alex cobb & aquarelle - split - low point – lp – 18$
“Artists sharing a split record are akin to being roommates, with their share of common spaces yet separate headquarters. Such an undertaking tends to bring about elements of juxtaposition, contrast and union. This Low Point release from Alex Cobb & Aquarelle encompasses these and many more in a seamless fashion, breathing an ease of cohabitation throughout.
One side of the vinyl LP picks up where the other left off and there is a manifest impression of torch-bearing with a common decisiveness within these pieces. Their work may be seen not in opposition, but rather as an alternative to the otherwise microwaved and unimaginative drones steadily filling up the modern musical landscape.
Gracing upon themes of immanence, embodiment and metamorphosis, it embarks the listener into deeply immersive sonic territory. The shades and nuances are undeniably subtle but also rich and vast, which makes entering the dwelling of these artists both a mystifying, yet coherent experience all at once.” Samuel Landry, September 2011
Alex Cobb (who previously recorded under the Taiga Remains moniker) has released material alongside Low Point’s curator Gareth Hardwick in 2008 as well as on his own label, Students of Decay. He is at the steering wheel for what he depicts as ‘a one man musical operation that deals mainly with the creation of intricate sound environments that seduce the listener through layer upon layer of sound.’ With appearances on labels including Root Strata, Callow God & Arbor as well as collaborations with the likes of Valerio Cosi and Jeff Witscher, Alex Cobb is not one to sit on his laurels and much can be expected in the coming years from this extremely fruitful artist.
Aquarelle is sound artist and curator of the Rest + Noise label Ryan Potts, originally from Wisconsin and currently a resident of Toronto, Canada. Alongside his latest album ‘Sung in Broken Symmetry' released by Students of Decay in August, this year promises to be bountiful one for an artist who has so far shown parsimony and restraint with his however potent outings. Ryan’s inclusion in the Low Point roster seems for all purposes organic and most welcome, it will surely bring attention to a project of unmistakable depth and lushness.
ben fleury-steiner - the places that find you - low point – lp – 18$
“First impressions pull closer, strings and fizzles fall, carrying you, reaching further and ending up in an all-new place. Time is simple and less than a moment, with the lasting habit of a worn-out keepsake but nonetheless you are still immediately there again, inside those open arms and a world you have always dreamed of.
In homage to minimalism and imagination, 'The Places That Find You' by Ben Fleury-Steiner embodies an ultimate trance, the ability to connect directly with the listener and the truth behind the feeling of music from the heart. Far away but incredibly close, the five tracks forming this album never return to the ordinary but move, invert and grow, through time-lapse expressions and faded visions.
Some listeners want to be transported to other places through music, whilst others hear the technical artistry and find inspiration to delve deeper into the creative process. Without any direction and by simply following your own natural instincts, 'The Places That Find You' is a guide that places you instantly, allowing each listener to find more, not only through the music but from inside themselves.” Will Long, September 2011
Ben Fleury-Steiner is a Delaware-based composer, published author and owner of the Gears Of Sand label. Drawing upon his deep love of minimalism and influenced by the work of Mirror, Jonathan Coleclough and Tim Hecker, 'The Places That Find You ' was recorded over a two year period between 2009 to 2011.
The recording process made use of a mixture of instrumentation, including the use of the kalimba (the traditional name for a thumb piano) and the various sounds produced when played in the manner of a prepared guitar, coupled with more modern electronic instruments including effects pedals and synths.
chris herbert / felix - as blue as your eyes lover/what i learned from tv - low point – 7" – 6$
Side A - Offering a sneak preview of his 2nd full-length album currently in production for Kranky, ‘As Blue As Your Eyes Lover’ marks a continuation of Chris Herbert’s inimitable approach to ambient composition. Using a variety of collaged found sounds augmented by smears of processed electric guitar and muted percussion, this hypnotic 6-minute track is typical of Chris’ refusal to simply plough the well-trodden path. His subtle and layered blend of field recordings, musique concrete, harmony and dissonance create a thoroughly idiosyncratic sonic world; free from ambient cliché, the rich wealth and range of sounds employed reflect the beautiful chaos of the urban environment from which they are born.
Side AA - Felix is the creative pseudonym of Nottingham chanteuse Lucinda Chua. After several self-released cdrs of lo-fi bedroom recordings, this side of the split single marks the first time Lucy’s compositions have been augmented by additional personnel, in this instance the guitar work of Chris Summerlin. Combining cello, piano and Lucy’s hushed vocals, this specially recorded version of ‘What I Learned From TV’ presents a perfect introduction to the sparse and hauntingly beautiful song craft of Miss Chua.
