trumpeter, artist, and educator from Texas. He hosted ''Miles Out'' on KERA-FM for over twenty years. Early life González was born in Abilen ...

– trumpet (#1) *Stefan González – drums (#1) *Jim Lehnert – alto & baritone sax (#1) *Eric Lumbleau – vocals (#1) *Chris Cohen – backing vocals (#9) *Max "Sax" Kaplan – saxophone (#9) *

Nedelle Torrisi Nedelle Torrisi is an American musician who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Biography Torrisi grew up studying classical violin and performing in musicals. Her mother is an ex-nun and pianist, while her father was an ex-Jesuit priest and jazz drum ...

– backing vocals (#9)

Technical

*Van Deferens Organization - production & engineering (#1) *Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - producers (#2-12) *Sunny Levine – producer, engineer (#2-12) *HG - engineer (#2-12) *Rik Pekkonen – engineer (#2-12) *John Golden – mastering (#1-4, 6-12) *Christian Wright – mastering (#5) *Douglas Lee – artwork

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Before Today 2010 albums Ariel Pink albums Albums recorded in a home studio Experimental pop albums