TG Gondard – ‘Avontuur’ CS $5
‘Wayward Belgium electronics’ would require several volumes of a radical music encyclopedia to even loosely engage the topic, and part of that reason is the endless river of new names that keeps cascading up from the cobblestoned sewers. Thibault Gondard floated on to our music map early this summer with a self-released LP of overdriven keyboard muscle, echo-warped skrewed-down drum machines, lulling air raid sirens, stained glass synth tonal pools, and alien soul vocal manipulations, and Avontuur is his freshest (and best) batch of tracks, which also functions as a debut of sorts. The opening cut, “Avontuur,” is as hybridized and electrifying as any he’s crafted thus far, slicing through the speakers with a stuttering codeine cassette-ready beat peppered with reverb handclaps and minimal keyboard riffs jacked through junk shop speaker cabinets. He’s just embarked on a two week European tour with ‘glue-wave’ post-punkers The Dreams so go huff his fumes live if he crosses yr flight path. Pro-dubbed and imprinted tapes in cases with J-cards designed by MB Brown. Edition of 150.
Galaxy Toobin’ CS $6
Rarely has a collab moniker felt as apt as this one. The one-off collab duo of Elliot Lip and William Burnett aka Speculator (no, not the hypnagogist dude) strikes a uniquely sublime synthesis of adrift-in-infinity astral synthesizer meditation and Legowelt-ish deep Chicago/Trax lab experiments. Cuts like “Toobin’ Problems” and “Friday Afternoon Toobin’” advance this latter agenda, soaring lazily through the stars on relaxed 303 bass bubbles and vintage drum machine skeletons, whereas others (esp. the B side) like “Snake River” and “Entering Snake Pass” summon more of a soundtrack/atmosphere vibe, cool cold dread and chrome tension coiling together like a reptile cyborg discovered in an alien space station (??). Originally released as a limited LP on Crème Organization in 2008, this has been a heavy-rotation NNF favorite ever since we heard it, and felt inspired to coax some new heads on board the Toobin’ trip by initiating this cassette edition. Pro-dubbed and imprinted tapes in full-color J-cards with a slightly revised layout of the original artwork. Edition of 150.