Fossils – ‘Korjev/Wet Industry’ lathe 7″ £9.5
“Fossils were Daniel Farr, Graham Lambkin and David Payne. 2012 duo recordings of Farr and Payne were transferred to Lambkin for special treatment. Lambkin’s touch is understated yet elevates Fossils to new heights. Side A ‘Korjev’ brings you to the playground, combining electronic and organic impressions. Side B ‘Wet Industry’ is a bus ride to the rodeo, vibrating subtle itch on the spine.” Artwork by Graham Lambkin. 50 numbered copies.
Fossils – ‘Bells and Gulls’ CDr £4
“This new release, recorded especially for KSE, features core Fossils members Daniel Farr on piano and David Payne on accordion, and the first two tracks feature this duo material…although you should think of these instruments as ”sound sources” as the material is treated heavily. The piano is clearly a piano in some parts (reminiscent of the “broken piano” found on Coum Transmissions “Sugarmorphoses” LP), though the playing is of a wobbly nature that reminds me of a gyroscope falling off its axis (and that’s before it’s slowed down and stretched like elastic), and the accordion is used to create various chunky, streaky layers. Thus, the overall effect is one of cold candle-lit bubbling, churning other-worldly experimental library music filtered through Two Virgins. It’s atmospheric and as you listen it leaves melted residue on your mind. Also, the hand of the artist is clear in the edits/overlays which are not intended to be un-noticed and seamless, so it’s almost like an action-painting in sound. The remaining 7 tracks consist of solo pieces from Farr (tracks 3-5) and Payne (tracks 6-9), which use recordings from the same source-material sessions, but go much further out. I have images of AMM rehearsing in a dank chamber of Boris Karloff’s dungeon, full of Jess Franco-esque zooms and garish-colored lighting, and with someone tripping while messing with the sound source. You can conjur your own picture, but this is the perfect music for the freezing wet 5 a.m. winter atmosphere in which I’m typing this. And the exciting news is that the next Fossils release will be nothing at all like this. These guys are doing important work. They are unconcerned with image and hipness and being part of some clique, as so many “experimental” musicians in the so-called noise world are. This is original creation of the purist sort–in the great North American tradition spanning from Harry Partch to Jandek and beyond. Fossils and Middle James Co. are creating one of the most original bodies of work being done today. People will look back on this and pretend to have been champions of it while they were actually over-praising the darlings of the drone/ambient/noise world instead. Get on the Fossils Train To Surreal Lalaland NOW with BELLS AND GULLS. KSE is honored to feature Messrs. Payne and Farr’s work and to welcome them to the KSE family. Fossils and Middle James are the kind of groups/arts collectives that I look up to and respect…and most of all, ENJOY as they document the pure joy of creation, with the blinders taken off, the training wheels removed, and the fences taken down. It’s a wild ride…”