DJMRTHEBEST – ‘Bleak Dream’ C60
Edition of 100. From the hallowed grounds of Lexington, KY comes another unstoppable music force. Considering the list of top shelf pop and experimental sounds coming from that city (Street Gnar, Jovontaes, Trailblazer, Idiot Glee, Three Legged Race, etc.) does it really come as a surprise to hear that Lexington has yet another secret musical weapon hidden in the warm whiskey washed city blocks? The extraordinarily named DJMRTHEBEST is the goblin king of digital-analog cyberpunk basement rave. What if Halloween happened in Summer? Sweaty ghosts and werewolves in basketball shorts breakdance to the juicy-dark sounds of DJMRTHEBEST. Hackers and haunters come together in this dance orgy of darkness! Plan on inviting any shadowy figures for a party? Play them “Bleak Dream”; the dark-data debut by the dirty dancing dungeon dweller DJMRTHEBEST.
E*Rock – ‘The Great Underground Empire’ C30
Edition of 100. E*Rock is a bit of a legend, and not just in Portland, Oregon where he has been a valuable artistic and musical asset to the city for years and years. His list of deeds and accomplishments is long and impressive; from his work with Collective Jyrk alongside noise gods Yellow Swans, to his music video work with Wyld File alongside Paper Rad founder Ben Jones (which produced animated videos for Beck, The Gossip, and Islands), to his top-notch experimental music label Audio Dregs (and its dance oriented sub-label Fryk Beat), to his work with his brother E*Vax (who is also in famed dance rockers Ratatat), to his beloved and well-attended weirdo dance parties, his electronic psych band Regular Music, his zines, shirts, etc. He is an unstoppable force of artistic and musical madness. This new cassette on Gnar Tapes is a tripped out, glorious, buzzing dream-out through an underground world of electro-psychic audio drugs. Terrestrial and extraterrestrial, hypnotic and alluring. Closed-eyes music for mind spelunking.
Jib Kidder – ‘IV’ C58
Edition of 250. Jib Kidder has been one of our favorite artists since before Gnar Tapes was ever a label. In high school we used to hotbox in the graveyard to CD-R mixes of his music and just listen. We would blaze through his “All On Y’all: Da Mixtape”, with it’s perfect blend of funk and southern rap samples composed into grand symphonies of trippy pop-culture bliss, while blazing through dub sacks we bought after school. Throughout the years after he would continue to shatter our minds with releases like the official album version of “All On Y’all”, a psychedelic rap-beat LP of sample heavy orchestral stoner wonder, “Music For Hypnotized Minds”, a gorgeous work of ambient beats sampled from the entire catalog of Asthmatic Kitty Records by request of the label, and the more recent “Steal Guitars”, in which he took classic and rare country songs and turned them into an epic hip-hop influenced southern-shoegaze LP. He is also adored by many for posting the most mind-bending videos for his songs on YouTube. The videos are created using downloaded YouTube videos, which fit the sample based music to an almost serendipitous effect. He’s collaborated musically with like-minded composers, such as Julia Holter, as well as making videos for many artists, such as White Rainbow, White Fang, Rob Walmart, and more, all of which can be seen on his YouTube channel. He also retains an extensive knowledge of rap music, particularly southern rap, and ran an amazing blog called Twankle & Glisten through which he released insane mixtapes of rarities under the name DJ Kid Slizzard (we recently repressed his 5th cassette in the series with Burger Records). While he’s often associated with rap beats, and hip-hop sounds in general, his equally prolific catalog of guitar and pop songs showcases his knack for songcraft in ways only pop music can. In the past we released the classic freak pop masterpiece “Cold Hands”, a bedroom pop album that sounded like it was made in a studio with Ween on the mixers. “IV” could be seen as its sequel, or at least an evolution of an aspect of a multifaceted and prolific artist genius, but either way this tape is the next level. “IV” is no regular bedroom pop music; if it is a bedroom, there is a secret door into a world you have never been to and will never want to leave. Succulent fruits drip with psychedelic nectar onto rippling ponds of rainbow smoke; a place where the digital melds into the terrestrial, where the guitars and computers live together in freak pop heaven. Stoner country ballads, 60s inspired riff-outs, and genuine pop will pour out of your speakers and into the air, intoxicating the listener. Grip this soon-to-be-classic and let these sexy sweet sounds be yours.
