Animal Psi

SPRACH 05: Haunted Trails – ‘Ranger’ C14 $8(World)
Haunted Trails is the artistic alias of Dan Hedlund; postal worker and Pyramido sludge guitarist from Gothenburg. Dan’s solo work has previously appeared on the Utmarken compilation tape “Ett annat Göteborg” and on a great split with Blue Queen (from Bong). Just in time, roughly a year later, the craving elite appreciative of Dan’s talents is served with a cassette tape sequel on Sprachlos. While a mere 14 minutes long, this mini epic collects four “heavy” tracks attesting to the increasingly accomplished music of Haunted Trails. Quality over quantity any day. In a time when narrow minds and listening habits demand music fitted exactly to the confines of certain subterranean music genres it’s certainly refreshing to hear Haunted Trails fall between the cracks. The rough ideas are easy enough to sketch: it’s (drum machine aided) guitar music, it’s (sort of) minimal rock music, it’s not especially noisy (well, most of the time), and at one or two points it gets pretty damn sentimental. But what then? Somewhere you might hear traces of early Skullflower, but it’s transformed into something profoundly less muscular and slightly more twisted. Yet the messy second track on the A side actually does sound like a take on Bower in his bluesy wall-of-guitar mode. Then there’s the ballad. If you’ve got any relation to the Swedish west coast you’d probably say that it sounds like a forgotten Björn Ohlsson demo, and I could agree to that. Perfect Pripps blå music. And the concluding cover of Lee Perry’s “Bird in Hand”? Well, imagine a more psychedelic sounding Danzig getting high on purple drank while trying to do a heartfelt prom tune… Most likely inferno in the form of Jeff Only’s swollen vocal cords awaits you below.  A friend said that “Ranger” sounded like Lust for Youth for grownups. An apt description if the entire Cold Cave collection of Hannes’ were to be replaced with beaten up Träd, Gräs och Stenar albums. But let’s be honest. This has nothing to do with so called wave music – it’s “wave” in the sense of Mount Everest Trio’s “Waves from Albert Ayler”. Take a deep breath and forget that you’ve ever heard of glossy synth reissues and lousy tapes characterised by semi-harsh-ambient textures and PE-leaning vocals that’s rather death industrial in their execution. Most importantly though: forget that you actually hate contemporary lo-fi one-man progressive rock.

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HUMAN ADULT BAND – ‘Hearing Damage Sessions’ LP
It is simply no overstatement to say that Human Adult Band is carrying the same gunky, gnarly baton that’s been passed for decades from the Stooges to Flipper to the best of the early 90’s Sub Pop roster. And with that said, Hearing Damage Sessions is easily the Adult Band’s strongest single work, a diverse, cinematically-paced album that moves from out-of-time grunge dirges to free-form wah guitar wailing to claustrophobic acoustic guitar strumming.  While mere recorded sound can’t hope to fully convey the horror-core excitement of the group’s live show and Trevor Pennsylvania’s Sun Ra-in-a-baseball-cap stage presence, Hearing Damage Sessions comes about as close as sonically possible.  Edition of 500.  Silk Screened Jackets.

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EGG SAC – ‘lose it’ C30
a destructive mail collaboration with Tiger Hatchery. blown out distorted chaos for horns, drums, and strings. an irresponsible force far flung from free jazz banalities and shit constructs. noise birthed from the egg sac. MIST-6, edition of 30.

BAD CHESS C60
lines of playful repetition and organic morphing of minimal sounds blossom throughout this strange one-off tape from Peter Friel (young tapes, cloaked light) and his elusive and mysterious roommate Lewis. rhythmic soft techno from am stations that don’t exist. MIST-7, edition of 28.

