kenji siratori - trinity sky - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$

everyone's favorite japanese cyberpunk brings his walls of tortured noise to the world of digitalis. "trinity sky" is perhaps a softer affair the usual, though the screeching blasts will certainly punch you in the face in the end. siratori's works are dark. they move slow like congealed blood and sound like a machine's last dying breaths. "trinity sky" rushes over you like a buzzsaw, splitting you gently in two.

siratori's music is harsh and heavy at times, but trying to figure out what, exactly, is going on inside these spewing electric bubbles is half the fun and most of the battle. each of these side-long pieces is a clusterfuck of noise, pain, & absolute chaos, told in a way only siratori can. limited to 66 handnumbered copies.
-digitalis

n.213 - vexation- digitalis recordings - cass - 7$

n.213 is the godchild of the inimitable nic hughes. most are probably more familiar with the band he plays guitar & sings for: shearing pinx. but his solo digs never disappoint. jolting bursts of electronic mayhem laced with pcp-inflected vocal incantations make "vexaction" a hypnotic & catchy carnival ride. blitzkrieged pop elements even make an appearance, but these short & noisy bones are nothing but the sweetest candy for the noiseniks in all of us. the weapons used range from drum machines, keyboards, reel-to-reels, & guitars to shakers, bells, trumpets, pedals, and more. it's a virtuoso circus of all that is juicy.

"vexation" is one of hughes' most impressive outings yet and will etch itself in your brain and crack it from the inside out. sexy. check out the n.213 myspace for some jams. limited to 50 handnumbered copies with painted & silkscreened covers.
-digitalis

jeremy kelly - s/t - digitalis recordings - special edition cd + cdr - 17$

I first met Jeremy Kelly at Bottled Smoke back in May and subsequently got to know him via email over the summer. Simply put, he's an incredible artist and musician. There's a few things you should know... first, he's an effects-building wizard. He makes a lot of his own stuff, giving his music unique sounds and textures. Also, he's one hell of a guitar player with one hell of a nice guitar. Third, his circuit-bending wizardry also lends its hand to his mighty Doepfer modular synth, which has its tendrils weaved all throughout his debut CD. So keeping all these things in mind, we're extremely excited to be offering up Jeremy's first proper CD release.

This self-titled effort is a cohesive conglomeration of a dizzying array of styles, recorded beautifully by Ged Gengras (Antique Brothers) with help from Grant Capes ((VxPxC)) out in Los Angeles. Gengras even joins in on saz at one point, concocting a hypnotic Middle-Eastern jam that feels baked in the scorching desert sand. Add in some blues-infused acoustic ragas that throw a nod to Ben Chasny's Six Organs of Admittance and glazed walls of analog noise, and you're somewhere in the ballpark of this album. It's all over the place, but never too far from the path Kelly has laid down for himself. This is some serious magic.
Special edition limited to 75 handnumbered copies
-digitalis

heavy eye of the sun - iii - digitalis recordings - cdr - 8$

i've been wanting to put out something by heavy eye of the sun for years and now, nearly two years after their last self-released cd-r, "iii" is locked & loaded. this montreal-based duo create sprawling, monolithic landscapes of sound, barely held together by the flickering of their voices. this is their most involved and evocative work yet.

sparse forests of acoustic instrumentation conjure up ancient spirits that the duo channel without abandon. the hypnotic nature of their collective vocals lull you into a trance. bowed zithers and guitars drone and creak into oblivion. heavy eye of the sun suck you into their world and don't let go until they are good and ready. this is enchanted music. limited to 80 handnumbered copies, packaged in oversized hand-stamped envelopes w/ two inserts & handstamped cd-rs.
-digitalis

twinsistermoon - levels & crossings - digitalis recordings - cd - 13$

Vitre, France's duo Natural Snow Buildings made a huge splash a few years ago with their self-released masterwork, "The Dance of the Moon and the Sun." It was ultra-limited and packaged in immaculate fashion. It caused quite a stir and has been talked about at length on any number of prominent websites. This was furthered last year when 1/2 of the group, Mehdi Amaziane, released his first solo album as Twinsistermoon. It was every bit as enchanting as Natural Snow Buildings. Again, the initial run was highly limited and sold-out immediately though reissue plans for that album are in the works with Time-Lag Records & Digitalis.

This year the dream continued with the release of "Levels & Crossings." With a first edition of 36 copies, those lucky to hear it were awestruck. After one listen, it was obvious that it had to be reissued and unleashed into the world. And with that in mind, we're extremely proud to offer the first widely available release from this duo with "Levels & Crossings" reissued in its full, exquisite glory.

While the packaging won't be an exact replica, it features full-color 6-panel gatefold jackets from Stumptown, showing off the genius of Solange Gularte's Mayan-inspired drawings. They are true works of art, intricate and beautiful with a close relationship to the aural ideas Amaziane expresses.

Musically, Twinsistermoon is all over the map. At times it is reminiscent of '60s folk music. Amaziane's voice will fool you into thinking he is the female half of the group. He sounds more like Vashti Bunyan than Nick Drake. His voice is beautiful. But where "Levels & Crossings" really shines is in the passages where Amaziane unleashes walls of organic, shimmering drones. The intermingling of straightforward songs and immense sheets of sound is perfect. Even with the album's extended length, the dichotomy creates such a dynamic that you never lose interest.
Twinsistermoon is a force to be reckoned with.
-digitalis

sean mccann - flutter oasis - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$

sean mccann hails from brooklyn, nyc and is channeling prehistoric ghosts on "flutter oasis." ramshackle guitar dirges get broken into pieces and glued back together with paste made from analog synthetics. "flutter oasis" is aptly named as it whirrs its way up and down dunes, through valleys of glistening sand. with hints of makeshift percussion acting as leader of the caravan, mccann molds the distorted, washed-out guitar tones into something catchy and fit for a king.

