cassette
Asher: Interference (Semata Productions, lim. 100)
After a series of collaborations (including the excellent Vista album with Jason Kahn on and/OAR) and releases on some phonography/microsound scene heavyweights (room40, Winds Measure, etc), Asher delivered his rather monumental double disc Miniatures one year ago. Interference finds Asher returning to the full length fold once again with over an hour of material. In case there was still any question about his ability to work with long forms, Asher seems to return to a similar process as seen on Vista, with microshifting jet engine static broken up only by tamed feedback fluctuations. No reverberant overindulgence or nature worship here; this is something cold, driven only by the process and result, as though it couldn't be done any other way. This is certainly not stuffy polished white gallery minimalism, the beauty lies in faults and fidelity here. Asher's ability to create interesting 'phonography' based work while somehow sidestepping all the traps that the genre seems to have set for itself puts his work in a class above, once again exemplified here.
6.50
RESTOCKING!
Ben Vida: Patchwork (Autumn, lim. 100)
Quite a knock your socks off tape! Especially if you are expecting anything in line with his band Bird Show. A series of automatic patches (minus two improvisations) made using only a semi-modular Moog set up. Often the automatic synth patch seems to fall into the realm of either glacial paced drone or overly repetitive robot beeps, something this tape is sure to put to rest (straight synth nerds take note- Vida some SERIOUS chops). Sorry folks, but LFO modulated triangle waves are not going to pass muster after hearing this one. These patches are all over the place, constantly bouncing, tweaking, making nice stereo shifts- all around pretty similar in the spastic nature of the core Mego camp’s laptop blitz. Ben Vida seems to have spent more than his share of time digging through 60s and 70s synth classics for some inspiration. Patchwork sounds exactly like someone spending countless hours in private studio archives compiling only the peak moments of every composition available, boiling it all down to a 38 minute ‘best of synthesizers’ mixtape.
Recommended!
8.50 RESTOCKING!
Blue Shift, Michael Barthel, Pille Weibel- I Have Recorded Every Single Smudge While Summer (Recordings For The Summer cass+zine)
Blue Shift offers up some minimal squeaking violin recordings that come with an accompanying zine of sketches, letters, and collages. Something sentimental, but equally uncomfortable- and intimate glance into an awkward private life.
7.00
Bonecloud: Chrysalis 1951-1926 (Twonicorn, lim. 100)
Moaning and cascading ambience from this now defunct Irish group. Long and lumbering, clocking in at 40 minutes, providing plenty of time to take a mental vacation, Chrysalis is Bonecloud's final document. Sure to appeal to those looking for a substitute for their overplayed Skaters tapes.
8.00
Bowed Metal Music: s/t (Semata Productions, lim. 125)
The duo of Matt Samolis and Peter Warren have been performing since 1997, having seen only one prior available recording back in 2001. Fortunately Semata has rescued two early dat recordings from the archives (dating from '97 and '98 respectively) clocking in at just over an hour. Shimmering overtones, metallic resonances, and some fantastic melodic structures are coaxed out of a variety of metal instruments including tuned rods, cymbals, and steel cellos. Given the wide appeal of this stuff I am pretty shocked that it has taken this long for BMM to see a secondary release. Folks with an interest in everything ranging from Bertoia's sculpture recordings to Fullman's long strings, Wastell & co's tam tam exploits or the whole Jackman scene- perk up your ears! You won't be disappointed.
6.50
Brendan Murray: Scared In My Heart (Twonicorn, lim. 110)
One of the finest. I am shocked copies of this are still floating around. Enough said.
8.00
Brendan Murray and Perispirit: s/t (Semata Productions, lim. 100)
Companion outing to the the excellent split LP released only a matter of weeks prior with one studio composition and one group improvisation. Two side long pieces on the heavy tip resembling Donoso's solo work or some of Murray's earlier discs (Resting Places comes to mind) with some very Faraway/Robot styled elements. Plenty of nice details and shifts going on with a nice low end workout for your speakers. Focused development as opposed to droning just for the sake of it, as if you would expect anything less.
6.50
Changleling: Primeval Breath (Twonicorn, lim. 100)
8.00
Conrad Schnitzler: Live 10.10.84 (Further Records, lim. 100)
Tangerine Dream/Cluster/all around synthesizer big shot Conrad serving up and hour of live material originally only available on a private release back in ’84. Some considerably noisy material here with plenty of white noise, synthesized clunking, wriggling upper register waves, and dissonance. Listening to a short clip may prove rather ineffective (or even off-putting for those expecting straight forward ambience) - this is the type of material that becomes most appealing only when listened to as a whole, drawing you in, providing just the right amount of challenge without being intentionally difficult. In other words, what a live show should be. The best part outside of the music itself- how it got onto the tape. Each tape is dubbed onto TDK ‘master’ grade cassettes using a vintage Nakamichi deck; pinnacle pro-sumer technology revived for a relatively period appropriate piece of audio. Prime nerd-out material for cassette tech obsessives (SM60 tapes, running about 2.50 to 3.00 a piece where still available for those keeping tabs on that sort of thing). An equally pro alternative to the factory dubbed/shrinkwrap approach that seems to be picking up a lot of steam lately.
