The Junior EP (2014)
“I’d rather part with public admiration - for private glee / Glee in the knowledge that you’re all standing up there, inclined to me”
Slow Dakota released The Junior EP in October of 2014. It's unique to Slow Dakota's discography in many ways: first, it was recorded entirely on New York's Upper West Side (a far cry from Sauerteig's normal recording digs in Indiana). The tiny EP also has a decidedly Baroque / Rococo flair; we hear harpsichords, church organs, and Flugelhorn for the first time. The album cover nods to the EP's regal textures: Rococo fans will recognize Jean-Antoine Watteau's painting, La Surprise.
While Sauerteig's first two releases were full-fledged concept albums, The Junior EP is too short to develop a conceptual framework. Interestingly, though, its fourth song describes a meeting between Bürstner and Slow Dakota (the protagonists from Sauerteig's first two albums). In this sense, The Junior EP is significant in that it connects all of Sauerteig's prior work. The EP was mixed and mastered by Sauerteig's longtime Columbia roommate, Stephan Adamow, who also contributed drums.
The EP received few, but favorable reviews. Midwest Action likened it to "an exotic Siberian traveling circus" coming to town, while Funeral Sounds hailed it as a "sweet and well produced brand of baroque folk." You can download the entire album for free, here.