"flutter oasis" is a short but sweet statement. it begs for nothing more than an ice-cold beverage and a place on the beach. this is music put through the ringer, and when mccann's voice finally shows up, battered and worn, you can help but want to give the guy a hand. limited to 50 handnumbered copies, packaged in stamped j-cards w/ stamped labels on orange tapes w/ insert.
-digitalis

ajilvsga - gathering of owls - digitalis limited - cass - 6$sold out

after a handful of releases on labels like not not fun, arbor, jk tapes, & abandon ship, ajilvsga finally returns to its native lands. "gathering of owls" features recordings from the hottest point of summer and from the birth pangs of 2008. showered in a thick layer of scorched fuzz, these songs are baked like clay bowls in the fire-orange sun. the sea is turned into a bed of sand, impregnated with salt so that everything dies in the womb. burning slow inside the decaying bones of blackened electronics and voices buried beneath the storm lies a single nugget of truth. what that truth is, though, can only be found by sucking out the marrow.

"gathering of owls" is a battle for the plains with looped percussion providing the backbone to this death march. the chanting emerges from smoke signals on the horizon, coming at you full on with nobody to put on the brakes. bass rumbles and death guitars gnaw at the scraps of muscle left behind by circling vultures. this is ajilvsga's new dawn, born and bleeding. limited to 72 handnumbered copies, packaged in full-color prints w/ handpainted tapes.
-digitalis

treetops - cool runnings - digitalis recordings - cdr - 8$

brand new offering from arbor headcheese, mike pollard, and his solo brand of treachery, treetops. "cool runnings" is a journey through the caves of winter. three tracks of squalid drones backed with a cacaphony of tribal-infused drum blasts. treetops winds its way through these distorted masses, offering up glimpses of the light at the end of the ice tunnel with spectral piano notes, floating like frozen flakes in the white ether. this short but sweet nugget is like a black cancer mass, looking for victims and holding nothing back. THIS is the sound of young america. limited to 84 handnumbered copies, packaged in handpainted sleeves on dark brown recycled paper.
-digitalis

chriss sutherland - me in a field - digitalis recordings - cd - 12$

Many people might not be directly familiar with the name Chriss Sutherland, but most know Cerberus Shoal, of which Sutherland is a founding member. "Me in a 'Field'" marks his solo debut and shows why Cerberus Shoal is so revered. He's also a current member of Fire on Fire, who will release their debut on Michael Gira's Young God label. But here, Sutherland presents simple, wonderfully crafted songs in their barest form, but backed by the same heart that has made his previous efforts so great.

This collection of songs has been brewing for years, but finally found its way into the light after Sutherland returned from an extended stay in Spain and urging from his friend and compatriant, James Toth AKA Wooden Wand. All of the songs are built around the combination of guitar and voice, though some are enhanced with piano, banjo, etc. Simplicity is often a lost artform in-and-of itself, but this is where Sutherland strives. Listening to him belt out his almost-perfect lyrics reminds me that even though the singer/songwriter realm is overpopulated and generally tired, when it's done right it can be magnificent.

"Me in a 'Field'" is such a welcome entry into the genre that it goes down smooth and sweet. Lyrically, Sutherland is a wizard. His songs are universal. When he sings about those close and important to him, they become the listener's friends and family too. It's music that will appeal to many audiences and cuts across boundaries. At its heart it may be folk music, but Sutherland's offering something that's freer and more exciting.
-digitalis

cursillistas - wasp stings the last bitter flavor - digitalis recordings - cd - 12$

"Wasp Stings the Last Bitter Flavor" marks the first widely available release from this Portland, Maine troubadour. The brains behind the project is Matt Lajoie and he is perhaps best known for his enchanted album on Time-Lag Records. His folk-inspired psychedelia reaches new heights on "Wasp Stings" as he puts together an album of lost songs, found hiding in a dank and dusty cellar. Lajoie's approach here is different. It's as if he's taken the negative space of his previous works and hashed them out and spruced them up until they've become epic, flowing songs whitewashed with a basketfull of analog hiss. The whole thing flows together like magic poured straight from the sky. It's haunting, beautiful music.

Cursillistas' music is often densely populated with a variety of instrumentation and textures. Lajoie is a master at molding sounds from a variety of sources into a cohesive, organic whole. This music, as with past efforts, sounds like an intimate secret whispered in the listener's ear. You feel as though you're being led into a world where very few lucky souls find their way. Lajoie's distinctive voice is the true weapon here, weaving hypnotic melodies over rivers of delicately strummed acoustic guitars. "Wasp Stings the Last Bitter Flavor" is his message in a bottle. It's a love letter to everyone and no one, and there's a lot to love here, that is for damn sure.
Lajoie is joined by the inimitable Nemo Bidstrup (Time-lag Records figurehead and the brains behind Drona Parva) and sometime-MV & EE collaborator, Sparrow Wildchild.
Housed in sturdy, white-on-black gatefold jackets.
-digitalis

mudboy - hungry ghosts! these songs are doors - digitalis recordings - enhanced cd - 12$

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.
-digitalis

steven r smith - owl - digitalis recordings - cd - 12$

Steven R. Smith's name has become more commonplace over the last half-decade, and that's a very good thing. From his monumental works as Hala Strana to being a prominent contributor to many Jewelled Antler projects, his sound is distinct.