DEREK ROGERS – ‘you were familiar i remember’ C30
introspective new full-length tape by Derek Rogers. deep loner/bedroom electronics, perfect for solo listening at full-volume. derek’s unique style leaves room for the listener to breathe, and hear each of the soft layers of electronics. sculptures of sound. MIST-8, edition of 30

MARINARA COOLER – ‘without it, i’m the same’ C30
creepy mail collaboration with Mike Haley (905 tapes, wether). garbage can industrial noises shuffle around, while painful tones grow and die. possible replacement for the C.H.U.D. soundtrack, if they add a Jamaican scene. MIST-9, edition of 30

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FAB013 BRIZBOMB – ‘1107’ C42
New 6 track 40 plus minute recording from Vancouver, WA one-man synth-rack project BRIZBOMB. 1107 is BRIZBOMB’s follow-up to the mind-blowing 0909 LP from 2010, and is a continuation of the drone-synth explorations of said album, yet the 6 tracks contained herein stand on their own as the even heavier, intense, and forward-thinking children of its predecessor. All tracks were recorded using an 1.8 meter tall, 147 kilo (5’10″, 325+ pound) rack (click here for complete gear listing) and all audio was generated live with no edits, no overdubs, no computer, no keyboards, no sequencing, no samples, and no pre-recorded material. Mastered at Stereophonic Mastering by Timothy Stollenwerk. Edition of 100 on pro-dubbed high-bias chrome cassette.

FAB011 ADRIANVARALLYAY/STRNGLV split C45
New collaborative split cassette between mysterioso noise-maker ADRIANVARALLYAY and psychotropical ambient sound collagist STRNGLV. ADRIANVARALLYAY is a Brooklyn-based experimenal musician and is the mastermind behind COVERED IN DIAMONDS AND JEWELS whose self-titled cassette was Fabrica’s second official release. Using an astounding amount of analog effect pedals, contact mics, bass guitar and other resonant objects like metal pipes, he makes heavily delayed psychedelic ambient noise. STRNGLV is the child of NJ-native Sean Keane, a collagist of both sound and image (check out some his prints here), and this is his second release with Fabrica (and definitely not the last). On this occasion, STRNGLV provides us with a single-side track of post-industrial ambient drenched in tribal, komische and sound cut-ups created by synth, circuit bent effects, and tape loops. First edition of 50 on pro-dubbed high-bias chrome cassettes with amazing cover art by Sean Keane (STRNGLV).

FABREC015/IF012 INSECT FACTORY – ‘Melodies From A Dead Radio’ LP
Debut full length LP by the Silver Spring, MD-based solo-guitar drone/ambient project of Jeff Barsky. Haunting and hypnotic treated-guitar generated sounds. Edition of 300 on 140 gram black vinyl. This is a split release with Insect Fields.  SAMPLE

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ROBERT X. PATRIOT/EZH 7″
ROBERT X. PATRIOT: a collaborator of The Electric Hellfire Club, Boyd Rice and Warcom, ROBERT X. PATRIOT made quite a name for himself in the mid nineties by appearing on such cult samplers as ‘How Terrorists Kill’, ‘Men and Mice’ and ‘Psychick Wolves ov Midgard’. Not to mention his own infamous and much sought-after ‘Dogs Leg Rising’ album, a rather tongue-in-cheek „tribute“ to the World-Serpent-Family, as such titles as ‘Freya Aswynn’s Basement’, ‘Hitler in Khakis’, ‘Ou est Klaus Nomi’, or ‘Vichy Toast Sunrise’ clearly suggest.  But the best kept secret about ROBERT X. PATRIOT probably is his long-burning passion for the synth pop of the early 80s: think Ultravox, Duran Duran and all the heroes of the Electronic New Wave movement. A genre he will be associated with forever after the release of this single… Then not only is ‘Gold, Silver, Green’ clearly destined to become an all-time hit, it is also and without exaggeration or self-indulgence a true HYMN which will soon find its place on every playlist of every party, every webradio and every podcast of the ever-growing Minimal-Synth- / Electronic-New-Wave scene!  EZH: known in the Hamburger underground of the late eighties as the editor of bad taste / nonPC / music fanzine “I.d.A.f.”, EZH has been active since the early nineties as a DJ for Electro, New Wave and Post-Industrial and made quite a stir in 2000 with his 9:30mins long technoid monster ‘Slumber’ (only available as a DJ-Promo at the time). Ironflame now releases a brand new single-edit of this track, remixed by none other than Berlin Italo-/Electro-/NewWave-eminence DJ Hanoben (cultheroes.com). And by the way: the careful liner-notes reader will be surprised to discover which celebrity deserves credit for the lyrics and vocals of this dark techno/industrial hybrid.

