jurgen muller - science of the sea - digitalis recordings -lp - 16$
Jürgen Müller was a self-taught amateur musician who, while studying oceanic science at the University of Kiel, purchased some electronic instruments and set up a mobile studio on his house boat, docked along the town of Heikendorf, on the North Sea. He held a life-long fascination with the ocean, the expansive and endless inner-space of the deep, where he felt many ecological miracles had yet to be discovered, and which kindled a love for the unknown. This love of all things nautical started early in his youth and eventually led him to study the oceanic sciences. For one week in 1979, Jürgen took up with a film crew on a mission to document some sea-water toxicity testing that was being performed by a couple of notable biologists, only a few kilometers offshore. At the end of the expedition, he decided that he would make music to capture the strange feeling conjured by these experiences. Utilizing only a handful of barely-remembered childhood piano lessons, Jürgen set about creating his marine-influenced vignettes with some electronic instruments he had gathered through friends, as well as borrowing some new equipment from a local school's music department. As a general music lover, earlier in the '70s he had taken note of several avant-garde electronic composers who he felt simultaneously captured a purity of sound and sense of wonder that was lacking in other music. He dreamt of fusing this ideal with the synthetic recreations of nature. In a sense, one could say he stumbled onto an early "new age" aesthetic through pure ignorance and coincidence. Mixing relaxing ambient tones and spooky, otherworldly sounds, he came up with a unique approach. After filling several reels of home recordings, he held ambitions of becoming a film composer. He decided to start his own publishing company, Neue Wissenschaft, and hoped to compose albums to sell as production music to various film companies for use in documentaries and television programs. As he was simultaneously hard at work on his studies to finish school, he had to work on his music in short intervals, and often had to put it aside altogether. As a result, it took several years for him to actually realize his sole full-length recording, Science Of The Sea, the sessions for which began in late 1981, before finishing a year later. Less than 100 copies were pressed, and few of them were even sent out to potential clients. Most copies were eventually given to friends and family. Jürgen's musical gamble never quite paid off as he had hoped, and without any outside interest or connections in the music world, he soon abandoned any dreams of a musical existence and instead chose to further his oceanographic career. Remastered from the original tapes by Brad Rose. Cut to vinyl at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin and pressed in Germany.
-digitalis
kplr - kplr - digitalis recordings -lp - 17$
Over the past year-and-a-half, the duo of Dexter Brightman and Jair Espinoza have explored abstract electronics in increasingly new and interesting ways. Over the course of numerous tapes on labels such as Avant Archive, Neon Blossom, and others, the duo has combined the ideas of repetition and sound art and continually mutated them into something that is becoming increasingly difficult to pin down. With the recent Tek No Muzik 12" on Crazy Iris, mechanized acid was introduced in the mix. It is not techno music in any sense of the term, but is subversive electronic music aimed at overloading your aural receptors. On this self-titled debut full-length, KPLR has been stripped down to a one-man operation. Dexter Brightman took inspiration from his daily environment surrounded by continuous machine noises that, after hours of constant repetition, began to morph into machine music. Repeated phrases, beats, and even harmonies began to find their way through the mire. This KPLR record takes those ideas and elevates them to something impossible to define. These zonked-out digital malfunctions fit together like a puzzle, each piece of debris manifesting itself as part of a larger whole. It's music that is simultaneously cold and abrasive yet draws you in, almost mechanically, so that you can't pull yourself away. KPLR is inquisitive and intuitive as it bounces rhythmically through the grid. It's hard to call this dance music as it's too discombobulated and fried, built on a web of endless, screeching circuits. Dexter Brightman is on his way to becoming part of the machine. Mastered by Brad Rose and cut to vinyl at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Limited to 500 copies only.
lawrence english - kiri no oto - digitalis recordings -lp - 17$
There's no doubt that Australia-based media artist, composer and curator Lawrence English has been responsible for some of the best drone compositions in the past decade, but with Kiri No Oto he unleashed his magnum opus. It's a stunning album on every level. English blends an array of natural and unnatural sources into a living document that is constantly captivating and engages the listener on many levels. This is a work set apart from much of English's discography, but still blanketed by his exquisite attention to detail that keeps everything in its right place. Originally released as a CD on the Touch label (TONE 031CD) in 2008, Kiri No Oto finds a new lease on life etched into wax. Album opener "Organs Lost At Sea" leaves nothing to chance. From the first saturated chords, you are enveloped in Kiri's aural landscape. Towering drones get weighted down with fuzz, overpowering the fog that's present throughout the record. It's like hearing the hum of the Earth released from its cage for the first time. Flowing seamlessly into the quieter but no less imposing "Soft Fuse," there's never a chance to catch your breath. English is content to overrun your ears. "Waves Sheer Light" catches you by the wings and lifts you high into the clouds. This is what floating sounds like. It's an enchanted and dizzying experience. This is music that is timeless in the literal sense. You get lost within these sonic walls, unsure if you've been swimming there for hours or only a few minutes. This is especially true on the underwater gauziness of "Figure's Lone Static." It feels endless. "White Spray" plies similar ground with bits and pieces of electric harmonics peaking through the static every so often, acting as beacons to find your way. One is content to get lost here. As the album comes to a close on the cathartic "Oamura," Lawrence English's job is done. He has taken you on a dynamic journey and kept you riding on eternal highs. When the melodic tones finally get overtaken by the sound of ocean waves, it is simply time to flip it over and start the experience again. Vinyl cut at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin. Limited to 500 copies only for the world.
