Documenting Ohio, Teen Action Records has released a small flurry of no-fuss cassettes capturing the sound of this bizarre musical way-station. Of a yet to be fingered artistic disposition, the state has produced a sizeable contingent of today’s hottest acts (Emeralds, Lambsbread, Burning Star Core) and foundational experimentalists (16 Bitch Pile-Up, Mike Shiflet, and on). Less of an attempt to capture “raw energy” or some rare event, these live recordings have a filthy, vérité quality to them which suggests a well-liked dog freely exploring a festival with a Zoom strapped to her back.

With the less-woolly, rainstick-free jam approach of The Punks, Teen Action house-band Seven Lies About Girls drops ‘Post Apocalyptic Panty Pudding’ (subtitle: ‘The out sound from within’), a C60 inundated with free-form mayhem. Initially divided into a series of even segments as if it were some old greatest hits dub, side A is centered around a mid-tempo beat (really the only constantly figurative sound in this extreme lo-fi) played by Nathan Snell, the mass of sound emerges as whirlers, whistles, and whatever, an absurd swarming of carnival noise melted down into a thick blocks of dull color. Voices, applause, and some tape snippets break up this waxy wall and reinforce the liveliness and spirit which underpins the overwhelming mess. Side B, apparently demarcated by the sometimes presence of Aaron Hibbs (Noumena, Sword Heaven) on guitar, is a deeper collection of sounds without division, appearing like the mechanical innards of the other side’s festivities: sparking whips of steel, a scraping, churning murmur from outside, MIDI-afflicted chattering, and a relentless din suffocating the detail of whatever treble appears. This is the arcade of Ohio, inside and out. Cassette comes with Xeroxed J-card, limited to 50 copies.

Curled for a nap, we catch a shared set by Jason Zeh and David Reed: meditative and cold, this collaborative/live side of Reed chafes the evocative imagery of his syntheses as Luasa Raelon and Envenomist, perhaps jeopardized by Zeh’s barrage of tape noise. Filling one half of the C32, this performance from June of 2007 never leaves the room, trapping the sounds and the listeners in a tight yet breathable space of clattering tape emissions - though the clacking of the medium is more demanding than the sounds they contain - and frosty, malicious synth tones. Enthusiastic applause concludes the piece. In a suitably similar vein, the reverse side contribution by Teeth Collection (Matthew Reis) is an equally immediate event, though far more dynamic as it moves leisurely through pockets of harsh noise, textured calm, and tense juxtapositions of high detail and wide berth. Recorded March 2008, this is the certainly the most vivid of the sides, as the clatter of live garbage sounds fill the stage to be swallowed in a cleansing burst of dry hot noise, and into a sequencer symphony of three-dimensional shapes. It perks up the ears and lures us from the room before the set is finished. Cassette comes with Xeroxed J-card, limited to 50 copies. (Teen Action Records cassettes, $8 HERE)

ANONYMEYE – ‘The Disambiguation of Anonymeye’ CD AU$20
“Named in honour of John Fahey, Mariah Carey, Wikipedia or all three, The Disambiguation of Anonymeye is the second full-length album from Brisbane experimental artist Anonymeye (aka Andrew Tuttle), and his first since 2006’s Anonymeye Hotel (Half/theory). Inspired by the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Rotterdam, relocations, micronations, airports and new beginnings, The Disambiguation Of Anonymeye sees Tuttle add a variety of vintage synthesisers from the ARP, Putney, Korg and Roland stables to his signature blend of delicately fingerpicked bluegrass via country guitar motifs and alternately minimalist and punishing signal processing and electro-acoustic body of work. Edition of 500.”

HEIL SPIRITS – ‘Tracing New Swords…’ CDr AU$10
“Heil Spirits is an escapee from urban chaos whose coruscating power violence has been creating dense ripples among the noise community for some years now. A three-part soundtrack to the end of days, Tracing New Swords for Chasing Oblivion and Other Collected Sketches is definitely the darkest thing we've ever released, which is maybe why we've balanced it with two gentler titles. Edition of 75.”

PEFKIN – ‘Zugunruhe’ CDr AU$10
“We've been a fan of Pefkin's delicate dreamscapes for a long time, and as such we're immensely proud to be able to present Zugunruhe. With its combination of processed guitar, free-form percussion, haunting vocals and analogue electronics, Zugunruhe is a beautiful collection of tracks that walks that ever-narrowing path between pop songs and pure abstraction. Edition of Edition of 75.”

FELICITY MANGAN – ‘Lumetorm’ 3” CDr AU$8
”Lumetorm is the latest release from globetrotting sound artist Felicity Mangan. The title means 'snow storm' in Estonian, which is a perfectly appropriate term for the crystalline soundscapes on this disc. Recorded variously in Melbourne, Berlin and Estonia, Lumetorm is part travelogue, part imaginary soundtrack, part heartbreaking song-suite. Edition of 75.”

WEBSITE

HR93 Tuluum Shimmering - 'Longhouse Spirits Gather for Fragrant Island River Dreams' C60
"'Transporting' comes to mind but that doesn't seem right... this is more like a living presence. It reminds me a bit of what Siddhartha might have felt sitting on that bank, hearing/seeing an endless, seamless flow of voices/faces in the river. But rather than voices come down cautiously fused reeds, percussive bells/clatter, and rising/falling synth scales which are, at times, reminiscent of Terry Riley's work on 'Shri Camel'. Regardless of how I see it, only metaphors seem right when conveying these four compositions. This project in neck-deep in the ethereal and a must-experience for the immersive listener." Variant covers--painted shells, cases, labels, and inserts. numbered edition of 50.

