Josh Millrod - Seeking the Millenary Kingdom (SM 026)

special tape music on Trichome Tuesday. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

This tape on Solid Melts is for the seeker in you. From the instant one presses play, the listener is plunged into the vast, sonorous world of Josh Millrod, part of Grasshopper. Much like his Grasshopper colleague, Jesse DeRosa, Millrod is the kind of artist one would desire to be behind the controls. The three tracks on tape bustle with fried, ascending synthesizers and enthralling trumpet sections. "Cutting Out Its Silhouette" and "So Many Untils" exhibit Millrod's ability to beguile the listener via adroit compositions. Meanwhile, the cathartic, probing fury of "Hypertrophy (or Atrophy)" produces a sizzling maelstrom as malevolent noise devours the seconds. Pulsating blotches ripple and fray; sputtering energy expands exponentially and strikes with blinding speed. Where to next, I suppose, is a suitable question. As the track progresses, it attains a psychedelic character, heaving and vacillating on edge. With each track, Millrod seems to augment his game, which becomes evident as the ritual energy of "Cutting Out Its Silhouette" oozes out of the speakers uneasily, grasping for the prize at the apex. Wailing, distended trumpet extends until its energy is exhausted, billowing beyond perception. The second half of the track is among my favorite sections on the tape. Millrod's nascent trumpet lines bloom slowly and ascend in a sea of hazy drone. Incipient, soothing vibrations proliferate among sprightly pulses. August waves unfurl as Millrod's trumpet howls in an exalted state. A fervent beam of energy writhes with vitality; undeterred and dominant, it regenerates in a slipstream. 

When I listen to this tape, the sonic possibilities seem infinite, such is the scope of the artist's ability. Seeking the Millenary Kingdom plays on repeat in the land of trichomes, serenading the heads from the crystal-covered top shelf. Produced in an edition of 100 pro-dubbed tapes, this is one not to miss. Highly recommended, one may purchase Seeking the Millenary Kingdom directly from Solid Melts.

peace and love, friends :)

Shingles - God First Planted A Garden (2:03)

tasty flowers from the 2:00 AM garden. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The vibes on God First Planted A Garden - released on reborn 2:00 AM Tapes - are engrossing. Jesse De Rosa's synth inspired project, Shingles, uses various instruments - and even a typewriter - to create a tense, chilling, and ambient atmosphere. His skill in composition leaves the listener on edge. Dark waves encroach and the deluge feels imminent. At times, it reflects the portentous ambience of early Type Records releases; a little Max Richter, too.

As the tape begins to roll, mutant sounds swirl and sparks of electricity illuminate the barren sky. Metallic key strokes join a synth that pulsates with intent. Hushed sequences of synth percolate on the periphery. Deliberate tones fray in the second track on side A. Shortly, soaring incandescent waves interweave as the listener careens in currents that vacillate uneasily. Rapid fire bass lines throb, sending highly charged currents through the head; all the while, the analog warmth of the MS-10 rises from opacity to greet the listener with icy streaks of blue synth that spiral in a foreboding manner. Austere noise crests as sinister vibrations heave and then abate. As the flip starts up, we rise with the sun. Some of the most gorgeous work occurs at the beginning of side B, which is somewhat of a departure from the previous side. De Rosa goes for gold with a combination of majestic synth and warm noise that churns with vitality - lovely! Charred riffs burn brightly and assorted noise smoke the listener out in the following track. Shortly following in the next track, ethereal synth provides warmth and a welter of sound orbits. "The Garden" pummels one with vibes that float on the precipice. "Further North's" pensive synth traverses volatile currents - quite beautiful. De Rosa tweaks your head once more with variegated notes that unravel.  

De Rosa always packs the dank tightly and takes your head on a sonic trip without peer. Unequivocally, God First Planted A Garden is one of the best tapes I have heard this year - that goes for the artwork, too. Additionally, 2:00 AM's stellar batch includes tapes from Autistic Argonauts and Vales. Sold out at the source, you owe it to your head to procure one of the last remaining copies at the top shelf 905 shop.

peace and love, friends :)