Slow Summits is the fifth studio album by the Scottish band The Pastels, released via Domino Recording Company in 2013. The album was their first proper studio album since 1997's Illumination, having released a soundtrack album and a collaborative album with Japanese avant-pop band Tenniscoats in between. The album was announced on New Years Eve 2012 with a teaser video. The release preceded by the single "Check My Heart" in April 2013, backed by the B-side "Illuminum Song". In select UK independent record stores, the album was accompanied by a bonus mix CD of songs that inspired Stephen and Katrina during the making of the album entitled Insane Energy Drop. The physical copies did not come with a tracklisting. The mix was also uploaded online and a competition was held for fans to identify all the tracks. The person who identified the most tracks was offered a signed print of the album cover, something from The Pastels own archive, and a record of their choice from the Domino catalogue. The mix includes tracks by Movietone, Strawberry Switchblade, To Rococo Rot, Ela Orleans, Teenage Fanclub, International Airport, Faust and Television Personalities amongst others. A video for "Kicking Leaves" was released in November. The group promoted the album with selected dates across the UK and Europe and have continued to perform in these territories yearly since the album's release. Stephen Pastel has explained that the large gap between albums stemmed partly from Annabel Wright's