RED BOILING SPRINGS “Paternal II” C20 (Nailbat Tapes)

We’ve been here before. Matthew Sullivan’s Red Boiling Springs project tackled the difficulties of parenthood on the first “Paternal,” but he certainly wasn’t done, and who can blame him? The first “Paternal” focused on the events surrounding the birth of his daughter, and contained samples of in utero sounds. “Paternal II” follows the events of the birth of his son two years later, which also included a medical emergency. The Sullivans were clearly unlucky.

But it’s so great to hear these sounds, these heartbeats, the field recordings of a living child. Of course, this being a Red Boiling Springs tape and all, those sounds get processed until they’re heaving fog banks of intense noise and static, mirroring the angst of the whole process. And honestly, why would you do anything differently? It worked the first time, let’s try it again. The Sullivan kids will each have an incredible keepsake documenting their life before birth.

Red Boiling Springs

Nailbat Tapes

--Ryan

RED BOILING SPRINGS “Paternal” C20 (Nailbat Tapes)

OK.

The dad in me relates to this big time. What parent hasn’t encountered some terrifying event where their child is in danger, at risk in some way, the results of some medical emergency a distant unknown in the face of the unknowable? I’m lucky. I haven’t experienced anything TOO bad. Now let me find some real hard wood to bang on for as long as my knuckles retain their skin.

Matthew Sullivan’s been there. Gone deeper than me, I’m sure. So it should be no surprise then that his daughter, who is now just over two years old, and who experienced “a medical emergency that put her life at risk” the night she was born, is the source material for “Paternal.” Her pulsing in utero heartbeat forms the basis of side A, which is manipulated and imposed upon a tense backdrop (as is the Red Boiling Springs way) that harnesses the emotions of a strained and frazzled extended stay in the hospital. In fact, most of the sounds we’re getting throughout both sides of the tape originated from Matthew’s daughter within the body of her mother, and it must have been an unbelievable task to return to these recordings and work through the events. That he’s able to fashion something like “Paternal” for his daughter is remarkable, and hopefully he can tell her the story in the future while presenting her with the tape he made to honor her.

“Paternal” is joyous, harrowing, bracing, and ultimately tranquil as the danger passes. It’s a fascinating study of a father’s love for his daughter and the unusual expression that it takes. Highly recommended.

Red Boiling Springs

Nailbat Tapes


--Ryan

RED BOILING SPRINGS “Adrift” C33 (Nailbat Tapes)

I used to live in a town called Boiling Springs, in Pennsylvania, and there was actually a literal boiling spring that fed the lake in town. It was not red (although the water contained a great deal of sulfur, although I don’t think sulfur reddens anything). If you unmoored yourself from any side of the lake, you would find yourself on the other side of it within thirty seconds if you paddled. It was very small. Red Boiling Springs is from Portland, Oregon, but hey, who’s counting? The sounds of ADRIFT, once they’re in your head, bring it all back, all the precious seconds where time and meaning were important. The field recordings and ambient drones cast you into the water and leave you there to contemplate their origin and their purpose, like I once did, many years ago. I was there, adrift, and then I allowed the moments to overcome me. Red Boiling Springs takes me back to those moments and allows me to relive them. Are the questions any closer to being answered? Nah – and that’s the beauty of it, I’ve come to understand.

Red Boiling Springs
Nailbat Tapes

--Ryan Masteller

RED BOILING SPRINGS “Environments” (Nailbat Tapes)

Red Boiling Springs are from Portland. This tape is 6 tracks long and those tracks are titled 1-6. Each was composed using guitar, synth, and audio samples. They all have a different environment. You’re either into it or you’re not. After listening, I have decided I’m not. I found the compositions to be either sparce or monotonously loud in the dullest way. Maybe, just maybe, I’m just not cool enough to be stimulated by what Red Boiling Springs was offering. Maybe I failed to get “it”. Do you get “it”? Check the link below and decide for yourself.

Stream + Buy: https://redboilingsprings.bandcamp.com/album/environments

-- Roy Blumenfeld