Animal Psi

the One (family) – ‘the One (family)’ C40/CD $5/$7
“the One (family) are a fearlessly migrating force. A husband and wife team who attempt to combat complacency around every turn. Both members are multi-instrumentalists (and experienced producers) who utilize a wide range of acoustic and electronic instruments (including electric violin, analog synthesizers, guitars, percussion and homemade items)… The group blends their studio techniques with live performance, while focusing heavily on textures and dynamics… They are less concerned with genre than creating interesting and unique music. Identifying with the ethos of film-maker John Cassevetes (who allowed the spontaneity of improvisation to shape his works beyond what was initially conceived); the group’s objective is and has always been: to do what is necessary. (whatever that may sound like). Their new self-titled album (actually their 5th release) combines elements of all of their previous explorations, now focused with an ornate and compositionally progressive sound… Foreboding experimental passages give way to dense melodic rhythms (and vice versa), as they utilize every sound at their disposal (including the creaking floor…literally). The most obvious evolutionary tactic on this recording is the addition of lead female vocals by b.burroughs, which aids and desists tension at will. Her operatic vocal style meshes perfectly with the generally freeform nature of the group… One thing is certain with this release: the One (family)’s imprint has been clearly defined. (for now)”

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1971.038 Shooting Guns – ‘Spectral Laundromat’ C50
We’ve been waiting a long time to make this one happen. If there’s one thing Saskatoon’s Shooting Guns can do well, it’s lay out thick slabs of heavy psych. Collecting 5 live tracks records from all over – pulled from a suitcase of recordings, Spectral Laundromat bridges the gap between their Polaris nominated Born to Deal in Magic: 1952-1976 and their upcoming John McBain produced Brotherhood of the Ram LP. Ed. of 75 w DL.

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Tortura Sistematika CD/LP
TORTURA SISTEMATIKA are remembered as the predecessors of the interesting band Bukaera and the very influential Ruido de Rabia. After several failed attempts, they had never received a retrospective that recovered their raw recordings to them as true pioneers of hardcore and extreme music in Spain. Now the label Truco Esparrago releases “Todos Somos Culpables: Live & Demo Collection 84-85”, a CD that contains most of the material of the legendary band from Gipuzkoa. The album contains four live recordings (Barcelona, San Sebastian, Barakaldo and Azkoitia) and the first three demos from 1984. A total of 82 tracks with remastered sound and a 8 pages booklet with texts, photos and lyrics. Furthermore, Truco Esparrago presents “The Demos: Tolosako Hardcore (84-85): Las Fosas Siguen Abiertas” a limited to 100 copies cassette which includes four demos of the band. Three of them appear on the CD (but here without the remastered sound), and also another demo of long duration (not included on CD). A total of 59 tracks, including lyrics and credits on a pro-tape with DIY presentation.

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dSCi – ‘Live at Auditório Carlos Alberto 27/03/2013’
[EN] New therapeutic release from our usual suspects dSCi, here presented live in their drummer-less form exploring experimental electronics at Auditório Carlos Paredes during the celebrations for Open Document day earlier this year (27/03/2013). This release also signals the liftoff of the Zaratak tour through Spain and beyond. [PT] Nova incursão terapêutica pelos nossos suspeitos do costume dSCi, aqui na sua forma sem bateria experimentando com electrónicas ao vivo no Auditório Carlos Paredes durante o dia da celebração da documentação aberta (27/03/2013). Esta edição marca o inicio da Zaratak tour por terras Espanholas.

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ANT’LRD – ‘EXTRA DOMICILE’
Collage bliss from Chicago’s Colin Blantonn. Beautiful and chill vibes on Extra Domicile. It’s like if Blantonn sets up dreamcatchers around the world’s bedrooms. He finds those who are having nightmares and soothes their souls with a warm and comforting blanket. The focus is texture, not so different from a Monet painting or an out-of-focus photograph. Chrome tape in blue shell. Pro-dubbed and printed with butterfly assemblage. Limited to 75.