‘Ukrainoise‘ C60
Edition of 100. 12 dark and mysterious noise projects are compiled on this very rare and exciting compilation of Ukraine based noise. From what we can gather, Kharkiv based Dao De Noize is the responsible party for creating this idea, as well as general liaison between Gnar Tapes and the shadowy figures involved in making these cold, dark sounds. From beyond the ghost of the Iron Curtain come the sounds of a new generation of Ukraine citizens; translating the emotional and psychic feelings of their environment through art and sound. Ukraine is a large country and most of the artists included on this haunting and beautiful collection are enveloped in mystery, elusive to any clear story as to how and where their noise was recorded; embrace the ghost and feel the noise of Ukraine.
Free Weed/Sam Gas Can – ‘TGIF 24-7/Why Can’t I Be Normal?’ C40
Edition of 100. From both coasts of the good USA comes a split tape of the dopest degree. Finally together on one tape: Portland, OR’s weirdo bong pop doper Free Weed and Northampton, MA’s legendary cartoon wonder Sam Gas Can. A collaborative release between Gnar Tapes and SGC’s Faux-Pas Recordings label, this is the symbol of a bond that stretches across the entire span of America. This bad boy of a tape contains a brand new album by Free Weed called “TGIF 24/7” and a brand new EP by Sam Gas Can called “Why Can’t I Be Normal?”, as well as delicious art and swell download card. This is the Spring Fling you have been waiting for. Pop that tape in the player and let that good ole American pop music do it’s thing.
DJ Free Weed – ‘Earth Day 2013’ C30
Edition of 100. “Earth Day 2013″ is a relaxation & healing motivational worship tape. Intended for meditation and connection with the Earth Goddes. Relax your mind and embrace the calm moods of this inspirational new cassette. Feel the cool pools of emotion wash away as you drift away to warm seas of bliss. Calm yourself, and prepare to be escorted to the gardens of your Earth mind. Feel free. Embrace the Goddess. Forgive, and forgive yourself, for we are all her children.”– DJ Free Weed This chill bumper is all you need to embrace the sun of Spring! Feel these mellow eco-beats; let them remind you of Mother Nature, and that she is the creator of all the sweetest sounds. Let your love go and order this healing New Age medicine NOW. Featuring remixes by Jib Kidder and Unkle Funkle !!!
Gnar FM – ‘Gnar Tapes Compilation #3’ C90
Edition of 100. You’re listening to GNAR FM! The only station that plays only Gnar Stars, all the time! Follow your hosts DJ Free Weed and DJ Unkle Funkle as they jockey hit after hit of Gnar Tapes all-star magic! Featuring many of your Gnarnia favorites, as well as a few surprises and special guests along the way! 29 bands and almost an hour and a half of Gnar FM radio glory!
Street Gnar – ‘Study Wall’ C24
Edition of 150. Special tour reissue of Lexington, KY’s Street Gnar’s classic pop masterpiece Study Wall on Gnar Tapes and Burger Records. Simply one of our favorite releases we’ve ever facilitated and we couldn’t be happier to see it gain a second life. Catch Street Gnar on tour now with The Memories. Grip this pure sparkling power pop wonder album; A MUST GRIP!
DJ Kid Slizzard – ‘For The Weed Smokers’ C90
Edition of 100. Special 420 holiday / record store day reissue release of For The Weed Smokers by DJ Kid Slizzard on Gnar Tapes and Burger Records. Light it up to this phat mix of rare and wild weed raps from all eras. A sure delight for stoners and squares alike. OVER AN HOUR OF THAT DANK MAGIC!!