This is the first brand new solo album from Steven R. Smith since last year's epic "The Anchorite." Few artists can boast the impressive discography Smith does, full of far more hits than misses. And with "Owl," he shows that he's still got new tricks up his sleeve. On here, you'll find some of the things you expect with a new Steven R. Smith record: sprase, angular walls of his trademark guitar playing with embellishments from an array of acoustic instrumention. But there's a new twist here: vocals. Yep, vocals. Smith unleashes his voice on "Owl" and does so in such an impressive fashion that it leaves me asking what took so long?

"Owl" is full of desolate, but hopeful aural landscapes. There's a tinge of regret and longing in his voice when he belts out the words, "This is the world we know..." And in those six words, Smith sums up what "Owl" brings to the table. There is something recognizable about this terrain; the paint is just worn down enough to expose the raw wood underneath. But carefully placed in each corner, in each nook is something new that breathes new life into the familiar.

This is a bold step for someone who has already accomplished a great deal, and leaves us listeners without a clue as to what will happen next. This is magic, indeed.
-digitalis

stone baby - used illusions/lost objects - foxglove - cdr -7$

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
-digitalis

turner cody - buds of may - digitalis arts and crafts - cd -12$

‘Buds of May’ was originally self-released on cdr back in 2004 but has now been lovingly re-mastered and re-packaged by Digitalis so those of you who didn’t manage to track down the original issue will finally get to hear this exemplary work. Turner Cody may not yet be a name familiar to many, but thanks to extensive touring of the US and Europe he is causing quite a stir on the underground. Indeed the Herman Dune bassist was spotted by none other than Wooden Wand himself James Toth (who has recently signed to the Nonesuch imprint) who proceeded to bag a full LP for his own Mad Monk imprint. With this buzz around him it comes as perfect timing that Digitalis launch ‘Buds of May’, an album which in many ways is Cody’s most complete and most accessible.

Taking influence from the world of classic singer songwriters, from Bob Dylan to Townes Van Zandt with maybe a little of Will Oldham thrown in for good measure, Cody proceeds over the course of the epic ‘Buds of May’ to vocalize his own views on life. He is firstly a storyteller, and in a world where mainstream lyrical content is more banal than it has ever been, Cody comes as a breath of fresh air. Simply produced with guitar and bass underpinning the tracks, it is Cody’s distinctive singing voice which carries each piece as he creates distinctive melodies that stay with you for some time after the record has reached a close. Right now with artists such as Jose Gonzales haunting the mainstream airwaves it seems almost impossible not to stumble across new singer-songwriters whenever you flick through the racks of a high street store, but what Turner Cody offers is a unique voice in a crowd of copyists. Cody is at once cynical and hopeful and should offer an antidote to a tired, apathetic world. Unforgettable music
-digitalis

pocahaunted & robedoor - hunted gathering - digitalis - cd -20$

"Hunted Gathering" is both a split release and a collaboration. Each band offers up their own malfeasance while collaborating on the epic final eponymous track. The union of these two groups is a natural combination. Two members are married and run the Not Not Fun label together and they share amps and practice space, for example. But there's also something about both that is visceral and raw. Robedoor's subsonic doom is washed down with a smooth chaser of Pocahaunted's reverberating soul sounds.

Recorded by the inimitable Bobb Bruno at the NNF/Bored Fortress studio space across many moons in 2007 and mastered by Yellow Swans' Pete Swanson, "Hunted Gathering" is an essential feast for fans of doom-infused drones and Stevie Nicks. These hunting & gathering songs from the Eagle Rock air also feature appearances by the aforementioned Bruno as well as Changeling mastermind, Roy Tatum.

Climb the totem pole and let these mutant beasts put you under their psychosis spell. "Hunted Gathering" is full of antiquated sounds soaked in electric mud. Robedoor and Pocahaunted are your brothers and sisters in conjuring and the gatekeepers to a lost universe of sonic enchantment.
-digitalis

john clyde-evans - apetal thunderfall - digitalis - cd -12$

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

thousands - overflow'd & gush'd out - foxglove - cdr -7$

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.
-digitalis

antiue brothers - vol. 3 hospital daze - foxglove - cdr -7$

the antique brothers have made a lot of racket in the past year, earning praise and accolades from the likes of the wire and the terrascope. but such love is deserved. cyrus and ged gengras are at the head of the latest generation of psychedelic troubadours, leading their clan out of the desert and into the sonic abyss. what sets these brothers apart is that despite the amazing quantity of music they've produced, there's no repition or lax quality to be found. from acoustic, folk-tinged scrunches and vocal exorcisms to flickering drones and blues-inspired fuzz, "hospital daze" finds the brothers gengras poached on vicodin and whirring away through the end of time.
-digitalis

ghost brames - eagle arpegi- foxglove - cdr -7$

lorian tositti and jacob garret's ghost brames brings a handful of magic mushrooms to the party. it is woozy music, as patterned as an acid high. simultaneously breaking apart and sewing itself back together again, "eagle arpegi" encapsulates the infinitism of the universe. slowly, the leviathan raises its head and sinks in its teeth, without alarming its prey. this is the true measure of great music. your blood will boil and your skull crack at its base, but in the end you're better for it. because really, how can you actually free your mind when it's trapped inside a bony prison?
-digitalis

apple snails - only on a macadam road - foxglove - cdr -7$

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.
-digitalis

altar of flies - flying over- foxglove - cdr -7$

altar of flies hails from the snowy world of mjölby, sweden. this moniker of mattias gustafsson (not to be confused with the broken face's mats gustafsson, or the saxophonist of the same name), and throughout "trapped under watter," this swede swims in metallic waves of ecstatic drones. gustaffson concocts washes of noise and feedback and bends them into shape, stretching the limits of each stolen note. this music is as thick like syrup, and just as fucken sweet.

