Category Archives: UPDATE

Turned Word

ASA IRONS – ‘Knife Gift Debt’ CDr/LP
asalpfrontcoverAsa Irons is a Terra Mystic tradesman born in New Hampshire, USA. A stonemason and carpenter by trade, he gracefully distills these salt of the earth qualities into song. Having been a central figure in the band Feathers, as well as playing in Witch, MV&EE, and Taboo, Asa is no stranger to spiritual/sonic environs. His songs are meticulously crafted, yet maintain an open and humble feeling. On “Knife Gift Debt,” Asa explodes his past recordings. A stone foundation blossoms into a structure which can encompass the whole, all elements of this incredibly dynamic songwriter getting equal play. Traditional folk forms still provide the backbone for these songs, but like all folk masterpieces, the rules yield to the artist’s vision. The now elaborate, lush arrangements of this new and original material are composed by Asa himself, and recorded and co-produced by Caleb Mulkerin and Micah Blue Smaldone. The sound is sparse yet massive, cinematic and extremely intimate. Asa has enlisted close friends Big Blood, Micah Blue Smaldone, Tom K, Janane Tripp and others to help carry out this vision. Photographs by Asa Irons. Layout/Design by Asa and Amy Moon.

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Arachnidiscs

Split Tape Series #8: Chik White/Holiday Rambler C50 $7(CAD)
chikwhite-holidayrambler100pxSide 15: CHIK WHITE is the recording alias of Darcy Spidle, star and co-writer of the Canadian cult film, Lowlife, and the guy behind Canadian indie institution Divorce Records. Playing almost like a possible alternative soundtrack to Lowlife, I Am Muck sucks you into a starfish licking world of bizarr0 psych improvisations and avant soundscapes created from “experimental jews harp and acoustic guitar”. Exciting and fearless stream of consciousness music/noise/sound making—like the wind and tides blowing and flowing. Side 16: “More like coal than gasoline”, HOLIDAY RAMBLER (aka D. Alex Meeks of Hooded Fang infamy) is one of those young men you meet where you simply know they have a time machine buried in their backyard. They’re just too comfortable wearing the attire and diction of yesteryear for it to be entirely an act. The title of this set of songs and sounds, It Lasted A Hundred Years, It Will Last A Hundred More, could be a reference to the timeless/old-timey nature of the Rambler’s American gothic folk-blues. Despite being a relatively young sprout, there’s a lot of gravelly down-home wisdom woven throughout the set of bluegrass and gospel informed tunes with a decidedly end-times feel. Kind of like a Smithsonian Folkways recording from the backwoods of Virginia in an alternate universe where the Great Depression never ended. Numbered edition of 50. Pro-duped, cloth bag, hand-stamped “product tag”, glossy insert.

BABEL – ‘Heurter’ CDr $5(CAD)
heurterdisc100pxWhat starts off as a series of hypnotic, metallic pulses slowly gives way to nearly ambient washes of droning white waves (No-Waves to be exact?). On this three track EP of avant electric guitar improvisations, Jakob Rehlinger (of Moonwood) thwacks a prepared Fender Telecaster with mallets and layers those twackings with loop and delay effects. A real Chatham-esque one-man guitar orchestra. Recorded live in studio direct to two-track. Pro CD-R. Numbered edition of 25. Spray-painted digipak.

BABEL – ‘MetaMeme’ CDr $5(CAD)
metameme100pxSound collage of news videos, film dialogue, vintage commercials, shortwave radio squelches and anonymous Facebook and Twitter updates read by a text-to-voice screen reader. Additional minimalist percussion and synth textures. A dark portrait of our times as seen through the eyes of the world wide web. Selections edited, compiled and remixed from BABEL’s TRANZMIT “digital mixtape” series. Includes selections from “Radio EnZyme”, “Interknot” and “Radio Flatline” plus new material. Pro CD-R. Numbered edition of 10.

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((Cave)) Recordings

Parashi – ‘The Book of Nothing’
parashi tapes2Cracked electronics arc across spools of tangled tape creating recordings that are both unsettling and arresting…an exciting new chapter in this ever expanding project.