Heavyweight 70g 7" vinyl, packaged in a clear pvc sleeve with full colour insert featuring photography by Lucinda Chua. Edition of 250 copies.
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gareth hardwick & Machinefabriek - Lost In The Memory/Bathyale (Parts 2 & 3) - low point – lp – 15$
Side A - Gareth Hardwick’s contribution to this split LP is the latest in a flurry of releases this year, with each one only serving to cement his growing reputation as one of the UK’s leading experimental ambient artists. ‘Lost in the Memory’ is perhaps his strongest recording to date – an exquisite 15 minute piece that demonstrates both the rapid development of his approach to composition and his masterful technique and control of whichever instrument he chooses to pick up. In this case, Gareth turns his attention to the lap steel guitar, which whilst heavily processed and beautifully affected, remains recognisable. As the piece begins, a glissando chord progression develops through graceful swells and mournful slides, movements so delicate that they almost give the impression that you are listening to some forgotten requiem or arcane arrangement for a string quartet. In time, these movements settle upon one longing tone, a desolate lament for a feeling once held or moment now past. And then comes the coup de grace: an unexpected harmony elevates the piece and the arrangement flourishes: a moment of pure euphoria before the denouement of the final sombre chords.
Side B - Machinefabriek is the working name of Rutger Zuydervelt, a musician and graphic designer based in Arnhem, The Netherlands. Since beginning in 2004, his prolific output, formed through a series of limited monthly self-released 3" cds, collaborations and albums has been matched only by the unfeasibly high standard of these creations.
Machinefabrieks side of the release, 'Bathyale (Parts 2&3)' is a specially re-edited version of a 2006 recording originally intended for broadcast on VPRO's Zeldzaam Dwars. Over the course of 17 minutes, we are presented with a perfect overview of the myriad of styles that Rutger crams into his musical repertoire – processed hiss and static dissolve effortlessly into sublime melodic drones with bursts of controlled feedback acting as anchoring points to the composition. The result is a powerfully hypnotic yet strongly realised track that acts as the perfect compliment to both artists work.
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gareth hardwick - sunday afternoon - low point– lp – 17$
Originally released by Blackest Rainbow in a cd-r edition of 75 copies, this vinyl version of 'Sunday Afternoon' has been remastered and reissued for your appraisal.
The album, recorded in a single improvised take during the aforementioned time of day, formed the first of an ongoing series of audio studies. Employing a lap steel guitar as the only sound source, Hardwick then deliberately limited the equipment and additional processing used to the minimum in order to extract the purest tone from the instrument.
The resulting album is a placid dissolution of the lap steel into a natural blossoming harmonic. Whilst rooted in one major chord, the recording simultaneously reveals hidden timbres and overtones, its unhurried pace allowing the instrument to breathe and unveil new characteristics.
Having been remastered specifically for the vinyl format, additional clarity has been revealed within the recording, allowing the listener to submerge further within.
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helm- impasse - low point– 3" cdr – 6$
Helm is the solo project of Luke Younger, one half of the London/Berlin
noise duo Birds of Delay and guitarist for avant-weirdos Spin Spin The
Dogs.
Drawing equally upon noise and ambient elements, the music on Impasse
illustrates Younger’s continuing development within the field of
experimental electronics and drone composition. Utilising synths, feedback
systems and effects, these two long-form tracks offer a dense mixture of
blistering yet melodic walls of sound.
3"cdr packaged in a white mini-dvd style case with colour wrap-around artwork. Ltd edition of 80 copies.
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celer - brittle - low point– cd – 12$
Celer is the artistic endeavour of the husband and wife duo Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long. Danielle was a teacher of special education and music therapy, a published writer of poetry and prose, a painter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She had an extensive background in Gender Studies, Education, Basque History, Photography and Tibetan Studies, as well as having lived in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the United States. She passed away on July 8, 2009 of heart failure at the age of 26.Since forming in 2006, Celer’s intent was to produce works that reflect the sincere nature and importance of love, the fragility of life, and the importance of togetherness, through a relative and absolute symposium of expression.
This is particularly apparent on ‘Brittle’, an album produced with the aim of demonstrating a feeling of continuation through what sometimes seems like a delicate existence, a philosophy which takes on a deeper resonance in light of these recent, tragic events.
Musically, all of the sounds contained on ‘Brittle’ were created by piano, violin, cello, tingsha bells, harpsichord, and whistle. There are also field recordings from the inside of a room, with the windows open, but containing largely only room noise. The resulting recordings were then structured into 19 different tracks, which were then restructured into one single forming track of 74 minutes. All of the different pieces were merged together, to blur interruption and to allow the possibility of unfocused repetition.
