Animal Psi

DBA133 True Neutral Crew – ‘#POPPUNK’
True Neutral Crew is Daveed Diggs of clipping. (Sub Pop), Brian Kinsman formerly of Foot Village (Northern Spy, Not Not Fun, Fat Cat), Margot Padilla of I.E. (Deathbomb Arc), and Signor Benedick The Moor. Their 2nd mixtape was released digitally over the weekend. As with their first mixtape, ‘#MONSANTO’, the group continues to combine their interests in both rap and postpunk/noise rock for results they half-jokingly call “krautrap”. This particular iteration is far more ecstatic than their first outing though. The title ‘#POPPUNK’ refers to the ghost possessing this collection of songs. Hiding beneath swathes of noise and big beat production are bright, joyous melodies and driving live drums. Quick and acrobatic rap verses are bookended with catchy pop hooks. At once both intricate and complex while still being simple and silly. While the krautrap aspirations from their debut mixtape remain, the spirit of hyperactive LA artpunk groups like Oingo Boingo and Sparks is likely behind the haunting. Why the unusual set of inspirations though? Is it mere instinct? Is it all a riddle? Is it nonsense? Perhaps the best advice for deciding comes from the lyrics of the opening track, “It’s modern art. When you see it, see it for what it is.” ‘#POPPUNK’ welcomes a bunch of guests including Glasgow rapper diss1, industrial noise group Robedoor, Venezuelan balladeer Algodón Egipcio, beatpunk godfather Boo Hiss, pianist/composer Lauren Bousfield (ex-Nero’s Day At Disneyland), and noise-soul pioneer S.R. Cano (tik///tik).

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Gem Jones – ‘Admiral Frenchkiss’
Recored in Dexter, Iowa to four-track portastudio. Admiral Frenchkiss is a Midwest bonanza of sweaty post-Prince stylistics. Gem Jones plays full-band jammers, piano key laments, dub-inflected anthems, and damaged rock discharges, buoyed by a nimble funk finesse that belies his bedroom esthetix. As with all my favorite music, it’s hard to tell where private feelings end and affected put-ons begin. Gem Jones belts out lyrics like he really means them. His demented guitar solos are like teenboys flailing around basements with raw testoid delirium. Nonetheless, Gem’s delicate zigzag between postures carries a whiff a sly parody–a balladeer peeking out the corner of his eye, gauging the vibe, and shapeshifting accordingly.

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(HSR-019/020) THE CANNON GROUP INC. – ‘Vol.#1’ & ‘Vol.#2’DL
…curl up next to your favourite vintage American alpha, and bask in the glow of the ninja beach sunset. A 2 volume collection of fleeting nostalgic vhs plunderphonics and ambience. Composed entirely of warped and looped source material lifted off various YouTube clips from select movie scenes by late, great low-budget movie house, The Cannon Group.

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PHR-111 SKULL KATALOG – ‘Post-World Order’ 1-sided C32
First post-Sewn Leather delivery by Griffin Pyn. Five tracks of similar no-end, no-future apocalyptical beats, scuzzy noise and signature hard boiled, demonic vocals. The new style is more strict, more pumped-up and features extra leading by two-string electric guitar. It sounds like the world has come to an end and it’s time to realize. Dive in the swamp. Tour-only edition of 22 copies in b&w cardboard j-cards and handlabelled tapes.

PHR-110 FRANCE SAUVAGE – ‘Το Μικρό Κορίτσι από τον Υπόνομο’ CDR
Recorded in Athens, Greece and edited the very same night, this mini album captures perfectly the cold atmosphere of a band being abroad, visiting a studio they’ve never seen before for just one session and create something that urges to be more free than usual. The concrete trio of France Sauvage (Manuel Duval, Arno Bruil and Johann Mazé) uses modular synthesizers, field recordings, contact mics, chants and numerous junk sources in the direct, in-your-face tradition of France’s experimental scene and this album is really close to how these three interact at a non-local show of them: Energetic, raw, adventurous, focused. The english translation of the title is “The Little Girl from the Sewer” and could not be more accurate for the feelings which bloom while listening to this album. Edition of 60 copies w/ paste-on artwork and and obi strip on heavy cardstock folder.