Amalgamated – ‘Trudge/Slap’
amalgamated tapesA cabal of midnight mystics present a swirling brew of beats, guitar, and electronics. A long journey through the forest under a waxing moon culminates in a demon dance in the silver light…

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GoldTimers

GLD027: Polluted Water/The Original Flowering Earth split C40
GLD027Polluted Water: Polluted Water dreams up illusory scenes of both urban and rural consciousness, inner light, and neurosomatic rapture. The Original Flowering Earth: The Original Flowering Earth constructs a stop-motion universal expression one layer at a time. Static deep new age worship. Polluted Water/The Original Flowering Earth (GLD 027) c40, pro duplicated and on shell printing cassette tapes. Double sided and scored J-Card. Ltd 50 copies.

GLD028: Noir & Antic Hous – ‘Catoptromancy’ C22
GLD028Fringe sound explorations from the unstoppable Montreal experimental underground. Noir and Antic Hous are at times both challenging and ecstatically resonant. A mirror for the ailing psyche and the searcher in all of us. Noir and Antic Hous (GLD 028) c23, pro duplicated and on shell printing cassette tapes. Double sided and scored J-Card. Ltd 50 copies.

GLD030: Horsehair Everywhere – ‘When Eyes Walk’ C52
GLD030Slow gathering improv freak-out session of free minds and kindred spirits. Horsehair Everywhere, the No Kings extended shamanic family in open expression mode. Horsehair Everywhere (GLD 030) c52, pro duplicated and on shell printing cassette tapes. Double sided and scored J-Card. Ltd 50 copies.

GLD031: Innercity – ‘A Minor Princess’ C61
GLD031Innercity’s ‘A Minor Princess’ is a long player cassette brimming with cracked mutant rhythms and strange energy abound. Warped, repetitively aged incantations and winking nods of electronic worship. Innercity (GLD 031) c61, pro duplicated and on shell printing cassette tapes. Double sided and scored J-Card. J-Card is printed on gold cardstock with an overlaid vellum cover. Ltd 50 copies.

GLD032: Seabat – ‘Scattered Disc’ C46
GLD032Brooklyn duo, Seabat, returns to Goldtimers with a precision sequenced gem of cinematic synth scenes. Deja vu awakening stairway ascensions, dolphin cave swims, arrival visitors, and an outer realm rendezvous make up Seabat’s second voyage for Goldtimers. Limited vinyl version (with alternate artwork) on GoldTimers/Seabat Worldwide coming April 30th! Seabat (GLD 032) c46, pro duplicated and on shell printing cassette tapes. Double sided and scored J-Card. J-Card is printed on white cardstock with an overlaid vellum cover. Ltd 50 copies.

GLD033: No Mind Meditation/Red Electric Rainbow split C14
GLD033No Mind Meditation: Unreleased primordial low tide ooze experience from No Mind Meditation. Slow murky ocean expressions. Red Electric Rainbow: Unreleased crystal clean Red Electric Rainbow static comedown. Our mellow minded brother in sleep mode. No Mind Meditation/Red Electric Rainbow (GLD 033) c14, pro duplicated and on shell printing cassette tapes. Double sided 4″x14″ fold out J-Card. Ltd 50 copies.

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GODrec

GOD 15 LSD – ‘Dehypnotisation’ 2xLP
lsd-lp6LSD is one more trio formation from Vienna on GODrec, that works mainly in the field of electro-acoustic improvisation. They are also a part of big networks for improvised music and soundart (Klangkunst), velak and snim.
Also another formation which possess distinct quality – unique sound. And not only, their fantastic ability to react on each other, which builds variety of styles where they are moving, no matter if we speak about rhythmical “conversations” of different sound sources, or all over present drone/loop aesthetic. This double vinyl comes in beautiful silk-screened cover with amazing artwork of Roya Annica.

