Animal Psi

Pulse Emitter – ‘Crater Lake’ LP
Crater Lake was mastered and cut to vinyl by Andreas [LUPO] Lubich in Berlin and is pressed on high quality virgin vinyl, packaged in a full color jacket featuring cover artwork from Will Hutchinson. Crater Lake is the first full length Pulse Emitter album on Immune following the side-long contribution to Immune’s 2012 Record Store Day 4 way split release. Limited first pressing is on blue vinyl. A free download coupon is included. With an array of handmade modular and vintage keyboard synthesizers Daryl Groetsch crafts melodic and layered compositions that evoke microscopic and interstellar landscapes inspired by nature, science fiction and the cosmos. Groetsch has been working under the Pulse Emitter monicker since 2002, composing and recording in his Portland, OR home studio. Writer David Keenan has called Pulse Emitter “the undisputed king of planetary scale synth hypnosis” and has said, “no one is making synth music that feels so organic, so rapturous and so ‘in tune’ with the contours of outer and inner space as Groetsch. Inspiration for Crater Lake came from a spiritually moving camping trip Groetsch took to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon where he found it to be one of the most stunningly beautiful places he had ever been. At the time he was conceptualizing an album inspired by the moons of Jupiter and Saturn and noticing similarities between the features of Crater Lake and the moons caused Groetsch to create an album influenced by both the nature in front of him and the cosmos above. On Crater Lake Groetsch delivers his most intricately composed pieces yet by experimenting with melody and pattern synchronization. Groetsch’s working method begins with conceptualizing each piece and then composing on paper, MIDI sequencing the tracks, synth programming, and finally recording and mixing. Album opener “Europa” was inspired by the clear blue water of Crater Lake and also relates to the icy surface of the moon Europa that is believed to have an ocean of water underneath it. The album’s second track “lo” is about Crater Lake’s ominous and harsh rock outcropping as well as the volcanic forces taking place underneath Crater Lake and the volcanoes covering the moon lo.

Steven R. Smith/Ulaan Khol – ‘Ending/Returning’ 2LP
On Ending/Returning Steven R. Smith has recorded the same set of songs first as Steven R. Smith and then as Ulaan Khol. Ending is a quiet, minimal record as Steven R. Smith while Returning is a blown-out, maximal record as Ulaan Khol. Ending/Returning was mastered by Patrick Klem and cut to vinyl by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering. The double LP is pressed on high quality virgin vinyl and packaged in a lavish gatefold jacket. The front and back panels of the jacket are printed in silver metallic ink on a white background while the inside gatefold is a beautiful full color aerial photograph of lava fields from world-renowned German photographer Bernhard Edmaier. For a limited time all orders come with a chapbook made by Steven R. Smith specifically for this release. The 12 page chapbook features artwork to accompany each song and is hand-numbered out of only 200 units worldwide. The music of Californian multi-instrumentalist Steven R. Smith ranges from sparse solo guitar improvisations that evoke the crumbling American landscape to his re-workings of Eastern European folk tunes under the Hala Strana moniker and dense blown out psychedelic fuzz guitar workouts under the Ulaan Khol, Ulaan Markhor, or Ulaan Passerine monikers. Smith’s music can be summed up as a struggle to contain a series of opposites : light and darkness, sorrow and joy, despair and hope. On his new double album Ending/Returning both ends of the spectrum have been distilled down to their core as Smith has recorded the same set of songs first as Steven R. Smith and then as Ulaan Khol. Ending is a quiet, minimal record as Steven R. Smith while Returning is a blown-out, maximal record as Ulaan Khol. Ending/Returning was recorded in Smith’s Worstward Studios on all analog equipment and is one of the last albums he recorded entirely in analog as his 8-track reel-to-reel tape deck broke down at the end of these sessions. The piano featured on Ending (which is rarely heard in Smith’s work) was recorded at a rehearsal space in Pasadena. Ending/Returning follows Smith’s album Cities released by Immune in 2009. Smith has also recently released recordings on Soft Abuse, Brave Mysteries, Burnt Toast Vinyl, and his own Worstward Recordings label.

