Daughters of the Sun is a Minnesota-based psychedelic project that headlined our very own KZSU Frühling Fest back in the Spring! And they put on a damn good show, believe me.They're known for their elaborate sophisticated sound which incorporates reverb-drenched guitars and vox, layered percussion, and amazing manipulated found-sound recordings. What, you say? Sounds like just about every other project making a tape these days? Well, stop being such a naysayer, you burnout yuppie. Give this one a listen and apologize to me later. Thanks to Moon Glyph Records for shooting us this tape, which contains some of their juiciest, lengthiest jams to date.Side A: Starts with the gentle sound of running water. Wordly flutes and gently warbling synthesizer gradually enter the mix and blend in a warm lazy haze. 8 minutes in, the piece again gains some momentum with assorted percussion, buzzy Moog and a whirlwind of distorted guitars.Side B: Begins with a jolting art-rock jam with crashing percussion, muffled vocals and wild keyboard. 5 minutes in it melts down into a dark drone piece and then abruptly transitions into a gentle landscape of keyboards and tinkling windchimes. This soft melody later transitions into a gentle ambient piece with lovely flutes and gently shimmering cosmic synthesizer.
2011 will surely go down in history as the Year of the Split. These past nine months have seen an unprecedented amount of dream-team collaborations--literally too many to name. I personally live for the split: and the digital age has spoiled me so, as it is now easier than ever to shoot files back and forth between people who would otherwise never cross paths in real life.
Such is the case with one of the more recent releases on Tranquility Tapes--the group effort of longtime KZSU faves Tidal and Motion Sickness of Time Travel, (AKA Rachel Evans of Hooker Vision) whose solo project has become one of the quintessential ambient offerings of the past few years.
MSOTT's side is chilly and refreshing. All the colorful electronic elements and gorgeous breathy crooning that we have come to expect in her recordings, but with a plethora of new and exciting textures. Naturally gifted vocalists are an uncommon occurrence (even more so in a genre dominated by sonic manipulations) and each of her four tracks showcase her far-reaching set of pipes quite well.
Tidal's side opens up in a slow drift--"Shadow Cast" teases the listener with gently ringing shimmers of synth and flutters of static. As the tape rolls on into "Dissolver," this polished surface slowly crumbles away at the hands of the same icy waves of overdrive that we loved so much in 2010's Fractal Empire. It is harsh and unforgiving, but still retains the strong underlying peaceful aesthetics that makes it such a good fit for Tranquility.
A wonderful split between two greats that once again proves that DIY is even better with a friend.
Italian-based producer throuRoof takes his name from the flowing, transient sensation of drifting through the ceilings and into the realms of the imagination—leaving reality and slowly sublimating into the world of dreams. We enjoyed listening to his Tarot Session a few months back, so we already had high expectations when we opened up the package from Rochester-based imprint Cae-Sur-A.
Side A greets the listener with a warm embrace—gentle nascent hums of accordion and the chirps of birds muted by the sounds of swaying grasses and vibrato string melodies. Certainly not entirely synthetic--and not yet all the way foundsound/field recording, the track flirts with both and settles on a happy medium that manages to concentrate the best of the two worlds and blend them together in a hybridity of magical realism.
The title track, spanning the entirety of Side B, revolves around similar notions of nature, but seems to muse on the tangibility of mortality. How does physicality exist as a player in the greater continuum? How does existence depend on the fragile, delicate foundation of body? These questions remain unanswered, but resonate deeply throughout the golden buzzy writing of electronics.
Thanks to Cae-Sur-A for sending this tape our way. Be sure to also check out the music video for Side A’s “Birdism.”
The latest tape from East Coast dreamweaver Sky Stadium. This chipper orange cassette (the ninth released by the whippersnappers at Goldtimers) is notable for its heavy swollen riffs and deep undulating rhythms. This is seriously some cool stuff, with a variety of peaceful effects that separate it from his earlier material—great for layering or as a soundtrack to tranquil early morning hours. Most of these rubbery, low-durometer tracks are minimalist and lulling in their repetitive nature, but they are by no means simplistic or scattershot-random. Rather, they resonate strongly with the emotions, like those numbing out-of-body experiences of sheer realization: the serenity of a free-fall, the weightless exhalation of confusion during a bike crash, or extending a tentative hand over the edge of an abyssal oceanic drop-off.