-digitalis
sanso xtr0 - fountain fountain joyous mountain - digitalis recordings -lp - 16$
It's been over five years since we last heard from Melissa Agate aka Sanso-Xtro on her record for Type, "Sentimentalist." In those five years quite a bit has happened. Agate's relocated to her native Australia and the move has treated her well. Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain takes a lot of the ideas from her first record and dials them in, pushing everything to the next level. This collection of songs is a quiet force, blissfully confident and expertly assembled. Sanso's soundworld is fully immersive environment.
On the opener, "Fountain Fountain," we get a glimpse of everything to come. Slow-moving synthesizer sequences stay in constant motion as the piece slowly builds. Accenting bells and electronics skitter across the aural landscape, everything teasing like it will stop completely before picking back up with even more steam than before. There's this carefully controlled chaos at work that is immediately hypnotizing. Agate sings simple passages toward the end, welcoming listeners into this new world as her voice floats above the fray.
It becomes obvious as the album progresses that Agate is, at heart, a drummer. The staccato rhythms and percussive embellishments bring the album to life. These rapid-fire beats in conjunction with precise, half-speed instrumentation work in perfect harmony. Reminiscent of Blackdance-era Schulze at times, there's an intoxicating dizzyness that is effortlessly present in "The Origin of Birds" and "Wood Owl Wings a Rush Rush." Agate even throws a few nods to free jazz with "Goodnight Thylacine." Her skill as a drummer is matched by her ability as a songwriter, knowing when to push it over the top and when to dial it back. Album closer, "Exit: Joyous Mountain," sounds like a lost Alan Lomax gem with its and melodica/harmonica duet and delicate singing.
"Hello Night Crow" is the literal and figurative center of the album, though. It starts with a ringing synth loop that gives nothing away until the electronic chord changes emerge a minute in. Again it's about the slow-build that raises the tension and anticipation before melting into the sky. It's like when you rub your eyes and get bombarded by geometric shapes swirling on a sea of blackness. The song envelopes you and you're instantly transported until you open your eyes. "You wouldn't recognize that its not there anymore," Agate sings over the bubbling waves of synths. It is beautiful and crushing.
Melissa Agate's second album proves what a force she is to be reckoned with. Everything feels in the right place; the details matter. Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain is a three-dimensional record. You can hear it. You can see it. But most importantly, you can certainly feel it.
**Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain was mastered by Lawrence English. Vinyl cut at D+M in Berlin Artwork and design by Fergal Brennan.**
svarte greiner - penpals forever (& ever) - digitalis recordings - lp - 18$
Svarte Greiner is the nom de plume of Deaf Center's Erik K. Skodvin. Hailing from Norway, his solo efforts are always stripped bare, white-knuckle sojourns through dark, haunted ambient sonic corridors. "Penpals Forever (and Ever)" is the imaginary tale of a long dead Baroque painter and his telekinetic correspondence with a flightless bird. It feels archaic; experimental death marches circa 1622. Like Guercino's Et in Arcadia Ego, once the end is realized there's nowhere left to go. It's beyond our experience and sometimes you never recover from the shock.
Despite its rather cheery title, "Penpals Forever (and Ever)," is another step toward the abyss. Musically sparse, Svarte Greiner finds new channels connecting desolate landscapes through ethereal nightmares. It is music best served cold. Chattering, looping guitar lines that feel like muscle being separated from bone slowly build into aching piles of aural dissonance. It's painful to a point. Recorded voices speak a language you can't understand underneath ominous, echoing single notes. Distant metal fragments scrape the dirt from detuned strings while a nefarious feathered minstrel bows dying instruments in the background. No hope left, death is just around the corner.
As it ever was, Svarte Greiner is again weaving something deliciously sinister. This is music that is uncomfortably bare. Within its blood-stained confines there is nowhere to hide. Skodvin's tangled, gnarled tale goes back and forth into infinity until it becomes clear that the flightless bird in question lives inside your skull. Drowning slowly into one's own twisted mind, "Penpals" is the soundtrack of loss; the procession of fears gradually becoming so overbearing that you can't escape your own demons.
**The first side (first two tracks) were originally issued on the "Penpals Forever" cassette on Digitalis in 2008, limited to 180 copies. Both tracks have been completely remastered. The remaining pieces are all new and exclusive to this release**
bugskull - communication - digitalis recordings - lp - 15$ Flashback to 1997 and in the world of underground droning weirdness, Bugskull were heavyweight champions. The revolving cast of characters always centered around Sean Byrne. He concocted buckets full of syrupy delights that encompassed everything from electronica, post-rock, dub, noise and endless pop hooks. Byrne was joined by multi-instrumentalist Brendan Bell and percussionist James Yu throughout the latter half of the '90s, taking Bugskull from bedroom wonder to full-blown magic carpet band. Bugskull released records and singles on some of the great experimental labels of the day such as Road Cone, Scratch, and Shrimper. I can safely say that as I was discovering experimental music during my mid & late teens, Bugskull were one of my all-time favorite bands.
The last album Byrne released was in 2002, "The Big White Cloud," which followed-up the acclaimed "Distracted Snowflake" duology. During the late '90s, Byrne recorded a third album that extended the themes of the "Snowflake" records. Due to label issues and disputes, this third album never came out until now, almost ten years later. "Communication" is the bookend to the hypnotic reverie created by "Distracted Snowflake" volumes 1 & 2. With layers of organ and synth floating like cotton candy on top of dub and hip-hop infused beats, Byrne is in top form.
"Communication" isn't so much a lost album as it is confirmation of a legacy and declaration of intent. Bugskull is back. From the tribal beach vibes of "High Steppin' II" right down to the drenched bones of the droning, black river sonics of "Subterranean Life," this album brings everything that made Bugskull so great and concentrates it on two sides of vinyl. Upbeat, fast-moving synth lines bob and move in minimal electronic waves while violins moan on "Squeaky Bagpipe." The title track is an exercise in restraint as Byrne uses turntables and molasses-paced guitars to the listener into a false sense of serenity, only to be drowned in opiates and put to bed by "Pondlife." Whether he's created simple, deceptive trips with sparse, but effective rhythmic cues or is just wallowing in the aural beauty of sine tones and synth drones, Byrne doesn't ever let up.
