Crash Symbols SPOTLIGHT Tomorrow

Tomorrow the guys from the Oakland-based Crash Symbols Records will make the trip across the Bay to talk about their cassette label, and share some of their current and upcoming releases. The interview will be broadcasted from 8-10 PST on 90.1 FM in the Bay Area, or here online.

They sent us a sick batch of tapes a while back, along with some pretty groovy artwork. This show should be a great one!

KZSU DAY OF NOISE - LIVE!

We started broadcasting at midnight! Tune in anytime in the next 24 hours to catch some great experimental music, all broadcasted live from our studios in Stanford, California! 29 artists in 24 hours. You can sleep when you're dead! Here's the official schedule:

• 12:00 - 2:00 am Brian B James
• 2:00 - 3:00 am Kurt James Werner
• 3:00 - 3:40 am Bryan Von Reuter
• 3:40 - 4:10 am Eoin Callery
• 4:10 - 5:00 am The Voice of Doom
• 5:00 - 6:00 am Feast and Friends
• 6:00 - 7:00 am Bad News
• 7:00 - 8:00 am Peter Nyboer
• 8:00 - 9:00 am David Leikam and Joe Straub
• 9:00 - 10:00 am David Slusser
• 10:00 - 10:30 am Bill Orcutt
• 10:30 - 11:00 am Jessica Rylan
• 11:00 - 12:00 pm zBug
• 12:00 - 1:00 pm Frank Rothkamm
• 1:00 - 2:00 pm Ernesto Diaz-Infante
• 2:00 - 3:00 pm Negativwobblyland (Jon Leidecker & Peter Conheim)
• 3:00 - 3:30 pm Danny Paul Grody
• 3:30 - 4:00 pm En
• 4:00 - 4:30 pm Matt Davignon
• 4:30 - 5:00 pm Aloonaluna
• 5:00 - 5:30 pm Matt Ingalls / John Ingle
• 5:30 - 6:00 pm Matt Ingalls / John Ingle / Matt Davignon / Abode
• 6:00 - 7:00 pm Thomas Dimuzio
• 7:00 - 7:45 pm Megabats
• 7:45 - 8:30 pm Abode
• 8:30 - 9:00 pm Thea Farhadian
• 9:00 - 10:00 pm White Pee
• 10:00 - 11:00 pm The Lickets
• 11:00pm - 12:00am Vulcanus 68

Click here to listen in.
Click here to watch the streaming video on UStream.

Shroud of Winter - Solstice Eclipse

Andrew Plante (known for his main drone project under his surname) delves into black metal in this project, juxtaposing some harsh lo-fi riffs along with the spacious ambience. Xasthur, Mutiilation, and even Nadja come to mind when the guitars and drums come in; otherwise, morbid droning tones prevail. Bleak, bedroom black metal with an abundance of swirling guitar feedback and cassette tape hiss—perfect for late nights spent worshipping Satan. Thrashin’, headbanging black metal riffage; occult guitar noodling. Sounds like a teenager writing riffs in his garage, and I mean that in a good way.

-Diego

Drunjus - Celestial Realms

From the beloved Sonic Meditations label, this is one of those tapes that makes you wonder if cassettes were invented by aliens or underwater sea creatures in order to infiltrate the human world and hypnotize all seven billion of us into submission. I, for one, welcome our Atlantean liberators as our natural overlords, and am grateful that they have created such gorgeous, soothing ambient to lull our useless cortical circuits into a state of blissful tranquility. Shimmering, sparkling resonances of the ethereal void... for fans of Comoros, No Mind Meditation, Enfer Boreal; featuring members of: Grass Magic, Endless, Davenport, Journey to Ixtlan, Second Family Band, and even doom/psych band Jex Thoth (it really is a small world).

-Diego

Paramita Recordings Update

Chicago, one of the great cassette tape hotspots of America, has recently given the world yet another killer label! Paramita Recordings, started their catalog off with three split tapes, and they were kind enough to send us a copy of each (which are all still available). Thanks guys!

P.S. Check out that crazy die-cut cover artwork! No 3-D glasses are optional.

Sparkling Wide Pressure/No Mind Meditation - Split

Longtime KZSU favorites No Mind Meditation remain as enigmatic as ever, keeping their cards close to their chests and leaving us all in the dark while they compose gooey alien sounds--brewing up another psychedelic trip strong enough to make you want to call in to work sick for at least the next few days. On the flip, Sparkling Wide Pressure also delivers with a buzzing set scruffy noise rock and kooky percussive instrumentation. I love the controlled anarchy of their jams, and the looped sounds of scattershot doorknocks are oddly lulling (plus they'll keep all the neighbors confused for hours...)

Black Eagle Child /Excavations - Split

Black Eagle Child doing what he does best on a core-of-the-sun red tape. What more could you ask for? Lonesome strummy guitar/banjo musings that are relaxing yet fully engaging. A nice return to nature, thumbing through a well worn copy of Leaves of Grass, breezy open chords, (and especially for us Californians) the romance of seasons.

Excavations holds things down on the flip, and while they're a band I'm not familiar with, they certainly don't disappoint--I seriously dig their looped grooves and frothy distorted vocals. If you're into Hobo Cubes, Food Pyramid, or the sunnier side of Debacle records, you'll cherish this one as well.

Soundings/Shapers/Verma - Split

A three-way split? Where do splits leave off and compilations begin? This cassette features 60 minutes of sludgy garage, splattered experimental, and gunky organic noise from three of the gnarliest psych rockers in Chicago. It's all good stuff--maybe not the most accessible, but I loved it--it would probably sound even better in a dingy club with terrible acoustics, slimy brick walls and utilities pipes snaking overhead and threatening to crush you at any moment. Recommended for those who have a few Hive Mind or Wolf Eyes recordings under their belts.

Christopher Merritt - Crown Heights

Brooklyn-based experimental Christopher Merritt sent us a package of tapes a little while back—this one from Digitalis is perhaps the finest example of his intricate collagework.

While both sides are juicy gumbos of jaunting electronics and vibrant effects, Side A is more of a classic "ascension" piece, where a powerful photon torpedo barrage of synthesizer slowly rises from it's hibernation and pummels he very medium--blasting the EQ into the red, shooting for the stars.

Side B starts with crunchy blown-out beats in the extraterrestrial style of Clams Casino, (but orchestrated a few months earlier might I add...) and later transitions into blurry patchwork of gently plucked acoustic guitar, rainsticks, atypical percussion, the rush of water—all sorts of creatively blended recordings.

All in all, a fantastic release--surly an aural delight for anyone lucky enough to have snatched one of these up (although you might still be able to track a few copies down...)

For other great tapes by Christopher Merritt, I also highly recommend his excellent split with Reedbeds on Tranquility Tapes.

Gary Busdriver - Sports!

The brand-new label Teflon Beast puts their best foot forward with their first cassette release Sports! This c40 is split into two halves: "Fanfare" on the A and "Victory" on the flip, and explores the various facets of the human athletic experience. Composed of noisy electronics and field recordings, it was recorded both to showcase the intricacies of sports (on an amateur and multi-million-dollar-contract level) and to showcase the more "joyous" side of noise.

I really liked this tape, although honestly, it took a couple of listens. Its an interesting blend of the blood, sweat and tears blend of sports jockism, and the more "nerdy" side of intricate experimental landscapes. Reminds me of that fuzzy yellow letter I got playing varsity sports in high school...but also the long-overdue letters I was promised for state Quiz Bowl and orchestra.

You can try it/buy it on the Teflon Beast bandcamp.