NK34: Lebeha Men – ‘Garifuna Field Recordings’ C30
In 2010, No Kings co-founder Stephen Molyneux traveled to Cambodia and made some bewitching field recordings, which Tiny Mix Tapes called “24 minutes of haunting legitimacy”! This year he took a month long sabbatical to Central America, his first and last stop was in coastal Hopkins, Belize where he crafted this follow-up of sorts with locals, the LeBeha Drummers, who incidentally were nominated for a Grammy! (traditional music category) in 2006 for their first album. Garifuna Field Recordings is the group’s second physical release and was made directly onto cassette in single takes by Stephen, and focuses on a performance of two core group members Warren Martinez, Clayton Williams, and their teacher Jabbar Lambey, so they’ve retitled themselves for this release as LeBeha MEN, which translates to “The End Men” in Garifuna. This comes on the heels of their recent win at the Central American Battle of the Drums!!! Edition of 200 tapes with 2-color risograph artwork. Watch some videos here.
NK35: Secret Birds – ‘In Hex’ C34
Damon Black of Australia recorded this audio cryptogram of interlocking loops, riffs, and textures when he was living in Tokyo in 2011. Moment to moment, this record is hitting many touchstones, part Kraut / psychedelic / drone, but always expansive, outward, and visual. Shapes and forms: waves, hexagons, prisms, serpentines, pyramids. A druggy wah in the distance buried over with fuzzy ether. Edition of 80 pro-dubbed tapes with risograph artwork.
NK36: German Army – ‘Hoatzin’ C36
Awesome Ike Yard vibes on this new long player from these California Kill Shaman allies, following the deep sticky haze that was Papau Mass on Night People, and Cattle Border on Clandestine. Hypnotic monotone vocals with a double dose of slapback echo coast along on top of static analog drum patterns. Hoatzin will whip you into liminal trance. I wish these dudes were the house band in some dank smoky LA club. Oh man I would hang out there. All the time. Burn out the sun. Drink 10 beers. Put on the fog machine and breathe deeply. Edition of 80 pro-dubbed tapes with risograph artwork on white, blue, or grey paper.
NK37: Tim Coster – ‘Mediterranean Years’ C30
Had the great pleasure of witnessing this Auckland/Melbourne charmer play a show at my house earlier this year while on his US tour. With a background in fine art sculpture, his suitcase set with tiny modular synthesizer, looping pedals, keyboard, and accoutrements laid out on the floor looked sufficiently feng shui as the sound drifted slowly out into the room and enveloped the crowd in a lulling cloud that was imbued with folk sensibility and fervor, in addition to restraint. Mediterranean Years includes material he recorded in Echo Park on that trip, and it’s as if he bottled that luminescent cloud and transferred it to tape, still moving, slowly dissipating. Edition of 80 pro-dubbed tapes with letterpress / risograph artwork.