Category Archives: UPDATE

various – ‘INSCRIPTIONS VOL. 2‘ 2xC70
Sacred Phrases has compiled an apogee of contributing artists’ work… again. Inscriptions Volume 2 is a compilation that emphasizes the communal nature of music. Each track, heard individually, stands alone. When played as a compilation each track is brand new and together lead the listener on a journey like none before. This distinct aesthetic, which focuses on each track and the end effect produces a candid listening experience that takes the listener beyond the physical universe. Limited edition of 150.

WEBSITE

IF20 – Bruce Russell – ‘1968’ C46
Edition of 150. A leading figure within New Zealand’s underground music scene for more than 25 years, Bruce Russell may be best know as a founding member of the The Dead C and A Handful of Dust as well as his labels Xpressway and Corpus Hermeticum. 1968 is a collection of solo guitar pieces recorded over a period of 15 years in various locals throughout Russell’s native New Zealand as well as a rare visit to the United States. In some cases the locations of these recordings have long been demolished by New Zealand’s many earthquakes. It’s time to kick out the jams.

IF21 – Earthen Sea – ‘Fogged Out’ C42
Edition of 100. Taking off from where his previous tape Waves left off, San Fransico’s Jacob Long stitches together a series of minimal Niblock-esque keyboard drones before submerging the listener head first into a deep free-flowing mosaic of simplistic kraut jams.  Like all Earthen Sea releases before it, Fogged Out continues Long’s mastery of creating perfectly sublime soundscapes while utilizing the most minimal of resources. The sound of life on the infinite plain has never sounded so good. Artwork by Jacob Long.

WEBSITE 

My Education – ‘A Drink for All My Friends’ LP
While everyone’s been waiting a decade or so for the new Godspeed album, My Education has been delivering album after album of sheer brilliance. The Austin-based band, delivering a heavy blend of post rock, ambient, classical, and other related styles, has been going strong since 1999 and we are proud to announce Haute Magie as the new home for the band’s latest album  “A Drink For All My Friends”, a beautiful and expansive journey through an unbeliavable mixture of sounds. The album will be released on 12″ vinyl in five colours (lavender, royal blue, dark green, orange, red), CD in 4 panel digipak, and very limited cassette tape. Artwork & layout by Skye Ashbrook. All three formats will be officially released on November 30th. You can view images, hear samples, and pre-order the album on the various formats now

WEBSITE

Tuurd – ‘uusi tuuli’
Pounding, devastating, sludge from Rochester duo Joe Tunis (Carbon Records, Crush the Junta and many other incarnations) and r.nuuja (Pengo). This is the soundtrack for the end days; the prophesied 1,000 years of darkness. Fear not the doom, the math-metal-rock or the gurgling, unnatural chants on “Russian Frankenstein”. Sit back and let uusi tuuli guide you through the circles. Hand numbered edition of 100.
 
Drowning the Virgin Silence – ‘Blue Noise’
Drowning the Virgin Silence’s Blue Noise creeps up and floods the listener with a shadowy and moody sense of foreboding. Dark drones on the title track are an initiation to the horrors and beauty drawn together by the following tracks . Wide drifting spaces start to open up, but by ‘Strangeways’, the listener is enveloped in a warm, melancholic cocoon. Hand numbered edition of 100.

Loud and Sad – ‘False Intimacy’
Loud and Sad (Nathan Mclaughlin and Joe Houpert) sustain a state of constant motion with oscillating drifts and peaks, as wistful piano notes intermingle with low electro-grumbles. Full of warmth and the occasional streaks of cool, False Intimacy is that dream-like memory which both comforts and plagues; a sort of self-reflective lucidity. Hand made, silk screened, stamped and numbered matchbox cases with booklet. Edition of 100. Design and layout by Travis Johansen.