HR91 Kane Pour - 'Wand in the Beak of the Yellow Bird' C20
"Some impromptu kane-to-tape dirges recorded at the LiteHouse, Gainesville in late March '09. These are the first solo recordings released in almost 20 months (see Pospulenn). Following a steady stream of Tricorn and Queue cassettes, this is falling right in stride, expanding evermore on his signature ultra-saturated poly-rhythmic stream melodics. Warm as wool." Variant covers--painted shells, cases, and inserts. numbered edition of 50.

WEBSITE

CAVE - 'Psychic Psummer' CD $10/LP $14
"Heavy psychic jams utilizing repetition and sublte variations to make maximum minimalism. Essential listening."

CAVE - 'Made In Malaysia' 7" $6
"Bonus Bside track not on the LP. Essential listening."

BARDO POND - 'Gazing At Shila' LP $15

ALASEHIR - 'Torment Of The Metals' LP $15

ALUMBRADOS - 'Monorchord' LP $15

MOON PHANTOMS - 'Moon Phantoms' LP $15
Bardo & Suishou No Fune

MERZBOW - '13 Japanese Birds Volume 5: Uzura' CD $10
"If you're a subscriber we're shipping most of the boxes this month along with Vol. 5 inside of it."

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - 'Glorify Astrological Martyrdom' LP $20
"Handmade version. 20 copies available w/ screen printed covers & label coaster included."

WEBSITE

rh004 CORNUCOPIA - 'BALANCE OF POWE' 3"CDr
"Literally after years in the making, BALANCE OF POWER finally comes to life in an edition of 60 copies. This release sees CORNUCOPIA in their deepest, heaviest mood, producing a piece of dark industrial sounds that border on noise. Dense and toxic atmospheric sounds. Each cover was painted individually and is therefore unique. It includes insert and disc sleeve. It's been a long while since the last update!!!! Three new releases at ruidohorrible by some of our favorite bands!" HERE

LOCRIAN - 'Land of Decay' VHS + 3"CD $23(US)/$27(World)
"Two hours of sound and video from this dark duo. Three live sets drifting through footage of the rain swept carcass of the Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL shot with a hypnotic sense of minimal pace by band member and video-artist T. Hannum. Comes with 3" CD of "Exhuming the Carnival", xerox poster, color photos, and a variety of other inserts. VHS is housed in a white album case. (NTSC)"Contact for availability / PayPal accepted / e-mail to reserve if sending cash, check or MO. HERE

HEAVY WINGED + INCA ORE - 'RING MINING' LP (NNF160)
"a stunning, crazy, radical joining-of-forces between our favorite instrumental psych-light power trio and our favorite west coast private voice dreamer, a full 3 years in the making. one side is a wild live collab from a 2006 brooklyn performance, the other is a 2008 studio creation. the best of both worlds. mastered by james plotkin."

VIBES - 'PSYCHIC' 7" (NNF159)
"LA goof troop drop their first vinyl, a 4-tracked 4-track EP of live burners, recorded at maximum volume. another 7" is already in the can, the soul train keeps haulin' down the line."

MATRIX METALS - 'FLAMINGO BREEZE' CS (NNF163)
"outsider alien lounge ghost rave soundtrack by this local hometaping hero. all over the place and all the better for it."

DREAMCOLOUR - 'SPIRITUAL CELEBRATION' CS (NNF164)
"beatific arkestra action from this excellent coastal collective. multiple saxes, hand drums, intuitive group playing, and steady magic."

WEBSITE

From the prolific Spanish art and experimental sound collective Afeite Al Perro comes the aptly-titled ‘Círculos’ cassette by Atomizador, a murmuring bulk of looping drones stretched taut across one side of a C74. Suggesting a meteorological fetish, deep, bulging frequencies provide broad edges off which thin, high wisps are cast to create a swift and total movement. Not unlike the recent monolith by Monsturo, the brute mass of this recording swallows all emerging tones back into itself to create an overwhelming and inexplicable listen, and disturbing for its inhumanity. Cassette comes sprayed to a thick patina, wedged in a crazy RAKS case with colorful insert. Limited to 58 copies.

In comparison, label-mate Humor Vitreo presents skewed electronics somewhere along the continuum of Throbbing Gristle to Black Dice: deep heartbeats set a jogging pace while sequencers chirp patterns and shopping carts crash, clipped radio voices singing in a manipulated repetition. Mainstream cumbias get cut and doubled in the next instance, a buzzing drone incessantly tying all the fragmented elements into a single motley collage. A tune threatens to emerge in every moment, yet the feisty DJ seems reluctant to let anything rest, and in the end it seems safe to say that the author is never satisfied. Reminiscent of Terry Riley’s earliest tapes and later the work of Big City Orchestra, these are some truly primitive experiments with modern materials, and the effect is as timeless as those initial forays trapped under glass. Another one-sided dub, this tape includes a color insert and two line-drawings on fancy paper. Limited to 50 copies. Both cassettes are presently sold out HERE.

Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia with Delphine Dora - 'Pantomima Terrestre' C24
""Pantomima Terrestre" or "Pantomime of the earth" could not be a more fitting name - this is the earth's musical. - a complete production with characters, story lines and dedications - a perfect collage of traditional folk, field recordings, organic drones and percussion. delphine's airy vocals mingle with the drum beats, space sounds and radio static. birds chirp, dogs bark, cars drive by, and records spin backwards. sluggish dulcimer & guitar plucks crescendo beneath the drone of the harmonium. uniquely improvisational and experimental without loosing its familiarity, there's only one way to discover this world. press play. if your into caethua, vapaa, islaja, wondrous horse, lau nau, nalle, donato epiro and any other trippy explorations of italy, finland and forest spirits everywhere, this tape will not disappoint. current/past releases on Ikuissus, Baskaru, Ruralfaune, Centre of Wood, Fire Museum, Reverb Worship, Riz(h)ome and future releases on Beard of Snails & Porter Records. look out! rad purple tapes in silkscreened fabric & recycled felt (made out of plastic bottles!) cases. comes with 2 inserts - one piece of amazing photo art by Federica R. & other with hand written tape info, etc."

Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia - 'The Angular Acceleration Of Light In The Unsound Mind Of My Uncle Dead In Michigan' CDr
"This cd features ten tracks which are all improvised and recorded totally live at night time from ten different sessions between November 2007 and January 2008. Salvatore Borrelli wanted to create music of a free folk nature with an ancestral and mystic quality. Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia plays a staggering array of instrumentation including acoustic guitar, banjo, ectara, flute, turkish saz, shruti box, cymbals,harmonica, dulcimer, glockenspiel, blalemba, egyptian harp, lap steel guitar, celtic drone harp, organ and field recordings. He is joined on one track by Valerio Cosi. Each track is dedicated to a specific person. The cd comes in a hand numbered limited edition of 75 copies in a black card cover with paste on artwork photographed by Federica R. The cds have sprayed cd labels which are all totally different and unique.There is also a folded A4 sized insert."

HERE

digiv007: metal rouge - 'republican trees' $18(US)/$21(CAN)/$29(INTL)
"The duo of Helga Fassonaki and Andrew Scott has quietly become a force in the world of darkside improvisation. Over the years, their sound has evolved like amoebas from the ooze, growing and expanding into something otherworldly. Walls of guitar sherds blast through blackened holes in the cosmic continuum searching out another eye to gouge or another heart to pierce. This is metallic bliss pushed to eleven. Where "Republican Trees" hits it stride is when the lines between beautiful and abrasive get smudged. Scott's guitar playing becomes a torrent of aural hell blowing fuses from here to his native Auckland. Fassonaki takes this in stride and the two push each other back and forth finding a natural rhythm that simultaneously enchants and disturbs. By the time Helga starts wailing on the final track of the album you've been rocked from your foundation, left to flounder alone in the muck. You can't really ask for more than that, can you?" TRY

digi009: caboladies - 'atomic weekender' $18(US)/$21(CAN)/$29(INTL)
"It's been a good couple of years for these three burners from Kentucky. After killer releases on the likes of Arbor, Students of Decay, & others they're ready to drop their first pile of wax on an unsuspected public. "Atomic Weekender" is just that - massive, epic, and full of more good times than any one person should have on a two-day bender. But that's alright because these spiralling drones are here to bring you back down from that golden cloud and into a blanket of silvery cotton fields. It starts off well and good, pushing through the stratosphere and on a straight path to the sun. You're not floating, you're fucking flying at mach five. Hypnotic synth blasts propel you and tear you apart. Caboladies rattle your skull and paint your skin blue. By the time you've reached the ground again, you're lost in a neon haze that stretches out for miles. As the metal leaves crunch in time beneath your feet, the music in your head sounds like it's been submerged beneath 20,000 leagues of sea. All the drugs in the world won't make you feel this fucking good. Caboladies. Megatons." TRY

*canadians & international folks - if you want to order both (or multiple copies of one, or whatever!), email me b/c you can save on shipping.

WEBSITE

Cadaver In Drag - 'Abuse/Breathing Sewage' CD
"This release brings together some essential and hard-to-find tracks from the utterly repugnant noise-era of Lexington, Kentucky's Cadaver In Drag. This shadowy period was prior to the band's mutation into a filthy, free-sludge-doom-psychedelic behemoth, as heard on their critically acclaimed album "Raw Child" [2007, Animal Disguise Recordings], an Aquarius Records record of the week and hailed by Julian Cope on his Head Heritage website. The first two tracks on this new disc come from the landmark "Abuse" CD [2005, Husk Records], which completely blew me away when I first heard it, and which to this day remains a key post-Millennial noise recording for me. Only 100 copies of that CD were released upon a mostly unsuspecting public. "Breathing Sewage" [2005, Animal Disguise Recordings] is the A-Side of the ultra-limited-edition tour-only cassette of the same name. A mere 20 copies of that tape were initially produced, although thankfully, ADR made it available again later on. The sinuous and turbid connection between these three affiliated tracks comprises lurking danger, darkness, discomfort, dissonance, deviance, and dread. The fourth and final track is a long-discussed collaboration between Cadaver In Drag and myself [Mark Solotroff of BLOODYMINDED, The Fortieth Day, Anatomy of Habit, ex-Super Eight Loop, ex-Animal Law, ex-Intrinsic Action, etc.] and it functions as a true melding of this earlier C.I.D. noise style with what feels like the most straightforward power-electronics song that I have worked on in several years. In fact, the lyrics that I wrote must include some of the most venomous words that I have spat out in quite some time. Cadaver In Drag created a bass-heavy bedrock foundation, over which I was able to deliver my feedback-laced vocals, and I am extremely pleased to have had the opportunity to work on this track with the band. Professionally duplicated CD, single panel, double-sided insert; color and black and white artwork, including an adaptation of the original "Breathing Sewage" art that was created by Gary Beauvais [Mammal/Animal Disguise Recordings]; in jewel box with shrinkwrap." HERE