cahier - jour ouvrable ii - digitalis - cdr - 7$

finland's marko neumann aka cahier returns with his second blast of warm air straight from the arctic. lilting drones that are conjured from a variety of sources, some electronic, some acoustic, dance like magical lights just out of reach, but close enough to feel. this sequel to cahier's first foxglove offering puts the puzzle pieces in place so that the listener can hear the full scope of his range. the short bursts are like chance meetings in the street; like a place of refuge from the cold. cahier's latest continues neumann's quest to touch the sun.

vxpxc - porchmass - digitalis - cd -12$

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.

warmth - leave you wet brain in the hot sun - digitalis - cd -12$

Warmth has undergrone plastic surgery since this album was originally released as a criminally limited CDR on Belgium's best scuzz label, Audiobot. Back then Warmth was known as Roxanne Jean Polise. The name may have changed, but the sounds are still the same dense electronic forest fog that set Michigan-native Steev Thompson's music apart from most of his compatriots. "Leave Your Wet Brain in the Hot Sun" is Warmth's finest hour. It's his hypnotic, marrow-sucking opus.

murmansk - live - foxglove - cdr - 8$

another gem from the land of ireland graces us with this live document from deserted village pawnpins, murmansk. always a group to be steeped in organic excesses, these three live performances (culled from three separate dates in 2004 and 2005) show off the group's multiple personalities. the creaking and scraping from a bevy of bowed strings is apparent, but unlike many previous releases is accompanied by a smattering of electronics. this darkness is an unexpected treat. it's like being caught unexpectedly in the rough seas of the north atlantic: dense and choppy and there's no end to what lurks below.





holy see - fucking physics - foxglove - cdr - 8$

welcome to the abrasive indulgences of the holy see. this duo of jefre cantu-ledesma and jim redd (both of the inimitable tarentel) spews molten lava from their fingertips into a fireball of droning extravagance. "fucking physics" is heavy on the electronics (hell, it's heavy on everything) and denser than a black hole. it's an absolutely exquisite mess that is shot towards the heavens before being drowned in the darkest depths of the silver sea. this is corrosivity and it's radiant best
-digitalis




chaob - s/t - foxglove - cdr - 8$

this supergroup of sorts recorded this, their first album, in october of 2005 in portland, oregon. consisting of mike tamburo, matt mcdowell, and world's honey owens and adam forkner. the results are monolithic. two sprawling jams that illuminate the night sky with their own vivid lightshow. these massive drones are dense and subtle, with each hypnotic change commanding the listener's full attention. on their own, each of these artists are major league talents, but put them in a room together and they're a different monster. just one listen to chaob and you'll feel the electricity in the air.
-digitalis





cahier - jour ouvrable ii - foxglove - cdr - 8$

finland's marko neumann aka cahier returns with his second blast of warm air straight from the arctic. lilting drones that are conjured from a variety of sources, some electronic, some acoustic, dance like magical lights just out of reach, but close enough to feel. this sequel to cahier's first foxglove offering puts the puzzle pieces in place so that the listener can hear the full scope of his range. the short bursts are like chance meetings in the street; like a place of refuge from the cold. cahier's latest continues neumann's quest to touch the sun
-digitalis

keijo - flying over- digitalis - cd -12$

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.
-digitalis

corsican paintbrush - under bent limbs - digitalis - cd -12$

Tulsa, Oklahoma is probably one place you would not expect to find a bouzouki or a person who can play one. But thankfully for the spirit of international culture, husband and wife team Brad and Eden Rose live in that very city. They make music under many names (most notably the North Sea but also Wax Ghost, Golden Oaks, and Agilvsga), and with many friends (from Michael Donnelly of Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood to Robert Horton (as Eastern Fox Squirrels)), but Corsican Paintbrush is purely their creation, their musical offspring. Combining lush instrumentation with clattering percussion and ramshackle beats, Corsican Paintbrush creates a new world of sound out of old world technology.

Fresh from a sold-out lathe-cut record split with Italy's prolific space-artists My Cat is An Alien, and following up two beautiful CD-r releases on Foxglove and Musicyourmindwillloveyou, Corsican Paintbrush has focused their considerable talents and energies into a "proper" CD release.

Swerving feverishly between what could easily be chopped up Native American rhythms, sampled Celtic melodies, and space-age funk played on trash heaps, the music of Corsican Paintbrush is actually all of this and none of it. "Aquarian Hymns" is nine tracks of gorgeously recorded acoustic grace; marked with periodic bursts of lysergic freak-outs, from the sharpened slide guitar strings and tired voice of "Break Through These Branches" to the heavy accordion and woodwind drones of the closing track "Aquarius". The true masterpiece of the release is the expansive and slow-developing "Carbon Revival", taking its sweet time (over fifteen minutes) to uncoil its scaly form and sink its dripping fangs into your mind.

