Chapels - But I Was Never Much Good (House of Alchemy 072)

House of Alchemy tapes make Bubba's trichomes shimmer with excitement. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

One of my favorite things to do upon receiving a batch of House of Alchemy tapes is to go right for the gold - Chapels. Chapels is tantamount to a sweet trichome-covered nug in the bag that leaves a lovely fragrance wafting through the house. Throughout the duration of a recording, these tapes exhibit a propensity to envelop. Studying these sounds in the present moment is an enriching experience. In the realm of experimental tape labels, few compare to the venerable and prolific House of Alchemy. When I listen to Chapels, I often find myself thinking of another talented artist who permeates my head similarly, Josh Mason. That comparison may bewilder some.While their craft manifests differently, both are notable for providing a minimal and encompassing experience. Drilling down more deeply, it is about exploring sound, and sometimes its relationship with the environment. Chapels' discography explores myriad moods and vibrations, ranging from foreboding; ominous; dark; vibrant; voluminous; introspective; hopeful; austere - the human experience. Label proprietor, and Chapels main man, Adam Richards, utilizes a phalanx of instruments in his recordings, as well as on the latest release, But I was Never Much Good. Each side is comprised of obscured and hazy collages, which yield thick, sustained and opaque ambient vibrations.

Blotches of corroded keys surge and modulate. Loops hang tenuously on a blighted synapse - music for introspection. Shortly, abundant layers of modulating, hazy energy coalesce. Becoming more concentrated, the sound moves to the fore until the flickering energy is exhausted. Soon objects resonate, which culminates in a churning wall of noise. Side A ends with a poignant sample. As the flip gets going, scrambled field recordings and rolling minimal noise graduate into a stream of high pitched whirling noise. Swirling energetically in the silent night, blurred tangential signals float ominously through clouds. Ghastly utterances struggle to communicate in the murky hiss - lovely!

But I was Never Much Good may be purchased directly from House of Alchemy or through Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)