For those who have been as big of fans I have through the years, you probably never thought another Bugskull album would show up on the horizon. I know I didn't. But after seven years of waiting for something fresh, it's all worth it in the end to start the journey from scratch.
Vinyl only and limited to 300 copies
-digitalis
scott tuma - dandelion - digitalis recordings -lp - 16$
The past couple of years have been good to Scott Tuma. After a five-year hiatus, "Not For Nobody" reminded everyone of the subtle force that was lurking up in Chicago. He followed that up with an epic collaborative LP with Zelienople's Mike Weis and an underrated gem as part of the Good Stuff House trio. Those ideas and manifestations present on all three albums come to a head with "Dandelion."
This is Scott Tuma at his most definitive, most vocal, and most devastating. His acoustic vignettes flicker in and out like the specters of long forgotten greats, showing up just long enough to remind you that once upon a time, they ruled the land of kings. Sparse guitar plucks and banjo strums ache in the thin air. "Red Roses For Me" puts all the pieces in place with hollow, reverberating drones piercing the grey skies in the first half of the song. Quiet recordings of birdsong echo in the background, bouncing off minimally shifting banjo and chimes. But this is when Tuma really starts to mess with you, this is when "Dandelion" takes one of many unexpected turns. As a siren wails in the background, he is almost playful in the last half of the piece with a chord organ and gently strummed guitar bleeding nostalgia into the streets. It's a sinister joke in the middle of the flood.
"Dandelion" is a a hymn to loves won, then lost. Dying on the vine, he bellows "You are so pretty," yearning for something simpler and easier to navigate. "You're always on my mind" reminds us that things come to an end, that even the best things have a shelflife. It runs head first into the megalith that is "Free Dirt." Mike Weis makes his present felt as the duo navigates the darkest moments Tuma's ever put to tape. This is "Taradiddle" drowned in the mud. Hope is lost to the darkness as denial turns to acceptance. Winding down into a wall of cymbals and heavy-handed acoustic guitar, it's total catharsis. Tuma and Weis show again just how well they work together.
Eventually this ride, this testament comes to an end. The mournful longing of the final two pieces wraps "Dandelion" up into a perfect, graceful package. Scott Tuma shows one more time why there's nobody else like him around. This may be an album that asks a lot of questions, but it answers every single one.
disguises - aeolian hookers - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$ let the insanity begin! these beasts from toronto follow-up their mind-melting LP from last year, "post-mortem depression," with absolute avalanche of hell. jagged guitar swirls get the beat down from a pommel horse of drum bombs. screams escape from the abyss only to be sucked back under by crawling basslines. and then the guitars come at you again and again and again. there's no avoiding this minefield - you're gonna lose a leg.
this is clusterfuck city folks and disguises are your tour guides. these jagged excursions will cut your face open and make you want to apologize for bleeding all over the brand new carpet. edition of 80, pro-dubbed with broken golden fairy art and smeared labels.
-digitalis
ester poland - hippi,kanuuna ja kiinan torni - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
man, finland... it never stops does it? it really never does. just when you think the terrain has been scoured and every last pore drained til the last drop, something new comes along with such star-searching bombast that you get knocked square on your ass all over again. ester poland are the latest in a long line of impeccable sound sculptors out of finland, but this screeching duo are riding their own astral baby well into the new millenium.
-digitalis
rambutan - incidences - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
"century plants & burnt hills conspirator, eric hardiman, is no stranger to the realms of burnt-to-a-crisp garbage drones. his solo guise, rambutan, has been on an absolute tear this year with not-to-be-missed offerings on stunned, 905 tapes, house of alchemy, & others. his abstract meanderings grind it out with tortured guitar melodies and raw, spitting electronics. hardiman wields tension like most people drop the ball. each side demands submission as each is an open, festering wound that needs to be cauterized. these pieces ooze like liquid gold. mastery, motherfuckers, take it or leave it."
-Digitalis
basic microwaving - fur bath - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
library sound explorations with minimal interference.
chicaloyoh - quand les tables se mettent à tournoyer - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
solo effort of alice dourlen for gnarled guitar and voice. ugly, pretty.
tonal wasteland - desolate - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
it's not time to do the walk of shame, not yet anyway. tonal wasteland is as apt a description of the sonics on this tape as i can think of. hollowed-out synth excursions blast saws & sines through endless pipes turning the whole thing into a spinning echo chamber. australian jammer, ben lynch, knows what he's doing (and he's an arsenal fan to boot, so can you really go wrong here?). as bleak as these soundscapes are, lynch manages to work in a bit of brightness and warmth just to throw the balance into a tailspin. you don't know if you're coming or going, but if you want to suck on a synth pipe, this is your bag. edition of 40, various color tapes.-digitalis
the shitty listener - constant stranger - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
andrew coltrane - dmt shadow - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$ coltrane weaves another mess on top of the rotting remains of last night's leftovers. "DMT shadow" is a drill straight to your frontal lobe. entirely blown out with axxe, ring mod, & delay, AC is on digging tunnels to china and spewing up molten lava and space dust like it's going out of style fast. a total headfuck. edition of 75 copies, pro-dubbed with dirt & spice.