Phaserprone no. 14: the latest from LA’s cryptic Monsturo (aka David Rothbaum), ‘POB66’ is a barren void of a release, with two side-long, synthetically-derived tremors of total sound. Deep molten rumblings. Acousmatic, nonsignifying, and enigmatically meaningful. This is the full-on legitimation of the anti-“single”. The unmarked C10 comes in a beautiful letter-pressed J-card with thick sleeve, limited to 100 copies. Sold out from Phaserprone HERE.

In relation, ‘Kiss the Viper’s Fang’ by the duo Telecult Powers appears downright tacky, a saccharine wink to the golden era of synth exploration. The phase-shifting whirrs of “Kissed by a Gygaxian Prism” affects a Saganist cosmic intercourse of circadian vibrations and equally stunning galactic machinery without going as far as the star signs aesthetic of the C30’s J-card. Still, the encounter maintains a level of tongue-in-cheek as the shaggy Starfighter fantasy plays out with intensifying melodrama (and phaser exchange). On the reverse, “Strange News from a Distant Star” chimes an ominous rhythm through the murk of the dusty dub; crackles of static shoot across the face of the sound, and a strange array of humming equipment squats down to the surface. A darker image to be sure, the shrieking noise which consumes the almost tribal beat exterminates the Vaseline gleam of the previous side for the abstraction of Pulse Emitter or Luasa Raelon. In a case with laser printed J-card, limited to 100. $6 from Obsolete Units HERE.

And to add a final comparison, last year’s split 7” picture disc by electronic stalwarts Wrangler (Ben Edwards and Phil Winter) and Scanner (Robin Rimbaud) feels more like the best content of the goodie bag from the synth expo, a portfolio of sorts as the two artists restrict themselves to two vintage systems – the 1968 Moog and 1978 Formant, respectively – not to mention of course the single, boldly colored cardboard sleeve and thick, photogenic vinyl with candid shots of both setups acting as labels. While compositionally a throw-back of even higher fidelity than the tape above, a certain IDM/down-beat aesthetic has infused itself, as has some darkly self-referencing quotation ala Johannsson’s ‘IBM 1401’, specifically murmured speech excepts by Moog himself over his tribute. The subtitle is a commentary itself, stating “Music by Modular Synthesizers” by which the human programmer is rendered a mere accessory. Indeed, the finicky nature of the modular synth does reclaim much of the sovereignty from the artist as such, and the circuitous bleats of the recording do conjure a certain Westworld animation; still, the tracks are highly accessible and maturely rendered, offering a taster for gear-head and novice alike. Limited to 300 copies, and sold out from Static Caravan HERE.

TLMP13 Chuch – ’Facelessness’
"Facelessness" is filled with intriguing sounds, brooding images and an extraordinary sense of originality.”

TLCD06 Vomir/Flesh Coffin – ’Untitled’
”Expect no dynamics, no change, no entertaiment, and no mercy as Flesh Coffin meets the french master of Harsh Noise Walls in this beautifully packaged CD-R disguised as a 7-inch vinyl single.”

TLCD07 Flesh Coffin – ’Curtains’
"Curtains" is the first full length album from Flesh Coffin. Two long séances of harsh noise! The album comes on CD-R with a A4 poster and a button, all limited to 30.”

TLMP14 Boe – ’Low Harbour’
”Low Harbour" is the debut album from Bergen's very own Boe. His main devices are percussion, bass and guitars. Lean back and evoke black and white images of stormy weather, looming shadows and a misty old seaside town.”

TLMP15 Kanin Krusete – ’Like A Thing’
”From the curly mind of Kanin Krusete comes "Like A Thing". On this brand new album, Lowell's enfant credible continues to reject humanity with his weird and wonderful mixture of noise, power-cut-up-electronics, and improvised bursts of doom.”

WEBSITE

Burial Hex - 'Cult Cassettes Volume II' CDr $8
"Continuing on with this series of rare and out-of-print Burial Hex, this volumes collects: "Reaping the Keep" (from field/power comp), "Sede Vacante" (from the split with Oath), "Cunt Oracle" (from Total Gape comp), "Chapter Seven" (from the split with Joshua Norton Cabal), and "Delirium Tremens" (from 404 Fatal Error comp). Nearly an hour of grey ambient, tortured power electronics, organ meditations and astral synthesis."

Burial Hex - 'Cult Cassettes Volume III' CDr $8
"More rare and out-of-print Burial Hex, this volume features : "Thin Hand of Orula" cassette, the split with The Mumber Toes, and the split with Skin Graft.. An hour of black meditations, unsilent inner demons and cosmic revelations."

WEBSITE

TREEHOUSE PEOPLE – ‘Crystal Limbs’ C30 £3.5(UK)/£4(EU)/£4.5(World)
”The second release for this new-age, keyboard driven sci-fi duo, two sides of psychedelic dream excursions, Bladerunner burnouts and synth drenched krautrock rhythms make up one of their most beautiful releases to date.Cooperation of Stefan Kushima & Iko Nori spending some nights with the Casio VL Tone. Feedback loops in minimal construction, a child’s dream in bubblevariations”. limited 25 copies.