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[mt94cs] Werewolf Jerusalem – ‘Hand Of The Gallows’ C40
Richard Ramirez returns for his first Monorail release in nearly ten years — one which sees him pushing this established project into exciting new realms of noise minimalism. The familiar static overdrive and crackle of WJ is segmented here by long passages of extreme lowercase sound that unfold with great patience through Ramirez’s trademark stream-of-consciousness approach to composition.

[mt95cs] A Week of Kindness – ‘In Shadow’s Country’ C42
Sean E. Matzus is a Houston-based artist regarded for his solo projects (Red Hook, Thewhitehorse, The Secret Geography, etc), while also known for his work in several Richard Ramirez projects (Black Leather Jesus, Priest In Shit, Last Rape, etc.), and operating the Unlimited Drift label. A Week Of Kindness acts in contrast to his other mostly harsh noise / wall material. Distant, filtered vocals and manipulated junk metal weave in and out of field recordings and subtle tonal shifts. A dark and surreal journey of expertly crafted experimental soundwork. Highly recommended.

[mt96cs] Vat – ‘A Pile Over There / Spoiled Milk Panties’ C30
Previous Vat efforts have focused on the classic ‘americanoise’ approach of scrap metal through distortion overload. ‘A Pile …’ sees Chris Conroy merging elements of that aesthetic with ideas normally reserved for his other project, Lungwash. Layers of metal abuse and feedback are processed through gritty fuzz and hiss signals, gaining intensity throughout the duration of each side.

[mt97cs] Developer – ‘mt97cs’ C30
Midwest hero Matthew Reis is one of a select few contemporaries who are taking noise forward by merging aesthetics with tape music, sound collage and musique concrete. mt97cs is one more pearl in a large body of work — extremely active and dynamic stereo cut-ups of ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ collide into one another with great precision and attention to detail throughout. ‘

[mt98cs] Sterile Garden – ‘ryta’ C30
Industrial sound research. A direct lineage from such Colorado essentials as Architect’s Office, Jeph Jerman and Eric Lunde’s “Colorado Terrain Investigation.” Tapes as composition; sounds are re-approrpriated and broadcast from deep underground, filtered through generations of grit and process, leaving only the important elements at the forefront.

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PABLO UND DESTRUKTION – ‘La Caja Negra’ C36
The multidisciplinary Spanish songwriter Pablo Und Destruktion has toured relentlessly through all the years 2012 and 2013. Labeling his style as “asturpsychedelic” (a personal mixture of folk and pop and industrial music), in 2012 he released the visceral LP “Animal con Parachoques”. The tape “La caja negra” contains six songs recorded live at a concert in Oviedo (Spain). The performance is quieter and more serene and minimalistic than in the previous Pablo Und Destruktion album, and the release is limited to the number of people that attended the concert. If also features exclusive artwork by Igor Casayjardin and a poem.  You can get the tape for 5 euro plus postage and handling through Truco Espárrago.

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Lea Bertucci – ‘Resonance Shapes’ LP
Resonance Shapes is the much anticipated vinyl debut of New York-based experimental composer, improvisor, and sound artist Lea Bertucci. Over two sides and four compositions, Bertucci weaves a suite of tape-focused compositions which utilize a vast library of sources, including her trademark bass clarinet (which she put to exquisite use at the center of her past work in TwistyCat as well as her many solo and collaborative performances), bowed vibraphone, various percussive implements, and mysterious field recordings take from her homestead of Brooklyn, Southern Utah, and areas unnamed. The compositions embrace an expanse of quietude that’s carefully punctuated by the reverberating progression of her meticulously collaged resonances. The album’s title is thus most apt as Bertucci’s patient focus and eclectic and tolerant ear build beautifully potent and dynamic structures out of the incidental and unexpected. Her art fits confidently and boldly alongside likeminded seekers such as Moniek Darge, Graham Lambkin, Vanessa Rossetto, The Hafler Trio, and Luc Ferrari. A must for anybody interested in modern experimental composition and sound art. Coke-bottle clear vinyl packaged in a translucent sleeve designed and printed by Bertucci herself. Comes with download code. Edition of 300. Co-release with Cibachrome Editions.