-digitalis
gryn brvs/siblings of plasma - split - digitalis recordings - cass -4$
this one comes from the UK with all sorts of dangling gold and buckets of skronk. fresh off their chocolate monk CDR, gryn brvs continue to be at odds with themselves, creating a cacaphonous sprawl that totally works, even though it seems like it shouldn't. harshly picked acoustic guitars rattle on above waves of ramshackle, junkyard percussion. it's like the percussion is trying to destroy the melody laid down by the guitars. it's fucken great. this sidelong meltdown squirms along for days, lulling you into a state of total abandon.
siblings of plasma share members and membranes with gryn brvs, but their modus is down a different rabbit hole. walls of cello squalor mourning the end of days, wailing like the death knell of god only knows. these tracks are bathed in organic, hypnotic ruin. once s.o.p. gets their claws in, you are done. 75 copies w/ spraypainted wrap around sleeves.
-digitalis
muura - black & gold butterflies - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
so, as my obsession with earle's output grew and grew, i had to bring him over an ocean to the land of digitalis. with that i offer the first of numerous bdtd-related releases, this from his main solo guise, muura. "black & gold butterflies" is the bones of the blues. deconstructed and reassembled with spackle and duct tape. each fractured note hangs on by a thread, clinging to a mirage of junkyard dreams. limited to 50 handnumbered copies on yellow tapes
-digitalis
bigger insides - hunter gathering - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$ it's definitely time to throw a party and bigger insides is your guest dj for the night. we first met chris thorne many moons ago when he appeared on "gold leaf branches" (as snake oil) and then reconnected recently as his new band, tan dollar, and new solo project (THIS) were spreading their collective wings. so what's the skinny?
minimal beats and insanely catchy casios and synths battling it out in a neon pit of doom. except there's really not any doom, but sun-specked skies and silver streams. as it hops along, you feel as though you're being whisked away on a hot air balloon ride toward the pink horizon. thorne's ability to create songs that are full of pop hooks yet disjointed and feel as though they could fall apart at any second is a gift. bigger insides: ready to throw down. edition of 70, pro-dubbed.
-digitalis
goatfooted / hunting rituals - split - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
goatfooted are drowning underground in reverberating caves. this duo of sarah good and josh st. denis will bring you down. melodic guitar lines are the lantern light at the end of a long, winding passage. coming out of nowhere like a cataclysmic collapse are good's vocals. she's the siren leading you to the rocks. beautiful, lilting and up to no good, you won't resist and will gladly die begging for more.
what works so well about this split is that hunting rituals aka r. hunter aka scott johnson is happy to show you what that demise sounds like. as your insides are ripped by saws of electronic mayhem, your ears explode under the sudden depressurization. it's horrid and gnarly and totally fucking excellent. bring it all home, canda.edition of 35, red-flowered gems.
-digitalis
lakes - monument of nests - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
-digitalis
generals & such - quixote - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$ this is a first for digitalis & friends... this baby is produced from a painted score. yep, painted scores. how fucking cool is that? well, based on the results from this trio of californians: christian kiefer, timothy rowan, & erik werner - it's pretty damn cool. here's a little background... generals & such, this is what they do. they play painted/graphic scores. this one is produced by werner (don't know if they all are) and this one is a 15 ft painting based on the first eight chapters of don quixote. i feel like i don't need to say anything else because that is simply incredible.
but i won't taunt you... what do you get with a 15 ft painted score? scattershot percussion anchoring acoustic & electric guitars making skronks and waves. werner's acoustic playing at times reminds me of akiyama. rowan offsets this frenetic playing with calm and cool reverb-drenched spirals. it's an awesome contrast. the music progresses and unfolds slowly. kiefer's drumming guides the trio through the valleys and deserts, avoiding pitfalls unless necessary. the whole thing just feels monumental. tape is 73 minutes long, but each side is exactly the same. so it's basically a 1-sided c38, but i hate tapes with a blank side. pro-dubbed to boot. edition of 65.
-digitalis
laiha - solar warden - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
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young boys/ fm face- split - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
fm.face is like the rascally younger brother who is out to show how he can really fuck shit up in a royally awesome way. these songs are punked-out wastelands. angular guitar lines repeat to infinity on top of overblown drum machines while fm.face just absolutely fucking belts it out. look out below. edition of 100, half on black, half on white, pro-dubbed pounds.
-digitalis
ajilvsga / uton - skull bundle - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
ajilvsga / hairmaiden of the totem robe - skull bundle - digitalis recordings - cass -4$
ophibre - basil forests - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
ophibre is the main project of benjamin rossignol and "basil forests" is another impressive chapter in an ever-growing collection of killer releases. baseline electronics permeate your skull, ripping open a seam just wide enough for the shimmering guitar drones to sink in. it starts of slow and methodic, but eventually builds into a spiralling mess of sound. this sucker gets pretty fucken heavy even with the high frequencies peeling all that rust off yr brain.thick slabs of molasses will salve your wounds, but rossignol has no interest in letting you off that easy. big, meaty drones bring it all back home and settle you in for a long night of hell. aw yeah.
-digitalis
holy family - anoint - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
this one is for the gold, all the way and all the time. holy family is the modular synth duo of lawrence english and john chantler (room40 extraordinaires). and you know what's coming. it opens onto a putrid, rotting corpse hanging from the bedchamber. chantler & english aren't fuckign around. their synths sound like they're dying, every note stretched to the point of breaking oscillating into the ground. this is not child's play.
before you know it your blood stops flowing, turned into a molasses. faint echoes try to scratch their way to the surface, totally buried alive. every so often you think you hear a melody whirring from behind, but everything gets swallowed back down into this deep, dark pit. intense. incredible. edition of 125.
