COUGH COOL – ‘LATELY’ LP
In essence, Philadelphia representatives Cough Cool’s debut vinyl long-player, Lately, is a slow-burning, bedroom-based, fuzz affair. Equally channeling the influence of My Bloody Valentine & Ween, the album comes across as a swampy 90s alternative-pop record of the highest caliber. This band would be touring with Guided By Voices if this were to have dropped in 1994. Lately brings a wild pop sound to the table, but Cough Cool isn’t afraid to leave the dirt firmly under fingernails and a layer of grit across the music. This isn’t just some haphazard, trendy, lo-fi aesthetic we’ve seen done to death since 2008 either. The way the music oozes, lazily, out of speakers is all in the process. It’s all part of the escape. It’s all part of the magic of the project… AND the songs?? Classic fucking shredders. Cough Cool is pop music, deconstructed and rewired to create 2011’s new traditional Alternative era. There’s a way of blending the influence of past forefathers with modern-day peers (Blank Dogs, Dirty Beaches), that creates an entirely new, unpolished, unique, and perfect sound. This is the type of shit you’d expect to see post-midnight on 120 Minutes back in 1996, and it works even better now. P.S. the title-track, “Lately,” would make the perfect backing to a creepy David Lynch film’s opening scene. Edition of 300. SAMPLECOUGH COOL – ‘Basement’ cassette
Basement comes creeping from behind a cracked door, right as Lately – the debut full-length vinyl from Cough Cool – breathes its first breath of life. Recorded directly after the Lately-sessions, Basement is a raw, instrumental stab in the gut. The vibe within: six minimal tracks cruising you to the strip; head heavy in the clouds, fuzzed and blissed. 50 copies only available packaged in tandem with Lately, in a special set.ZAC NELSON – ‘SOUND A SLEEP SOUND’ LP
How do you describe magical, ethereal creatures that slide out of night skies and into your bedroom, offering a welcoming hand extended to invite you on a journey and a warm embrace after they’ve put you back to bed? Almost indentical is describing the odd wonder of Sound A Sleep Sound, a dynamic album that rockets out of the niches built by genre standards like ambient or drone. No, this is cosmic soul-searching, boiled down into 40 minutes of nebulous-pink, gooey extraterrestrial love. On this wax saucer, Zac Nelson, of CHLL PLL and Hex Love fame, throws down two side-long floaters bent solely on mental coaxing into another zone. Patient, yet involved tones slip and shimmer into and out of perspective. The sounds liquify and coat your entire persona. Sit a spell in a dim room with the lovely drifters encased in wax. You will find yourself waking into a new reality. Your head might feel swimmy and your heart a little heavier. That means you’re newly alive. Edition of 250; 125 white vinyl / 125 gold vinyl. SAMPLE
DINNER MUSIC – ‘ELECTRIC HOKUM’ cassette
Rick Weaver, of Human Conduct and New Flesh fame, is hitting the boundaries of musical excellence with his new solo work. Welcome to the off-the-wall insanity project entitled Dinner Music. Truly, this is a tough cookie to define on a website, so for the best description possible, just click the play button and hear a sample – but that’s just a scratch on the spectrum. Maniacal oddity combined with pure brilliance, this stuff is floating in it’s own realm. Characterized by it’s freak moments, it has a Zappa-styled diversity to it – There’s synth mayhem, cinematic flair, noir-ish soundscapes, beautiful sunken melodies, perhaps even nods to…Suicide? This is one for the history books, dudes and dudettes. Just reach in, grab hold, and never let go. Edition of 75. SAMPLEANGELO HARMSWORTH untitled cassette
Angelo Harmsworth is bringing wonderfully textural pieces to the table here. His untitled cassette is perfect for autumn landscapes; switch off your worry and set yourself to drift. The tones are sepia, soaked in natural ambiance and easy to fall into. Something about this recalls the likes of a more folk-centric Sean McCann or an unwinding Fennesz, or even perhaps trips into the area reached with collaborations of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto. This is an awe-inspiring ode to the beauty around us. Elegant, exquisite, and wistful, Harmsworth’s work is open and alluring, this is definitely one to soak into… Double panel jcards are printed on handmade Wildflower seed paper. You are given the choice to plant or keep. With proper care, these seeds will sprout into lovely wildflowers. Edition of 50. SAMPLEMOTION SICKNESS OF TIME TRAVEL & LISTENING MIRROR split cassette
Bathetic is pleased to bring this limited edition split cassette from two wonderful up and comers in the realm of beautiful ambient soundcape music; Rachel Evans’ Motion Sickness Of Time Travel & Jeff Stonehouse’s Listening Mirror. This comes hot off the heels of Bathetic’s initial Listening Mirror release, the breathtaking The Heart Of The Sky. Motion Sickness Of Time Travel has been steadily builiding a name for itself, as Rachel Evans creates absolutely dream-like fields of musical texture. Recalling, vaguely the likes of Grouper or Sparkling Wide Pressure, Evans submits long, shimmering pieces that travel from concrete droning tone to heavenly, dense reverb-bliss. Shaking the dirt loose from the folds of your hands. This is heavy, heavy, heavy; in the purest, most blinding way. Listening Mirror is becoming another name to follow, as Jeff Stonehouse keeps bringing the most intimate ambient music to our ears. For this split, we’re set to the skies with long-reaching synth sweeps and a beautiful backdrop of bassy drone. Soon, voices emerge, the sky becomes thick and heavy. Glorious, bright, and intense. This is not background music. Crank it and find yourself worshipping the sun, the stars, and reaching towards the heavens. Edition of 100. SAMPLE A ; SAMPLE B