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Prairie Fire/Dub Ditch Picnic

PF-053 Aerosol Constellations – ‘Within the Beyond’ C27
Ed. of 40 w/ Download. Psychedelic drones from Vancouver duo consisting of J.V. Dub (Shearing Pinx) and Bill Batt (Stamina Mantis). 2 tracks of proper burner jamz. This is the kind of stuff we live for here at PF HQ. Only 40 copies so don’t sleep on this. TRY

DDP 1971.033 German Army C40
Ed. of 75 w/ Download From XXJFG. German Army are one of 20JFG’s favourite bands in the world. Their releases describe mutant strains of a virus originally engineered in the laboratories of the COUM conspiracy, and released into the world as a sonic code for the mass metamorphosis of people into drones, the painful integration of flesh with metal and plastic, an account of the first stages in the evolution of a hegemonic species of insect. In Holland Village, the insinuations of beats in previous releases become a reality, the rumble of the viral machinery pumping copies of itself and massing them up in the cellular borders of invaded territories. If these armies had camps, and in their camps they burned fires, and around their fires they sang songs and danced dances, Abbasid Golden Age would be heard loud and terrible, the microscopic fractal of the Human League’s Being Boiled & other Electronic Body (emphasis on Body) anthems, a battle hymn for armies with that have no mouths, yet do scream. TRY

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NNA Tapes

NNA056: PHORK – ‘Entertainment’ C43
NNA-April2013Los Angeles-based producer Neal Reinalda offers us his latest “Entertainment”, the anticipated follow-up to last year’s “Discrepancies” cassette on NNA. With this full-length, the People’s Higher Order further refines it’s sound, bringing forward new ideas and flavors into American techno. PHORK succeeds in injecting a warmth and humanity into a dance music framework that is wholly original, keeping a global influence in it’s sampling studies, while receiving guidance from the worlds of noise, hip-hop, ambient, and sound art. Reinalda’s Baltimore roots shine through in his informed conceptual framework, holding a mirror to daydreams of post-consumerism and dark ecology. Mood and atmosphere are established through ultra-tight production and focused composition, pulsing with life even in the absence of rhythm. The result reaches new depths in contemporary electronic music, gaining power and magnitude through sonic texture, repetition, and the matrimony of inhuman and organic worlds. Systems are questioned, interconnectedness is examined, and yet still nothing is as it seems.

NNA057: Freddy Ruppert – ‘Hangs A Shadow’ C70 (s/s)
Following up 2012’s “Wait” EP on NNA, we’re proud to present “Hangs A Shadow”, the debut full-length from Prague-via-Los Angeles musician Freddy Ruppert. These very personal recordings meditate on the loss of a loved one, and the inward struggle to retain honest memories of that person. Ruppert strives to convey through sound what words fall short of explaining; frustrations with mortality, the limitations of the human organism, and it’s inevitable battle with it’s own consciousness. Electro-acoustic and musique concréte influences are prevalent, harnessing the power of silence to bridge the emptiness between snippets of percussion, field & domestic recordings, raw electronics, and the manipulation of collected improvisations. A cinematic narrative emerges through immaculate processing, editing, and the poignant use of space to cut into the tension of intimacy. Human voice, jagged sine waves, the movement of furniture, and fateful tones are all juxtaposed against themselves, breathing intense life into the mundane through complex sound work.

NNA058: Justin Meyers – ‘Albuterol Auteur’ C21
“Albuterol Auteur” is the latest collection of synth pieces from Minneapolis-based sound and visual artist Justin Meyers. After multiple brilliant releases over the years, many of which on his own Tone Filth label, NNA is excited to bring forth these new works created and performed on Meyers’ own home-built modular synthesizer system, the TF50. Working from the ground up, Meyers displays a natural talent in the pure manipulation of raw current and electricity to form deeply expressive and colorful environments of electronic sound. These minimal yet perpetually shifting compositions seem to be aqueous in structure, seamlessly drifting between tones and phases, carving out a unique melodic terrain along the way. The expedition is documented in immaculate fidelity, engrossing the listener in a distinctive warmth. An original voice in electronic music at the hands of highest caliber craftsmanship.