PHR-109 LOST BODIES – ‘Φιγουρίνι’ CD
Phase! is proud to release the latest Lost Bodies’ statement, the long awaited new album which will definitely please every LB fan! Almost 80 minutes of the signature avant gags, power punk arena favorites and twisted bastard-folk experiments, including studio versions of gig highlights like. Lone kings of the athenian underground for more than 25 years (even though, they delivered some wtf moments through Virgin in the early ’00s), Lost Bodies possibly stand as the only example of a pure caricatural sarcasm on Greece’s rotten guts through a musically-incorrect quintessence of how political correction should be defined. Edition of 300 copies w/ full-color artwork.

PHR-108 beaTol & the Eagol – ‘Λάιβ EP’ 1-sided C60 7E
Compiled material from 4 different concerts, it’s a side of pure sample mash-up and a fine example of how a beaTol & the Eagol show sounds like: dizziness in stereo, beat distraction, jingled-up experimental music interconnected to twisted pop haikus. There are so many ideas in there but so is the abstain of persistence! Edition of 30 copies w/ full-color artwork and spray painted tapes.

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SS060 PRIMORJE – ‘civil music’ C34
Primorje is a new project of Giovanni Donadini and Matteo castro. Circular electronic and modified drum-machines, processed through tape-echo units. Edition of 90.

SS061 PRIMORJE – ‘pola-explorationen’ C30
Two oblique tracks of concrete loop and damaged rythms. Edition of 90.

SS063 MERCURY HALL – ‘civilization year’ C40
Late night electronic for smokers, tape music for stolen conversations and field recordings. Edition of 50.

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Gardland – ‘Improvisations’ LP
Following the great unspooling of 2013’s Syndrome Syndrome, Gardland and RVNG Intl. step back into the duo’s not-so-distant past with Improvisations, three live performances ripped from local Austrailan radio show, Spiral Sounds, in early 2012. The aural impetus behind the artists and label joining forces, this triptych of tone lashed tracks captures the duo in exhilarating, uninhibited form. Watch the fully fried video of “0214 Pt. 2”, ripped straight from the paranoid reality of Timothy D.

Blondes – ‘Rewire’
For their new Rewire EP, Blondes invite a crew of like-melted souls to remix selections from Swisher. Simian Mobile Disco, Huerco S., Claro Intelecto and Function redefine Sam and Zach’s work in their respective expansive dance floor lexicons. Huerco S. regurgitates “Wire” into heaving voodooist rhythms, remarkably unwashed compared to the marbled detail of Claro Intelecto’s sculptural sonics. Function reduces “Wire” into a meditative journey that flirts with the dancefloor, an attraction that catalyzes Simian Mobile Disco’s take on “Swisher” into more narrow and drum-focused terrain.

Nommos – ‘Live at Le Poisson Rouge’
Tomorrow evening at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, Craig Leon will perform Nommos in its entirety with ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble). Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe will open the night with a special live performance in Bill Kouligas’ stead. Tickets are still available, but if you’re a RVNG Drip.fm member, head here for a chance to win a pair of tickets. If New York City’s too far away for you, you can still watch the full performance – LPR will live stream event here.

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Tredici Bacci – ‘The Thirteen Kisses Cassetta’ C32
Tredici Bacci is 14-piece group of young musicians from Boston, Massachusetts under the impressive orchestral direction of Simon “Luxardo” Hanes, perhaps best known for his madman bass playing in Guerilla Toss. Their debut “cassetta” serves as a celebration of a musical era, fostered by a unique, exciting, and rapidly changing time in history. Tredici Bacci harnesses the essence of classic 1960’s and 1970’s Italian film score music, bathing in the luscious tunes contained within Commedia all’italiana, Giallo slasher, and Spaghetti Western soundtracks. Hanes makes excellent use of traditional orchestration techniques in these pieces, creating a vast sound by employing emotive strings, breezy winds, and an extremely in-the-pocket notated rhythm section. Hanes also beautifully employs the use of the soloist as a thematic melodic voice, with rich, beautiful trumpet playing from Jake Baldwin complimenting the sultry vocals of Sami Stevens. No instrument is ever overpowering and each one plays it’s role perfectly, fitting together seamlessly against the meditative rhythms and varying tempos. There’s a tremendous amount of range in these pieces, from the sensitive and melancholy to the playful and upbeat – at times the music conveys an air of classy sophistication, and at other times it’s drenched in cheap perfume and prurience. This balance of cosmopolitan elegance and steamy funk is what makes “The Thirteen Kisses Cassetta” shine, calling upon all the juiciest elements of orchestral jazz, lounge, pop psychedelia, softcore soundtracks, library music, and the romantic spirit of classic film scores in the vein of Armando Trovaioli, Ennio Morricone, and Bruno Nicolai. A refreshing collection of arrangements in the “pen and sheet music” tradition that defy personal expression and instead favor mood and timelessness. Comes with free MP3 download coupon.

