Villages – ‘Theories of Ageing’ LP
Asheville, NC’s Ross Gentry takes his time fine-tuning his art. Theories Of Ageing is a pinnacle; prime example of the painstaking process a true artist can go through to sculpt a masterpiece. Gentry picks up his Villages mantle and flows beyond himself, taking his delicate sounds to an epic field of staggering, emotional landscapes. Theories Of Ageing takes a sound process, weaving elements together, and in its finality, what’s what is left in the wind. Delicate floating synth atmosphere with open-tuned acoustic guitar strums, banjo and piano slide in and out of the spaces, creating an entirely enchanting, if a bit haunting record. As a reference, Villages takes on a level of ambient artistry seen throughout the works of Labradford or Stars Of The Lid; never scared to embrace more than just textural sound layers; but also build, mould, and shape pure music. This is not background art. Recorded in the colder months of 2011 and 2012, snug and secluded, Gentry constructed a timeless piece – nostalgic in feeling, with an underlying optimistic emotion. Setting the overall mood, Theories of Ageing is layered with acoustic instruments at it’s foundation – a pump organ, acoustic guitars, banjo, piano. An eclectic group of electric and analog instruments, field and voice recordings are carefully woven throughout. Recorded onto both reel to reel and digital formats, Theories is soaked with texture allowing for its vibrant consciousness to breathe. Villages is a force to be reckoned with, and we expect even more sincere greatness to come. Theories Of Ageing is a pristine record, full-force, beautiful, and robust in a tender way. Each record comes shrink-wrapped in a matte varnished jacket. Includes hand-numbered insert. Mastered by James Plotkin. Artwork based off of original photographs by Herb Snitzer. Edition of 312.
Angelo Harmsworth – ‘Silent Orgasm’ C45
Angelo Harsmworth does it again, with his return to Bathetic via Silent Orgasm. Silent Orgasm is lush and vibrant, while also stark and abrasive in its measures. Harmsworth is not afraid to step outside the comfort zone; employing both rolling, reverbed piano loveliness as well as toiling, wavering sine waves — crisp, electric, and lawless. The air of melody is never left, forming a true duality in the music of Silent Orgasm, but not falling into the trappings pigeonholing as simply ambient music. There is a spirit within the tones, almost touching arenas constructed by the likes of Black Dice, Fennesz, or Fabio Orsi. Silent Orgasm is minimal in approach, but in tonality and space it’s encompassing; filling the space around it. Never contrived, and able to conquer an entire spectrum of emotion, Harmsworth has a glorious, sunbaked treat to douse our heads. Edition of 100.
Dinner Music – ‘Tomb of Comb’ C40
Rick Weaver returns to Bathetic with is brand of warbled and warped cinematic music. It’s like a Lynchian smear of uncomfortableness that is both blooming and bodacious, while maintaining an awkward and alarming air. Afterhours music; like Captain Beefheart exchanging tales of trips to the gates of hell with a young and broken Tom Waits to the ghost of Evel Knievel, amongst sputtering, broken tones and ghastly and unnatural timbres. Beautiful in its controlled chaos. Dinner Music is Rick Weaver playing organ, percussion, voice, corpse piano, tone bank, acoustic guitar, sound effects, & tapes – recorded during the weekend of archetypes. Take a trip through the Tomb of Comb… you’ll enter a world like nothing you could’ve imagined. *each cassette comes with a 6″ x 10″ b&w insert-poster. Edition of 80.