TULASI – ‘Huomen Tuone’ C34 £3.5(UK)/£4(EU)/£4.5(World)
”Bumtapes is proud to give you another chance to hear this incredible album, plus another previously unreleased track from the same sessions, and with all new artwork. Originally released on vinyl in an edition of 118 copies by Troglosound in 2008 (now totally sold out) Finland’s Tulasi crafted an album drenched in Eastern drones and Finnish backroad folk meditations, The two musicians who make up the band have also featured in bands such as Vapaa, Keijo & Free Players, Aan, Uton, Kulkija and Kutomo. And have also previously released a cassette on Sloow tapes. To quote the original write up for the LP "One of the most harmonic expressions of spiritual freak-folk coming out from Finland, Tulasi spreads around warm and positive feelings, created through spontaneous junctions of flute, guitar, violin, percussions, tambura and voices. So, the perfect sound to bring our Souls peacefully inside the wintertime is coming directly from the North”. limited 35 copies.

WEBSITE

Biblical Violence – ‘Bib Vio’ C26 (double A-side) $10 (world)
”Bib Vio comprises six short tracks of harsh and blown out punk and electronics. Alternating between two chord trash, suffocating in treble and trashcan reverb, and blackened power electronics, Biblical Violence sounds like the Evolutions and some Broken Flag rejects having a “who’s one louder?” battle in the middle of a deserted industrial zone in Zagreb, with a huge sign outside saying “no trespassing – distortion level=hazardous!” Edition of 99 copies.

Extra Sexes – ‘Gash Bulb’ C30 $10 (world)
”Extra Sexes blend various pirated material with their own beats and synth locomotion into an eclectic collage of sounds ranging from roaring and growling, to mellow and relaxed, often within seconds of the same song. Death Metal, Hip Hop, and other esoteric sounds clash with ES’s own recordings and the whole thing is then manipulated digitally using the mouse (fast forwarding, reversing, looping etc.) while being re-recorded. Rather than confusion, their hyper active Stockhausen playing with an FM-dial f&ck sh% up approach negate all genre boundaries and create a ripple effect, turning Gash Bulb into a singular and awkwardly soothing expression.” Edition of 99 copies.

EMAIL

Drying from the baptismal waters cordoned by Jackie-O Motherfucker on their ‘Change’ LP and many U-Sound collections, ‘Hot Shit’ by the Antique Brothers captures two long-form sessions of the boys’ familiar pulp guitar with a tasteful inclusion of non-strings. Both sides recorded live, these tracks are less composed than their chambered kin and catalog-mates Anvil Salute, as the pair of Ged and Cy do no patient waiting for entrances and exits, but manically move from one sound to another, interrogating and exhausting the instrument before pausing to turn on the next. This is not to deny the constancy of the songs - with an addition of three and two players, there is a static presence which fills out the spectrum and implies a crowded stage, with all players in conscientious sync (if not total deferral to the namesakes) – but the funk of “the jam” is evident and central, loosening the vertebrae of the guitars and airing out the collisions between sounds. Shiny loops and synthetic waveforms fill the back drop of the first side with gaseous distortion, a hot-boxing of the sonic space which seems to force every emanation upward – and this is certainly aided by all the bent strings – artificially heated as opposed to all that desert jam suffocation the genre is rotten with. The organ quiver which starts the flip side, the “Shit” side recorded in upstate New York, introduces a darker palette of sounds including percussion, saxophone and electrics painting with pointier gestures. Though standing in Pete Seeger’s backyard, no grand gesture is made, as this sound emerges whole-cloth from a much more recent middle state Post Rock. A spotless recording on pro tapes with thick, three-panel photo covers. Limited to 125. (Really Coastal cassette, $5 HERE)

ROBERT HORTON AND SINDRE BJERGA - 'Can't Go Fast Enough to Get There Early' CD £9.5(UK)/£10(EU)/£10.5(WORLD)
"Wild and eclectic mail collaborations from one of America's most recently on fire jammers Robert Horton, and Norway's drone master Sindre Bjerga. Both have incredibly solid resumes of collaborations and releases, what with Sindre's ongoing collaboration with Jan Iversen, and Robert's collaborations with Tom Carter and the Mudsuckers crew of Pete and Gabe (of Yellow Swans), which also includes Carter. 'Can't Go Faster Enough to Get There Early' features a massive range of instruments and sounds, from multiple instrument based layered drone to down right weirdness, and total outsider vibes. Also features Hal Hughes, Lisa Graves and Jan Iversen. Glass mastered CDs (not CDR!), limited to 500 in white digipaks with stickered covers and a small 4 page insert of liner notes."

STARVING WEIRDOS - 'B/P/M Series 1' LP £13(UK)/£14(EU)/£15(WORLD)
"Absolutely mind melting release from this consistently amazing American duo. This release has a very different sound to there superb drone recordings of there recent releases, yet it is still totally immense but really quite unexpected... Brian Pyle and Merrick McKinlay spent sometime recording legendary Humboldt based pianist Darius Brottman, who also happens to have a radio show before Brian's own show on KHSU college radio. The recordings of Brottman were then reworked by McKinlay and Pyle separately. Pyle and McKinlay have a side each on this LP, both sides featuring very different ways of reworking the original beautiful recordings. Side A opens with some straight piano clinks layered with incidental sounds that occured during recording sessions, creating an amazing feeling of beautiful surrealness , leadings into multi-layered piano movements over and over. Side B begins with an powerful, erratic, forceful playing, coated in psychedelic loops and reversed sounds, then returning to a more straight piano playing. The second track on this side almost bleeds into familiar Weirdo territory. This is one bizarre, but equally genius and beautiful release. Both myself and the Weirdos are honored to have the artwork for this LP designed by artist Mick Wiggins. Pro printed sleeves, pressed on 180 gram vinyl and limited to 500 copies."