Corsican Paintbrush paints an engrossing picture of a folk music never before encountered, and it does so with broad and yet delicate swaths of color and texture. Just don't call this sound New Age or Ethnic Folk, it digs deeper and broader than that, sounding at times like a piece from the richly diverse Sublime Frequencies collection, and at other times like a death march across the desert, carried on the back of the Sunburned Hand of the Man.

tirath singh nirmala - bluster, cragg, & awe -digitalis - cd - 12$

Not too long ago, John Clyde-Evans made a huge splash with his phenomenal solo LP on England's Fisheye imprint. He also performed as an collaborator with the seminal UK group, Hood. After taking a seven year hiatus and committing to the path of Sikhism, he returned as Tirath Singh Nirmala. His continually unfolding backstory is interesting enough, but it's his music where the real magic and mystery stretch their silver wings.

Nirmala returned to making music after his close friend and collaborator, Vibracathedral Orchestra's Neil Campbell, gave him some free software and set him on his way. Nirmala responded with nearly a dozen self-released, highly limited CDRs. The releases were filled to the brim with Eastern-influenced, transcendental drones and uplifting spiritual sound explorations. His manipulation of sine waves and use of obscure Asian instruments creates a wholly original and unique sound. As on his solo LP as John Clyde-Evans, Nirmala's ability to concoct sprawling, majestic drones using such simple terms is unmatched.

"Bluster, Cragg, & Awe," Nirmala's first non-CDR release, is the perfect beginning. It collects the best tracks from those now impossible-to-find releases and adds two new songs and one collaborative piece with Scottish guitar guru, Richard Youngs. It is a journey that lasts less than an hour, but contains a lifetime of aural experience, wrapped into one, shimmering golden package. Oh yes, Tirath Singh Nirmala has returned.
-foxglove/digitalis

john henry calvinist - king solomon hill - foxglove - cdr - 8$

traditions don't often go softly into the night. they may fest under the surface of things for a while, but they don't truly disappear. the lost domain's john henry calvinist prepares a set of limestone-dusted originals which snake their way through the muddy rivers of days gone by. dirt-soaked radio transmissions from distant dimensions scorch the reels and get things moving. there's enough space in these towering guitar explorations to suck marrow from the sky. these back porch acoustic blues sing to the heavens, "come down and get me, i'm just waiting..." 100 copies

 

bjerga/iverson - the sea is near you can taste the salt in the air - foxglove - cdr - 7$

Hush Arbors - s/t - digitalis - cd -12$

Krygyz - s/t - digitalis - cd -12$

 

with throats as fine as needles - digitalis / students of decay -cd -12$

Deep inside an abandoned bunker on New Zealand's north island, With Throats as Fine as Needles have perfected their craft. On this, their debut CD release, the group has expanded to a quartet. Birchville Cat Motel's Campell Kneale and Pseudoarcana chief, Antony Milton, have joined forces with James Kirk (Sandoz Lab Technicians, Gate) and Richard Francis (Eso Steel) to create a claustrophobic, organic web of massive drones. Everything on this CD was recorded outdoors with battery-powered instruments. Underneath the ground, the quartet burrows out their own cavern, bouncing sounds off the walls until it becomes a singular, solid mass. Each gently sculpted tone floats in humid air. The music is saturated with the dirt and grime from a million a years of human history, wailing out in unison like an excavation turned exorcism. With Throats as Fine as Needles are your guides through this aural fog.
Co-released with Ohio's Students of Decay imprint. (digitalis)

bulls blood - mondyeth- foxglove -cdr -7$

moment trio - construction one - foxglove -cdr -7$

- -

 

mosiac antenna - s/t- foxglove -cdr -7$ sold out

Various artists - Wailing bones volume 2- foxglove -cdr -7$ sold out

robert horton vs egghatcher- terracid-ajilvsga - the futurians.


front/back cover

robert horton / keijo - 50 - foxglove -2xcdr -14$ sold out

to celebrate robert horton's 50th birthday (4/15/06), he has joined forces with finland's mighty keijo virtanen. each artist offers up an entire album (over 100 minutes of music in total). these two are kindred spirits without even knowing it. these two discs find each participant circling amongst the harmony of the spheres. horton's disjointed, shambolic compositions rain like acid from the blackened skies. heavy doses of acoustic wreckage litter the cosmos like the heavens have been oblitterated and turned into sawdust and smoke. horton is a flightless bird soaring through the air.
keeping all of this grounded is jyväskylä resident keijo.

these five tracks were recorded at his 50th birthday celebration with a host of collaborators and friends. scattered woodwinds and percussion sound like they're floating in a water chamber. various asian stringed instruments line the aural streets the ensemble creates, giving this a completely unique sound. while there are numerous free jazz inclinations here with hints at a more subdued rauhan orkesteri, keijo's hand keeps these songs from reaching full-fledged chaos. everything here is under control.

this two disc set is packaged in silkscreened covers by nathan young. 100 copies (digitalis)

Joel Pickard - Songs of nightlife- foxglove -cdr - 7$ sold out

heavy winged - serpents lust - foxglove -cdr -7$ sold out

the north sea - summer decays through autumn's alchelmy - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

it's been a long time since i released some of my own music, but i felt such a personal attachment to this album that i wanted to get it out immediately. this is also conveniently known as 'the tanpura album,' as every track features the instrument used in some way. this is music for baking in the clay deserts of the frontier. it is for the back-alley snake charmers in the streets of bangalore. it is the sound of the bengali dawn, with its tribal rituals and ancient sage spirits. there's nothing else left to conjure.100 copies

