Animal Psi

Softoft Techech C15 $7
Is Softoft Techech a music and digi-psychedelic iphone app company or the fuzzed out multi layered post house debut of the talented Mr. Paul Slocum?  Answer: both. Best known for his renowned Tree Wave project, which made Shoegazey fuzzed out stuff with Ataris, Commodore 64s and a dot matrix printer (using self made software), this is his first solo release and it shares monikers with his app company.  Mostly ditching his 8bit gear (the Commodore synth does pop up) this time Mr. Slocum has returned to some of his 90’s House experiments but now utilizing his own software: Looper, he updates things and sends them up ahead to the next level.   Like weird dance music you might hear in a dicso on another planet in a sci fi film or at a futuristic tribal jungle ritual.

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TR-012: Men Chak/Fasenuova – ‘Concierto Avanzado’ CDr 3€
On November 10, 2011 it was presented Fasenuova’ album “Ella Está Llena de Gracia” at the Antigua Estación in Oviedo (Asturias, Spain). The bill also included the “insect guitarist” Pedro Menchaca, a.k.a. Men Chak, in a kind of atypical proposal: Fasenuova with a noisier set than usual, and Men Chak, a prog rock guitarist, eager to experiment in from of the audience. The concert was one of the most memorable moments for Truco Esparrago in 2011, so we decided to release it under the title “Concierto Avanzado” with a very accessible price. Pedro Menchaca has played guitar for bands as Killing Zoe (post rock) or Cuac! (delicious onomatopoeic pop music), and at the present he plays in Senogul (a brilliant prog fusion rock band) and Colmena (cosmic folk). The “Concierto Avanzado” album features the complete set of Men Chak: four long themes in which Pedro is abducted by his own music, in an always surprising and convulsed trip toward sonorous abstraction, far away out from any possible classification. Using electric guitar, e-bow, casio PT-20, melodica, percussion and a loop pedal , Pedro adds layers of loops to create music that mutates in each compass.  Fasenuova promised a special concert for the presentation of “Ella Está Llena de Gracia”. “Concierto Avanzado” collects the abrasive and out of control climax of their set, with Fasenuova making their delighted audience dance with a sonorous noise abuse of shrieks, surrealistic lyrics, loud feedback and saturated sounds. In only three songs, Fasenuova offered an intense crescendo that exploded in the violent zenith of “Ella Está Bien”, before the ceremonial ending with the solemn “Ella Está Llena de Gracia”, in a brutal and impressive performance.  “Concierto Avanzado” is a 39 copies limited CDr edition with 7 tracks (61 minutes of music and sound) with cover artwork by Pablo E. Prendes (of the Nueva Escocia fanzine). You can get the album for 3 euro plus postage and handling writing to trucoesparrago@hotmail.com

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FABREC015/IF012 INSECT FACTORY – ‘Melodies From a Dead Radio’ LP
Insect Factory is music from Silver Spring, MD musician Jeff Barsky. Insect Factory focuses on texture and mood, building layers of dense sounds that slowly evolve into hypnotic and atmospheric drones. Since the 90′s, Barsky has continuously played in bands and improvisational collectives, and has performed frequently on the east coast of the U.S., in Canada, throughout Europe, and Japan. Barsky’s various projects have shared the stage with acts as diverse as Richard Pinhas, Nels Cline, Acid Mothers Temple, and Carla Bozulich, and he has performed at Suoni Il Per Popolo festival in Montreal, Terrastock 7 in Louisville, KY, and D.C.’s Sonic Circuits, Queering Sound, and Fringe Festivals. Insect Factory’s first release, “Air Traffic Control Sleep”, was released in the late summer of 2007, to acclaim from the likes of Washington Post, the Wire, and Terrascope. Following a recent split 7″ with RST (New Zealand), Melodies from a Dead Radio is Insect Factory’s second full-length and vinyl debut. Melodies From A Dead Radio was mastered by Christopher Leary (Melograf Studios) and the master lacquer was cut at Golden Mastering. Edition of 300 on 140 gram black vinyl. This is a split release between Fabrica Records and Insect Fields.

