The sleeper hit of 2006, Beirut's Gulag Orkestar came out of nowhere to sell tens of thousands of copies in a matter of months and wound up on countless critics' year-end lists. As a stopgap before recording a new full-length in Fall 2007 -- and as a way to capture some current songs being performed at shows -- the eight-member band checked into Sea Side Studios in Brooklyn to record Lon Gisland.

These are the first studio recordings made by the entire group, and a sampling of the most recent songs by orkestar leader Zach Condon. Lon Gisland features four new tunes and a full band reworking of Gulag's 'Scenic World.' The five-song EP was initially released with the European edition of Gulag Orkestar (4AD) and as a limited edition, one-sided vinyl 12-inch by Chouette.