Bjerga/Iversen – ‘Cascading Failures’
The electric siren song that is the opening track on Bjerga/Iversen’s Cascading Failures, pulls the listener into uncertain depths; a journey through pounding percussions and electro-waves pulsing through space. Forging ahead, low grumblings claw their way into the forefront and creeping back to unknown depths, leaving the listener in the wake of the final track’s ritual chants and haunting chimes. Hand numbered edition of 50.

WEBSITE

The N.E.C. – ‘Last Point of Radiation’ LP $18
Flexing their muscle with pummeling, layered rock and expansive desert explorations, The N.E.C. present an opportunity to feel the energy of their powerful live sound on wax. Last Point of Radiation presents another chapter in The N.E.C.’s journey from rollicking acid punk to meandering power pop, offering the group’s most direct, immediate statement to date. The trio’s dynamic focus is enhanced by the recording and delivery of these performances. Recorded on an Ampex AG-440 1” 8-track, the N.E.C. delivered the bulk of these cuts on the first take. Each member of the trio maintains a spirit of structured noise on Last Point of Radiation, resulting in a collection of concise, intense statements.

The N.E.C. – “Six” b/w “Popsicle” 7” $8
Atlanta’s Natural Extension Concept (The N.E.C.) play dynamic, driving psychedelic rock on their latest single, the lead track of their forthcoming LP, Last Point of Radiation. “Six” is loud, focused, and noisy, as The N.E.C. pummel your ears with a relentless riff. Truly a monolithic sound, the band unify to drive their parts into oblivion. The exclusive B-side, “Popsicle,” yields burned-out sunshine pop, equal parts soul and debauchery. With this flip, The N.E.C. maintain soulful rhythms with a catchy anthem alongside their noisy lead cut. Screenprinted art ensures that each single is a unique artifact for the listener.

I\D/Under the Velvet Sky split CDr
From dense noise to unrestrained free jazz, Singapore collaborators I\D and Under the Velvet Sky present an engaging split. Under the Velvet Sky contribute five jazz performances, lending a rhythmic, energetic shift from I\D’s extended drone. A shift from I\D’s wild fusion to sublime experimentation.

The Leavitt Ours – ‘Return’ C26 $7
Beneath the shadows of Chicago’s fuzzier and heavier psychedelic sounds, The Leavitt Ours perform experimental pop in the private press tradition. In order to develop and produce their own reflective spaces and musical statements, the trio embrace aggressive ambient soundscapes, synthetic guitar tones, eclectic percussion rhythms, and driving keyed bass and synthesizer backbones.

various – ‘Vital-Sound I‘ C62 $7
Atlanta and Chicago psych bands split this compilation, presenting everything from paisley, drone, and repetitious instrumentals to acid blues, pure noise, and doom is covered here. Atlanta contributors are Sovus Radio, Soft Opening, The N.E.C., All The Saints, Brainworlds, and The Sunny Muffdivers. Chicago contributors are Implodes, The Great Society Mind Destroyers, The Leavitt Ours, and Killer Moon.

Sunny Muffdivers – ‘All Half Evil’ C26 $5
Pure sonic assault from Atlanta. Crusty psych sludge doom featuring bludgeoning rhythms, repetition, and drones create a disjointed landscape in which your mind and emotions can hide.

The N.E.C. – ‘B-Sides’ C46 $5
Rarities, oddities, and background tracks from Atlanta psych/rock outfit versed in driving song craft and sonic exploration. Songs collected from 2007’s “Million Minks” through 2010’s “Is,” splitting ambient and heavy sides of Atlanta psych.

WEBSITE

Asiatic – ‘Problem: Attic & Erb N Warfare’ C35 $6
Asiatic is the sound of the street.  Developing his own style of hip hop and rap music from the inner city of Baltimore, Asiatic challenges the urban street fashion with his own brand of cultural hip hop.  Streetwise lyrics and ghetto beats, self-produced and constructed with a methodical flow of lyrical stylings straight out of the city.  The stress of living on the street, Problem: Attic explores the hardships of the struggling hip hop artist in the down that just says “Believe” with little hope of ever alleviating the daily routine.  A laborer by day, Asiatic conforms and constructs the city’s essence in hard hitting tracks and sensual beats.  Combining two EPs, Problem: Attic, a rising above, being true to oneself and loyal to your roots; and Erb N Warfare the true expression of the street and the culture that surrounds it.  Limited to 50 with mp3 download with purchase.