 

 corsican paintbrush / my cat is an alien - -  foxglove - 10" lathe - 34$sold out
(coreleased w/opax)

turin and tulsa collide in this match made for the cosmos from the silver dust that permeates the atmosphere. both these duos have been kissed in the third eye by the astral goddess, and the sonic ruins left behind leave nothing to chance. minimal, cathartic excursions through starfields and galaxy farms are etched in stone on each side of this acetate beauty. my cat is an alien contribute a piece recorded live on the radio. it is another side to their ever-evolving musical persona. the opalios know how to get so much out of so little, and this piece is no different. corsican paintbrush, the husband-wife duo of brad rose & eden hemming, pour two wounded birds out of their hat. it's a feline-themed love affair, for sure. there's magic in these walls, and each duo does its part to crack the code.

with copper-on-black silkscreened covers and limited to only 50 copies, it's time to get yourself a piece of space debris.

Robert Horton - angel humming thru the wire - foxglove -cdr -- 7$ sold out

seht - christian jesus i determine suicide - foxglove -cdr - 7$sold out

sailing on seas of light, seht's (aka stephen clover) latest journey begins as a damaged boat heading toward the edges of oblivion. even as it sinks into its icy grave, the victorian-inspired sounds of whimsy and celebration echo through the caustic waves. this music is ghostly and soothing. but everything takes a turn for the worse as clover heads into the home stretch. metallic sludge rises and falls, churning up everything in its path like a tornado destined to find the gates of hell. these dark and murky drones leave everything to the imagination, but you have to jump in headfirst, as seht is not here to hold your hand. as usual, stephen clover produces another mesmerzing, ambient masterpiece (digitalis)

James Blackshaw - Sunshrine - digitalis - cd - $12sold out

valerio cosi - immortal attitudes - foxglove - cdr - -8$ sold out

italian wunderkind valerio cosi is a name that's going to be popping up everywhere in the next few years. at a mere 21 years-old, his mastery of the saxophone and his ability to incorporate it into free-flowing, jazz-influenced drones is beyond impressive. with everything from coltrane spew to indian tribal trips, "immortal attitudes" is one hell of a bender. you'll want to shave your beard and shed your sandals to run free through the streets of lhasa. cosi's skronk is the perfect italian delight to help you float away on a sugarcloud of gold dust.100 copies

 

Various artist - Gold leaf branches compilation - foxglove - 3x cdr -24$ sold out

artist are

six organs of admittanc, kuupuu, stuart busby, hala strana, alligator crystal moth,the gray field recordings
maniacs dream, courtis, james blackshaw, robert horton, annelies monseré, keijo & the free players
elephant micah, charalambides, the north sea, brothers of the occult sisterhood, the weird weeds, rameses iii
xenis emputae travelling band, claypipe,the golden oaks, marissa nadler, hush arbos, wood & wand (feat. the rose) dead raven choir

and many others

Zelienople - stone academy - digitalis - cd - 12$ sold out

Hailing from Chicago, Zelienople have been etching out a place for themselves in the Windy City for the past five years. Constant collaborators with Souled American's Scott Tuma, this quartet mixes ghostly song structures with ambient drones better than just about anyone. With recent releases on Time-Lag, New Zealand's Pseudoarcana, and Tarentel's Root Strata imprint, the boys of Zelienople are rising like vines toward the canopy.
"Stone Academy" picks up where 2005's brilliant "Ink" (recently reissued on CD by Loose Thread Recordings) left off. It balances the simple beauty of guitar-based songs with overwhelming, dark drones. The combination is as powerful as it is intricate. Each note, each chord is carefully chosen and perfectly placed; they never take too long or push too much. The attention to detail is magnificent. Zelienople have mastered the art of making expansive, luminescent drones sound as organic as the soil beneath your feet. "Stone Academy" reverberates like it's planted deep inside a lost cavern, hidden miles beneath the surface waiting for excavation.
With rich textures and challenging soundscapes, "Stone Academy" is a wholly satisfying listening experience. The darkness is only a canvas for the light of these compositions to shine through. Zelienople offer up one of the year's finest aural adventures.
-foxglove/digitalis

various - wailing bones vol 9 - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

this is the ninth installment of an ongoing series of cd-r releases, split between four artists, each contributing longform tracks. volume 9 features exclusive chutzpuh from the golden oaks, paul g. smyth, metsämorfeus, & cja.
-foxglove/digitalis

Various artists - Wailing bones volume 4- foxglove -cdr -7$ sold out

the north sea - the stumps - broken mask - taiga remains.