-digitalis
blue sabbath black fiji - wankers - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
and here the insanity begins. french transplanted duo blue sabbath black fiji have no limits. they don't know when to dial it back, they don't know when to turn it down and because of that, we're all getting fried whether we like it or not. "wankers" has been stewing for a while but finally is getting let out from its cage to wreak havoc on unsuspecting listeners. mindbender baby, let's floor it.
squealing feedback with cut-to-bits beats and trashcan percussion go into some futuristic tribal bounce. on the back end you're left wondering how in the fuck did i get here? unexpected guitar hooks skronk into the foreground, jumping the tracks laid down by minimal electronic beats. sometimes this shit even gets pretty, which really throws you for a loop. it's one fucked-up dream sequence that never wants to end. always searching for the loudest path, blue sabbah black fiji are unlike anyone else and thank your lucky stars for that. edition of 80.
-digitalis
sacred basil - tuvan annex - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
i've long been a fan of collaborations, tape trading style or otherwise. sacred basil is the trio of nicholas barker (tempera), matt lajoie (cursillistas) and jordan spencer (gorman) and their collective talents are lighting up the skies. "tuvan annex" starts of shimmering and peaceful but it's a total ruse. guitar lines get washed into an oscillating oblivion and everything gets bathed in a heavy dose of noise swash. it's like being stuck in a tornado, desperately searching for a way out. the shimmer returns but with full-on density and triumph. each shift feels in the zone. blissed guitars and electronics join together, siamese twins moving in perfect harmony. contemplative, sparsely used notes flicker like a lightbulb about to give up hoping to make one final impression before crossing the great divide. there's something almost heartbreaking about it all.
but those aren't the only paths being crossed - not at all. rickety, looping acoustic guitars thrum their way forward with barely-audible background beats and electronic backwash. it's like being lost when nobody wants to admit their mistake. it's unsettling but worthwhile as it finally comes together and everything gets sucked to the bottom in a massive, exquisite whirlpool of sound. love those collaborations. edition of 90.
-digitalis
indian weapons - parousia - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
the salutations are over and everyone is wide awake. indian weapons is the new duo of yours truly and nathan young. of course there are similarities to ajilvsga, but this is something different, something new. organics are in fully supply. acoustic instrumentation is melded with oscillators and filters and processed into a delicious abyss. it's an attempt to meld the mangled into something less deconstructive and more composed. there's still a lot of crunch, but with melodicas singing and violins floundering on a bed of synthesized chaos, it finds its way behind the mask. and then somehow it became about derrida. edition of 80, pro-dubbed & imprinted.
-digitalis
jouurney - dancers in the time-flux - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
synthetic dreams blossom underneath perfect french skies, offering arpeggiated gifts to a sun god that never even existed in the first place. each step is liquid and melodic to a degree, looking for another avenue to paint in electric blue. on this debut our french explorer wants to cruise the high seas on a blast of square waves.
this time-flux is a warm place to be. jouurney's quixotic sounds have you floating in and out of consciousness, submerged beneath nobody drones and pink sunsets. of course, everything gets thrown out of whack for the last two minutes and the blitzed out beats and cacaphonic synth mayhem that ensues. it's an exclamation point for sure. edition of 72, pro-dubbed & imprinted.
-digitalis
andrew coltrane - conflict - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
AC brings his bag of toys back to oklahoma, but this time goes back in time and pulls out a total war bomb from the archives. heavy electronics and thick, bleeding walls of synth skronk are just what you need after a long weekend of drinking with the fam. it feels like there's some serious guitar riffing trying to find its way out of this electronic hell, but half the time there's no fucking telling what's going on here. it's everything all at once. coltrane goes to eleven. i don't even know. sax blasts come in from the deep, sourcing new megacreatures that don't just want your blood, they want your fucken soul.
rusted factories breaking down never sounded so damn good. hell, if this isn't cathartic, i don't know what is. edition of 70, pro-dubbed.
-digitalis
a wake - s/t - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
let's just admit this first off: we all want to fucken rock sometimes. ok, maybe a lot of the time. well, live vicariously my friends through the psychedelic sprawl that is the UK's a wake. rising from the ashes of one of my favorite bands of the last few years, beach fuzz, this trio of barry dean, nick mitchell, & fliss horrocks. dueling guitars blow smoke through heavy wattage while ramshackle drums offer a grenade path to nowhere. these four long pieces just freaking howl. moon shots be damned, this is how us regular folk get high. edition of 70, pro-dubbed purple stars.
-digitalis
illusion of safety - busier than happier- digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
dan burke’s illusion of safety has been around forever and with a glimpse into this soundworld you’ll see why.
tassels - the rosicrucians - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
tassels is one of those projects that i'm quite surprised isn't on more people's radars, but hopefully that's about to change. "the rosicrucians" is a concept album of sorts, but mostly it's just a killer tape. it is, however, inspired by the actual rosicrucians which is especially apparent through the use of totally awesome samples. sean orr (the brains behind tassels) is quite able when it comes to crafting beats and mixing together the electronica-heavy elements with washed-out brass drones and lilting strings.
it's almost unsettling how the religious/cryptic samples and imagery play off the at-times-sunny and generally upbeat music. but that is a combination the orr uses wonderfully to keep you on edge. from the ghoulesque voices mixed with bright synth spikes on "the lifetone" to the dubstep-inspired bass with the ominous strings on the end of "the sermons of the refuter," it is delightfully schizophrenic. by the time "the hours" drags you deep into the abyss, orr is simply preaching to the choir. edition of 75, chrome tapes.
