3 X Field Hymns

Appropriately (or inappropriately, depending on your POV) I started listening the latest batch of tapes from the Oregonian curators of all-trips synth, Field Hymns, while reading an article about the work of H.P. Lovecraft. HPL is a writer whom I know nothing about other than recognizing his name and I remember reading about how Metallica used one of his stories for inspiration on Ride the Lightning. All of this has little to do with the music actually heard on the tapes of Cremator, Black Hat, or Plvs Vltra, but the mood has been set in my listening arena.

Cremator's epic Alpha Ralpha Boulevard is perfect for where I'm at and for fans of synth arpeggios and endless sound waves drifting in/around your vibe. Field Hymns writes this tantalizing introduction to the album, "Cremator's new album title comes from a tale about a sudden, radical shift from a controlling, benevolent, and sterile society to one of individuality and danger ruled by an elite group called the Instrumentality. Now picture the soundtrack circa 1979 by Klaus Schulze and filmed by Jean Painlevé." How could anyone NOT be intrigued by this description alone? Jamming the tape is even better.

Black Hat's Covalence is a work of depth and details. Its almost difficult to enjoy on first listen because the mood it creates is intense. Half formed musical sounds fight for space amongst beats & brittle pulsing clacks, scary, but good.

Yo-Yo Blue by Plvs Vltra is the least like the other two in this trio of tapes. Collage and improvised sound explosions are the MO here. There's a lot going on sound wise on this album. J-pop snippets clash with synth chords that clash with mumbled dream speech. Sometimes the pace is frantic, while at other times I'm drifting internally, the sound of my own inner-voice replacing the music. This is a fun tape to experience.

I never did finish that Lovecraft article. After four or so paragraphs I was completely absorbed into the atmosphere put together by another solid batch of Field Hymns tapes.

Buy and Listen HERE. 

follow me on twitter: @teflonbeast

Dear Tapers...

***This will be my only use of this blog for anything other than simple review postings. 

I'm assisting (one might say curating) with the production of a new podcast dedicated to funny, novelty, and just plain weird/humorous music on tape (mostly). Starting now there will be an ongoing open call for musicians/performers to submit songs and/or humorous recordings. We're not necessarily into stuff that people already know. The idea is that the audio is "new," but we'll consider anything that strikes us. SEND US YOUR SOUNDS. SEND SEND SEND.

Send all submissions to teflonbeast at gmail dot com with "Podcast" in the subject line.

Thanks!

MOTH COCK "Bremmy" (Hausu Mountain)

Quite simply, the best tape I've heard in a long long while. At times, I felt like I was listening to some old school Morton Subotnick shit. These jams are heads and tails above all but a very few "noise, synth or whatever" artists hitting it today. You must have this in your life.  Made by two dudes from Kent, Ohio with clarinet, trumpet and 'tronics. See them them this saturday in the 10:15pm slot at Savage Weekend in Chapel Hill, NC.  You'll die!

Harshcore and Der Einzige - "Live Bujun Dokument, Graz, Jun. 11, 2009" (Old Bicycle Records)

This live split cassette is great for you static noise trippers/both abstract and fundamental....

weird
wonderful
trumpet blasts (gone in a blink)
snow, beep, muffled screams
tap
tap
tap them bones

Buy and Listen HERE.


follow me on twitter: @teflonbeast

Blindfold - "Artifact Effect" (Antiquated Future Records)

Blindfolder is the moniker of Kieran Harrison-Buhlinger. He comes to us from the Pacific Northwest. His music however comes from everywhere all at once. Artifact Effect is an inspired collection of junk sound sculptures. Using sounds gathered from over five years worth of recording this album creates a mood like few other tapes. The mix of real instrumentation, field recordings, and basic electronic improvisational manipulation is quite engaging. This is a good example of the kind of music cassettes were meant to carry. Weird sure, but creative. The packaging has lots of color, a veluum layover, an insert, and hand-typed labels. Overall great effort!

Buy and Listen HERE.

follow me on Twitter: @teflonbeast

Ramble Tamble - "Pioneer", "Flying South" (self released)

AWESOME! 2 fantastic tapes by TURNER WILLIAMS aka RAMBLE TAMBLE. turner is the man - a good dude, a great musician, and he plays in the fantastic brutal psych group GUARDIAN ALIEN.

PIONEER is a wonderful tape, one I will listen to again and again. the tunes are instrumental out-sider-y folk jams with the occasional tape collage withering in the background. they are odd, beautiful and primitive. side one ends in an EPIC jam that revolves around a repeated simple chord progression (similar to that of NIGHT MOVES by bob seeger). ITS AWESOME

the second tape, FLYING SOUTH, is wonderful as well and has some obvious inspiration from the anti-art stylings of henry flynt (one of my all time favorites) - lofi acoustic noodles and drones set the mood for tripped out country living. 