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Tangles – ‘Poplars’ cassette
of all glasgow’s guitar wizards who are also astrophysicists, ricky egan is my favorite. when i learned of his astrophysics background it actually made total sense given the fact that his music reminds me of the stars themselves. some twinkling, some shooting, others arranged in nice constellations, all of them immediately present, strangely comforting, but just beyond reach. on 100 white-light cassettes with exquisite cover drawing by visual artist colin david stewart.

Lockbox – ‘Hypersecret’ cassette
kids today grow up with an internalized hyperattunement to the internet and all its implications – we have no idea what the fuck this is unleashing on society at large, but it’s made for some interesting results – riots in london and flash mobs in philly were ok, but now that these kids are starting to make music i’m scared for my life. at 17, jesse briata is living the high school experience so often hypnogogized, and as such is not making music nostalgically, but totally in the present. microcassette post-everything music recorded live on the plane of immanence. comes off like the soundtrack to a ryan trecartin clockwork orange adaptation, or maybe the lost jc peavey solo album. there is no fake id on brilliant music, this is real. 17 years, 17 tracks, infinite reasons to enter the wonderland of “hypersecret.”

Guardian Alien – ‘Drums > Space > Jam’ cassette
THE band of 2012 and beyond, here in an earlier incarnation from the beginning of 2011, featuring turner “ramble tamble” williams on japanese lap guitar, greg fox (ex-drummer of liturgy) on percussion, and alex drewchin on what can very loosely be defined as vocals. retains a remarkable cohesion despite the fact that all three are completely shredding from the start to finish of each jam, and their recordings do a surprisingly stellar job of capturing the spirit of their infamous live performaces. anyone who has fantasized about a teaming up of flower-corsano with magik markers, up your alley. close to an hour in length, limited to 125 red cassettes.

Video Thrills  – ‘Video Thrills’ cassette
turn on, log in, geek out. “video thrills” by video thrills recorded in late 2011 in the urban shadows of new jersey, these 10 tracks aim to call attention to such worthy topics as the homoerotic undertones of buddy cop television dramas, playing shows in children’s arcades, and exploring the places that lie beyond the velvet rope boundaries of consciousness. half an hour in uncharted territory on the path laid out by p-funk, axel-f, and i-carly. edition of 70.

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Shingles/Spectrum Tickets split C36 $7(USA)/$8(Canada)/$9(World)
This split collects new directions from two guys who are certainly no strangers to frying brains with sound. Jesse DeRosa (Grasshopper) starts with a little late night music. Armed with little more than his Electronic Valve Instrument, DeRosa layers absolutely gorgeous melodies that swell and move together in dramatic, sweeping fashion. Themes of isolation and mystery run deep through these tracks, yet there is plenty warmth to be found within. Mike Haley (Wether) soundtracks the awakening of sentient cyborgs on the flip side. Haley develops an atmosphere that is colder and bleaker than DeRosa’s, but certainly no less engrossing. Synthesized patterns and drum machine rhythms stay locked into one another, plowing forth toward a new technological dawn. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Edition of 100.

The Aloha Spirit – ‘Under Wild Skies’ C25 $7(USA)/$8(Canada)/$9(World)
Through his thoughtfully curated c60 Radio program, Austin’s Brad Barry has been closely affiliated with experimental music and cassette culture for the past several years. Now, with The Aloha Spirit, he’s sharing his own personal sounds with the world, and what a wonderful thing it is. ‘Under Wild Skies’ finds Barry arranging synth loops carefully and confidently, conjuring placid tones and giving them space to gently buzz and gradually intermingle with one another. This is unabashed relaxation music, teeming with positive vibrations and basking in the radiance of the earth. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Edition of 100.