-digitalis
dense reduction - fictive agriculture- digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
travis bird and evan lindorff-ellery caught my attention straight away on their first trio of releases on the label they run together, notice recordings. "fictive agriculture" finds them spewing new organic sonar trails through hazy concrete forests. this is music that requires repeated listens to fully digest all the layers. things start off minimal and almost-melodic before bursting into a blown-out, churning mess. things go back & forth, covered in tape hiss and full of tonal warmth. it's like unsuspectingly tuning into lost radio transmissions from the past half-century, sending out maydays from a distant planet.
the flipside opens things up a bit with some harmonic sand castles from the start. eventually the tide rolls in and smashes the whole thing into bits, but the cleansing is all well and good because bleak, dissonant electronic triumph emerges from the ashes. it coalesces into a feedback labyrinth, unsafe for those with delicate ears. edition of 75, pro-dubbed.
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michael james tapscott "sunny california OST- digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
if i could only be serenaded by one person for the rest of my days, i'd choose michael tapscott in a heartbeat. the odawas vocalist's talent is something to die for. that voice... cannot be beat. but what tapscott brings on his debut solo release under his own name is far more than just that voice. this is the soundtrack to theshort film of the same name by neil blakemore and follows in the ocean-drift steps of the last odawas record, "the blue depths." melodic synthesizer passages float lightly on simple, seductive drum machine beats and acoustic guitar lines. erratic, almost-harsh electronica even makes an appearance as tapscott uses all his tricks to crystalize the theme of the film. every turn finds a new path, all of which lead back to the central precipice.
"sunny california" is a place rife with beauty and sadness and as tapscott as our guide, we're bound to find something to treasure. edition of 100.
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knit prism/w.a. munson - split - digitalis recordings - cass - 4$
this split from knit prism and black eagle child-spinoff w.a munson finds its solace in the greath white north. ontario's knit prism aka michael pouw has been churning out gem after gem lately and this split follows-up on his gift tape quite nicely. hazy drones bleed into glassine accompaniment, shards falling like hypnotic crystal rain. pouw cuts and pastes like a master, fusing together something ancestral with an aim to the future. his piece is equal parts old, dusty relic and computer-age synth dream. pouw's a master craftsman and knit prism is just getting started.
munson returns from hiatus and eschews the momentum of black eagle child to dive straight back into the deep end of the pool. somebody asked me if he's using a heavily-effected guitar or a synth and i honestly have no idea and could really care less. munson is playing for keeps. over the first half, munson is searching. underneath hiss and fuzz, time-worn melodies play-out even if they're completely unsure of the destination. but midway is his come-to-jesus moment. the fog and haze clear and we're left with a beautiful, modern hymnal. tones and melodies that remind me of boards of canada suck you in without fail. equal parts earnest and heartbroken, its a place i could stay for a good, long while. edition of 75.
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concern - truth & distance- digitalis recordings -lp -18$
Gordon Ashworth is Concern and this is his manifesto. "Truth & Distance" is a mini-epic, a minor masterpiece. Within these sonic walls lies a stunning landscape, adrift in golden tones and silver siren songs. Ashworth creates beautiful, shimmering music that defies categorization. It stands on its own, droning away into the furthest reaches of the night. Using only acoustic instrumentation, Ashworth conceives pieces of music in which resonance and timbre mutate and in the air and unfold naturally, organically.
Hints of piano glisten like night shadows whispering through the leaves. Strings are bowed and plucked into oblivion. Everything is turned into a pile of reverb. Everyone is a ghost. The title track starts with frayed edges and continually dials back, trying to not to fall apart. Ashworth's skill in wrangling discordant sounds out of his array of acoustics seems to grow as the piece flows along. Daunting as the seemingly endless layers of droning tones may be, its the all-enveloping nature of this music that makes it so engaging. Like hearing Basinski destroy and rework Peter Broderick's deepest compositions, "Truth & Distance" feels familiar while sounding new.
As the final, looping piano chords of "Heartsink" disintegrate into oblovion, Concern has gone all in. This is music that trades in immediacy for reservation and restraint. Ashworth is able to combine all these elements into towering aural monuments that he scatters through the air and down into the soil. It's all coming up roses this time.
radio people s/t- digitalis recordings - lp - 17$
Radio People is the latest project from Ohio-stalwart, Sam Goldberg. After a handful of solo releases under his own name on Weird Forest, 905 Tapes and the Emeralds-run Wagon & Gneiss Things labels, he debuted Radio People on an ultra-limited self-titled cassette on his own Pizza Night imprint. At that point, there was no way back and the only move was to push forward with this new cosmic beast. Two more short-run tapes followed and it was clear that this new chemically imbalanced synthesizer project wasn't just a quick hit one-off. Radio People is here to stay.
On this, his debut vinyl effort, Goldberg has compiled the best elements of those three, long-gone cassettes. This Dubplates & Mastering cut slab of wax is the strongest statement Goldberg has made, proving his talent lies far beyond ambient soundscapes and well into the world of pop-infused synthesizer chaos and kraut-inspired composition. Major hooks sit alongside dense planetary drones. Goldberg pairs rivers of polysynth tracery with deep shards of droning organs, minimal live percussion and a whole host of drum machine backbone. This really is the best of both worlds. Melodies suck you in, beats get your head bobbing and then you're sucked down a complex tonal wormhole of introspective loops and ambient synthscapes.
Pop song frameworks nestle themselves neatly beside somber soundscapes, sometimes jumping back and forth in the same track. Barely-there vocals foil the stasis, leaving the listener guessing and wondering if there's a ghost in the mix. Radio People's embracing of simple kraut rhythms to underscore the catchy, kosmische wanderings give this music an accessibility not present in much of Goldberg's previous work. It crosses boundaries and comes back and shows still untapped wells of talent and ideas in Goldberg's bag of tricks.