fabio orsi & gianluca becuzzi - please don't count the clouds - 3x3 -15$ sold out

on "please don't count the clouds," we find this italian duo creeping up the vines and into the droning heavens. this extremely limited collection features one solo disc from each, plus a brand new duo piece, all gorgeously packaged in hand-numbered bronze envelopes. as the sunlight is blocked out, the sounds of the spheres reverberate and send out mystic signals to the center of the universe. these are the remnants of the tones of the earth. simple and beautiful and limited to 50 handnumbered copies.
-digitalis

vappaa - jamit tai ei mitään - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

vapaa, the pawnpins of tampere, finland, turn in absolutely expansive and enchanting live set that will soak through your skin like poison. recorded during the first signs of spring in april 2006 in vaasa, on this session the trio are joined by the kingpin himself, keijo virtanen. a massive squall of hypnotic, organic tones flow underneath keijo's trademark guitar. it is a spaced-out amalgamation of drones, blues, and free jazz, with no epicenter in sight. the build-up is slow, but the payoff from this freakshow is bliss.
-foxglove/digitalis

robedoor - grim kingdom - foxglove - cdr -7$ sold out

by now, everyone's heard of the monster that is robedoor. but once alex & britt (not not fun) get their teeth in your skin, you're sunk. "grim kingdom" was originally released as a tour-edition cassette, but is back in print as an even bigger monolith. this version adds their entire live performance from brighton on the end, just to make sure nothing is left of your brain but fuzz. throbbing globs of droning debris hit you like a head-on collision with a cannonball. it's a grim kingdom infuckingdeed, lord almighty. packaged in silver & copper embossed black art paper.
-digitalis

quetzolcoatl - forever bleeding canyon cloud - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

ireland's timothy hurley has carved out his own ocean in the back alleys of dublin as quetzolcoatl and as 1/2 of bonecloud. "forever bleeding canyon cloud" is a fuzzed-out parlay of ghost drones and atmospheric wreckage. hurley bends and twists minimal instrumentation and chants into a massive, bubbling concoction of stuck souls wailing for freedom. it's a murky proposition, but in the end the bliss will come. looped walls of feedback scorch the walls surrounding the kingdom, and by the time the last track fades away, the organic ruins left behind are nothing short of beautiful
-digitalis

ghosting - fox glove - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

the seismic ripplies that ghostings drones are sending through the rose city are taking flight and planting seeds all over the globe. this group of sonic harbingers haunt the cracks and crevices of a world that seemingly only exists deep under water where life is a barely-there flicker amongst the murk. but ghosting's haunted aural landscapes are a beacon, like a lighthouse sunk below miles of the icy ocean, offering a glimmer of warmth in hostile waters. this trio continues its journey through the fuzz and static, and once again emerges with wings unscathed and silver skin.
-foxglove/digitalis

wolfmangler - cooking with wolves - digitalis - cd -12$ sold out

Where there are wolves, there is the digger Smolken. Left for dead two years ago when he left the murderous heat of Central Texas for the place of his birth, Poland, WOLFMANGLER has now been recast in rusted iron for its latest incarnation. Once a revolving door of different lineups, WOLFMANGLER is now the sole brainchild of Smolken. One thing remains the same, however. This is still some of the grimmest, most desolate doom metal on the planet.

Following a split CD with Moss and a full-length release on UK metal institution, Aurora Borealis, "Cooking With Wolves" is Smolken's first WOLFMANGLER release in it's new Polish form. What he concocts barely qualifies as music. It's more like the sonic equivalent of the Black Death. Heavy bass riffs, pounded and beaten into tracts of molten lava, spew pure dissonance like venom from a forked tongue. It is music for the funeral of civilization, an epic dirge to finally burn out the fire of the sun.

orphan fairytale - speaking spooky - foxglove - cdr -8$ sold out

the analog hums and blips of orphan fairytale are like a demented amusement park for kids, full of ghosts lurking around every corner. belgium's eva van deuren (who is also 1/2 of frozen corpse w/ carlo from audiobot) has been cranking out these solo jams for years. there's something that's as demented as it is captivating. keyboards are bent and burned, sacrificed to the roaming packs of elves. eva's voice, though, is the beacon amongst the melodic fog. it's a guiding light that keeps the evil spirits somewhere close, but not too close. orphan fairytale will infect you, but it will be the best damn disease you've ever had.
-digitalis

the north sea - mud dragons - foxglove - cdr -7$ sold out

and so it ends where it began (well, almost). "mud dragons" is a vast departure from those backporch folk tunes of yore. rivers of sludge and silver clouds of analog electronics are the modus here. it's deconstructionism at work, and still, i am the north sea. the end. 99 copies
-digitalis

Hush Arbors - under bent limbs - digitalis - 2xcd -20$ sold out

Keith Wood and his Hush Arbors project had a good year in 2006. After multiple solo tours and stints with Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice, his first CD and LP were released earlier in the year. He ended the year relocating to England and plying his trade across the pond. With all this in mind, it was decided that a re-release of his first full-length for Digitalis was in order, and thus this expanded version of "Under Bent Limb Trees" was born.

Keith Wood concocts massive emotional releases in his head and transfers them to tape using the most organic means possible. Bowed dulcimer, singing bowl, banjo, and a his trademark falsetto dot the horizon of this majestic album. This graceful and subdued music has been extracted from the earth and laden with golden spirits.

This two CD set, housed in gatefold cardboard jackets, is the perfect embodiment of Wood's delicate take on shy melancholia that has one foot in the forest and one on a log fire, burning with passion. His experience as the go-to guy of not only Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) but Massachussets God-botherers Sunburned Hand of the Man for live appearances has clearly set him in good stead for his own recordings, and this collection only serves to magnify his deft talent and unique voice.