WEBSITE

Mauthausen Orchestra - "High Opinion of Oneself" b/w "Lustful Youth" 7"
"Pressed in a numbered edition of 100 copies; blue vinyl; royal blue labels with silver text; professionally-printed, color, fold-over sleeves; 33 RPM. Pierpaolo Zoppo once again returns to his full Mauthausen Orchestra name with two new songs, recorded for BloodLust! in 2006, as a follow-up to his "Where Are We Going?" CD (B!091, 2008). On his fourth 7-inch single for the label, Zoppo finds new corners of the austere, unsettling, and dark analog synth world to discover, despite the fact that many of his listeners are still left in the choking dust of his legacy of violent and raw power-electronics, as recently hinted at within the grooves of the vital Broken Flag box set released by Vinyl-on-demand in 2007. As with "Smooth Hate" (B!065, 7-inch, 2006), "Forbidden Ground" (B!056, 7-inch, 2006), "Lost in Boyz Town" (B!042, 7-inch, 1999), and "Raising Vapours" (B!033, CD, 1997), Zoppo continues the evolution from his earliest primitive, feedback-laden assaults to new heights (or rather, lows) of dysphoric and cold synthesizer noise-work." HERE

Dead007 Lähtö – 'Shadows of What We Were' CDr £6.5
“Re-release of the fantastic ambient/drone classic "Shadows of What We Were" by Lähtö, featuring 3 amazing bonus tracks. I don't know if the word epic should be used to describe ambient music, but there are not many other words that can describe this album. It's like the sound track to an underwater battle, but it's never too dark or too heavy or too noisy. As each track unfolds, the battle takes on a new chapter, the winning side advances further in an amazing and eloquent manner. An absolutely beautiful and uplifting experience, a must have for fans of the drone scene and even if you already have the album from it's initial digital release, the bonus tracks exclusive to the CDr re-release add further depth to the album that must be heard. A cinematic masterpiece. Packaged in a beautiful 4 panel gatefold recycled card sleeve, with artwork by James Laurie and inserts/photography by Tyke Chandler. Edition of 100.”

Dead008 The Doom Riot – 'Slow Estate Dreams' CDr £6.5
""Slow Estate Dreams" is by the ever prolific Claus Haxholm under his "The Doom Riot" guise. Always working on new releases, here Claus presents us with what is probably his best piece of work yet. From deep dense drones to harsh in the red noise to shimmering ambiance and beyond, with track titles such as "Driving Home at Night" and "Silence in the Heart" fitting with perfection to the soundscapes and noises that they present to us, Claus has made an album which captures those small but intense life moments of euphoria. "Blue Light Cold as Regret" is a wonderfully layered and textured piece that really does reflect upon regret in such an otherworldly manner; recalling the shoegaze sound and pushing it's limits in a hazy, woozy and reflective wall of noise. But noise isn't really the right word to use at all. One for fans of Belong, Glass Organ and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, this has to be heard to be understood.”

Dead019 Cam Deas T-Shirt + 3"CDr £6.5
“Limited edition Cam Deas t shirt designed by TGK (cover art for Cam's recent releases on Blackest Rainbow). Limited to 50 and comes with a FREE BONUS 3 INCH DISC of brand new guitar manipulations/electronics and noise, wrapped in a page torn from an old book. 50 copies.”

Dead021 Fordell Research Unit – 'Year Zero' CDr £4
“I first discovered Fordell Research Unit through Dead Sea Liner; with the "Real Men Drink Horse Milk" CDr. I was completely blown away by his intense noise, warm drones and glitchy electronics and I hunted out as much material by him as I could, as well as getting in contact with him to tell him how much I was enjoying it all. Then a demo was sent and this new Dead Pilot release was born. At only little over 25 minutes, Year Zero still manages to bring together lots of ideas and sounds; beginning with the warm atmosphere of "Against the world, against life" which subtly grows over its 12 minute duration, feeling like the walls are caving in around you. Then there is the shortest track on the EP "Droowne" which is a glitchy electronic freak-out, sounding like thousands of dying flying insects. "For Kay Parker" flows gently in with a soothing wall of lush drone noise. And finally the final track entitled "Harm (for Harm)" is a layered organ drone piece which brings this excellent ep to a beautifully hypnotic ending. An amazingly crafted piece of work. Recommend.”

DPSS04 Stefan Kushima/Joey Chainsaw – 'Mouthful of Ghosts' 2xCDr £5
“Entry number 4 in the split series sees the pairing of 2 great young talents in the noise/underground scene. Stefan Kushima, hailing from Linz/Berlin and Joey Chainsaw, who is from all over the UK. Kushima, known for his releases on Blackest Rainbow and his own label Disappearance opens the split with a 14 minute epic. Beginning with an outburst of wailing guitars, sounding like a sort of satanic cry from the depths of hell, the piece gradually picks up pace with subtle percussion and layers of synth drones, swells and sweeps. When it gets in full motion, more howls and cries dance and echo above the noise. A full on bleak assault. Joey begins the second half of the split with high pitched electronic synth gargles and guitar moans n' groans before taking us into more warm drone territory. The final track combines the above two with haunting broken vocals and organs/synths, all pushed to the red creating a twisted and eerie wall of ghostly noise.”