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charalatan- triangles - digitalis recordings -lp - 17$
There's something almost religious about this Charlatan (Brad Rose) LP, its narrative arc swinging from light to dark and back again. From the opening chords of "Lime Beauty," we're awash in polarized-lens glinting twilight, fluorescent skies over the water. "Trace Blue Outlines" is trance-like and reflective, with long, arpeggiated figures chasing each other skyward in a fugue. Darkness creeps in around the edges of "Vodka Rocks," with almost post-rock moodiness bringing the side to a close. "Traces" opens the B-side and is a breakout track. With dark new-wave synth textures and warped dissonance, it has almost an Altar Eagle vibe, but things get darker, deeper, and more personal as multilayered melodic lines close in on the loping drum track. This is the kind of song you don't want to end, and wonder if you can set lyrics to. After "Foxes" provides the perfect interlude with classic Charlatan synth tones on a masterfully layered canvas, closer "Swimming Pool Summer Nights" is just as staggering. Its slow drum pattern echoes early Cluster experiments as blissed-out synths and even bird-like squawks pass through its celestial gates. As time goes on, it yields into what could almost pass for some kind of acceptance, embracing the darkness that came before it. More than any before it, this is an extremely emotional Charlatan record -- majestic, reflective, yearning for something like transcendence. Even though it's richly layered, it's not gauzy. There is nothing dreamy or half-remembered about these pieces. They are sharp, fresh as wounds. This record puts Charlatan on a seriously high plane for anyone exploring these tones, textures, or emotions. Limited to 500 copies only. Mastered by John P. Twells (Xela) at Seventh Door, cut to vinyl at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Original cover illustration by Caroline Teagle.
ghostrider - light pulse- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
everyone is going all berlin school these days, but ghostrider's jens pauly just shrugs his shoulders wondering what all the fuss is about. he's all ready to start his own fucken köln school, blasting seraphim blisscapes over the bridges attempting to drain the rhine. "light pulse" resonates with absolute clarity, rolling over the synthetic hills into a different shade of grass. as his compositions loop around and fold in on themselves, they disappear like vapor in the early morning and leave nothing behind but the haze. edition of 75, pro-dubbed chrome.
fake map - a continued garden - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
debut from this post-taiga remains project of alex cobb’s, "a continued garden" is an organic virus festering its way into your skull. cobb has left behind the savory glacial landscapes of his taiga past, instead filling the cracks with expert synthesis and sonic debris. each side-long excursion is visceral to a point. "3d thumbnail" churns along mechanically like a soldier determined to make the kill before evaporating into a digital symphony of bubbling resonance. the awesomely-titled "convenient height" is drenched in euphoria and disconcertingly comforting. you know nothing is really this sweet. edition of 75, pro-dubbed chrome.
jefferson pitcher - hirondelles - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
guitar explorations of minimalism from left field
fossils from the sun - pop shoot pop- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
absolute bonkers. everywhere; nothing.
samantha glass - cosmetic daydream- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
get neuro and glide down this glacial slope.
travis bird - two tidal states- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
homage to radigue and other forms of synthetic expression.
long distance poison - calendric circuits - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
synthed to shreds and synapse inductions.
clathrus- aloof out rwanda- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
russia’s latest star, explodes with no mercy.
u made ship - eclectronics- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$
library style musings from c. richer (spacekom, haiduks) & carlo vargas. mtl4life.
john clyde-evans - apetal thunderfall - digitalis - cd -6$
It's been a monumental year for John Clyde-Evans. He recently returned from a year living in the Punjab region of India, and after a slew of releases under his Sikh name of Tirath Singh Nirmala, he's back to the good ol' JCE. That's not all that's changed, though. His latest opus, "apetal thunderfall," spins off into a new web of cacaphony, leaving behind the pastoral anthems of yesteryear and taking aim at a more abrasive ways to leave behind the rust.
"apetal thunderfall" was recorded entirely during JCE's stay in Jalandhar in 2007 using found software and audio sources. The resulting recordings feel almost primitive. Evans uses his uncanny ability to blend and mix multitudes of tones into sprawling thickets of sound. It is hard to call this music drone, but at the same time there is a continous flow to these three pieces that works in a similar way. Over the course of 43 minutes, this music etches itself into your skull, drilling itself in deep without drawing blood. Divided into three tracks, "apetal thunderfall" is more a singular entity than a collection of works.
This album is cathartic, both musically and as a vehicle for JCE himself. But make no mistake, this is not spiritaul music with mystic over/undertones. Simply, it is the new aural vision from one person made while living in India for a year. It is abrasive yet beautiful, and harkens back to a time and place when things were far less complicated.
-digitalis
stone baby - used illusions/lost objects - foxglove - cdr -5$
stone baby hail from upstate new york and have seen their broken wares peddled by such fine junk salespeoples as carbon records, house of alchemy, and phantom limb. well this duo has brought their fractured droning blues to foxglove and the results couldn't be better. what's most impressive about stone baby is that even though there's only two people creating all these sounds, these songs are fucken dense. we're talking black holes and white dwarves and shit here. or is red dwarves? pulsars? you'd never know i got an A in astronomy. but stone baby keep throwing new things at you with every listen. it's a wild ride up to rochester, but i hear the food is amazing. 100 copies
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uton - we're only in it for the spirit - digitalis recordings - special edition cd + cdr -7$
For the past five plus years, Uton has been one of the most consistent projects to come out of the snowy confines of his native Finland. His output has been constant, but the quality is always great. His drones have always been underscored with a sense of melody and a keen utilization of the space where the music was created. These songs are not icy or glacial, though, like one might think. Uton’s uncanny ability to inject an inviting sense of warmth and spirit. "We’re Only in it for the Spirit" is ghost music; barely there and out-of-sight in the blink of an eye.
