Animal Psi

PAULINE OLIVEROS – ‘REVERBERATIONS: TAPE & ELECTRONIC MUSIC 1961-1970’ 12CD
“On some level, music, sound consciousness and religion are all one , and she would seem to be very close to that level.” John Rockwell.  “Through Pauline Oliveros and Deep Listening I now know what harmony is. It’s about the pleasure of making music.” John Cage.  Dense 12 disc collection of Pauline Oliveros’ early and unreleased electronic work including her very first piece for tape made in 1961. The majority of these pieces have never before been released. Organized chronologically by studio this set not only documents Pauline’s earliest electronic music but it also functions as an early history of electronic music itself. Extensive liner notes including essays from Pauline Oliveros, Alex Chechile, Ramon Sender, David Bernstein, Corey Arcangel and Benjamin Tinker. This box set is being released in conjunction with Pauline Oliveros’ 80th birthday celebrations. TRAILER

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RAINFOREST SPIRITUAL ENSLAVEMENT – ‘black magic cannot cross water’ C30
beware the blue ambience at dusk. long form electronic spirit scapes. hear the mournful quake of cursed souls and rattle of the spider snare. edition of 79.

RAINFOREST SPIRITUAL ENSLAVEMENT – ‘jungle black magic and highlands green sorcery’ 2xCS
Despite Christian groups trying to stamp out sorcery and witchcraft in remote parts of Papua New Guinea, villagers say it is still carried out.
Environmentalism is the new state. spider shaker ambient. river spirit electronics. edition of 49.

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MOONWOOD – ‘The Strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the Strength of the Wolf is the Pack’ CD
48 Mins. Ltd. Ed. lino block printed, translucent red envelope with 3-pack of pin-back buttons. Taking a cue from the Kipling-inspired title, Toronto-based psych-improv guitarist Moonwood follows his “river ghosts” on Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” into the exotic heart of darkness. From the meditative opener, “So The Darkness Shall Be The Light, And The Stillness Be The Dancing” to the rambling opium den epic of “Where The Flowers Blossom Red”, the album smoulders with Javanese go-go gamelan gongs, smoky Cambodian funk, wicked Celtic ragas, deep Saharan blues, simmering Sufi surf and spaced-out Indian soul. A heady fusion for heady times (times like, say, 1972 or, possibly, 1912).

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MPALA GAROO – ‘Ou Du Monde’ LP
Upgrade of the original cassette release on Sweat Lodge Guru. Moscow multi-instrumentalist Ivan Karib who also plays in Kon Tiki Gemini makes wondrous spaced-out and multi-layered electronics that float somewhere between Ducktails and Sean McCann. The tropics invade Russia and clatter to the floor. ghost guitars ring hollow, looping around endlessly searching for synthetic embrase. Sweat Lodge Guru described the recordings as “Music crafted for the sunny and tropical paradises of our minds. Seasonal temperament is shared via magnetic vibes; we can all exist in the same balmy and tropical headstate no matter what our physical locale may be. Pure vibrations that ebb and flow on the appeal of tidal moons.” * Mastered by Anders Peterson * Edition of 300 copies.

MIND OVER MIRRORS – ‘High & Upon’ LP
Re-issue of this long sold out cassette on Gift Tapes. Mind over Mirrors is Jaime Fennely harmonium player and electronica builder. Before he started his solo-project he was a member of junkfolkband Peeesseye and psychedelic freejazztrio Acid Birds. He created Mind Over Mirrors when he was residing on an island in the Salish Sea in Washington from 2007 till 2010.  Mind Over Mirrors’ music is all about saturated sound. Fennelly plays his pump organ through a battery of oscillators and effects that extend and distort its tones to obtain in-the-red highs, chest-rattling mids, and low notes as bulbous and squeezable as a slightly underinflated inner tube. The end results are slow constructive growing, repetitive melodies, warming wilderness of vivid harmonic depth.  * Art by Mind Over Mirrors * Mastered and cut by Rashad @ D+M * Edition of 400 copies.

CVLTS – ‘Realiser’ LP
The Kansas post-hypnagogia psych enigma CVLTS create a strange distillation of improvisation, keyboards, loops and field recordings. Song length carpets of sound with the occasional attempt at dream pop. CVLTS are the Kings of Haze and they will make all your dreams come true. * Art by Landon Metz* Past-on cover art * Edition of 150 copies.

TIDAL/RAMBUTAN split LP
Two wonderful long straight running drone pieces by underground artists Tidal & Rambutan. Both have released numerous tapes on labels such as Stunned, No Kings, Digitalis, Hobo Cult, Hooker Vision.  Tidal blesses us with a Popol Vuh-esque ride to the future and Rambutan contributes a beautiful accompanying magical piece to the B-side. * Art by Jennifer Crouch * Silk-screened covers by Niels Voaals* Insert. Mastered by Anders Peterson. Edition of 150 copies.