Heart Heart Julia – ‘Damn’ C30 $5
Damn is the repressing of an old Afternoons Modeling split with Julia Ladense on cdr. Damn features Justin playing some darker guitar pieces with George Dutton rounding out the album. The darkness comes from a period of time in which Maryland was receiving one of its hardest winters ever, and after a few blizzard like snow-falls, the album was recorded. The feeling of being trapped inside and the helplessness of watching the snow increase inch by inch was frightening as darkness overcame the already cloudy night. The hollow sounds were desperate and cold. Uses a broken amp that created unplanned crackles and the sound of an emergency vehicle storming through the night, Damn is beautiful and lonely. Limited to 20 on red liner cassettes.  Mp3 download with purchase.

Heart Heart Julia – ‘Soundtrack For Anthropologie’ C66 $5
Written in 2006 as two long experimental guitar pieces reworking Nelson’s classic “After The Rain” and an abstract interpretation of Boston culture – Soundtrack For Anthropologie is ironic and dramatic. Reworked and finally completed in 2012, the gravely instrumental pieces prolong the unique style and blend of distance typical of Heart Heart Julia. This new version, now on cassette, features new artwork and ivory cassettes. Limited to 15 on ivory cassettes and chrome tape.  Mp3 download with purchase.

WEBSITE

Palix – Benjamin L. Aman –  ‘Transports’
RzDz # 20 – 50 copies. New collaboration between Paris based laptop composer Palix and french artist Benjamin L. Aman. Both started working together in 2010 at The Living Currency a performative exhibition curated by CAC Bretigny, conducted by Palix for 6th Berlin BIennale at HAU 2  and dedicated to a group interpretation of several pieces from Christian Wolff, Scratch Orchestra and Cornelius Cardew. Then, both musicians kept collaborating, sharing the same interest for visual compositions and invisible travels. Transports is a 40 minutes live set recorded at 64 in Paris on january 15th, 2012,  exploring borders between minimalistic patterns, musique concrete and analog electronics. Transports is edited on white CDR in a limited run of 50 copies, presented in a white enveloppe, numbered and stamped.

WEBSITE

SNAILKING – ‘Samsara’
ConSouling Sounds proudly presents Sweden’s newest riff-beast Snailking. From a band who’s name nods to Ufomammut, it doesn’t come as a surprise “Samsara” is a full on sludge assault. Taking cue from bands like YOB, Sleep or Dopethrone era Electric Wizard, they forge ultra heavy riffs with a psychedelic trippy edge. The 3 tracks from this debut album span nearly 40 minutes, and brings you the finest quality sludge the contemporary doom scene has to offer. If sludge is your weapon of choice, Snailking delivers enough ammo to surely blow you away! Limited digifile edition of 500 copies.

WEBSITE

LY009: The Fridge – ‘Digital Dilletantism’
Hailing from Zürich, The Fridge bring forth their masterwork known as, Digital Dilletantism. A gorgeous collection of experimental pop melodies, delicate hooks and intimate lyrics. A collection for those who love music, and those who love making it. This truly is a piece of art, and I am honored to bring it to you. /25 TRANSLUCENT YELLOW /25 WHITE w/ PINK *THE FRIDGE EXCLUSIVE COLOR*

LY010: Quiet Sun – ‘Three Colours White’
Quiet Sun presents the incredible EP, Three Colours White. Filled with delicate atmospherics, trance laced ambience + upbeat electronic hooks to make for a very special, uplifting EP.FFO: The Album Leaf, Tycho, Air etc. 50 CLEAR w/ ROYAL BLUE LINER