Bedroom – ‘Solipsist’ C30 $7(USA)/$8(Canada)/$9(World)
After last year’s split with Afterlife, Bedroom finally returns with a second missive. Flying solo this time around, Brooklyn’s Michael Chau presents two long-form pieces on ‘Solipsist’ that showcase his ability to make engrossing synthscapes with both maximal and minimal sensibilities. Chau effectively harnesses the power of the Moog in an impressive variety of ways, churning out passages of spine-tingling melody, mechanical sequences, and drones that hover high above the clouds. It all flows together magnificently, and what’s left behind is an expressive, complex work that’s as sensitive and beautiful as it is muscular and intense. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Edition of 100.

Ghostrider – ‘Voices’ C33 $7(USA)/$8(Canada)/$9(World)
Germany’s Jens Pauly seemed to appear out of nowhere in 2011 with two of the year’s best synth tapes on Hobo Cult and Digitalis Ltd. ‘Voices’ finds Pauly honing his craft even further with seven new meticulously composed pieces. Each track immediately springs to life with vivid, cinematic detail. Pulsing, heavily sequenced numbers call forth images of high-speed drives through neon-lit urban jungles, while more restrained and amorphous tracks bring to mind slow strolls through a foggy hillsides. Steering clear of the slightest bit of excess, Pauly is truly a master at conveying moods that resonate deeply without wasting a single second. Pro-dubbed and imprinted chrome cassettes, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle. Edition of 100.

All Four New Tapes: $24(USA)/$26(Canada)/$30(World)

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Fear Konstruktor – ‘Gitche Manito’ LP
Black vinyl.  Regular edition (limited to 84 copies): Canvas folder with glued MDF circle on the front and a cardboard sticker on the back.  Heavy edition (limited to 6 copies, SOLD OUT): Heavy bakelite plywood folder with laser-cutting logo, canvas is glued inside.  Released by SEALT label in 2012.

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Velvet Elvis – ‘No Rules in the Wasteland’ C30 $6
Velvet Elvis return in all their ragged glory to lay down a tape that features facets of the their past and present.  No Rules in the Wasteland is a cassingle style release of epic proportions; featuring two brand new songs accompanied by two songs from the Favorite Horses sessions.  Side A is the sprawling, 15-minute title-track, No Rules in the Wasteland.  Here the band rides their signature riffs and soaring dual vocals into new supernaturally charged atmospheres, resulting in their heaviest and most psychedelic work to date. The B-side features two early rockers recorded during the Favorite Horses sessions: Pretty Girls in Lace and Stop and Think. Wrapping up this unearthly phantasm is the spoken word/dronescape, Where’s Your Marlboro Man Now? Printed on Stonehenge artist paper in handmade matchbox style sleeves. Hand numbered edition of 100.

Giant Claw/The Cats’ Orchestra – ‘Righteous-Injustice-HellEarth/Tail Tale’ C23 $6
Paired here on our first split release is Russia’s The Cats’ Orchestra with Ohio’s Giant Claw.  Each of these artists have had some pretty significant releases this past year and this release works to solidify them within the higher echelons of experimental analog composition. Giant Claw’s Righteous- Injustice-HellEarth is a blissed out suite of warbling tapes and swooping phases, colliding with wild oscillations that evolve into a Riley-esque dervish. On the flip, The Cats’ Orchestra’s Tail Tale invokes the spirits through a séance for organ and ghostly percussion; a welcomed meditative calm following the hyperactivity of the former.  Pro printed inserts on heavy card stock. Hand numbered edition of 100.

Velvet Elvis – ‘Favorite Horses’ C27 $6
Thundering in like a psychedelic unicorn form outerspace, Velvet Elvis is the five-headed Hydra of stoner rock. Expanding across the galaxy in their own Ship of the Imagination, the exceptionally crafted songs on Favorite Horses pummel the listener with their heavy riffing and crooning voices. Hand numbered, limited 2nd edition of 50 with different color cover, pro printed on heavy card stock.

