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 :)

Tipow - Dust From Ancient Holographs (Worn Habit no. 11)

purps and Tipow =  haze for daze and transitory trips.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Dust From Ancient Holographs is the type of tape where the artwork and sonic matter align perfectly. Even before entering the zone of Tipow, the beautiful and mystical artwork engrossed me for a while - probably the best that I have encountered this year. Then, upon entering the portal, all one can sense is the next step. Shrouded in opaque, ambient transmissions from various sources, Dust From Ancient Holographs, on Worn Habit slowly expands throughout one's head. Comprised of degraded tape manipulations and lofi guitar excursions, this is the debut tape from the duo of Josh Tippery - Royallen, Reefer Tree, Perspectives and more - and label proprietor, Michael Pouw.  Given that I believe this tape to be highly experiential, a parsimonious review follows.

Dusty tones ripple in a snowstorm of oscillations and hiss, as side A begins.  Ambient sound from a bygone era shifts in the aural light. Ethereal, yet caught in a gauzy web. Tape moves turn eerie until being subsumed by a sea of hiss. Near the end of A, lightly echoing tones ripple to the boundary awareness - my favorite part on side A. There really is nothing quite like the beginning of the flipside. As side B move into motion, a tape sample of an overt, religious freak with an authoritative voice speaks passionately: "because you act on what you believe, you receive." As the subject's myopic voice degrades into blurred waves, one is placed under the spell of something that can be described as elegiac, ruminative, and mysterious. Grainy and torpid, these otherworldly emanations swell like clouds of indica haze.

Buy this tape, and one will receive the comprehensive Worn Habit experience. First, the foldout style inserts are among my favorite from any label. Each Worn Habit tape that I have purchased contains lovely artwork, which is just as much a part of the experience as the music. Produced in small editions with lots of love, this tape is already sold out at the source. Dust From Ancient Holographs may be purchased from Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)

I am Just a Pupil - I Don't Know Yet (dbt. XXIV)

Humboldt Relief is in my heart during these tough times.  Please keep them in your heart, too. Peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

This tape here is a fine example of taking a chance without knowing or hearing anything.  When one browses the selections at places like Eclipse or Tomentosa, there is almost always an opportunity to find a hidden gem.  That's the case on I Don't Know Yet, by I am Just a Pupil on Diatom Bath.  Aside from a bandcamp page, there's a dearth of information available on the artist.  The artwork is suggestive of the contents, which generally consist of warm, lofi nugs that exhibit an expansive quality.  I like the speed at which this tape travels, which is nice and easy. 

 Soon after pressing play, ambient vibrations and loops turn hypnotic as shapes begin to manifest from the contrast of plodding tones and lighter, more lively sonics.  This music gives proper notice to your head - good times are here.  I really dig the second track, which in a way touches on the hazy, visceral warmth of the Khonnor Typewriting ep on Type Records from nearly 10 years ago.  The track begins as Twinkling tones, opaque waves, and buoyant vocal drone begin to expand through the environment.  Together the elements are like the haze from my favorite top shelf smoke.  Shortly, the vibe escalates, finds stasis and hazily drifts.  Present in this track, as well as the others, is a proclivity for subtle change that create discernibly beautiful patterns of sound.   Unexpectedly, the flip shortly departs from the warm ambient vibe; instead, the listener is confronted with intense, unpredictable thrusts of violent sound mixed with faint pulsations.  As a whole, it churns and creates cycles of energy.  At this point, the sound exists under a veil; and, before long, sun imbued tones vacillate contiguously to a drone.  Discernibly, the tempo shifts down a few levels before inundating the listener with layers of fiercely reverberating sound.   

In total, this is a great tape from a nice looking label.  Diatom Bath already has put out a bunch of quality releases, with a slew of intriguing stuff planned for the future.  No soundclips available, but that should be an incentive to purchase the tape. Buy it before it goes OOP at Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)