CASK – ‘CASK’ C91 $8(US)/$12(CAN)/$15(World)
CASK is a UK drone super group of sorts, featuring the likes of Chris Gowers (Karina ESP), Alex Smalley (Pausal, Olan Mill), Simon Bainton (Pausal), and Katie English (Isnaj Dui) joining forces to help you drift away to the maximum. With a running time that exceeds an hour and a half, their self-titled debut is well suited for lengthy relaxation sessions or even sleep accompaniment. Combining guitar, flute, synthesizer, and vinyl samples, it’s clear upon first listen that this is a group of friends and collaborators with history that runs deep and they’re extremely comfortable playing with one another. Individual elements of the sound seem to mesh smoothly into one, but a closer listen reveals great detail and tight interplay between each musician. Excellent for both passive and active listening, this is a release that truly earns the “epic” tag, and it’s one you’ll want to return to continually and experience in brand new ways. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Comes with a free digital download code. Edition of 100.
Glass House – ‘Keeping to the Void’ C44 $8(US)/$12(CAN)/$15(World)
After last year’s split with Even the Dew is Porous, we’ve been itching to share more from this excellent Brooklyn/Philadelphia duo. On ‘Keeping to the Void’, Ian Collier and Eric Brannon continue to advance their ability to create soundscapes that are paradoxically massive and intimate. Processing a heavy mix of piano, vocals, field recordings, as well as stringed and percussive instruments, each piece has an entirely distinct sound, exploding with both dark imagery and grandiose beauty. There’s something distinctly cinematic about this music, which is no surprise given the members’ backgrounds in film production. Still, they manage to create pieces that are in no way heavy handed nor emotionally manipulative. Instead, their audio journey through the void invites you to conjur up your own imagery to accompany the magnificent sounds. What will you see when you open your ears and close your eyes? Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Comes with a free digital download code. Edition of 100.
Bedroom – ‘Shade & System’ C44 $8(US)/$12(CAN)/$15(World)
It’s always a pleasure to present new music from longtime friend and label cohort Michael Chau. After a split with Afterlife and two previous full-length releases on the label, Chau delivers another total stunner with ‘Shade & System’. The release is built around two long form pieces that were played during live sets throughout 2013. Both compositions find Chau carefully juggling a variety of synths, samplers, and subtly-used drum machines to build toward climaxes that are overwhelmingly satisfying. Chau has proven his ear for beautiful melody on past releases, but this time he takes it over the top. With each new element added to the mix, the emotional impact grows exponentially. The long form compositions are surrounded by five shorter works that chart new territory for the project, using modular synths to chop pop samples and field recordings into hypnotic abstractions and undulating rhythms. It all adds up to Bedroom’s strongest release to date and another perfect excuse to turn the volume up and shift your gaze toward the clouds. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Comes with a free digital download code. Edition of 100.
Andreas Brandal – ‘Hidden Rooms’ C40 $8(US)/$12(CAN)/$15(World)
Norwegian master of the macabre Andreas Brandal returns with his second release for the label. ‘Hidden Rooms’ once again showcases Brandal’s outstanding musicianship through nine pieces that are brimming with mystery and cloaked in a dense shroud of darkness, but somehow catchy at the same time. Similar to 2012’s ‘Turning Point’, the release could easily be mistaken for the soundtrack from a lost horror film from the 70s or 80s without being stylistically derivative. While nods to the likes of John Carpenter and Goblin are crystal clear, this music is so much more than a simple throwback. Leaning heavily on synths, acoustic guitar, and bass, Brandal’s exceptional compositional skills are on display throughout, and his ability to shift the atmosphere through moments that are full of dread at times, delicate and beautiful at others, and even playful in parts is effective enough to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. The fact that he isn’t getting paid big bucks to soundtrack films seems like a damn same, but at least we get to enjoy Brandal’s work on tape until Hollywood gets it right and snatches him up. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Edition of 100.
Special Rate to Purchase all Four New Cassettes: $26 USA/$32 Canada/$37 World