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Bridgetown #67: Dr. D.R. Barclay – ‘One Note mixtape’
Barclay’s newest offering utilizes 8 years of research and a lifetime of record collecting to present the first definitive collection of one-note guitar solos from dozens of classic pop/punk/blues/indie rock/etc. songs. The accomplished disk jockey’s skillset and attention to detail is nothing short of remarkable: each carefully chosen sliver of music is strategically arranged into captivating movements that leap across genres with expert transitions between solos as Barclay cued and played the songs directly from the original vinyl records. The analog experience comes complete with the native hiss, crackles and pops of each record, and each tape is dubbed in real-time from a master cassette to retain the medium’s warmth. A highly addictive listen that reveals a fresh and unique interpretation on the art of DJing and modern music, One Note focuses in on forgotten moments that normally go unnoticed in casual listening: bridges, interludes, outros and fractured shards of minimalist guitar solos. Guaranteed to be a hit at parties, dissipate traffic and ruin first dates. Limited to 50 in clear shells with black lining. The packaging for each copy exposes a different selection of album covers from the records used in the making of this tape. More info about the artist: Dr. David Barclay initially seems like an unusual title to perform under, but the name is no moniker. Holding a Ph.D. in Oceanography from UC San Diego, Barclay’s scientific distinctions include producing the deepest sound recordings in the world while measuring ambient noise in the Marianas Trench and recording the underwater soundscape that spans the 750 mile-long Mississippi River. All seriousness aside, the Canadian’s academic background serves as a catalyst for an endless list of unorthodox ideas and projects that span across the past decade. His impressive résumé is packed with accolades that range from performing 24-hour long DJ sets in front of a live audience to conceptual appropriations in the realm of internet art installations and countless print works. As an integral member of bands from British Columbia, Québec and California, his unprecedented antics include live radio performances conducted over the telephone while feeding his live set through a series of webcasts, more telephones and even hijacked radio stations to produce reverb and delay that is physically produced by the broadcast of airwaves.  

Bridgetown #66: Giant Claw – ‘Clash of Moons’ C36
It should come as no surprise that Keith Rankin’s synthesizer escapades as Giant Claw spiral and dance into the sky and beyond. Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, otherwise known as the birthplace of aviation, Rankin’s work evokes imaginary soundtracks to vintage black-and-white space travel flicks twisted in a funhouse mirror and blasted through a wind tunnel. Seemingly empty constructions of beeping background tones and the rhythm of idle flight machinery escalate into a frantic, rapid paced voyage on their way to the closing title track: a climactic opus of planetesimal proportions that rises, falls and nearly crash lands several times over its nearly 18-minute span. Limited to 100 with full-color, double-sided glossy cardstock inserts.

Bridgetown #65: Sky Stadium – ‘Continental’ C54
In just over one year, Jeffrey Roman of Colonia, NJ has garnered a score of praise for his expert craftsmanship of miniature snapshots of liquid-smooth drone/new age under the guise of Sky Stadium. With a string of rapid-fire solo outings on Monorail Trespassing, Hooker Vision, Goldtimers, Sacred Phrases and Lava Church alongside recent splits with Cough Cool, Potions and Kevin Greenspon, it’s no surprise that Roman’s first official long player as Sky Stadium serves as his most grandiose statement to date.  Continental wraps up the expansive journey into a monolithic 12 song full-length album that further condenses the precise attention to detail and quality control of his entire discography into just under an hour. While exhibiting a wide range of styles and approaches ranging from the distant sparkle in “Offering,” percussive staccato of “Guide to Floating” and the heartwrenching 75-second lullaby “Breaker,” each individual piece encapsulates the most essential elements of beautiful music with precise subtlety and tact, stripped of all things unnecessary to play its vital role on the cosmic stage. Limited to 100 with full-color, double-sided glossy cardstock inserts.

Bridgetown #64: Reighnbeau – ‘Ashes’ C42
Bryce Hample of Albuquerque favorites Hedia and The Fertile Crescent returns to Bridgetown with an all-new project that blends elements from genres such as ambient, classical, and post-rock into a slowed-down version of intimate folk songs. Hample displays an extraordinary control over the use of emptiness in his song arrangements, opting for sparse instrumentation and cautious quietude. Plucked notes and hushed words ring out and dissipate as they sink beneath the wooden floorboards of a cozy reverb chamber. These careful exercises in dramatic tension crescendo into moments of overjoyous relief for those patient enough to endure the stark loneliness often associated with silence. There is a vastly understated beauty that stretches across the high desert of New Mexico that Hample calls home. All one has to do is wait for it to unfold. Limited to 100 with full-color, double-sided glossy cardstock inserts.