Disc one features the whole of "Under Bent Limb Trees," newly remastered and sounding better than ever. The real prize is in the second disc, which features out-of-print, rare, and unreleased tracks culled from Wood's own collection and various limited and obscure releases.
-digitalis

(VxPxC) - the last day of . . - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

after their monster 3xCDR set from earlier this year, we just knew that one day the los angeles-based (VxPxC) would steal our little hearts. on this, their final session of 2005, these boy wonders extricate spacious, intricate compositions from the spiral galaxy drones of yesteryear. a vast array of instrumentation provide the perfect canvas for these majestic spells. this is music that grows from the roots, falling head-first into the icy tendrils of the new dawn. their voices pierce the organ murk and guitar expanses like lonesome souls begging to be freed. this is magical toward oblivion.
-foxglove/digitalis

los pranks - s/t - digitalis limited editions - cd - 8$ sold out

australia meets argentina. los pranks are the supergroup of michael donnelly and eon from brothers of the occult sisterhood, 6majik9, etc and the kings of buenos aires, vlubä. it's safe to say that los pranks are the aural equivalent of psilocybin mushrooms. this shit is steeped in. hell, they'll probably start growing out of your CD player midway through playing this beast.

anyway, los pranks offer up six jingle-jangle romps through forests spotted in dayglo orange, magenta, and green. this blast furnace wails with psychedelic fervor. donnelly's trademark beefheart-inspired junkyard wet dream is perfectly augmented by the insanity that is vlubä. you can't understand a word that the argentinians ramble, but when everyone is this strung out, who fucking cares? balls-out guitar wails get sucked up by the torpor of post-tribal percussive blasts. hell, i don't even know what post-tribal is, but los pranks will melt your mind so bad that we'll all be a bunch of drooling idiots. yeah, it's that damn good. limited to 74 handnumbered copies, packaged in 2-color silkscreened, oversized pochette folders.
-digitalis

xela - the illuminated - digitalis limited - cass - 6$ sold out

a new side of xela's schizoid personality is revelead on "the illuminated" as type records figurehead john twells unleashes two sonic barnstormers that cover a lot of ground. overloaded with copious amounts of analog synths, "the illuminated" is baked in the grimmest plot of scorched earth you've ever seen. twells wrecks his voice lamenting the black clouds above on "gilted rose," hoping for an exorcism that never comes. the doom is thick as thieves with this one, and the last candle has been smashed to pieces.

underneath all the hell and fury, though, xela does attempt to bury the vaguest of melodies. it seeps into the soil, hoping one day to be dug out. bells and chimes sound like rusted chains slogging through the mood as the slaves march their way to the edge of the cliff looking for salvation dying down below. limited to 111 handnumbered copies, packaged in white-on-black silkscreened covers.
-digitalis

mason jones - dimyl recalled - foxglove - cdr - 8$ sold out

mason jones has been releasing and creating spaced-out bliss music for over 15 years under the moniker trance, and now under his own name. "dimly recalled" compiles two live performances from april in davis, california. these 10 tracks of solo electric guitar are mind-bending. they are like ivy climbing the walls, searching out solar flares with their skybound tendrils. half these songs were recorded in an abandoned bunker, and the exquisite natural reverb is beautiful. the music moves slow and as it unfolds, creates a sense of urgency that the end is coming, but there's still so much left to say. jones never leaves a note or idea behind, though. his talent keeps everything in check and flowing like a sacred river of ice.
-foxglove/digitalis

north sea - crusades - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$ sold out

the north sea is well into phase two as of spring 2008, and "crusades" is an attempt to spread the word at the end of butcher knife. religious iconography aside, these two decaying piles of analog wretch are the product of midnight feasts and early morning witchhunts. black as the days of summer are long, these two tracks battle the subconscious melodies that constantly try and creep their way up through the river of burning molasses.

"crusades" is another step forward. it's another entry that sets the past aflame, looking forward to the day that everything we've built comes crumbling down to a mountain of dust. three separate editions, all on premium red paper & handumbered: 12 gold / 24 silver / 36 antique
-digitalis

cja & the silverbullets - overgrow - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$ sold out

my love for all things cja knows no bounds. from the shambolic mastery of the futurians to his various solo guises, there is nobody who does damaged pop and punk rock better. ever since he dropped his first solo bomb, "headache," on celebrate psi-phenomenon many moons ago, he's been the premiere burner in the new zealand underground for my money.

so what does "overgrow" offer? well, it's a short and sweet album about everyone's favorite token pasttime. joined on by fellow travelers lee noyes on sampler and john maltravis on drums, cja keeps his fury in check in this session and mellows out on a junkyard set that falls somewhere between his opus, "ironclad," and the futurians bent punk wizardry. bleary-eyed slackers beware. limited to 45 handnumbered copies, packaged in stamped j-cards, stamped tapes, & painted jewelboxes, all packaged up with string w/ an insert.
-digitalis

ek caminiti - buried light - digitalis recordings - cass - 7$ sold out
e.k. caminiti is best known as half of the mighty barn owl. but on "buried light," we are snatched up and taken into a new direction, one that is solely his. peeling back the skin, "buried light" offers a glimpse of magnetic mazes that are shrouded in a cloak of silver haze. these songs are, like their barn owl brethren, organic and dense. layers of fuzz hide the melodic picks and strums underneath. with each attempt, caminiti soars through cosmos on a bed of aural space debris.

moving like a nightcrawler, "buried light" is full of twists, turns, and even a little magic. caminiti utilizes a whole host of instrumentation from guitars and voice to bells and chimes. the end result is something rich and varied. "buried light" is an absolute gem. limited to 88 handnumbered copies, packaged in j-cards printed on recycled paper s w/ painted red tapes & an insert.
-digitalis

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