two guest reviews from up Canada way

A.J. Cornell / S ‎- 1981 / 1999


I was lucky enough to find this tape at a thrift store. Usually, most of the tapes I'll find there will be old releases, so I was quite surprised to see this tape among the oldies! It even came with the download code! This is a split-tape between two experimental music artists, Andrea-Jane Cornell & S. The liner notes says that the first track, "1981", has been recorded by Cornell in one take at CKUT (a local radio station here in Montreal) with a modified turntable, a pitch shifter, a delay pedal, field recordings and a cassette tape found in an antique dresser. The track is intriguing to say the least: we hear a guy and a woman talk to each other over the phone while sound textures evolves in the background. Apparently, the conversation we hear is between two lovers attempting to keep their politically-explosive affair under control, according to the label's website. I found the track pleasing and interesting to listen to. The mood is definitely meditative.

As for the S track, "1999", the tones are harsher and abrasive. The track is much more noisier than "1981"! It's a mix of police scanner snippets and shifting distorted noise. According to the liner note, it has been recorded in Seattle under rain and starlight. I'm much more into ambient and meditative music, so it was harder for me to enjoy. However, I must admit that it has the merit of always evolving and changing, making it more unsettling than "1981".
You can get this tape from the Canadian IO Sound label.


회사AUTO ‎- 仙Android

I bought this tape awhile ago on Discogs without knowing if it was going to be good or not. It turned out to be one of my favorite tape of all time! There's something special about this album inspired by Philip K. Dick and trans-humanism, two subjects that I dig a lot. I guess it's no surprise then that I like 회사AUTO's music so much! According to Dream Catalogue, 회사AUTO is a vaporwave legend, having released, at the time in 2015, more than a dozen classic albums of the genre. Judging from the material on this release, it's not hard for me to believe!

-- Pierre Parenteau