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CULVER – ‘Gateshead Graves’ LP
In the crowded field of guitar droneworks, UK musician Lee Stokoe could be said to be hidden in plain sight. For two decades, his solo project Culver and in-house tape label Matching Head have produced a consistent stream of releases without approaching anything near household-name status. This is due in part to a workmanlike, low-profile approach to recording and releasing music, despite time served in the mighty Skullflower. And then there’s the music itself: unpolished, unsettling, a history of textures divorced from any linear notions of progress. Prolific as Culver has been, “Gateshead Graves” marks only the third instance of Lee filling 24 inches of grooved real estate on his own (after the obscure “Route of Aesthetic” lathe cut and the oddly elusive “Dead Winter Blood” LP). It features two side-long tracks that put the listener first in the hold of a ship bound nowhere good and then in an aircraft headed in roughly the same direction. Volume and isolation recommended for an appropriately immersive experience. Mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk at Stereophonic Mastering (Grouper, Sublime Frequencies, Mississippi Records). Limited edition of 200 on black vinyl with hand-numbered insert.

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TOTAL LIFE – ‘Radiator’ LP
Beautiful new work from Kevin Doria (Growing). If Eliane Radigue and Kevin Drumm made a record together it might sound something like Total Life. Kevin Doria creates a sound world with deep inner dynamics shrouded by distortion. Whether you stay on the surface or listen deeply, the energy in this work is vivid. Packaged in a deluxe 2 color screen printed jacket. Hand numbered edition of 500.

ELIANE RADIGUE – ‘Adnos I-III’ 3CD
Eliane Radigue’s Adnos trilogy was composed between 1973 and 1980 and is among her finest compositions. Adnos is a deeply meditative work of infinite depth and sensitivity; one of the high points of modern minimal electronic composition. Packaged in a heavy duty 3CD jacket with a thick matte coating and containing extensive archival materials.

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Tor Lundvall – ‘Structures and Solitude’ 5CD $25
Tor Lundvall’s elegant soundtracks have been captured onto nine full length albums and collected within various compilations, raising his stature as one of the most abundant craftsman within the field of ambient music. Lundvall’s second box set for Dais features a 5 disc collection of more recent works including the albums Empty City and Last Light, as well as CD versions of the vinyl-only albums Sleeping & Hiding and The Shipyard. Additionally, the fifth disc in the collection entitled Night Studies compiles Lundvall’s “after hours” recording sessions, setting the atmospheric tone for the ensemble. All discs include previously unreleased bonus tracks with a booklet and artwork by Tor Lundvall. As a limited edition bonus, a special 50 copy “art edition” of the box will contain one original oil study artwork from Tor Lundvall, each one contains a different original artwork.

COUM Transmissions – ‘Home Aged & The 18 Month Hope’ LP
The most recent installment of the rare & unheard archival recordings from the transgressive 70′s performance art group COUM Transmissions. Founded in late 1969 by Genesis P-Orridge, COUM Transmissions’s provocative performances mixed with visual art solidified the group as one of the most forward thinking breakthroughs within the 70′s conceptual art scene. Only in the past couple years has COUM’s recorded works seen the light of day. This release collects various selections spanning the years 1971 through 1975, including a rare live performance opening for Hawkwind, lost radio interview, obtuse poetry readings by early member Fizzey Peat, piano & violin compositions by Genesis P-Orridge and insightful field recordings. Limited to 1,000 vinyl copies.

Youth Code s/t LP $18
Youth Code needs no introduction. They’ve taken LA (and the world) by storm in less than a year. Their demo tape threw the scene on it’s side, and their 7″ on Angry Love quickly followed up with another uppercut of strict BPM.

