RYAN JEWELL “Radio: Vol. 2” (Notice Recordings)



NTR 028 is visually what I imagine exemplifies the production values of the Notice cassette collection:  A fine letter pressed gray j-card, and subtle white on off-white printed cassette shell.  The recordings are of two separate radio performances, at WKCR, in NYC and at Triple R in Melbourne, Australia.  Here are notes from my listening:

Side A:  A seemingly improvised sound piece brings to mind gas leaks, breathing close to a hot microphone and treading water under a tipped over canoe after closing hours in a state park.  A grizzly bear fiddles with the Tupperware, but when you awake to yourself as a child of 5, gripping the chains of the rusty squeaky swing set, the bear’s still lurking, only it’s on a treadmill, and you keep swinging.  You’re safe, in a steam room, breathing from a bendy straw, and knocked a wrench onto the floor.

Side B:  Boiler room, three stories underground, years of soot.  At closer look is what appears to be the ancient motor for some sort of vehicle, except HR Geiger designed and built it.  Turns out, it’s been heating this building all along, and it’s shaking like a tailgater at a Buffalo Bills Parking lot.  The spry technician’s been climbing around this heap of pipes and gaskets, clenching a flashlight in his teeth.  Occasionally he rests to drink what looks like a can of tomato juice, but the liquid resembles 10w-40.  I think it’s break time soon, from the smell of onions on the skillet.

Many rich sonic textures fill these performances made on opposite ends of the earth.

See also: http://cassettegods.blogspot.com/2012/01/sewn-leather-blood-runs-down-drain-no.html for a review of RYAN JEWELL’s "Radio: Vol. 1" on (Friends and Relatives)


--Adam Padavano