ROCK ON TURNER

DIG IT

Vapour Trail - "Vernal" (self-released)

With this post I wanted to share my initial review notes exactly as written, without structuring them into proper grammar...

Side A is the slicker side - B is more "analog" - A is the better composition - i like the handmade packaging, but with music like this (this meaning long synth "space" passages) I hope to see ornate colorful design - it completes the presentation/invites the skeptical listener in - VT's work is sure to appeal to the ambient/drone-heads out there - pretty music - so sample the wares!

Buy and Listen HERE.

follow me on twitter: @teflonbeast

Tough Fuzz - "Vol. 2" (Ewe of Now Records)

Tough Fuzz is back with a second volume of beats and woozy vibes. This go around is less straight sunshine...more seasick. There is a sense of falling apart in these tracks. If we take the subtitle, "this was not heartbreak," at face value however, we might not need to feel so bad. The music veers towards skewed lounge (with still enough bumpin' beats to kind of give one the sensation of, or at least the memory of, a rip roaring party cruise). Hallucinogens are wearing off and the vacation is over as the final seconds of Vol. 2 fade off. This tape is sold out now, but if ya find yourself on the west coast this summer, Tough Fuzz might have a few copies left at some shows...so fuzz on!

Buy and Listen HERE.

follow me on twitter: @teflonbeast

2 X Tolmie Terrapin Press

Nature Camp's bot is a fantastic tape. Its alternately musical and unnerving. Elements of krautrock or cosmic space vibes permeate the album from start to finish. There are also elements of real action-noise-scaping (the eleven + minute "the argument" is a trip) and it will be a rewarding addition to fan's of this weird/bizarre universe of sound. Seek this one out.

Marrow Streep (love the band name btw) cassette, bruise is short, minimal noise bursts, digital mush overdriven and pulsating. Its cool, but not all that involved.

Buy and Listen HERE.


follow me on Twitter: @teflonbeast

AARON DILLOWAY & TOM SMITH C48 (Fragment Factory)

Check out this collaboration between sound artist / ex-Wolf Eyes member / Hanson Records proprietor Aaron Dilloway, and To Live and Shave in LA guru Tom Smith. Out now on Fragment Factory.



label blurb:
A documentation of a most memorable event, held at FSK Hamburg in summer of 2012. 2 full sets, approximately 20 minutes each. At first Dilloway solo, followed by a remarkable super duet with Smith, who appeared out of the blue that night, suddenly finding himself on the non existent stage next to Dillo!

Ohio based Aaron Dilloway runs the influential Hanson label since 1994 and was a member of Wolf Eyes when they blew up the noise scene in the late 90's/early 2000's. He's been part of a vast number of projects and collaborations ever since, The Nevari Butchers, Spine Scavenger, The Beast People or Violent Ramp, just to name a few.

US refugee Tom Smith has been a core member of the notoriuos To Live And Shave In L.A., played with Pussy Galore in the 80's and has been a part of Ohne alongside of Reto Mäder, Dave Phillips and Daniel Löwenbrück. His ongoing collaborations with Kevin Drumm are semi-legendary, to say the least.Smith is currently living in Hannover, Germany.

ORDER: http://fragmentfactory.com/

GOAT "World Music" LP / CD (Rocket Records)

Really sick new vinyl / CD release. These guys have a complicated fake backstory that I'm not even going to get into here, but listen for a little while and you will be able to tell that they're a real deal psychedelic band. Grip yours from Forced Exposure.

rawmean - "Sea Mister" (Physics Engine)

Sea Mister by rawmean is a sneaky bastard of a cassette! The live in a single take compositions succeed where they should fail. Live looping is a tight rope. One has to have a strong sense of structure (or editorial control over themselves!) or the music becomes tedious drone. Sometimes loops, fucked with enough that is, can be crazy, glory noise that lead to the void, but the tunes on this tape are actually quite beautiful and even pleasantly danceable. The seven-minute "Tupper" is a trip and it ends so quickly! I could've gone for another five spot on that one. "On Dancetron" is also a weird (in a good way) track because at first it seems like boring, looping bells, but boils to a groove. The art on the tape is cool too. The colors and layout compliment the vibe and I'm digging it. 