THANIEL ION LEE – ‘AMBIGUITY MAKES THE CONFUSING NORMAL’
How does someone make something both ambiguous and also to-the-point? Somehow Thaniel Ion Lee manages this in the cleverest fashion. When artist Lee makes music, he specializes in sublime, minimal black drone. Metallic tones and angular counterpoints dot his thoughtful compositions. Ambiguity Makes the Confusing Seem Normal is a mirror to what you want it to be. Perhaps bleakness is light and vice versa. Remember Thaniel Ion Lee’s name- as he seems to know some useful secrets- and he’s telling you about them all right here. Just look. Chrome tape in purple shell. Pro-dubbed and printed with butterfly assemblage. Limited to 75.

JANE JANE – ‘THE EDUCATION OF MY RUBBER DOLLY’ EP
Carnivalesque dusty pop explorations from Jane Jane. Seemingly inspired by their recent transplant to New Orleans, Michael Arcos and Courtney Asztalos cook up a most delicious soup of grime, lounge, tragedian folk and bent lullaby with the ep The Education of my Rubber Dolly. Shedding their skin as Jane Jane Pollock, we have spellbinding croons for our ears and love charms to put in our pocket. This is a new manifestation of the Jane story. Here a bearded woman whispers where we’ll find a lost carousel in the kudzu-infested wood. After eating strange fruit, days later we wake up sunburnt, and we both don’t know what happened. We don’t have our wallets or passports, and we don’t even remember our last name. Whatever the case, the way Jane Jane reinterprets pop is always delightful. Cobalt tape on gray shell. Pro-dubbed and printed with butterfly and paper assemblage. Limited to 75.

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Rich Jacobs – ‘The Tooth Lady’
2nd release in the new “Artist Series” on Sanity Muffin! We asked a number of select Artists, who may or may not consider themselves Musicians, to explore the cassette format. They can do anything they want for the artwork packaging AND the audio. In this case Rich explores free improv Surf and Western cinematic themes, slightly dark and twisted in nature. He conjures his raw, spontaneus and inovative guitar technique which compliments his art-making. Rich Jacobs has been a powerhouse in the art scenes in LA, San Diego, NY, Buenos Aires and Oakland. Currating his own Move artshows and showing solo around the globe. This release features a full length albums worth of solo guitar for a yet to be filmed soundtrack. Packaging includes:Blue tapes, custom tape labels, a mini zine in an array of colors, a mini Japanese Gocco print, stamped & numbered OBI strip wrapping it’s contents tight. Limited to 150 copies.

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A Story of Rats – ‘Vastness and the Inverse’ LP $18
Two ethereal, dramatic side-long tracks from Seattle-based dark drone architects A Story of Rats. Recorded by Blake Green, mastered by James Plotkin. Featuring hand silkscreened artwork. Edition of 300 LPs with download card, download includes bonus remix by Author & Punisher.

Midday Veil – ‘Midnight Movies’ VHS $12
Human sacrifice, cake orgies, and analog video feedback abound on this hand dubbed VHS compilation of music videos from Seattle psych-prog shapeshifters Midday Veil. Hand silkscreened artwork, 57 minutes. Edition of 50.

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大小 + Naturalismo + Sin:Ned – ‘Disgiunzione #4’ CDr
30 copies. about: Displacements all over the place, dismembered electronics, discrepant interferences, disharmonic guitars – eventually, a new disjunction in cross-border improvisation, each participant trapped in a featureless room in the industrial buildings of the mind. Pipes, concrete, bolts, t-beams, water dripping everywhere, elevator shafts, forgotten machinery, mold and staircases leading to no possible understandings.

王长存 – ‘Itself Kind Life’ 7″
Lathe cut, 20 copies. co-released with Lips Infection records. about: Far words from have say to deep with echo waves comes itself liberating must Wang Changcun collapse through at with immersion glassy record as new deconstruction flow. Sandhi sepulchral scene throughout its gestures is it all materiality? Itself kind life, in tones subtracted were to still: after dry kind seas, from deep you are I have. Or, in more constrained semantics, just our first seven-inch lathe, in collaboration with Lips Infection records, few minutes of crystallized ambience and subdued oscillations.