12.00
Eli Keszler: Wolvers (REL, lim. 70)
Nail violin, bowed crotales, guitar, and drums creating an evolving atmosphere of shimmering overtones and piercing metallics. Packaged in cut patterned and silkscreened paper. Now long gone from the label and followed by several excellent releases of Eli's own, as well as others such as nmpreign, Wolvers provides a great insight into Eli's development as both a solo artist and collaborator.
7.50
Eli Keszler: Endgrove (REL, 2xCass, lim. 120)
Two cassettes worth of new material that sees Eli Keszler exploring some slightly different directions. With the exception of one side of extended bowed metals, Endgrove is darker than Keszler's previous releases, with some really nice lumbering sections that aren't a far cry from Michael Morley's style of syrupy clanging. The drums have really found an ideal place on these tracks; seeming slightly faster than normal and developing into more of a texture than a series of percussive events. Comes with silkscreened heavy paper J-cards and inserts and colored tapes with on-shell printing. Once again REL seems to have far surpassed any other label's packaging given the going rate of a xerox-cover cassette these days.
11.00
Envenomist: Black Bile (Twonicorn, lim. 100)
Another dose of David Reed's signature heavy atmospherics. While tending toward the slower side of the spectrum Envenomist is more than just another tedious 'synth drone' project. The influence of the noise/death industrial scene is clear in Reed's work with both cacophonous elements and dark melodic suggestions shifting in and out occasionally grinding against each other. Equally reminiscent of early 90's Release style dark ambient and home-taper alien synthscapes. An early starter and long time devotee to what seems to be a growing new school of darker synthesizer music, David Reed's projects are always sure to deliver.
8.00
Geoff Mullen: Bongo Closet (Razors And Medicine, lim. 100)
I'm willing to put my chips down only three and a half months into the year that 'Bongo Closet' will not only be the best titled release of 2010, but probably located somewhere in the general 'top 10' region. Make no mistake, this is a full length album (his first in almost 3 years??), not a drop in the bucket taped exercise. Excellent melodic ambience that seems to actually realize the full potential of such sounds whose surface has really only been scratched by most of the lowpass filter community. Hazy guitar blended with CS-50 synth lead through various fog patches of early 'private press' influences with beautiful touches of decaying fried electronics. But the highlight here, obviously, is the bongos. The centerpiece track makes up a good portion of the album bringing to mind some of the less orchestral acid-tinged elements of Alain Gorageur's score to La Planète Sauvage. Ominous echoing bongos ring out from the dark plane with flashed of colored light. Intelligent bongo-based lifeforms from beyond trying to communicate in a flurry of reversed banter. The door is locked behind you. Welcome to the bongo closet...
6.50
Jana Winderen: The Noisiest Guys On The Planet (Ash International, lim. 250)
An excellent field recording of deep sea shrimp from Norwegian sound artist Jana Winderen. 'Pistol' shrimp have been something that have fascinated me since I first heard about the deep sea shrimp layer. Unfortunately any recordings I previously found were always horrible quality, making this tape a welcome gem in my book. Small pops from the shrimp create an active but sparse atmosphere that could clearly be mistaken for a Sukora album. Fans of Francisco Lopez, field recording nuts, and microsounders are all sure to love this one.
Recommended!
8.00
Jason Zeh: A Mute Eating Honey (Nurse Etiquette, lim. 77)
A nice follow-up release to the minimally epic Heraclitus CD on Crippled Intellect. An absolute master of the cassette medium, Zeh records, loops, and does who knows what else to cassettes and their respective players to create fantastic sound environments. This cassette sees Zeh take a much denser approach to recording than Heraclitus, but remains equally as focused. Expect something a little on the dark side full or hiss, buzz, and tape molasses.
7.00
Jessica Rylan: Long Slow Changes (Fargone, Icefactory)
5.00
Kapotte Muziek: Corona Rewind (Incubator, lim. 100)
A pretty hissy/noisy take here from KM, reworking some old material. Harsh cassette fans should dig the abrasive update, just don’t expect the typical Incubator hiss and clatter here. Packaged in outstanding little hand made boxes and wire. Yeah you can take or leave the caution tape wrapper, but each box (which I can imagine were incredibly painstaking to get together) opens up to reveal a unique collage. A very nice little detail.