Dead018 Jasper TX – 'Untitled Nr. 7' CDr £3.5
“Dag Rosenqvist aka Jasper TX (one half of the post rock duo De La Mancha) has been producing his own brand of unique ambience for some time now, having had releases with Lampse, Miasmah, most recently Fang Bomb and self releasing various 3inch CDrs inbetween. It is with much honor that I welcome Dag into the "Dead Pilot ranks" (as it were). With this 3 inch disc, Dag has really honed in on the drone sound he has only vaguely touched upon before. Building from subtle organ tones to dense low end drones and peaking with fizzing glory and triumph, this perfectly crafted 20 minute piece shows Dags ear for minimalism and subtle shifts in melody and texture. Its slow burning development makes the peak much more euphoric and intense. Like Stars of the Lid remixed by Machinefabriek.”

Dead024 Bjerga/Iversen - 'The Luminous Disc In The Sky' CDr £4
“Legendary experimental droners Bjerga/Iversen need no introduction. They've been on the scene for years now and have truly honed their sound to perfection. They've had releases on all the great DIY/CDr labels and have now they've contributed to Dead Pilot. Here they present a static tinged minimalism piece that ranges from deep buzzing tones to industrial wails to crippled electronics. A murky drift through a ruined future. Deep, and highly recommended if you've checked out the Hourglass Drops/Wereju and Dead Wood/Phantom Heron Seas splits.”

Dead011 Timothy C Holehouse – 'To the Howls at Midnight' CDr £5
“Tim Holehouse is quite a legend, if you haven't heard of him by now you really ought to be ashamed of yourself. He has spent many years touring and releasing alt country/folk records under the name "Tim Holehouse" but has recently split himself in two. Now Tim presents his other half "Timothy C. Holehouse" where he finds himself exploring darker areas of his musical mind.
"To The Howls at Midnight" is the first full length album from this new side and is a sister album to the Tim Holehouse record "From the Dawn Chorus" (which is out on beautiful "orange" vinyl and can be bought directly from the man himself I believe: http://www.myspace.com/timothycholehouse). Recorded over the New Year’s period of 2007-2008, this is an intensely eerie and minimal album of deep and warm melodies and drone. Bent guitar swells and subtle drones layered over broken drum beats. I can't think of anything that sounds remotely like what Tim is doing at the moment so do yourself a favor and give this a listen.”

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Speak of the devil:

Expo '70 - 'Psychosis' LP
"PM70 edition of 500. Random alien noises drift in and out, distracting you from the hellish static brewing. Melodies begin to creep out of the murk, still covered in filth, trying desperately to escape, forever being pulled back down. Guitars lament for their fallen brothers, and the battle begins. Standard edition consists of 180 gram black vinyl, silk screened 12" x 24" insert, and pro-printed covers and OBI. More images here. Will be posting some more images tonight. All preorders will be shipping out this week."

Tunnels - 'In Between Dreams' CS
"PM66 edition of 100. It's hard to believe that there is only one man behind Tunnels. When I first heard these recordings I thought that Nicholas, as a joke, had sent me some super rare desert psych-folk record he found. Maybe he did? I imagine him walking around one lazy afternoon, getting some coffee, and tripping over a box of moldy records someone tossed in the gutter. He looks through and finds this one stuck to the back of some mid-80s Fleetwood Mac record. The cover is a pasted on, hand drawn picture of a naked lady throwing up rainbows and laying in a field of exploding mushrooms. The band name is lost forever, half stuck to the back of the FM record. He goes home and spends the rest of the afternoon carefully scrapping off the black mold. Finally he gets enough of it off to actually play the record, and transfers it to tape, so as not to further damage his record player. The tape makes its way to his car and gets lost under his seat. Months later, he rediscovers the tape, only now it's covered in Dr. Pepper and melted Jolly Ranchers. Nick transfers it to cdr and sends it over to me with the name In Between Dreams on it, which seems very fitting in this context. Pro-dubbed and imprinted cassettes. Full color three panel, double sided j-card with artwork by Morgan Alexandra Ritter."

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Ever since Stunned entered the tape game, the professionalization of the field has commenced with leaps and bounds, brutally casting-off Maxwell dubs and spatter spray for clean, screened tapes in uniform shells. It’s a wholly other animal now. A coastal war will be had between the French’s sun-warped LBC crew and Philly’s Peasant Magik, that hunkering, vellum-ringed gang of toughs guided by kingpin Sal Giorgi. Three hours ahead is also three hours too old, and it’s no happenstance that the midday enthusiasm of the former is starkly opposed by the dimmer-switch introspection of the latter. However, this is not to suggest there is no overlap: indeed what makes a worthy opponent is a stepping on toes, a disputed claim to a single dollar or crown [see, for example, our forthcoming monograph on that slut Sean McCann]. The perpetuation of such a mythic dispute (and surely it’s only this, as I just made it up) can only honor thy sound and serve our ears. Gouge away.