Sky Stadium has been on a tear lately, putting out releases faster than I can keep up. So if you're a fan of this tape check out his recent jam on Sacred Phrases here or his Lava Church Records C20 here.
The second pressing of the debut LP from Chicago darkwave trio Black Math. Originally released on vinyl, the band decided to re-release it through PlusTapes when fans started scalping the originals for $120. Although staying true to their morbid shadowy moniker, it’s nice to see them branch out from all the played-out goth themes and overdone “Now That’s What I Call 80’s Synth Pop” meanderings. Rocking riffs, basement production standards, and bouncy synth anthems. What could possibly go wrong?
HMS is a lively free improvisation trio made up of an impressive team of veterans: Joe Houpert, Nathan McLaughlin, and Erich Steiger. Their debut release "Resolution," was released on McLaughlin's Panda Fuzz netlabel and after each pursuing a variety of solo projects, they have reconvened once more to record a blistering one-hour live set for the forward-thinking Avant Archive label.
Right from the get-go their interplay is exquisite and precise. The rumbles of "Centralia" are hooking from the first squeals of noise, and things only get better from there. Side A slowly drifts away in ominous snaking tendrils and then returns on the flip side as an assault of clattering pipes, growling synthesizer and insistent buzzing--the kind of swinging-lightbulb-in-the-unfinished-basement nightmare that runs rampant during the witching hours. Fifteen minutes later, the trio blasts across the finish line in a gutsy krauty ending peppered with great jazzy elements. Just in time! Seconds later, the tape winds down to a halt and the ever-perky "play" button on my Walkman springs up mockingly.
As is previously mentioned, all of three contributors are highly-accomplished musicians, and I recommend you seek out their other projects. Nathan McLaughlin has released some great tapes under his Echolocation series, and he and Joe Houpert also have a great duo project called Loud and Sad. Eric Steiger has some pretty legit improv piano releases that are also noteworthy. Check out his free release on Panda Fuzz here and grab the first HMS recording while you're at it.
New CD-R release from Jeff Roman’s excellent minimal project Sky Stadium. I first heard his tape The Lodge last year and have been hungry for more ever since. (NOTE: Although this blog is dedicated to the art of the cassette tape, I've been traveling for the past week and didn't have anything but digital music players to keep me company. Luckily, I checked the mail before I left and found this CD inside which was too good to not review. So sorry, but not really.)
Jeff took a short break from analog formats to hatch this lovely new disk with the help of the goofy guys at Animal Image Search. (Although he’s no stranger to digital formats as evidenced by his online label TealFX). This 7-track trip has some great stand-out moments all woven into its cozy, drifting swirls of synth, 4 AM profoundness and incredible feelings of contentedness. Loose scatterings of gemutlich envelopments and woozy tides of sound that promise the type of clarity that can only be achieved via expensive allergy medications.
A great, atmospheric release with plenty of moody, imiginitve themes: a colorful sunrise amplified by the chemicals in smoggy skies. Imagining you see the stars twinkling when it is a mere illusion caused by the random refraction of the turbulent atmosphere. Asymmetric gyrations, holocrystalline formations, and seeing right down to the bottom of a very clear pool. Optimistic yet a tad bit forlorn.
Thanks Jeff for sending this one our way!
Daughters of the Sun is a Minnesota-based psychedelic project that headlined our very own KZSU Frühling Fest back in the Spring! And they put on a damn good show, believe me.They're known for their elaborate sophisticated sound which incorporates reverb-drenched guitars and vox, layered percussion, and amazing manipulated found-sound recordings. What, you say? Sounds like just about every other project making a tape these days? Well, stop being such a naysayer, you burnout yuppie. Give this one a listen and apologize to me later. Thanks to Moon Glyph Records for shooting us this tape, which contains some of their juiciest, lengthiest jams to date.