8.00
Kazumoto Endo + Kazuma Kubota- Live (Noise Ninja, lim. 65)
A quality live recording of a collaborative set with Killer Bug's K.E.(who should need no introduction), and K.K., who is new to me but seems to have his head on pretty straight when it comes to making harsh noise. Much more of a throwback to the 'japanese style' pedal puncher junk spasms of the Killer Bug project, Pain Jerk, or golden era Merz. Still tight and consistent, but with a reckless brutishness that just can't be accomplished with cold calculation and over editing. The B side is admittedly short for what is not the cheapest tape in the stack- however given the scarcity of new Endo material, I for one would jump at any chance to hear something new from one of Japan's now veteran masters.
11.00
Our Love Will Destroy The World: Broken Spine Fantastia (Tapedrift, limited ed.)
This new project of Campbell Kneale picks up exactly where Birchville Cat Motel left off. Campbell can seem to do no wrong and here is another example- a two sided excerpt from his ever evolving and endless universal AHA! moment.
7.00
Reuben Son: Glowing Departure (Private Chronology)
A very strong debut release of live electric guitar and cassette work offering a fresh take on classic minimalism mixed with guitar improvisation. Side A features some murky warm drones presumably coming from tapes blending incredibly well with shimmering guitar work with a bit of a surprise ending. Rather than electing for the cascading and dramatic playing style one might associate with a self proclaimed Fahey-devotee, Son manages to integrate his picking with enough control to create an integrated, detailed, yet uncluttered composition(although side B does also present a 6-string piece in the classic esotericana vein, and a good one at that). Hopefully Son will continue to step forward with new recorded material in the future seeing as this tape sounds far more exciting than most other releases coming out of the Erst-worship camps at present.
8.00
Reuben Son: Sensual Square (Private Chronology)
Reuben Son's second release on his own Private Chronology imprint once again exploring the possibilities of studio manipulated guitar improvisations started with Glowing Departure. Side A is some rather zonked abrasive guitar and clanging bells twisted around even further on metal oxide, somewhat in the vein of Bill Nace's solo outings, had they seen some seriously damaged “post production”. Following the general structure of Glowing Departure side B reveals some beautiful subdued fingerpicking guitar lines with eerie backing recordings and some lush tape saturation. Only two tapes in, Son is on a serious roll, with each release thus far bearing the feeling of some serious extended private development, only to be revealed when finally 'ready' rather than to be spewed out and forgotten in a sea of cd-r titles. Recommended!
7.00
Small Cruel Party: La La/Ka Jengbarsi Wolinje (Incubator, lim. 120)
Another SCP release on Incubator shedding some light on the odd and organic sounds from Key Ransone's 90s discography. La La provides some nice insight into the development of SCP over time, dropping some of the louder and more abrasive elements found on some cassettes (see All Early Parts for that) and headed more into the meditative rustling clutterscape the project is known for. These recordings seem to show a much stronger development in Ransone's personal playing style. Particularly noteworthy is the epic closer 'w..' which gives the whole release a real psychic pinnacle feel. While I would recommend the previously available All Early Parts for prior fans looking to pick up some rare history, for those woefully uneducated in Ransone's work, here is a great introduction to the heart of the SCP sound. Prime era recordings packaged with silkscreened art, felt, and a cut out.
8.00
Small Cruel Party: All Early Parts (Incubator)
Tried and true cassette culture returns thanks to Incubator (Yeast Culture/Petri Supply reincarnation). For anyone unfortunately unfamiliar with his work, Key Ransone's amazing Small Cruel Party project has been active since the late 80s creating mysterious and often delicate sound compositions falling somewhere in the realm of gutter electro-acoustics, ambient music, and abstract minimalism. Key has also been involved in other projects including Yeast Culture, Blowhole, and Kalberer Hotel Supply, all products of the mid-90s Seattle experimental scene. All Early Parts is a collection of several early and extremely limited SCP tapes, offering a rare glimpse at otherwise virtually unattainable recordings. Ranging from some rather noisy and harsh pieces to SCP's more trademark subtlety, All Early Parts provides some great insight into Key's development of the project and its varied history. Packaged in silkscreened layers of heavy paper with a DIY sense of beauty and craft rarely seen in modern tape labels. Includes a paper stand-up Key Ransone 'doll' you can use to guard valuables, protect your home, or ward off real friends.
10.00
Steve Young: Wedge Of Light (Young Tapes)
8.00
V/A: Nosejobs & Anklesocks (Beniffer Editions, lim. 150)
An excellent tape from Canada's Beniffer Editions compiling a wide range of quality artists all crammed on to one bizarre sound document; Id M Theft Able, Clay's Festering Lungs, Raionbashi, Kutzkelina, Schipfluch Gruppe, and plenty of others. Live actions, TV commercials, yodeling, found tapes, and sound poetry galore. Well worth picking up for Raionbashi's B-side contribution alone.