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Expo ’70 – ‘Hovering Resonance’ 12€
Expo ’70 is the Kansas City, Missouri based multi-instrumentalist Justin Wright and “HOVERING RESONANCE” is  his new 12″onesided released by Sound of Cobra. We consider Expo ’70 one of the most interesting musician of the North America’s new kosmische music scene and with this album he continues his travel into a sound made of hypnotic vibes, ecstasy and cosmic oneness. The two tracks of the album are played with synth, guitar, analogue electronics and percussions and trough a wise use of repetitons and loops they are able to conduce into altered states of psychedelic listening and space rock meditations.  “Hovering Resonance” comes out as a limited edition of 200 copies 12″ onesided. The first 100 copies are hand silkscreened. SAMPLE, SAMPLE

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NK27: Clearing – ‘No Titles’ C40 $6(US)/$7(Can)/$8(World)
The second album on No Kings of sumptuous electronic suites from Murfreesboro’s Joseph Volmer (Party Trash, Virgin Spirit, Skylines, Police Academy 6) is wrought with slow intensity. These 7 stunning tracks channel classic moments from Baraka-soundtrack-era Dead Can Dance and Philip Glass, with space-high extremes that then plunge into the bleakest depths. At times plaintive, at others frightening, the icy chord progressions shatter and reform with each passing moment. Edition of 100 pro-dubbed tapes with color labels. Risographed and photocopied art based on accompanying video work by Geoffrey Sexton, with insert by Amy Fortunato.

NK28: Trailing – ‘Opacities & Allures’ C28 $6(US)/$7(Can)/$8(World)
Fadeaway Tapes co-head and Sundrips member, Ryan Connolly fucks up some solo guitar onto tape in these two side-long drones, his follow-up to last year’s self-release split with Thoughts On Air. Vibrating metallic sound particles collide and ricochet into a net of dusty reverb 28 minutes long. Edition of 100 pro-dubbed tapes with color labels, risographed and photocopied artwork on various cardstock, with insert.

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(pyr045): Tomas Gris – ‘Clarifications of the concept of object’
about the artist: tomas gris is a free improviser based in madrid who is working on developing a sound language that combines his love of dada, art brut, and the cobra art movement with his interest in philosophy, semiotics and post-modernism. he performs alone and with ad hoc ensembles primarily playing reeds and amplified objects, but also incorporating various percussion and acoustic instruments into his pieces. some musicians he has performed with include: miguel garcia, lali barriere, martin kuchen, david lacey and paul vogel. about the album: gris’ first album for pan y rosas is a solo improvisation recorded in 2011 in which he plays alto saxophone, harps, cassette, and objects. throughout the piece he employs quietness and stillness; flutters, pops and breaths; cymbals and tones. his playing is deliberate and of the moment without beginning or end.

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‘Farfetched Presents: Prologue, an Introductory Album‘
Tuesday, January 17 – FarFetched is excited to announce the release of Prologue, an album available 1/17/12 for free download. Prologue serves as an introduction to the FarFetched movement and the artists involved. Listeners can expect to hear electronic, soul, folk, hip-hop and styles yet to be defined. Artists from across the globe have contributed to the St. Louis-based imprint and have created an exciting and diverse body of work. Prologue features music from Adult Fur, Standing Sleep, Whiteout, Michael Franco, Scrub, Thelonius Kryptonite and many more.  Other projects slated for this year include the instrumental album from Loose Screwz – 20,000 Years From Tomorrow – and the self-titled Standing Sleep EP from European songstress Lika Shubitibze. The album launch party will be January 20, at 2720 Cherokee in St. Louis. For more information about the event click here.   Farfetched is built on a collaborative ethos created by “passionate artists that believe music and art are not disposable commodities, and that true innovation and expression are still important and deserve to be created and shared with the world,” as declared in the mission statement.

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