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Boy Fruit – ‘Demonology’ CD $8
Both blunted and schizophrenic, Boy Fruit’s take on hip hop is a pile of twitching and glitching contradictions.    A set of rambling songs and micro ideas flowing into each other in the tradition of Mad Lib or Jay Dilla, Jay Harmon builds Demonology out of the firmament of his own possessed mind.  Turning sounds to crystallized green honey that he can form into towers of dripping confusion, before he hits the stop button, knocks it over and starts again.  While the album does make reference to the aforementioned hip hop halos, there is a digital crunch present in Boy Fruit’s work that makes this sound his own.   A hard digital distortion covers many of his snares and high hats in spiky texture while still floating over a bed of organic samples, creating a sound unique to Boy Fruit alone.  Demonology is a minor classic in the making and a most welcome addition to the Debacle catalog.

First Dog to Visit the Center of the Earth – ‘Corecore’ CD $8
FDVCE is one Jack Rodriguez of San Diego.  He has been kicking around the bandcamp/blogs/mediafire scene for a minute, releasing 9 albums already. Corecore has become the fan favorite of those initial independent albums, and so we decided to reissue it on CD and digital.  Corecore is the perfect marriage of Black Dice’s squelchy electronics with Mouse on Mars upside-down pop.   Wild synth tones meet digital crunch.  A cartoonish world is revealed.   Dancing mailboxes and 8-bit fossils.  12-foot-long alligators chase you deep into the Earth.  For fans of: Black Dice, Mouse on Mars, µ-Ziq, Dan Deacon

Rainbow Lorikeet– ‘Fractures’ CD $8
A 5 song trip down the noisy end of the hip hop/ dub biosphere, Rainbow Lorikeet’s debut release “Fractures” comes to us from a small town in Northern Italy.  Fractures seems to ask “What if Techno Animal signed to Not Not Fun?” or “Where is the mid-point between Demdike Stare and Scorn?”  Nicolò Tescari seemly has united the scabrous whirr of the American noise underground with the larger international bass-music massive. Fans of Techno Animal, Dälek, Andy Stott and Demdike Stare take note.

BLSPHM – ‘Barter the Lashed’ CD $8
“Barter the Lashed has two main modes: 1) Torrents of rusty metal guitar angst and vocal bile in extremis, 2) Foreboding, early-Swans-like dirges that make you feel anxious and existential. The first offers explosive catharsis; the second plunges you into bracing despair. However, the 15-minute closer, “The Failure of Our Brothers,” drones in a keening register that recalls John Cale’s Sun Blindness Music and some of Birchville Cat Motel’s work. It achieves a rare balance between abrasion and meditation.

Bacteria Cult, Juhyo, Blue Sabbath Black Cheer CD $8
Three way split between three of the best noisers working today.   I personally can’t believe how great these three tracks are.  Bacteria Cult turn in a fuzzy scum trip.  Juhyo spins up a clanking whirring industrial synth zoner.  BSBC throw a BRUTAL high end driller to clean the pallet.  Plus, three amazing pieces of artwork from Demian Johnston in a 6 panel wallet.  Mastered by Scott Colburn

Vertonen At Jennie Richie – ‘Leaving the Ocean for Land’ CD $8
Blake Edwards teams up with the mysterious At Jennie Richie for a 45 minute piece of slowly moving musique concrete and sculpted half-memory.   The album is very much a narrative piece, but of what I do not know.  This vessel has run aground. For fans of irr.apt.(ext), Nurse With Wound, cold handshakes, Japanese tsunami ghost ships, and licorice. Mastered by Matt Waldron.

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Dorothea – ‘Majorana‘
Dorothea is a self-described “psychedelic drone doom duo.” Over the course of a half hour the group expertly layers filthy sounding drones over a steady and forceful drum line. The project is an international collaboration spanning thousands of miles, with one member from the East Coast of the United States and the other on the West Coast of Norway. Tinnitus Records is proud to be the first label to release their music on a physical format. Hand numbered cassettes limited to 50 copies.

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Prescription Pills – ‘New Division’ CS
Prescription Pills’ New Division is the third cassette release from Portland label High Scores and Records.  The lyrical content of this 9 track cassette deals mostly with isolation, loss and regret, juxtaposed against driving drum machine dance beats, noodley guitar lines and dream fuzz synth reminiscent of 80’s new wave and Nü-Goth. The album revolves around the strong vocal melodies and lyrical depth delivered over the simple yet detailed chord progressions and often
minimalist beats.  New Division is a strong follow-up to Prescription Pills previous Graveyaard EP (Eggy Tapes) and exemplifies a wider sonic range, expanded concepts and less of a genre-defined sound. Whether used for dancing, lounging in bed, or reliving past mistakes, New Division is a well-rounded album, telling you the things you’d least like to hear in the most pleasant way.