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905 Tapes

905.174: Grant Evans – ‘Dappled With Mock Orange’ C34 $7.5(US)/$8.5(Can)/$11.5(World)
174Two side-long tracks of fermented midnight drone from half of Quiet Evenings and the Hooker Vision imprint. Crackling slow movers and heavily echoed moist-basement vibes. An edition of 50 pro-dubbed/imprinted cassettes.

905.175: Wether – ‘Lighten Lift’ C40 $7.5(US)/$8.5(Can)/$11.5(World)
175Textured synthesizer and electronic sessions. Confused and agitated sonic mutterings make their way through damp hallways. An edition of 50 pro-dubbed/imprinted cassettes.

905.176: bbob And RRRyan – ‘Bean Stew’ C44 $7.5(US)/$8.5(Can)/$11.5(World)
176Cleveland heads bbob (Flux Monkey) and RRRyan (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman) team up for five fidgety, brain dusting electronic cuts. Solar searchers on a sick day. An edition of 50 pro-dubbed/imprinted cassettes.

905.177: Hobo Cubes + Vales split C80 $7.5(US)/$8.5(Can)/$11.5(World)
177Warning: Long player. Take the day off of work. Canada’s Hobo Cubes runs through a VHStecnho minefield while Delaware’s Vales gnaws and paws at holograms of modular waves. An edition of 50 pro-dubbed/imprinted cassettes.

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Sloow Tapes

Bird People – ‘Water Buffalo’ C40
birdpeople_cvrUli Rois’ Bird People celestial meditations on the recurring image of the water buffalo in eastern mythology. The animal plays an important role in the myths surrounding the Hindu god of Death Yama, Oya, the goddess of change, and Lao Tsu who left China over the Han Gu Pass on the back of a water buffalo. Abstract guitars and electronics drowning in tanpura drones. 70 copies.

Valery Oisteanu – ‘Perks in Purgatory’ C50
valery_oisteanu_cvrValery Oisteanu is a Soviet-born Romanian/American poet, a former DJ and rock and roll-poet who traveled around Eastern Europe (Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia) in buses inspired by the likes of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. As his work grew more and more critical of the communist regime he managed to immigrate to New York in the early seventies. Valery has been called the lovechild of Wilhelm Reich and André Breton and his poetry is a wild stream-of-consciousness of extravagant dada, surrealist and beat images. On these recordings Oisteanu reads from his latest book ‘Perks in Purgatory’. Edition of 100 copies.

Itasca – ‘Proto’ C40
itasca_cvrInspired acid folk visions by Kayla Cohen: solo guitar with lonesome vocals calling up the spirits of Nico or Judee Sill. Amazing songwriting spacing out in timeless metaphysical acoustics. 80 copies.

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Shelter Press

Ben Vida – ‘Tztztztzt Î Í Í’ book
SP018-cover72 pages + digital release / 14 x 19 cm / black & white printing / 2013 first edition of 50 handnumbered copies + 10AP / perfect bound / soft cover mastered by helmut erler at dubplates & mastering, berlin. About the book: The 61 pages that make up the score for Tztztztzt Î Í Í … were interpreted and performed by three vocalists: Ben Vida, Tyondai Braxton, and Sara Magenheimer. Utilizing envelope following, vocoder analysis and trigger sensing the recordings of these performances were analyzed and converted into control sources. These control sources were used to activate analog and digital synthesizing systems and functioned to trigger envelopes and gates, determine pitched materials and act as modulating sources for frequency and amplitude modulation. Though the voice of the performer becomes almost completely obscured through this process, all rhythmic patterns, compositional forms and musical gestures were derived from the vocalist’s performance – the voice remains an intrinsic element of the final synthesized tracks. About the artist: Ben Vida is a Brooklyn based composer, improviser and artist. He produces compositions that utilize analog and digital synthesizing technologies and focus on aural phenomena and auditory illusions. He has released records with PAN, ALKU, Thrill Jockey, Drag City, Amish, Bottrop-Boy, Hapna and Kranky. As both a solo artist and in collaboration he has presented his work in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, South Korea and Japan.

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