Buy and Listen HERE.

follow me on twitter: @teflonbeast

Potions - "Cosmic Relief"/Dolphin Tears - "Spa World" (Lillerne Tapes)

very cool chicago label with a great artistic aesthetic and killer tapes!

dolphin tears - "Spa World"

spa world by dolphin tears brings the listener into a relaxing, sweaty, beautiful, and calm world.. of spas… yes - spas.. hence spa world i'd assume. cool. figured that out. 25ish minutes of pure lofi ambient/easy listening stoner glory with moments of groovy smoothness. it perhaps reminds me of some earlier NNA type releases. very beautiful indeed and i dig it for sure. there are only 50 of these made so get them quick or you will .. uh.. cry dolphin tears, duh.

potions - "cosmic relief"

potions! yes - i like potions a lot. i've heard a slew of his tapes and i always tend to enjoy the hell out of them. im pretty sure that potions is made up of a dude i sorta know named tom (he plays in the band distractions from chicago). his newest release, cosmic relief, is perhaps my favorite potions tape i've heard thus far. the beats are lovely, exciting, mellow, totally groovy, and very well composed/orchestrated. perhaps some of my favorite "digital" synth jamz around right now. great work tom! potions will be on tour soon with a wonderful band called TOUPEE (from chicago as well, with a new LP out on ROTTED TOOTH records).. scope the tour here and go see potions!!!

http://www.lillernetapes.com/

BIRD NAMES "Naming Names" CS/CDR (Self Released)

New self released album from Bird Names, formerly of Athens, GA and currently of Brattleboro, VT. Bird Names main man David Lineal is fitting in nicely up here in New England, adding auxiliary percussion to the Happy Jawbone Family Band, and taking a member of the Great Valley to form his new backing band. I first heard of Bird Names from their fantastic LP "Sings The Browns" on Upset The Rhythm and I've enjoyed all of their subsequent releases.  Naming Names is available as a free stream, cassette tape and art-edition CD-r (view all the covers here).  Check it out!  Their lo-fi psych pop is sure to appeal to fans of the aforementioned bands.



Find much info and music in the bird's nest: http://www.birdnamesmusic.com/

German Army - "Holland Village" (Dub Ditch Picnic)

I've reviewed German Army's music before. This is the third time. Three different labels (I recommend that ya look into Dub Ditch Picnic by the way), three fairly different albums. Holland Village is a strange sound world and it draws the listener in slowly. At times dub, electronic, soft-industrial, psychedelic-noir...sorta everything ambient/soundtracky all rolled into one tape. I like it. I can't be sure if this is the group's best concentrated effort because I haven't heard everything they've done, but this is my personal fave. Weird and wonderful stuff...Check out "Sultan Skin" for how deliberately the music successfully simmers.

Buy and Listen HERE.

follow me on twitter: @teflonbeast

Ambiguous Cube - "TASTER" (???)

HEY! COOL! i thoroughly enjoyed this weird little tape called rocky thump by AMBIGUOUS CUBE.. i think AC is from LA and i have no clue if its one person or more - but yea! - i DIG the music for sure!

the tunes are mostly dry casio sounds with silly little drum beats.. maybe its all MIDI but i have no clue. the tape feature 12 modest little ditties perhaps reminiscent of old nintendo sound tracks. limping ride reminds me of the one of the dungeon levels from ZELDA for game boy. YEA! AWESOME! but don't be fooled by the cuteness and innocence of the pieces for they are well composed and sound very thought out, perhaps even EDUCATED. 

i like this tape a lot, and maybe you will too! especially if you like 80's/90's video game music which you probably do because you collect cassettes and are therefore a nerd/weirdo.

AND - the tape comes in a cool gold-ish folded paper thing AND has a neet comic book thing. yep - very cool indeed

listen/buy HERE

German Army - "Holland Village" (Dub Ditch Picnic)

german army is a mysterious project that i've been listening to for quite a while now. they are prolific - with mupltiple cassette releases on respectable labels such as nightpeople and hobo cult. i guess the name isn't too "google friendly" or maybe i'm not searching hard enough, but i can't find much about the actual band ANYWHERE on the internet. WHO ARE THESE DUDES? where are they from? do they play live? i have no clue, but i like their music.

so here we have another great tape by the infamous army, released by a cool label called "dub ditch picnic" (sweet name!?!). as always - the music is totally rad - dark wave drones, collaged samples that morph in and out of beats, and bizarre, captivating vocals. the track eyes in front sounds like the soundtrack to a nightmare where i'm running in place, stuck in quicksand, as a satanic apocalypse slowly approaches and gnaws at my disintegrating brain. its dark and slow, scary and sad.  yikes...

overall, the tape is great, flows nicely and has killer art/packaging. highly recommended if you want to dabble in synth beat doom hell for 40 some odd minutes

there are only 75 copies of this tape left so get em' now before you gotta buy them on discogs for 15 bucks. 