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RENE HELL – ‘Vanilla Call Option’ LP
An important figure in the American underground since his teens, over innumerable releases the aesthetic choices of Jeff Witscher have prophesized many of the pivotal shifts in US underground culture spanning the last decade. Most recently receiving critical acclaim for experimental synth albums ‘Porcelain Opera’ and ‘The Terminal Symphony'(Type) and a 2012 split release with Oneohtrix Point Never, ‘Vanilla Call Option’ represents Rene Hell’s most abstract and refined vision to date. Witscher is a notoriously unique artist, a magnetic and nomadic SoCal intellectual everyman. An avid chess player, he occupies the role of both trickster and aesthete, an embodied example of a time where experimental ideas and attitudes travel fluidly between the club and gallery. Travel is a central theme of this work, with the digital and minimalist palette for ‘Vanilla Call Option’ being built whilst on the move between airports, performance spaces and public libraries. In his own words, Witscher attempted to construct “vertical narratives” that at times evoke the musique concrete of Bernard Parmegiani and probing electronic experiments of Charles Dodge. Rejecting melody to form a new language of timbre, timing and flight, these crisp compositions oscillate between flux and grandeur, piercing synthesis and meditative piano, strings and voice. This is bold futurist music, characterized by deliberate decisions and an uncompromising clarity of vision. One would be advised to pay attention.

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FH039 Mattress – ‘Fuck The Future’ $6
RIYL: Nick Cave, Suicide, Dirty Beaches. Portland Oregon’s reigning king of white-velvet doom returns with a sixer of vile yearnings and throbbing confessions. Gritty analog drum machines and flabby baselines drenched in reverb fill holes in the body formally filled with things like love and forgiveness. FUCK THE FUTURE has been said to be rough around the edges, brooding and somewhat frightening, like “Stephin Merritt crooning inside a locked closet”…

FH038 Oxykitten – ‘Escape From New Amsterdam’ $6
RIYL: Dr. Octagon, Add N To X, minimal synth. Slow, dark and brooding are the streets in New Amsterdam – gangs run everything, law is dead, people are terrified and the awful heat of summer will not abate in this filthy town. The survivors and the lucky have retreated into abandoned tunnels deep under the city, seeking respite, safety, a chance to start anew or perhaps to just wait out this civil war. But even deeper beneath them something is stirring; a dark malevolence is awakening, nourished by the pain and suffering that trickles down to pool in its ancient sarcophagi…as unbearable as life has been for all of New Amsterdam, the real horror is only beginning…

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FS14 – Golden Donna/Floating Gardens C30
Pro-dubbed on chrome, edition of 100. Golden Donna, the eminent analog giallo voyager, leaves the drum machines on standby as he makes the Q-jump to the next system. Detuned, emotive leads mark the contours of the ensuing stroboscopic passage, gently tensing inwards, only to relax outwards once more. /// Three energetic states discovered amongst the multiform chambers and biosystems of the Floating Gardens. Climbing the tone ladder to eco purity.

FS15 – Kyle Landstra – ‘The Illusion of Becoming’ C32
Pro-dubbed on chrome, edition of 60. Monumental, enraptured synthesizer drone pours from the hands of this young Midwestern healer. With simple tools Landstra pulls celestial chorales from background consciousness into presentness. Realized in the moment–both live and in solo reflection–these sessions of personal exploration are as devotional as they are elegiac, joyful as they are solemn. Composition through active meditation.

FS16 – Lens – ‘Visions Meet Light in the Cult House’ C82
Pro-dubbed on chrome, edition of 60. A smudge stick smolders softly in an abalone shell. Cedar and pine underfoot, the smell of rich loam mingles with the sage smoke and wafts quietly through a small opening cut in the roof. The guiding frequency emanates from its place in the darkness. Liminal dub, snatches of EVP, the fundamental tone–all summoned to consecrate the ritual space, to emphasize the formless mass hanging just above the hewn lintel.

FS17 – Journey of Mind – ‘Soma String’ C21
Pro-dubbed on chrome, edition of 60. Hands moving patiently across the face of a clock without end. Jimmy Billingham (Tidal, Clime, many more) mends fragments of easy listening jazz, smooth fourth-world ambient, and euphonious solo piano into four capsules of perfect stillness. Captured and minutely reassembled in his tape decks, time slows to an imperceptible trickle, sands from the eternal hourglass suspended in situ.

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