The album is arranged to move in a specific way, not simply section by section, but by subtle movements that swell and sway calmly. Instead of creating an environment to sink into, Celer hope that the piece will instead act as a blanket, moving with the listener through gentle sways, shifting tones and small spaces of silence that are as unpredictable as thought.
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gareth hardwick & others - aversions - low point– cdr – 11$
remix/collaboration album featuring contributions from Library Tapes, Apalusa, Xela, Steinbruchel, Strategy, Chris Herbert and Machinefabriek
Aversions' is the second full length album by Nottingham based musician Gareth Hardwick. The origins of the release occurred when a disastrous hard drive crash caused the loss of an entire album’s worth of new music. Disheartened with the thought of having to start afresh, an alternative form of evaluation was set in motion - a way of taking stock before moving on.
For that reason, Hardwick handed over his back catalogue (containing material ranging from split vinyl releases and compilation appearances to limited run cdrs and tapes) to several artists considered close friends and colleagues for them to reinterpret, remix or supplement the original material however they wished.
Although many remix projects often fall into the trap of inconsistency, each remix on 'Aversions' manages to perfectly encapsulate the individual approach and musical style of its artist, while also preserving the integrity of Hardwick's original material. The end result is a unique collaborative album, which manages to flourish from the adverse circumstances in which it was born.
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mariska baars, robert deters, rutger zuydervelt - gris gris - low point– cdr – 8$
‘Gris Gris’ is a collaborative release between Dutch musicians Mariska Baars (who also writes and performs as soccer Committee) Robert Deters (of Vance Orchestra) and Rutger Zuydervelt (also known as the highly prolific Machinefabriek).
The material for ‘Gris Gris’ (named after Robert’s cat and also the term for a Voodoo amulet that protects the wearer from evil or brings luck) was recorded during a single day in late August 2008. The session consisted of using Mariska’s voice as source material with Robert and Rutger adding further processing, field recordings and electronics.
Whereas previous collaborations between Machinefabriek and soccer Committee used processing principally to supplement the minimal framework of Mariska’s songs, here her voice is used to generate a whole spectrum of different pitches and timbres. At times the source material is almost unrecognisable, transformed and buried under layers of manipulation, whilst at other moments slithers of untreated tones appear as if they’re part of some vaporous radio broadcast.
The end result is some of the three artists most minimal, slow and eerie music to date.
Cd packaged in a matt two-tone folding card wallet featuring illustrations by Mariska Baars. Ltd edition of 500 copies.
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apalusa- obadiah -low point– cdr – 12$
Following on from his warmly received cdr releases of 2007, ‘Obadiah’ is the second full length album by Apalusa, aka Nottingham based musician Dan Layton.
Over the course of 50 minutes, these three long-form tracks focus on darker territory than previous releases, with sub-bass rumbles and minor-key chord progressions augmenting the multiple layers of Apalusa’s trademark processed guitar drones and field recordings to form an all-encompassing listening environment.
With Layton’s use of raw sounds and processing techniques now forging an identity for himself which is very much his own, the end result is the most focused and realised Apalusa release to date.
CD packaged in a letter-pressed 'Arigato Pak' card sleeve courtesy of Stumptown Printers of Portland, Oregon. Ltd edition of 300 copies.
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last of the real hardmen - darkness - low point – cdr – 8$
‘Darkness’ is the latest release from Last of the Real Hardmen, the solo guise of Nottingham guitarist Chris Summerlin (Lords, Wolves of Greece, Reynolds, Felix). Following on from his warmly received audio travel diary ’10,000 Miles’, released on Bird War Records in October 2006, here Chris presents 13 improvised tracks, recorded direct to four track cassette using treated electric guitars. These freeform compositions mark a sinister and shadowy contrast to the buoyant acoustic guitar playing of previous releases and demonstrate a further expansion in style of Chris’ musical palette.
For fans of Loren Mazzacane Connors, late John Fahey and Tom Carter.
Black/black cdr, packaged in a heavyweight black on black silk screened card sleeve. Limited edition of 100 hand-numbered copies.
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eyeballs - europa -low point– cdr – 8$
Taking a side-step away from his usual musical guise of folk troubadour to focus instead on long form drone composition, Eyeballs is the alter-ego of Newcastle resident and employee of the Alt.Vinyl record store, Richard Dawson.
Composed using rudimentary keyboards and electronics, ‘Europa’ builds upon minimal drones, tones and textures over the course of 30 minutes to create a multi-layered and multi-faceted piece of music. The result is what you could only imagine if Popul Vuh stole the Time Lag Accumulator and headed north.
Cdr packaged in a PVC sleeve with b&w wrap-around artwork. Ltd edition of 75 copies
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