Laplante/Dunn/Smith – ‘Ancestral Instrument’ C60
“Ancestral Instrument” documents the musical meeting of three friends: Travis Laplante (Little Women, Battle Trance), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, John Zorn), and Ches Smith (Marc Ribot, Secret Chiefs 3, Fred Frith). Existing in the cracks of avant-garde jazz, contemporary classical, indigenous world music, and soul, “Ancestral Instrument” captures an evening of improvisation that took place at IBEAM, a small loft space in Brooklyn, on December 14th, 2013. There was a fierce snowstorm that night, and only a handful of people trudged through the brutal weather to attend the concert. IBEAM served as an oasis, a respite from the cold, with people literally coming into the room to thaw out. This was the first time the three musicians gathered together in a classic saxophone trio formation (tenor saxophone, double bass, drums), and also marks Laplante’s recorded debut in a purely improvised setting. Before the concert began, the musicians established an unspoken agreement that the music would have no expectations, nothing to prove, and no style to fill – only that its sounds should be followed. “Ancestral Instrument” is a document of this sound, a talisman of the thawing that took place that evening. Comes with free MP3 download coupon.

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Nostalgic Home Highways – ‘Astral Plane/Behind The Light’ CS $5
A pair of 5 plus minute lofi IDM/downtempo tracks by Canadian artist Nostalgic Home Highways. Recorded winter 2013-2014 in Trent Hills, ON, Canada. Available as digital download and cassette.

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Loop Minded Individuals – ‘A Hitchhiker’s Guide To A Verse’ C38 $8
The idea of taking the listener through a journey is one that gets tossed around frequently by artists. But with “Loop Minded Individuals: A Hitchhikers Guide to A Verse,” ESH the Monolith and Intrikit look to take that concept one step further. ESH and Intrikit – producer/MCs representing Boston and Norwich, CT., respectively – spearhead the 10-track project, a throwback to gritty late-’90s rap compilations that aims to bring together some of the finest up-and-coming vocalists in independent music. Loosely inspired by the Douglas Adams’ novel its name pays homage to, the album invites an array of MCs and singers to hop on soundscapes, sharing their story with ESH and Intrikit and, in turn, the listener. “We used this album as an opportunity to work with some of the talented people we’ve met around the country. We wanted to have a wide range of voices, each bringing their unique story and perspective,” says ESH, whose previous projects include 2009’s “The ADDventures of an E.ccentric S.uper H.ero,” 2011’s “Invisible” (with producer Dox Ellis) and, most recently, “Nightworks,” a collaboration with AR Classic producer The Arcitype. Aside from ESH and Intrikit (whose own work includes the 2013 DIM release “Bright Ideas”), “Loop Minded Individuals” features vocals from Elucid, Moe Pope, Roc Doogie, Romen Rok, Has-Lo, Teddy Faley, F. Virtue, DeeBee, the Kreators, Seez Mics (Educated Consumers), Grey Sky Appeal and others. Renowned turntablists Emoh Betta and DJ Merf also make contributions. “We tried to construct a cohesive picture which a bunch of loose puzzle pieces,” ESH says. “We hope the listener enjoys the ride.”

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Guenter Schlienz – ‘Treehut Visions’ CS $7.5(US)/$11.5(CAN)/$14.5(WORLD)
May the complex rhythms, supported by its troughs and troches, mend what you’re missing. It gives another half of what you need. Gently, breezy, slightly elevated, languid, nonchalant, with you. For you. Recorded Spring 2013 in Stuttgart/Germany with a DIY modular synthesizer. Mastered by Niko. Inspired by childhood memories and Jack Kerouac’s “Visions” novels. “The world of raging action and folly and also of gentle sweetness seen through the keyhole of my eye.” Pro-dubbed, limited edition of 100. Digital copy included with tape purchase.

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