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Cousins – ‘Bathhouse’
After a pair of short but powerfully conceived cassettes packaged in handmade books, etched wooden boxes and wax-sealed envelopes, Cousins have broken free from Milwaukee’s frigid winter with a dense full-length spanning over an hour. These twelve songs capture a dark era, recorded over an 8-month period in a cryogenic reverb tank. Cousins have patiently crafted a unique brand of post-punk intensity, borrowing elements from hardcore, shoegaze, sludge and noise rock while never feeling like a trivial embodiment of any particular sonic aesthetic. Each song grapples with personal realizations in a tug-of-war between nostalgic dirges and youthful adrenaline. Bathhouse reads like a long lost diary with the emotional weight of a family heirloom recovered from years of obscurity in an attic or basement. All that’s left is to turn the key. Recorded by Krum A.D. (Ice Age Records) and mastered by Will Killingsworth (Failures, Orchid, Ampere) at Dead Air Studios. Edition of 250.

Hausu – ‘Total’
Hausu’s unique identity lies not in a desire to emulate or imitate those who came before them, but is instead constructed by slicing up the tiny details throughout the wide scope of rock music’s history that have shaped them as individual people, and re-arranging them into a collage: the focused totality of what it means to be a Rock Music Performance Group. Their restraint and attention to detail is increasingly rare in a world plagued by short attention spans and the lust for instant gratification. Total is the Portland quartet’s very first release after several years of existence, the product of patiently taking time to refine their message, delivery and musical skills. The result is a collection of 10 songs that are tightly wound into a braid that draws deep from the well of hardcore and punk, but is executed with an aesthetic more akin to post-punk, emo or even 90s alternative rock. While the range of styles and musical complexity exhibited throughout “Total” appears jarring and dissonant on first impression, these variations serve as crucial elements to the multi-faceted nature of having four people in a band following four different paths to their singular vision. The final work is smooth, accessible and complete within the context of itself. Featuring artwork by Neil Gregerson (Naomi Punk) & Hausu. Recorded & mixed by Dylan Wall. Mastered by Ben Greenberg (of The Men, Hubble, Zs). Edition of 150.

Mariposa – ‘Holy Ghost’
Madeline Johnston has the undeniable spirit of a road-weary traveler from decades long past. Criss-crossing the U.S. on elusive tours that may only be discovered by being in the right place at the right time, her performances silence the rooms they take place in, leaving all other details to fall out of focus. Working with acoustic instruments, pedals, field recordings, cassette tapes and her lone voice, these twelve songs softly ring out across New Mexico’s powdery sands and slowly descend into the great plains between Santa Fe and Denver. Holy Ghost is Johnston’s most fully realized work to date, an expansive album divided in two complementary halves over an hour long. These stories come from a private place: the burdening recollections of endless highways, innocent roadkill, eulogies for overdoses, and misplacing oneself. In quiet solitude, Johnston captures the mysterious aura of becoming one with that strange netherworld where the desert, prairie and mountains converge. Gray skies ahead and a blurry horizon flanked by farms and wooden fences, journeys along abandoned trails into hills long untouched by humans. Is all this traveling the illusion of reflection, or are you finding yourself for the first time? Edition of 100.

Brahms – ‘shimmer//suffocate’
Secluded behind walls, windows, bars and blinds, Jovan Moran has finally emerged from solitude with a powerful follow-up to 2011’s mysterious “Pressure” cassingle. Serving as a coping mechanism for serving time, shimmer//suffocate is a miniature concerto composed by and for inner anxiety. Minimalism is embraced, as rumbling organ drones uncomfortably slither underneath twinkling piano keys when hands aren’t shaking too much to play them. Moran’s genius lies in the simplicity of his compositions, carefully arranging these ten pieces so there is always space to breathe and maintain sanity, a rare luxury often taken for granted by the rest of us in our daily lives. Edition of 100

No Paws – ‘Healthy Men’
In the five years since No Paws’ debut release on Bridgetown, the core duo of Sam Woodson and Rogers DeCoud have channeled the charm of 80s new wave and post-punk through the modern filter of contemporary DIY. Now solidified as a 4-piece, “Healthy Men” stands as their magnum opus, a deeply introspective reflection on relationships with others and oneself. 9 songs for looking closer inside. Pristine synths swirl around propulsive drum beats and shiny bass tones while Woodson’s heartfelt words tremble and bounce off the mirror. Edition of 50.