HAVE FUN HERE 

THEE OPEN SEX "s/t" LP (Magnetic South)

There's something about this blend of modern day reverb vocals and old school Krautrock throwback action that makes Thee Open Sex really stand out to me.  Funny, cause I'm constantly raggin' on bands for being derivative, but I suppose the raw sexuality of the vocalist combined with the band's deep cosmic sound has won me over this time.  The group is just completing a successful US tour, but if they didn't make it to your town, I strongly urge you to check out their first full length vinyl release on Magnetic South Records.

Juniper Rising - s/t (Burger Records)

Twangy and jangly, Juniper Rising sound surprisingly un-Brooklyn on their Burger Records s/t tape. There's a helluva lotta country-rock in this band's garage-pop. The group explore Americana music strains and they do it well. Dig "Running Through the Wildwood" for an example of the almost-kaleidoscopic take on music history. Kinda like the Carter Family with electricity and urban-rock attitude (minus the southern geographic realness), Juniper Rising offer a breezy listening experience on this short five song collection. I'd recommend this cassette and a great many releases put out by Burger Records!

Listen HERE.
Buy HERE.

HEROIN IN TAHITI / ENSEMBLE ECONOMIQUEsplit LP (NO=FI / Sound of Cobra)

Gye Whiz, it's been a while since I wrote...I was busy opening a record store in Boston. Now that that's up to speed, hopefully I'll be blasting more cassettes on the stereo and doing a little modest scribing while I work...if you can call that work.  Well, hey, I'm writing this morning cause I just caught wind of a really interesting new vinyl release (street date April 18th).  I usually don't review material from promo emails (hint), but this split between Heroin in Tahiti and Ensemble Economique just fit might mood this morning so perfectly from first stream, that I thought I'd have to share it with y'all. Dig right in, this is a super gloomy ride.  I especially like the Heroin in Tahiti side.  The vinyl will be released in Europe in an edition of 500, but hopefully a few will make it over to the States.

listen to a HIT track HERE
listen to a EE track HERE
HERE is a streaming preview of the album on TINY MIX TAPES

NO=FI Recordings / Sound Of Cobra
nofirecordings.blogspot.com
http://www.soundofcobra.tk/

Mikie Poland - "Themes" (self released)

i received an absolutely wonderful little gift package of sorts from MIKIE PLOLAND (state champion, giving up, sophomore lounge, etc). included were some of mikie's excuisite zines as well as an awesome/mysterious cassette made up mostly of collaged VHS "theme" recordings and samples (?). a totally bizarre and extremely well done 24 minutes of absolute weirdness.. so many of the samples sound familiar but i can't seem to recall exactly where they are from?! awesome!! 

mikie is a cool dude and prolific artists as well. this tape is fantastic and is in edition of 30 so get one quick before they are gone if they aren't already.

check him out HERE

Duck You Sucker - "The Best Nice Fantastic Music Techno" (Physics Engine Records)

Great album - TERRIBLE title-kinda terrible group name. Duck You Sucker's The Best Nice Fantastic Music Techno is easily the worst title this tape could have gotten. I didn't want to listen to it, but I did of course and I'm glad. Imagine The Stooges and Atoms of Peace sharing a rehearsal space...(I believe the band's "Fast Clouds" even quotes "I Wanna Be Your Dog"). The music of Duck You Sucker is a stellar blend of electronics, jazz/rock, Krautrock, psychedelic jamming, wild rhythms, and weird sounds. Instrumentally this is just wonderful listening. Enough surprises are contained within to excite even the most cynical music nerd. A brief lead vocal on "Zoo" gets wrapped up in the atmosphere of sound exploration and doesn't come across as lead singer singing so much as just another piece of found audio, not my favorite track, but it works here. Basically, this is nice, fantastic music...

Buy and Listen HERE.

Gonzo and Lowdjo - The Trilogy Tapes (Discrepant)

WOW! this is super awesome! what a treat. 

A very cool label called DISCREPANT sent me an amazing 3 tape bundle simply called the trilogy tapes. In short, this long form collage piece was curated by GONZO & LOWDJO and features on location field recordings, rare LPs, street CDrs, old cassettes, unreleased compositions and impromptu experiments from all over the world! this is an extremely successful project/endeavor and I highly recommend it to ANYONE that's in for a wild ride. OVER 4 HOURS OF MUSIC/SOUNDS/ETC and its only 8 (euros?) so that mean its only .. like.. 10 bucks or something.. dude.

GET HERE! JUST DO IT!