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FAX 035: Anthro Rex – ‘Return to Sender’ C30 $6(US)/$8(WORLD)
Famed tumblrer and collage-ist, Daniel James Cashman, presents us with his most personal and, believe it or not, introspective release to date. The songs and attitude of Anthropophagous Rex have long been a heavy influence on my own music, so I couldn’t be prouder to package this one up for the hungry masses. Can’t lose with song titles like “Snuggler’s Blues” and this summer’s big hit, “I Hate Stuff That Sucks”. Thank you for the hard rock. Edition of 50.

FAX 033: Lack – ‘Commitment to Academia’ C20 $6(US)/$8(WORLD)
“Everyone’s favorite goth”, Carrboro’s own Philip Maier AKA Lack hits hard with his minimal electronic stylistics and, dare I say it, even puts a little bit of a donk on it. Dance with the crystal skull and stare deep into it’s eyes, and I promise you will end up carrying it for life. Edition of 50.

FAX 031: Bastian Void/Three Fourths Tigers split C60 $6(US)/$8(WORLD)
Split release from Joseph Bastardo and Ryan Mulhall, the two halves of Looks Realistic. Roots, leaves, moss and dirt. Each half is a distinct take on tape recording and manipulation, using synthesizers and sampling keyboards. Both sides were edited, mixed and arranged at Moss Archive, in the forest-valley of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Edition of 100 pro-dubbed, imprinted tapes, co-released with Moss Archive.

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Lord Tang – ‘Lord Tang’ CD/MP3/Cassette
We have a new release from Evangelista keyboard player Dominic Cramp we would love for you to review! Gigante Sound is proud to present the self-titled debut from Lord Tang. Cramp has garnered much from his travels with Carla Bozulich and Co. and he brings some of that experience to bear on this record. Most influential of these, is the formation and deconstruction of the song. Cramp is better known for his sample alchemy and abstract composition as Borful Tang but as Lord Tang, he brings the beats, melodies, sub-bass, clanging delays all hand crafted in the corner of an old warehouse in Oakland, California. Channeling the dark beauty in the dirt, grime and rambling melange of the surrounding urban landscape; beats are put on cassette tape that has been mangled into the carpet, analog synth melodies are slowed and stretched, spring reverbs are kicked and howl! Influenced as much by Demdike Stare and Zomby as Madlib, King Tubby, This Heat, Mr. Oizo and the Sublime Frequencies catalog, Lord Tang is pulling sound from across the spectrum into his own personalized smithery.

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Husnaan – ‘Capturing Image Of The Eminent Incorrect Interpretation’ C36
Husnaan is Duto Hardono from Indonesia. Using a small array of electronic devices, Duto explores the convergence of a very Schnitzlerian kosmische and some more esoteric, and yes, noisier influences. The result, depending on your mood upon entering, can range from a mild bliss to an intense aural extravagance. Sounds explode or blossom like foliage in large patches around the place you are standing. Because of the wide range of frequency touched upon, you will want to turn this up very loud.

C. Yantis – ‘Strung Figments’ C40
Cody Yantis has been ramping up his productivity since the landing of Kerning, his painfully scarce LP on the trusty Blackest Rainbow label last year. I’m happy to (finally) officially welcome Mr. Yantis to the (let’s face it) highly sought-after status of Avant Archive Alumnus. He doesn’t waste this invitation, either. In a mode that gently acknowledges peers such as Steven R. Smith and Loren Connors, Yantis strikes out toward a land slightly more other-worldly. Let’s drink in the simplicity of composition here—there is a cleverness about leaving enough air for your work to breath. This is exactly what Yantis does, with headroom up to the heavens and beyond. Notes are crippled at ground level and yet somehow magically float out of our range of vision.

Sagas – ‘Signal Refracted’ C52
Pittsburgh’s psychedelic man about town, Matt McDowell was kind enough to lend me this nearly hour-long set of demented lap-steel airs. Circuit-mangled notes mix with pure, humming steel drone and create for us a kind of organically chaotic blend of sounds. It’s simply refraction, on many levels and in many different directions, and it demonstrates Matt’s skill with walking the line between a more western, industrialized vision, and another that finds its roots somewhere further east.

Kösmonaut – ‘Green’ C45
Kösmonaut is Patrick R. Pärk. Touching on styles from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, Pärk crafts what almost might substitute for a posthumous ransacking of one or several of these famed forefathers of electronic music. Of course, what holds my interest is not the fact that Kösmonaut is playing in a well-established and loved style, but that he also (fortunately for us) lends an exponent of experimental nature to the pieces. Of course we can identify the acid, the kraut, minimalism, and so on, when we are confronted with them. But we certainly can’t say when we’ll be confronted with these elements, and that’s what makes me smile, and of course, listen.

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