7.00
V/A: Enkele Gemotiveerde Produktiemedewerkers (Incubator, lim. 240)
More classic material being brought back into the light thanks to Incubator. Formerly a record store and performance space, Incubator has returned as a label run by the former Petri Supply. This time Incubator brings us the long out of print and classic EGP compilation first released by Midas Music. The original edition was limited to only 150 copies and is now a long out-of-print ebay gem, so even the reissue is sure to disappear quickly. An excellent line up with tons of classic acts such as Hands To, Luitenant Caramel, Arcane Device, Merzbow, Kapotte Muziek, IOSS (Jos Smolders), Winter (Peter Duimelinks), Yeast Culture, Gregory Whitehead, and others. Over an hour and a half of essential listening for any fan of golden era cassette culture. Packaged in typical era appropriate Incubator style- housed in a 5 color silkscreened oversized heavy paper cover.
10.00
V/A: Underground Australia (Cipher Productions)
A diverse overview of Australia's outsider music scenes ranging from harsh noise and power electronics to breakcore and ambient. Some more familiar names include Streicher, Halo, Rats With Wings, and Toecutter.
8.00
Vic Rawlings/Liz Tonne: Truck Krone (Semata Productions, lim. 100)
Momentarilly letting credentials do the talking Vic Rawlings is a member of longstanding groups The BSC (Bullock, Stelzer, Rhainey, etc), United States Of Belt, Undr Quartet, and the locally fabled Lawrence Cook Disaster Unit, with an endless list of collaborations. Now finally, we get a long overdue solo recording debut from Rawlings on his signature set up of prepared cello and cracked electronics. Long form explorations of damaged circuitry and strange resonances somewhat in line with the Möslang/Müller school of performance, with a sparser touch, a bit more delicate footing, and a bizarre sense of 'conclusion'. Liz Tonne, also a member of The BSC and Undr Quartet, holds her own on the rather poetic B side with some extended vocal techniques of upper register stuttering, and strained held tones (some of which cause some serious inner-ear modulation when played at a reasonable volume). This is also Tonne's first available solo document, and she seems to have something great to offer to both the improv and sound poetry community if we can manage to coax some more recordings out of her. The performance contained herein is singular, focused, and studied, resembling an unaccompanied François Dufrêne at some of his more piercing moments. Stand out material here from both artists who seem to take immense pleasure in always opting for the more baffling or confusing route, offering little to no resolution.
6.50
Virful Obirsa/Zero Zero Zero: Fearful Oblation (Incubator, lim. 150)
Double tape box set with two projects, both the solo work of one Allen Russell, a former Yeast Culture collaborator. But don't except any murky electro-acoustics here, this is four sides of Sequential Circuits Pro One investigations from 1986-1990 unreleased until now. With the recent popular interest in early synth experiments, minimal synth, out there 'dance' music (Operative, No Fun Acid, Haswell and Hecker's recent solo work...) this stuff seems right on target offering some totally zonked takes on all of the above. Sometimes things seems to be headed into John Bender or Y Create territory, but an actual song never really surfaces. Other tracks are on the much grittier side reminiscent of Esplendor Geometrico or Maurizio Bianchi (from whom I have heard some material that is erm... far less interesting than this, which was released to the public for one reason or another). Nik Pascal fans are sure to dig this one with its blend of martian synthesis and occasional stripped-down drum tracks. Packaged Incubator style with tons of mind melting graphics.
12.00
Yeast Culture: Yeast Culture (Incubator)
Return of the legendary Yeast Culture, at least into the realm of recorded material being accessible. Hopefully the group needs little to no introduction. But, for those out of the loop... active through the 90s Yeast Culture was a collective of artists who amassed various recordings from abandoned buildings, natural sites, industrial and scientific bi-products, and similar means, arranged and assembled them in their studio/store/performance space in a downtown industrial warehouse for live performance, installation, and recorded editions. Having released work on labels such as Quiet Art Works, Selektion, and Korm Plastics, the collective's self run Petri Supply records have become highly coveted. Thankfully Incubator is here to re-release in nearly identical packaging one of the groups earlier titles from 1988. This self-titled cassette features Yeast Culture in a variety of formations compiling tracks from various members of the collective. Comprised mainly of strange organic (or organic sounding) noises, arranged in an almost concrete fashion. Packaged with drawings and antique wallpaper.
Recommended!
10.00
Yeast Culture with Achim Wollscheid and All Fours: Red Light Remixes (Incubator, lim. 108)
What could be called the first new Yeast Culture recording in a very long time. A relatively quiet affair reassembled/constructed from microcassette recordings made over 10 years ago at the Paper And Plastic event. Computers, sound objects, percussion, prepared tapes, all captured in glorious micro magnetic oxide quality before being scrambled even further into the final product- a nice Tudor styled junkcoustic gallery ambiance collage for your home. Packaged in the usual style, fitting as ever!
8.00