The man responsible for these masked-spirit journeys is Tampere native, Jani Hirvonen. He's collaborated with the likes of Jan Anderzén (Kemialliset Ystävät, etc), Bridget Hayden (Vibracathedral Orchestra), & Anla Courtis (Reynols) among others. When it comes to enchanted, sprawling drones, Hirvonent is a true Rennaissance man. He is joined by Vapaa's J.P. Koho on all tracks, who complements Hirvonen's delicacy with subtle hints of chaos.
"We're Only in it for the Spirit" continues to trek through new worlds of sound, polishing off the once-rough edges of Uton's sound into something that acts as a beacon in the void. Dark, brooding drones for guitar and electronics flicker and fade like a distant, stellar horizon. Hirvonen is a master craftsman, and Koho is his perfect foil. The two play off each other's every move and produce an end result that rivals anything Uton has released previously. "We're Only in it for the Spirit" is a magickal piece of work.
Limited to 500 copies with artwork designed by James Livingston of Black Horizons.
Special edition limited to 75 handnumbered copies
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mudboy - hungry ghosts! these songs are doors - digitalis recordings - enhanced cd - 6$
Mudboy dares you to find a suitable label for his warped sonic missives. But find one way to trap him and he changes direction and weasels out under the cracks in the wall. This is music for those who like to skit the line between light and dark, because believe Mudboy himself when he says that this record is all about the dark arts. His spells and incantations are the perfect guide through this analog labyrinth. "Hungry Ghosts" is at times hypnotic, dabbling in psychedelia, but is also disorientating like a house of mirrors. The circuit bent organ and arsenal of pedals does Mudboy well and will keep you guessing for as long as you're willing to give it a go. This album is a grower, but after a few listens you'll find yourself completely hooked.
On "Hungry Ghosts," the listener is given glimpses into a whole host of new worlds. Each song is like a diorama; intricate, detailed, and totally 3-D. You'll find yourself wandering aimlessly through this mess of devilish sonic missives only to realize that once it ends, not only are you lost, but completely entranced and calm. This is meditative music for the agitated soul. Like poltergeists that haunt belfries and spires, Mudboy is never in one place for too long.
This is the CD version of the recent LP on Not Not Fun. This enhanced CD contains the same music as well as a short video by Mudboy, "Othern Lights." The disc is packaged in lasercut & slightly burned cardstock sleeves with matching insert. It's similar to the LP, only more intricate.
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thousands - overflow'd & gush'd out - foxglove - cdr -6$
when the curtain opens on the lone figure at the head of the stage as he blows his harmonica, hoping to conjure spirits from the layers of dust on the floor. wailing vocals light the balconies and waft their way toward the smoky heavens of the lushly decorated ceiling. thousands is the sister of the mighty (VxPxC), but this extended family vision is a much larger beast. on "overflow'd & gush'd out," thousands are six. disjointed melodies reclaim the horizon from fractured guitar lines and sporadic drum blasts. thousands move like a machine across the landscape, sucking up everything in their path, inviting it all in to join in their revolt. rebelling against what? that's not all that important when it sounds so damn good.
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vxpxc - porchmass - digitalis - cd -6$
In the past two years, (VxPxC) has grown from a Golden State oddity to a Los Angeles institution. The trio of Grant Capes, Tim Goodwillie, and Justin McInteer have churned out an entire catalog of blissed-out improvisations that range from the organic and melodic to overblown chaos. There's never a dirth of new ideas flowing out of their collective minds, and on "Porchmass," their first proper CD release after a slew of CDRs and cassettes, they push the envelope into a whole new realm.
keijo - flying over- digitalis - cd -5$
The godfather of the Finnish Underground is back with his most complete album to date. Keijo Virtanen's far-reaching hands can be felt throughout the Nordic peninsula from his home in Jyväskylä. While he often performs in numerous groups such as The Free Players and Kheta Hotem, it is in his solo work that he is most accomplished. Virtanen is not just a talented and prolific musician, but also and artist and published author. His inspiration and creativity know no bounds. At 54 years-old, Virtanen still rides his motorcycle all over the country and shows no signs of letting up.
V irtanen finally took his show on the road this past autumn, touring with members of Uton and Vapaa throughout Northern Europe. He also released two CDs on the much heralded Last Visible Dog imprint. "Flying Over" is the culmination of a landmark year for this troubadour. These nine tracks run the gambit of all of Keijo's talents, from the rattling blues transgressions of "On the Edge," to the throatsinging-laced organic drone of "Late Night Here & Far Away," and completed with the harmonium-laced " Virtanen's range is pure magic.
While the bulk of "Flying Over" is entirely Virtanen's creation, he is joined by two of his closest collaborators on two tracks: Sami Virtanen and Jussi Karsikas, two extremely talented Finns in their own right. Whatever the moment calls for, though, Virtanen fills the void and the empty space with exactly what is needed. He is a wizard of sound and a seemingly endless well of magnificent music. It shouldn't be surprising for someone who makes their home at the center of the universe.
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apple snails - only on a macadam road - foxglove - cdr -6$
following up releases on crocomodile and an exquisite split cassette w/ the mighty acts of god on DNT, jeffrey mitchell's apple snails take a whole new approach on "only a macadam road," and the results are stunning. it's full of ambient drones that sound like they were born in the northern lights. the road is bathed in darkness, but tiny fragments of light seep through the murk every so often in the form of acoustic melodies and glockenspiel bursts. it's music that transports you far, far away. we've been working on this one for what seems like forever... so long in the making that the inserts actually say foxglove132, but good things certainly come to those who have waited for this apple-eyed gem.
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tarentel - live edits: italy/switzerland - digitalis recordings - cd - 5$
this is the second in a series of ongoing "live" releases from tarentel, though they are, as the band says, "live" in the same spirit that werner herzog makes "documentaries."
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