Appropriately for new beginnings, Sea When Absent marks a number of firsts for ASDIG-it’s the first album recorded in a “real” studio by someone who isn’t Ben or Josh, the first album not written mostly by Ben, the first album with next-to-no reverb, and the first time in ASDIG’s history that it has existed as an actual band (not just Ben or Josh playing everything). There was also a conscious effort to get away from aspects of recording that have defined this band in the past-namely heavily reverbed and buried vocals . Vocalists Jen Goma and Anne Fredrickson have beautiful voices and it was time to explore the possibilities of their abilities/talents. Jen took on a central role in the making of this album, stepping up to write most of the lyrics and melodies. Anne also contributed melodies throughout the album and put her classical cello training to use adding string arrangements. Since 2009 Ben has called Sydney, Australia home and while he was down under, jack-of-all-trades Josh Meakim was “Our Man in Philly”, overseeing the recording sessions and adding all of the musical and production ideas he usually does. The distance between Ben and the rest of the band also forced novel ways of building songs from across the world.  Bassist Ryan Newmyer, in Brooklyn, was tasked with deconstructing and rebuilding several songs in his own way, exemplified in “Oh, I’m a Wrecker (What to Say to Crazy People)”. Holding it all together is drummer Adam Herndon.  Adam is Sea When Absent‘s alchemist-weaving between, and often reconciling, the colossal boom of electronic beats (see “Golden Waves” or “Double Dutch”) and the subtle elegance of adrum kit in a room (see “The Body, It Bends” or “The Things They Do to Me”).