Glum and spacious, Dukkha strikes drone through doom on ‘Hail and Farewell’. Effortlessly epic, the four quarters of tape revel in the awesome ease of whole tone bass with dramatic six-string accompaniment. There is more than one reference to Growing to be had, from the initial shock of recognition in the cassette’s three-panel design reminiscent of ‘Color Wheel’, and even deeper into the sputtering fluster comprising the throes of each track. The high electric vibrato of “Creswellian” sets busy ripples across the lopping service of the deep bass chord, like a black billow disguising the trebly scales of the guitar which trails. The effect is remarkably undone with the audio manipulation introducing “Hordron”, a re-staged and de-amped performance of clean, chorus-y guitars bobbing in a pool of murky low-bias; the strummed stutter ripples out in a hundred iterations, appearing looped, and bedding the tumult like a Sleep-y “Orion”. Consuming over half the second side of this C57, the open theater of “Chromes Gone Home” only furthers the gassy oppression of the preceding tracks, evaporating with the acute details of voices at play in the distance, tiny propellers and the plodded pacing of the maker. A lilt upward grows optimistically golden in the back-end, flirting with discordance and melody as concrète ala Ferrari feeds a story behind the screen. The nouveau vague swept through Britain. Pro-dubbed, pro-printed cassettes in heavy, full-color cardstock plus vellum band. Limited to 100 copies.

From the projector image of the cover photo, the title ‘The World Upside-Down’ by France’s Sun Stabbed – a wonderful moniker, though arbitrary for this lesson - might suggest the heightened state outside of the camera obscura of culture, in the pure, cold sound of disenchantment and remediation. However the conversational titles “The False is a Moment of the True” and “The True is a Moment of the False” confuse this simple grasp as from the tonal murmur emerges patterns: binaries, baud-y and purring out a mathematical code so simple yet so devastating for this, as our dumb ears understand only an Other’s automation. Is this freedom? Where is the “truth” of this sound – in the collage or in the manmade synthetics which we pretend to mutter amongst themselves? The critical moment is derailed as the hot hum returns, periodically boiling over the top with vibration like impurities to skim. Like PM’s recent ‘Illuminated Factory’ by Helm, this lifeless labor is awesome and awful - and ceaseless, as a toothed reel is gracelessly reloaded, continuing the tone which exits side one; yet now the hand is evident, clumsily groping at strings to cast tight, piercing chimes over a dying alarm of wide-band oscillations. Minutes pass as the crest again rises, and what is the hand doing? Like a pendulum losing inertia, the chimes have grown even and repetitive, as the limb dangles slow, wide, and limp. Splitting the track, the shop grows quiet and restless as a final tone burns darkly with a vocalization cursing hoarsely in the background. Bleak and uninviting, the Russian new wave settles in France. Pro-pressed/-printed tapes with full-color cardstock and delicious vellum. Limited to 100 copies. Stunned peasants: fuck a free market, this is a dialectic. (Peasant Magik cassette, $6 HERE)

VIKOMT/Coldstream split C60 (AE006) $6(USA)/$8(WORLD)
”Drones without borders. This split C-60 release is a meeting place for the haunting spectres of U.K. artist Coldstream's dark ambience and the schizophrenic blending of erotic bliss drones and cathartic blasts of harsh noise from U.S. artist VIKOMT. An enthusiatic meeting place for rotting analog synth textures, heavenly guitars and torturted slabs of sheet metal.” Limited to 50 copies. HERE

ROR005 - Sean McCann/Black Eagle Child split C66 'New Molluska' $5.5(US)/$7.5(WORLD)
"Another 'twofer here, this one being the second in a (hopefully) long chain of splits between Sean McCann and Mike Jantz (BEC). SM's side features squished synth and dripping strings, while BEC's side journeys to new lands, sailing from peninsula to peninsula until sundown. Produbbed, purple shells - limited to 100 copies."

ROR006 - Bats In The Belfry - 'Cobwebs' CDr $4(US)/$5.5(WORLD)
"Kellen Shipley's dream pop disc. Reverb-drenched vocals over drum-machine and guitar-scapes. Los Angeles folk, features many guest appearances. Hand stamped cds, limited to 75 copies."

ROR007 - Ugly Husbands/Old Softy split - 'Salmon-Chanted Evening' C60 $5.5(US)/$7.5(WORLD)
"A total 'twofer. Exceptional work from both artists, complementing and completing eachother's music. Stew's work mirrors the sound of plants digesting magnetic tape, only to be sewn back together by your Gamma. And if U.H.'s side represents the deep soil, then Old Softy's sound is ringing in the wind, floating by the moon. By far my favorite tape this year. Edited/mixed together by Sean McCann, who also plays on each side. Produbbed tan shells, unique hand-glued collages on each case, limited to 100 copies."

ROR008 - ROR Encyclopedia #1 - 'Fishing' CDr $4(US)/$5.5(WORLD)
"First installment in a series of live recordings. This one features Sean McCann & Dave McPeters playing minimal/sleeping synth and guitar. Over 50 mins of music, ideal for nighttime listening."

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Ondo – ‘Regression’ CDr (TGSK007) 8€(Europe)/10€(World)
”Gloomy and dark songs from the cold north. 5 tracks, 40 minutes.” Edition 105 copies.

Larsgarden/Rowenta – ‘Electromagnetic Spheres’ CDr (TGSK006) 8€(Europe)/10€(World)
”A collaboration between Swedish artist C-J Larsgarden and German artist Frank Rowenta.. Electormagnetic Sphere consists of rich textured acoustic and electronic soundscapes with a slight melancholic feel.” Edition 105 copies.

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