| The Recordings of the Middle East | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | October 27, 2009 | |||
| Genre | Folk, post-rock | |||
| Length | 26:15 | |||
| Label | Spunk[1] | |||
| Producer | L’Orfèvre, The Middle East | |||
| The Middle East chronology | ||||
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The Recordings of the Middle East is the first extended play released by Australian folk band The Middle East on Spunk Records. The band released the EP in Australia on October 27, 2009, and in the United States on June 8, 2010.[2] The Middle East made the album available to download from their Myspace page on October 27, 2009.[3] Prior to the release of this EP and the band's first hiatus they released a longer version of this record with three extra tracks: "Pig Food", "The Fall of Man", and "Tsietsi".[4]
Their songs "The Darkest Side" and "Blood" came in at number 87 and 64, respectively, on the Australian Triple J Hottest 100 in 2009.[5] Their song "Blood" is also featured in the films Accidents Happen, It's Kind of a Funny Story, and Crazy, Stupid, Love, as well as an episode of the Australian television comedy-drama series Offspring, a TV commercial for the European bank BNP Paribas, and in the trailer for the film Jeff, Who Lives at Home. It was also covered by British folk rock band Mumford & Sons and their opening act Gang of Youths on their 2019 Delta Tour.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Darkest Side" | 5:07 |
| 2. | "Lonely" | 7:27 |
| 3. | "Blood" | 5:27 |
| 4. | "Fool's Gold" | 3:14 |
| 5. | "Beleriand" | 5:01 |
| Total length: | 26:15 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Dirty Looks" | 4:46 |
| 7. | "Pig Food" | 7:10 |
| 8. | "The Fall of Man" | 5:39 |
| 9. | "Tsietsi" | 13:06 |
| Total length: | 30:41 | |
The Middle East:[4]
Additional personnel:[4]
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Physical Singles (ARIA)[6] | 4 |