The Hound Of Love – ‘Careful Houndy’ C58
Edition of 100. Years in the making! The Hound Of Love is finally here! Andrew from beloved Portland slime punks Mean Jeans offers an extraordinary party pop debut! Like stepping into a VHS time portal of 80s action movies, Bill & Ted dreams, Nintendo gun controllers, VH1 nightlights, teenage Summer nights, and swimming pools full of tortilla chips. “Careful Houndy” is another essential cassette in our series of split releases with the best label on the planet, Burger Records. Consider this the optimum choice for all party occasions, indoor or outdoor..
Melted Toys – ‘Collection Vol. 2’
Edition of 150. The newest release in the collaboration between Gnar Tapes and Burger Records, everyone’s favorite dream-pop daze hazers Melted Toys return with an expanded reissue edition of their EP “Washed & Dried” (originally released by New York’s excellent Underwater Peoples label) with an entire B-Side of demo tracks, which are the foundation for their upcoming full-length (also to be released by Underwater Peoples). Fresh off an East Coast tour with Christopher Owens, formerly of famed SF power poppers Girls, and currently on a West Coast tour with the same Christopher Owens, this cassette is just in time for Spring flings and flirty times. We released a very small run of these so they are moving extraordinarily fast; get yours from Gnar now before you miss out on this deliriously blissful pop experience.
Donnie Blossoms – ‘High-Chew/Windows’ C48
Edition of 50. You asked for it; Gnarnia cutie pie, heartbreaker, and bright youth spirit sprite, Donnie “Nicky” Blossoms’ first cassette is here! Lo-fi home-made pop of the silkiest haze. Featuring two separate EPs recorded separately, “High Chew” is more electronic and pretty, “Windows” is more scuzzy and sly; both are fantastic and a must grip for all Gnar Heads. Debut cassette from the legendary boy.
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Duckyousucker is a San Francisco-based trio utilizing samplers, saxophone, drums, and guitar. While many of their songs are instrumental, to call them simply post-rock is a long way off. They pull from a rich canon of influences, summoning the spirits of Pharoah Sanders and Gilberto Gil, unleashing the Melting Paraiso UFO. Looped samples nucleate grooves that weave throughout densely layered textures. Before you know it, dance happens. edition of 200.
Rawmean is the live-looping project of San Francisco-based musician Ramin Rahni (duckyousucker). Contact mic’d tupperware clicks, thumps, and loops like a soulful drum machine, while heavily processed guitars and found sounds sing synthetic. Out of these textures, grooves materialize, like familiar shapes emerging in the clouds. edition of 200.
Scratch is the latest release by Tennessee’s Clearing. The minimalistic structure and composition continues with lush tones and ambience. The album is calming, it ebbs and flows deep within your inner core. It creates sensations, quite similar to the feeling of goosebumps rising on your arms and legs. Each track is its own sensation, a timeless moment caught on tape and produces the effect of a dream-like state. I imagine myself washing my face in the summer sun, allowing the rays of light splash my skin with the water as all my troubles melt away. Limited to 50 c42 cassettes.
Marina Stewart originally crafted the first part of the Horreur Tape back in 1986. Recently revisited and with the addition of side B, a short introduction to Stewart’s music has been formed. The two tracks, spanning just less than 10 minutes, are not to be taken lightly. They are filled with heavily distorted beats, breaking sound blips, audio clips, and a forceful presence of moving forward. Aged like a fine wine, the intricate nature of the recording lends itself to multiple layers of sounds that reveal themselves little by little after each listen. The album is rich in texture, sound that you can physically feel, reach out and touch. It drudges on and provides a whirlwind of backward momentum and damaged sound. A very limited 40 copies of this tape exist on purple cassettes with layout and artwork by Zin. Scissor motif by Marina Stewart herself and accurately portrays the history of this work.
The sounds of ghosts. Beynon Archival is the found works of the mysterious Beynon School of Audio Architecture. The lost works have been restored after being badly damaged. The erie coldness and warped warble sound bleeds through the restored works. Pieced together and edited only to lend itself to listenability, the historical significance of this album is filled with perspective and appreciation. The imagination can ruin the mind and this album has been defected by the ghosts of our own past. Limited to 50 copies on slime green cassettes.
