Stephen David Heitkotter - Heitkotter (TIME-LAG 052)

lets get lifted together, friends :) peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The austere cover may trick a few folks. However, it reveals nothing about the raw, frenetic acid fried contents within the sleeve. As we travel down the illuminated private press trail, eventually we begin to traipse when the signs become opaque and the lights dim. We have entered the hallowed territory of Heitkotter; cited in some places as one of the most obscure psychedelic masterpieces, the story that surrounds the album - much like the music itself - is murky and full of intrigue. Heitkotter is the sound of a person staring into the abyss before never begin heard from again. From what is known, Heitkotter was the drummer for a Fresno band, the Road Runners, in the mid 60's. The subsequent period included psychotropic drugs and mental instability. Steve recorded the LP before 1971 and, along with his brother, disseminated the promos to a number of FM radio stations in California's San Joaquin Valley. A full electric effort, nobody knows for sure if others participated in this recording. Steve's brother, Bill, posits that it was a solo effort; that Steve was too much of a loner at the time to have collaborated with former bandmates. The masters were destroyed due to non-payment. With Steve subsequently committed to a state mental institution, and no interest in the music being exhibited, one would expect that nothing else occurred. Yet, a vinyl digger unearthed the only known copy at a radio station closing sale in the mid to late 80's. Being the work of a genuinely insane person, Heitkotter's ramshackle outsider acid-garage-blues smolder with manic energy and a sinister nature. Sometimes the playing is tight and heavy, only for Heitkotter to go off on a tangent - sometimes returning to the thread; that goes for the vocals, too. Hoarse and rough, the lyrics are muddled. At times, they are unintelligible. The final minutes are ominous - the sound of a person disintegrating.

 The insert which accompanies the deluxe repress by Nemo at Time-Lag - mastered from the best original copy; 180g audiophile vinyl; exact reproduction of labels - makes the most apt statement about Heitkotter, "What's amazing is that today, even after a quarter century of vinyl excavation that has unearthed dozens of inconceivable LP's, there is still nothing to rival the Heitkotter in sheer primal tension, the sense of deadly, indefinite 'presence' that seems to stalk the record." Sold out at the source, one of the last copies that is being sold for a reasonable price is available at Fusetron.

peace and love, friends :)

thanks to artmaniac53 for the good vibe!

Ignatz / Sophie Cooper - Split (TORCAS005)

girls scout cookies, milk, and the analog warmth of Ignatz and Sophie Cooper -what a nice treat! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The music of Belgian blues/folk artist Bram Devens' project, Ignatz, does not take much time to permeate the head. Ignatz creates these intriguing hazy musical environments comprised of stories sung by raw, visceral strings that warble. On this split with Sophie Cooper, Ignatz strikes gold immediately with the lofi folk that characterizes "Introduction". A touching and moving track, the pace and spectrum of sound it emits recall the early records of Jim O'Rourke. The melody and folk strings of "Licorice" is another touchstone of side A. "For Sale" moves in a slightly different direction. Murky, poignant drones and solitary strings produce ominous moments.

I would buy this split based on the strength of side B alone. Residing in Todmorden, singer songwriter Sophie Cooper's side is comprised of psychedelic pop/folk, noise and drones. The music on this side is deeply affecting. One of my favorite aspects of side B relates to the vocals of the artist, which are treated to create songs redolent of intimate and poignant moments. According to the label description, Sophie's art is informed by life. The honesty, which is felt throughout, makes the music shine. "Once My Heart Was Blind" opens the flip with shimmering strings and breathy vocals. Later, a welter of resonant strings combine with hazy vocals to create a dreamy atmosphere. The track becomes more heavy toward the end with the introduction of Jeweled Antler-esque riffs before cascading strings acquiesce to the haze. The second track is the real star of this side. Between this track, "We'll Laugh About This When We're Older (We Won't Know Each Other Then", and the first track on Ignatz' side, I could loop them perpetually. Wistful vocals and poignant folk guitar alternate between states - hauntingly beautiful. The third and fourth tracks move in somewhat of a different direction, especially the fourth. "I Never Associate Dreams With Anything" adroitly utilizes harsh, vacillating noise; drones; vocals; and found sound as a metaphor for the haziness that characterizes dreams - an incredible side of music.        

Tor Press is quickly becoming one of my favorite labels. Not only is Jake Blanchard's artwork amazing, but he is also proving to be a wonderful curator. Produced in a limited edition of 75 pro- dubbed cassettes - featuring artwork by Jake Blanchard - it is sold out at the source and pretty much everywhere. However, Eclipse appears to have the last few copies.  ensure that you procure one of the remaining copies by contacting Eclipse.

peace and love, friends :)

Imperfect Masters - This Humanly Mess: Music of El Cerrito for Clarinet and Boot, Vol. #23 (fon35)

voluminous, woozy sounds that breath life into the night.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

  Even prior to experiencing this tape, the story on the back of the j-card proved intriguing; I pondered the words for a long time, continuously re-reading them.  Under the radiant energy of the crescent moon, a beautiful amalgamation of tones from two adept improvisers begins to slowly drift into the listener's head-space.  Throughout This Humanly Mess: Music of El Cerrito for Clarinet and Boot, Vol. #23, on Full of Nothing, a bucolic vibe is emitted.  Imperfect Masters is the duo of Robert Horton and Dan Plonsey.  Robert Horton is known for creating musical instruments, one of which, the boot, features on this release.  The boot is a four string slide instrument. His partner on this release, Dan Plonsey, is a renown composer and saxophonist - though he utilizes the clarinet on this release.

Upon pressing play, these skilled improvisers seem the perfect match: the woozy strings of Horton intersect perfectly with the soporific, slowly expanding sound emitted from the clarinet.  In the next track, droning strings vacillate uninhibitedly in the background. Plonsey's clarinet ascends ever so gently at the beginning before matching Horton's energy with fluctuating tones.  There is a lovely intersection of jazz and blues in the third track.  The resonant strings of the acoustic boot coalesce nicely with the hovering clarinet. On the fourth track of side A, drone and boot combine with the soft emanations of the clarinet.  Droning and resonant strings create the perfect backdrop for the diffuse - and at times coiling - clarinet, which envelops the head like indica haze - one of my favorite tracks on the tape.  Frenzied strings abound at the beginning of the second track on the flip.  Shortly, Plonsey's clarinet howls - yet, not too aggressively - while scraped strings exist in the back of the mix.  In the last track, energy slowly exudes from the clarinet - quiet stillness engulfs the listener as strings wobble gently.  Before long, the boot oscillates, becoming more prominent.             

Lately, I've been listening to this on the porch under the starry sky and luminous moonlight - nice conditions for these vibes.  This Humanly Mess: Music of El Cerrito for Clarinet and Boot, Vol. #23 is highly recommended. Produced on red, transparent tapes with lovely artwork provided by Ivan Afanasyev, this tape is sold out at the source.  However, Tomentosa always has the goods.  One may purchase This Humanly Mess: Music of El Cerrito for Clarinet and Boot, Vol. #23,   from Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)