William Selman - Equatorial Night (HAUSMO 17)

deep in the bag this Monday morning on the mountain. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

After experiencing Moth Cock's otherworldly rituals at the top of Hausu Mountain, I couldn't make it down in time. Stuck in a state of red-eyed reverie, I quickly setup shop and reached deep into the crystal-covered bag. It's frigid high on the mountain. Yet, I'm immune to the chill; that's because my bowl is burning brightly with the dank mod synth zones from William Selman. Oozing from the speakers in a sultry manner, there is something stealthy and mysterious about Equatorial Night's sweltering, heady rhythms and sprightly bass tones.

Constellations of paripatetic beats metamorphose around bulky pulses. The minutes fracture into seconds. Drifting before our eyes one fateful ellipse at a time, a stretch of lethargic, warm synth floats comfortably. Cavernous reverberations leave one shrouded in sonic mist. Near the end, the last few analog embers crackle once more and then burn out, leaving an ominous glow. Side B contains a more dubious character, which partly is attributed to the pressing tempo. Twisted vibrations and restive beats provide an apt complement to incipient, soothing synth. Moving at an enhanced pace, heady pulses dominate; meanwhile, sustained synth is barely perceptible. As the mood becomes a bit more serious, random energy bumbles and flares ephemerally.    

Limited to 150 copies in green shells with black and white imprints, Kelly Naim's artwork deftly illustrates the mystical vibe that permeates Equatorial Night. Pick up your copy directly from Hausu Mountain.   

peace and love, friends :)

Christopher Merritt - Imaginary Colors (Orange Milk 2013)

electronic intrepid explorations. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The marble blue sky is transformed into a resplendent, variegated dome that surges with cosmic energy in Christopher Merritt's recent tape, Imaginary Colors, on Orange Milk.  Imaginary Colors accelerates toward the zenith, ejecting the trichome-bound listener into a maze of morphing multicolored constellations.  Elevated and mesmerized, Christopher's sweet vibrations power a constantly revolving kaleidoscope.  That which emanates is effervescent and vibrant; yet, these soundscapes concurrently exhibit patience and an adept use of space.  That's one of the significant aspects of this tape: its ability to exhibit myriad qualities ostensibly at the same time.  Modular wonders fracture in an animated atmosphere, refracting in myriad directions.  Polychromatic strands are then interwoven into enthralling arrangements.  Throughout, the encapsulated sonic energy buzzes, fissures, drifts, oscillates, twinkles, fizzes and bubbles.

The tape commences with swollen passages of gentle sound that billow and expand progressively.  Playful with a touch of poignancy, the atmosphere is altered by tiny explosions which beget spacious and brilliant energy.  The first track is followed by a lovely paean that is transformed by a deluge of sound that merges into a harmonious sonic being.  More proximate to the end of side A, serene vibrations multiply as tangents of sound descend quickly upon the listener.  For me, perhaps the best section of this side occurs at the end.  Propulsive warmth inculcates the listener with vibrant streams of sound.  As the sound cascades, the deluge arrests perception and the listener acquiesces - lovely!  The flip continues the ascent.  In the second track on side B, gently pulsating transmissions rupture into copious particles and flutter in the hiss.  Sustained tones lead to spacey ruminations.  Aural fireworks bathe the listener in the next track as radiant beams rupture under pressure.

Platinum Bubba never sounded so good!!  Crystal-covered and ascending to Nug Luv 2014 territory, Imaginary Colors is one of the best experimental tapes of 2014.  Copies are available directly from Orange Milk.    

peace and love, friends :)

Cray - Digest 54 (sicsic051)

see you in the cosmos!  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The good vibes continue to exude from the speakers, and this time around it's the head expanding, mod synth jams of Cray.  When you traverse in sounds like this, one thing is for certain: this music will take you places.  Yet, once your head pierces the cosmos, the final destination is anything but certain. Digest 54, from Cray on Sicsic, is an explorers dream. So leave the dissonance at home, for the aural peaks, valleys and vicissitudes encapsulated within each trichome covered constellation will work your head like a nice dollop of kief!  Cray's bag is full of sonic possibilities that are channeled through Moog Voyager, DSI Tetra, Roland Jupiter 6, Omnisphere, Buchla 200e and euro modular.  Variegated textures and use of space are two salient elements of this release. Overall, it's one of the wildest head-trips encountered on the glowing path that is 2013.

With the commencement of the tape, the pendulum in the mind vacillates.  The ominous currents of fate lift the listener through the third eye, accelerating toward the infinite. 'Led', the first track, sets the mood for the wild times which follow.  Those times approach quickly because the second track, 'Un8d', drifts to a different state immediately.  The contrasting elements of the blips/bleeps and uniform drone are adeptly intertwined.  If a cosmic airport exists, then this would be the music of the inhabitants.  Next, buzzing low-ends are introduced, giving the sound a sinister edge prior to dissipating.  The celestial energy is reconstituted as a placid drone.  Among my favorites is the fourth track, 'Ugly Martian'.  Hiss and crackle leads to blurred sinister sounds that fluctuate.  Warbled waves of energy are interrupted as Cray unleashes these wicked emanations smeared in hash oil and pulsating with interminable mutant vigor -excellent stuff here!  See a pattern?  Each head trip is endowed with merits.  There is not a second of wasted time on this C62. Boisterous signals expand while metallic passages of sound fray at the ends in 'Moxigene 2'.  Another layer is added along with repetitive ringing tones.  My favorite track is 'Delva', the final track on side A.  Over a nearby hill, a nascent energy pulsates mildly.  Yet, as it approaches, a panacea manifests healing vibrations that circulate like a body of unimpeded water.  Patterns emerge, glistening in the mind's eye and ensconced in serenity.  A stunning manner in which to end Side A!  The flip glows just as brightly.  Dank rhythms and tones of various hue and energy expand, jut, ascend and reverberate in the ether.  Oscillating patterns of sound expand into space.  Existing in the catacombs of the mind, an intense amalgamation of sonic energy permeates the head.  It leaves the listener stunned and dazed in an attempt to perceive and process the disparate aural components. A brief reprieve leads to a passage of virulent tones, searing currents, mutating energy and fateful droplets of sonic matter.  When in concert, the synergy of the elements is immediate and beautiful.  Moving into a different state, the next track exhibits the coming together of blips/bleeps and protruding notes of random energy.  They precipitously lose energy and wither, until being reborn, as cascading tones pulsate.  Lastly, warm tranquil waves of energy emerge and recede among playful tones.  It's a fine way to end the tape!

Like any of my favorite nugs, Digest 54 is loaded with crystals on the inside.  The attentive listener should be prepared for the harvest.   Digest 54 comes with all the love of being home-dubbed in real time.  Released in a hand-numbered, limited edition of 80 tapes, it features some of the wildest artwork yet by Csenge Csató.  Though it is sold out at the source, your ticket to cosmos may be procured at S.O.L Sound.

peace and love, friends :)