Nicole Kidman – ‘Lost At The Mall’
“Lost At The Mall” marks Nicole Kidman’s return to a focus on his trademark keyboard melodies and gritty drum machine beats, while incorporating the crunching guitar strum he’s relied on live as of late. Everything is pushed to the max: his inimitable voice over instruments deep in the red, the distorted boombox never sounded so sweet. Interludes and movie samples soften the blow, but not for long before another shard of pure pop comes along and shatters as quickly as it arrived. Divided between isolation and optimism, the confessional narrative is as fragmented as ever. Maybe being lost at the mall isn’t what you thought it’d be like at all. Edition of 50.

R. Sawyer – ‘Attention’
Reuben Sawyer of Rainbath Visual’s solo output under his own name has been sparse but deliberate, specializing in the calculated construction of crackling textures and room-filling ambient tones that shimmer and envelope the spaces they occupy. Beginning with a focused beam of whirling shrapnel, the flow from tension to optimism is clear as dense chordal swells rise from layers of rubble. Themes of decay and sorrow have been prevalent in all of Sawyer’s musical and visual work to date, but “Attention” finds them at their purest and most basic state, building into the final moments of uplifting clarity that have characterized his elaborate penwork as a visual artist for nearly a decade. The storm is over and the sun is finally out. Edition of 50.

Hollow Sunshine – ‘New Light’
Reuben Sawyer’s alternate personality as Hollow Sunshine approaches similar themes of his visual work, ambient compositions and Blood Bright Star project, but executes them in a distinctly different format. “New Light” marks the addition of new member Morgan Enos, who delivers pillowy vocals over Sawyer’s downtuned metal riffs. The band’s unique identity is forged by elements of sludge, doom, and other heavy genres being placed directly into the blueprint for conventional pop. Hollow Sunshine’s natural progression from 2011’s “Grey Again” is the realization and vision of pop music as grown from roots in metal and minimalism, rather than the other way around. Edition of 50.

Widesky – ‘Flotsam’
Seattle sound designer Seth Chrisman’s work as Widesky takes a refreshing approach to experimental composition that centers around the feelings of natural environments. The four pieces that comprise “Flotsam” harness the inconceivable power of the ocean into sonic representations of aquatic circumstances. Chrisman commands masterful control over field recordings, synthesis and organic instrument tones into an extreme range, harnessing the exhilarating rush of waves pounding against bare skin and the placid tranquility of drifting underwater without gravity’s restrictions. The sunken wreckage conjured carries an undeniable beauty that was never possible above the water’s threshold, as it becomes one with the sea floor and melts into the reef over the course of forgotten centuries. Edition of 50.

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Lea Cummings/Nacht und Nebel split C40 £5
Henry Davies of Nacht und Nebel is a versatile performer. His command of the cello as the sole source of his explorations in noise in recent years roots Nacht und Nebel’s sound and manner of working in a not too distant relationship with the cacophony and assault of the early pioneering European noise artists and in the same spirit an endless flow of short run tapes circulate from Nacht und Nebel shows. Here damaged devices stutter and flutter, squeal and rumble through two fine developments in monochromatic debris and hurled wreckage of the highest order. Lea Cummings is a man who has screamed, scraped, convulsed and pulverised his way around the continents of the world in the last decade as Kylie Minoise. If you know anything of Lea’s work and improvised live aktions you will recognise that this work is the euphoria of a man exhausted, tired and dripping with sweat, endorphins coursing through the system crawling away from the site of exorcism, a moment of stillness charged with the vibrations of physical exhaustion, a soundtrack that changes in tone and colour only as the listener becomes drawn in to the subtleties of the experience.

SCKE// – ‘Ornaments’ 7” £4
Re-issue of 2X Gritty Loops and Abstract Electronics Compositions by SCKE//. Comes in double clear sleeve and Xerox inlay with excerpt from Bernard Leech’s, The Unknown Craftsman. “They accepted the picture of life as it was given to them, with its balance of good and evil under heaven, without question or protest. That made the struggle bearable and even left room for the play of the life spirit in their rice fields and the work of their hands, their crafts. I have studied and thought about the flowering of the crafts of mankind for a long time and always come back to the mothering care of the beliefs of man. What a great debt we owe them.”

Naomi Chomsky – ‘Iron Bird Meditation’ £5
Tape release of lo-fidelity zen-folk meditation. All tracks recorded in 5 day period summer 2012, recorded in a garden shed and outdoors with one microphone. Side A features 2 guitar repetitive folk meditation pieces. Side B features one incantation deep gong workout and a field recorded meditation based on rain and iron horses.

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