Good reminder of how young and hand-to-mouth most of these DIY artists probably are. Based on a tweet from one Bklyn musician I follow, I gather that he is working as a "Manny."
Xela - Heirs Of The Fire "Blissed out vocals turn into a choir that rolls off into layers of sound, both electric and acoustic. Heirs Of The Fire is John Twell's sonic interpretation of a quote from the Koran. It's a more melodic and mysterious Xela record than some might expect, but it still holds plenty of darkness. Recorded live in one take using vocals, guitar, and a sampler, this was originally released by the UK artist on CDR before his last US tour. This version of the recording includes drums by Mike Weis (Zelienople) to mimic the live shows he's done with Xela playing this very material. Mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate). Art by Erik Skodvin"
- SMTG - 2009.
Xela - In Bocca Al Lupo "Beginning with metallic scrapes and haunting industrial soundscapes we drift among fluidly dense drones, electrical hums and crumbling noise. Like a doom-laden take on the crunching assault of Hair Police or a noisy version of David Lynchs Eraserhead soundtrack, the music is stripped down to the bare bones of what is necessary. Before long we hit the records central piece, In Deo Salutari Meo which takes an almost funereal tone, using religious bells as the primary sound source. Eventually the album climaxes on the longest piece, Beatae Immortalitatis, which features Heavy Wingeds Jed Bindeman on drums."
- Type Records - 2008
"Vance Galloway: electric guitar, custom software processing
Vance Galloway and noisepoetnobody first met back in 1998 when Vance was commissioned to master an album of a band that noisepoetnobody was in at the time. noisepoetnobody meanwhile began building his fanbase throughout the Northwest as both a solo performer and an active member of the experimental music scene. Over the years, Vance was contacted for further album mastering when he had time away from his demanding schedule of working on some of the worlds most advanced audio visual installations. Occasionally Vance and noisepoetnobody would play on stage together. As improvisers they excelled at mutual listening skills and almost without effort captivated audiences as though all songs were rehearsed to perfection.
This album represents the duos second full length recording. Their 1st album - Summons The Porocora - self-produced by noisepoetnobody, was well received in the Seattle/Portland area as an epic descent into a disturbing and haunting retreat from reality. Upon receiving a grant from the Jack Straw Foundation to record and perform for the world famous KEXP.org Radio, Vance and noisepoetnobody began a more regular schedule of recording and rehearsals in preparation. This album contains the recordings from the KEXP.org broadcast sessions as well as other works created in preparation for those sessions."
- Lens Records - 2011
On-Demand Webcast from the Temple of Dendur, "program features the world premiere orchestration by Maxim Moston of William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops as well as meditative, memorial works from Ingram Marshall, Osvaldo Golijov and Alfred Schnittke, performed by the Wordless Music Orchestra under the direction of Ryan McAdams"
Oates has emerged as a frontrunner among the new generation of Brit folkies, marked out by the purity and dexterity of her voice and her hyperactive work ethic. She even has a cosmetics range named after her. Her fourth album is an exquisite piece of chamber folk, setting her lark-like tones to cascading piano, solemn viola and chiming handbells along with accordion and hurdy gurdy. It's low on surprises (no Björk cover this time) but stalwarts such as "Sweet Nightingale" and "Brigg Fair" emerge refreshed, and the contrast between its sometimes dark themes (misfortune, mortality, murder) and the stateliness of its music makes for an atmosphere of rare enchantment
Now playing for the second time and it is certainly growing on me. On first listen I wasn't sure, but now, nearly though it again, there are a number of tracks I am liking
- Streaming from Mystified (aka. Thomas Park)'s Bandcamp page:
Digital Mass - The Idiot Flutes
"The blind God Azathoth, according to Lovecraftian lore, lies at the center of all things, where he is surrounded by idiot flutists. The Hawaiian anonymous collective, Digital Mass, aiming a recording device at a remote point in astral space, seem to have captured the very sounds of these flutists. http://www.mystifiedmusic.com/
Comments
got this nice tweet from the artist shortly afterwards:
spelled my surname wrong, but everybody does.
btw, the golden desert sun 7" single from dirty-beaches is killer. they all are, really.
I can't believe how cool Barrett's Privateers is.
Xela - Heirs Of The Fire
"Blissed out vocals turn into a choir that rolls off into layers of sound, both electric and acoustic. Heirs Of The Fire is John Twell's sonic interpretation of a quote from the Koran. It's a more melodic and mysterious Xela record than some might expect, but it still holds plenty of darkness. Recorded live in one take using vocals, guitar, and a sampler, this was originally released by the UK artist on CDR before his last US tour. This version of the recording includes drums by Mike Weis (Zelienople) to mimic the live shows he's done with Xela playing this very material. Mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate). Art by Erik Skodvin"
- SMTG - 2009.
Xela - In Bocca Al Lupo
"Beginning with metallic scrapes and haunting industrial soundscapes we drift among fluidly dense drones, electrical hums and crumbling noise. Like a doom-laden take on the crunching assault of Hair Police or a noisy version of David Lynchs Eraserhead soundtrack, the music is stripped down to the bare bones of what is necessary. Before long we hit the records central piece, In Deo Salutari Meo which takes an almost funereal tone, using religious bells as the primary sound source. Eventually the album climaxes on the longest piece, Beatae Immortalitatis, which features Heavy Wingeds Jed Bindeman on drums."
- Type Records - 2008
Still firmly ensconced high on my best of 2011 list.
First of my weekend used purchases
Not sure if I'll like this, but it only cost me £2 so worth a try!
"Vance Galloway: electric guitar, custom software processing
Vance Galloway and noisepoetnobody first met back in 1998 when Vance was commissioned to master an album of a band that noisepoetnobody was in at the time. noisepoetnobody meanwhile began building his fanbase throughout the Northwest as both a solo performer and an active member of the experimental music scene. Over the years, Vance was contacted for further album mastering when he had time away from his demanding schedule of working on some of the worlds most advanced audio visual installations. Occasionally Vance and noisepoetnobody would play on stage together. As improvisers they excelled at mutual listening skills and almost without effort captivated audiences as though all songs were rehearsed to perfection.
This album represents the duos second full length recording. Their 1st album - Summons The Porocora - self-produced by noisepoetnobody, was well received in the Seattle/Portland area as an epic descent into a disturbing and haunting retreat from reality. Upon receiving a grant from the Jack Straw Foundation to record and perform for the world famous KEXP.org Radio, Vance and noisepoetnobody began a more regular schedule of recording and rehearsals in preparation. This album contains the recordings from the KEXP.org broadcast sessions as well as other works created in preparation for those sessions."
- Lens Records - 2011
On-Demand Webcast from the Temple of Dendur, "program features the world premiere orchestration by Maxim Moston of William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops as well as meditative, memorial works from Ingram Marshall, Osvaldo Golijov and Alfred Schnittke, performed by the Wordless Music Orchestra under the direction of Ryan McAdams"
blissed-out, fried, sun-kissed underground pop. really digging this.
originally from a cassette-only label, now a free download on bandcamp.
Craig
Andr
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/11/jackie-oates-saturnine-review-folk
Now playing for the second time and it is certainly growing on me. On first listen I wasn't sure, but now, nearly though it again, there are a number of tracks I am liking
Digital Mass - The Idiot Flutes
"The blind God Azathoth, according to Lovecraftian lore, lies at the center of all things, where he is surrounded by idiot flutists. The Hawaiian anonymous collective, Digital Mass, aiming a recording device at a remote point in astral space, seem to have captured the very sounds of these flutists.
http://www.mystifiedmusic.com/