WEBSITE

Touch of Poison – ‘Moat’ $6
Recorded in Gent near Sint-Pieters train station. Casio & Yamaha keyboards, tapes, spoken words, pre-set beats, free downloadable software & four-track. Dark melodies, terse lyrics, fours on the floors. Matthew Hopkins and I knew each other from USA/AUS. We ended up in Belgium at the same time. March 2012, it was particularly cold and dark quite early. Matthew was not interested in hanging out with University coeds. We ate frittes and watched The Raven. We liked the quiet, medieval inertness of the city. We also liked the goofiness of the old castles and stone streets. There was something not believable, almost comedic, the Atlantis Pavilion at Sea World. I don’t think we really understood. The recordings took on these dimensions: dark, still, a little ridiculous. The nacht winkel (night shop), tourists, guillotines, talking birds, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

Standard Premiums – ‘Check Reality’ $6
Check Reality is not about social welfare; it’s a byproduct. Americans think the Dole is a kind of banana. Australians think the Dole is a reason to make music during the workday. What happens when people stop getting real and start chilling out? These are important political questions. Recorded in Northcote, Victoria near the 86 tram stop for Town Hall. Snare drum, guitar, bass, odds and ends, microphones, occasional laughter. Songs of laziness, melancholy, social (in)security. Recorded to four-track and dictaphone. “Got the dic”—Michael. September, 2011.

Anthrax Frankenstein/Chang Rider $6
Two collaborations from Yogyakarta and Bandung. Anthrax Frankenstein play slomo pop songs, overamplified and underperformed. Guitar, vocals, noise. Sometimes the guitars sound despondent. Sometimes the noises “twinkle.” There’s a lotta caveman here—indecipherable passages, volume fluctuations—a D.G.A.F. attitude with the middle finger in the extreme foreground. At some point the singer starts dissing harsh noise. But the songs are so forlorn and reticent that you end up commiserating with these guys. Are they pissed or just depressed? Chang Rider play marginally faster, marginally cleaner rock/pop songs with marginally more sophisticated instrumentation. Snare drum, floor tom, microphone, synthesizer, and piano. Sometimes the singers change, sometimes the piano sounds “jazzy.”

苏维埃·波普/ Soviet Pop – ‘Record of Adventures in the Spider Hole’    $6
Recorded by Li Qing & Li Weisi at Rose Mansion Analog, Beijing. Inside the first Ring Road. Korg MS-20, modular synthesizer, floor tom, microphone. Soviet Pop let you choose between compositions and songs. This is a tape of songs, dark, minimal, and pedestrian. They even have names like “Worldview Song” and “Samurai Song.” Li Weisi does simple, groovable bass passages and stoic baritone vocals. Li Qing does rhythmic static, noise-generator backgrounds, timbrel burps. Coco Chanel used to say, “before you release your tape, look in the mirror and take three things off.”

‘Public Limits’/’Personal Limitations’ $3/$5
Two accordion booklets printed at Dawn Press. Public Limits navigates the boundaries of suburban spaces. Walls, fences, cones, tinted windows, physical and visual obstructions. Personal Limitations gawks at the ways that some people impose such things on themselves. Perforated for tearing and sharing.

R. Walker – ‘Legendary Sleeves’ $4
Legendary Sleeves is Russell Walker’s first published collection of poems. Walker sings for the Pheromoans, a “punk” band from “London.” I remember laughing out loud to some of his lyrics, something about a Dutchie and a Danish. I thought that perhaps Walker knew how to party. These poems are short. Sometimes narrative, sometimes abstract, but always mundane. Walker doesn’t find magic in the ordinary; he renders ordinary anything that promises magic. Affection, popularity, musicianship, all won out by domestic boredom and regular drinking. But somewhere in the kerning there’s a dry melancholy that threatens to pull the tongue away from the cheek. I think Russ would call that “humour.”

Mole House – ‘Demo’ $6
Early demo recordings from Melbourne’s Mole House. Some real songs with drums and guitars and singing. Some fake songs as well.

WEBSITE