Bridgetown #63: Hakobune – ‘November Light’ C42
Takahiro Yurifuji hails from a small town in Hyogo, Japan and has been crafting delicate works of organic  sound atmospheres as Hakobune since 2007. Built upon layers of guitar harmonies, November Light reproduces room-filling textures that simulate four distinct outdoor environments and their moods. The humble sensibility of a naturalist pervades the forty minute album as melodies softly unfold in tune with the pace of the seasons.  Limited to 100 with full-color, double-sided glossy cardstock inserts.

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GR192: HZMT and Lidless Eye – ‘Forging Frequencies’ CDr $5
Short CD of duo recordings between myself (Lidless Eye) and Diry Tony Miller (HZMT) recorded at Eric Wozniak’s in Ypsilanti. Recorded to tape on Tony’s insane homemade bubbling synths and electronics in a quiet apartment fashion. Edition of 14 copies. Double-sided xerox art, labeled discs.

GR193: Stryofoamswamp – ‘Trio’ CDr $5
These two weird Michigan via Florida dudes, Steve and Ryan, stopped by during my stay in Royal Oak, and into the basement they piled their insane homemade stringed instruments. HUGE pieces of wood with a bunch of metal/string/???? attached to them. We jammed, and created one long, swirling mesh of acoustic and electronic sounds, no effects, just long form, focused string music. Fully packaged in a CD case, stamped CD-Rs.

GR194: Landstander – ‘A Better Place To Die’ C15 $4.5
Knox Mitchell solo organ/synth project. Recorded live on a Lowery organ and a large Crumar orchestral synth. Dark, blasting synth tones intercepted by wobbly organ ramblings.  3 panel fold-out xerox art, painted tapes.

GR195: Lidless Eye – ‘At The Graves’ C40 $4.5
Raw homemade electronics electronic drones, in naueseating stereo.  4 tracks of minimal, slow moving zone-out buzz. Xerox art, painted tapes.

GR196: Orphanage Rats – ‘Fearful Mounting’ C30 $4.5
Knox Mitchell (Lidless Eye, Cujo, etc.) and Sam Hooker (Tarpit, Bile and Horseman) combine tapes and sax in the basement to create broken jazz and loop squall. 7 songs of slow riffs and mystery gutter tape. Xerox paste-on art, labeled tapes.

GR197: Last Of England/Lidless Eye split C20 $4.5
Last Of England is Erik Ciora and RJ Myato from Pittsburgh. They have been creating some of the most original recent harsh noise jams for nearly two years together. Their side is a 10 minute compilation of some brutal, angry, hilarious, and LOUD live performances. Lidless Eye’s side is a booming, live electronics track, with traces of radios, tapes and ??? buried deep within the sonic dump. Xerox paste-on art, labeled tapes.

GR198: Lidless Eye – ‘Liquid Ice In Vein’ CDr/lathe-cut $8
Chains, knives, radios, tapes, and sharp metals used to create these haze-cluttered tracks. Kinda sounds like the soundtrack to a steel mill snuff film. 2 CD tracks, and a lathe track cut on the bottom of the disc. Cut by Corporate Records. Edition of 10 copies. Doubl-sided Xerox art, stamped disc, in a painted case.

GR199: V/A – ‘Live at the Diamond Gullet‘ C90 $3
Illegal live bootleg compilation.Full sets by Deathwish, Tarpit, Vullmoxx,  Cardboard Sax, Dog Lady, Mall Mutants, Bile and Horseman, Tight Rope, and Feminine Toner. These recordings have not been authorized by the artists, so I am only charging the price of shipping and supplies. Three-panel xerox art, painted tapes.

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