NoShoesandOneSock / Thoughts On Air (TT-03)

The apothecary provided me with this beautiful sonic medicine. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

It's the music that makes one excited to press play.  With each iteration it unleashes waves of healing and mystical energy.  During the day, I toil without direction.  However, at night, the third eye is activated by this cassette on Terrapin Recordings, based in Hamilton, Ontario.  Pure synergy on this split tape cloaked in visceral vibrations between Thoughts On Air and NoShoesandOneSock.  These artists engage in the practice of healing by way of lambent sonic energy.  There are sections in this tape that have me returning to the stereo night after night; it's music that I trust and something which makes my dwelling a better place.

  Thoughts On Air is in fine form on the side A, promulgating a gorgeous ambient paean that progresses through several stages.  Hazy, serene bright tones bleed into the ether as an aural light show commences.  The soporifically writhing loop is inundated by a deluge of twinkling strings and faint field recordings.  Thoughts On Air exhibits a lovely contrast between the placidly flowing passage of sound and the flickering strings.  When one is tuned in to this track, the changes are wonderful to experience.  Shortly, the strings begin to overwhelm the other layers; myriad vibrant colors are exuded from the speakers.  And, then the track arrives at this one section where peaceful loving kindness is omnipresent. As the waves ripple through the soul, the sun becomes ensconced in soft clouds.  It's essence radiates in copious directions.  A granular point in time that embraces the soul for eternity; an instance when the reverberations are most visceral and realized, making other observations dull by comparison.  Momentarily, a wave vacillates, abutting the luminous passage.  Poignant strings lightly resonate prior to being encumbered by a collage of sound.  Ethereal, languorous waves embrace the body on the ride home.

NoShoesandOneSock's This is Our Raga cassette, available here, will be on my end of year list.  It's the kind of tape that keeps giving.  In that tape, and on the flipside of this split, NoShoesandOneSock wonderfully juxtaposes ambient and eastern sounds; flowing soundscapes, with the sitar employed in a lovely manner.  The sound vacillates from start to finish.  And, there is a mystical ubiquity that makes this an engaging experience with each iteration.  Bowed tones and passages of enveloping sound hover like dank indica haze at the start of side B.  Elongated, sustained tones resonate faithfully next to the drone of the sitar.  Shortly, the sonic atmosphere becomes sparse.  At this juncture, it's the perfect setting, which allows the instruments to reverberate into space - the sitar is very beautiful in this section.  Though I have only heard a few tapes, NoShoesandOneSock are adroit at imbuing the listener's environment with patient, sustained, radiant tones.  Momentarily, a lighter sonic atmosphere prevails.  This section is a mellifluous passage that has a dreamy, somnolent energy.  Concentrated plucks of benevolence buttress the listener toward the end.

 The Honest Bag healing kit is self-described, and this tape is always prepared to resuscitate the day.  Unequivocally, one of the best tapes of 2013.  Currently, this cassette is unavailable.  However, Tomentosa rewards those who continually refresh their browser.  With artwork by Drew Taylor and layout by Jamie Ryan Downey, Terrapin has already released two of my favorite tapes this year.  Not much information, but they do have a presence on facebook.  

peace and love, friends :)

thanks to maplecreekjunction for the good vibe

Adderall Canyonly - Between The Rays Lies Fear, But Also Joy (JEHU010)

nug explorer! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

  Possessing an apt title, this music represents a cosmic voyage of ideas and sound.  The lovely dark ambient synth tracks by Adderall Canyonly elevate one to the ether, where a gripping journey manifests; an aural postcard from space.  For the deep listener, there is an absorbing sonic story which unfolds.  With each iteration, I am very impressed by the well-developed tracks.  Overall, we're in the presence of an ingenious artist and synth player who exhibits an acute sense of space, tempo, mood, and the time in which to add an element to a track.  It's my fault for not having Adderall Canyonly's stuff on here earlier. Between The Rays Lies Fear, But Also Joy - by Adderall Canyonly and released on Jehu and Chinaman - has been perpetually spinning in my tape deck.  This is a mix of far out experimental electronic nuggets that occupy a broad swath of the sonic spectrum.  Sometimes the music ascends quickly and acts as a vehicle to pierce the zenith; at other times, however, a soporific deep space haze consumes the listener.

 The first track radiates brightly from its exalted position in the cosmos, embracing your soul with each pulsation.  The ascent is quick, as a shimmering soundscape unfolds. Prodigious ruptures of energy abut vacillating chords - the listener can feel the percolating reverberations. In the next track, a different tempo exists. Sustained tones meander among alternating rhythms - heady, ritualistic vibrations!  Soon, one can barely perceive anything, as we begin drift pleasantly in a more sparse environment.  In the next track, notes glisten and the ripples exude peaceful energy.  The closer on side A is among the best. The hypnotic synth careens, emitting eastern vibrations.  As the seconds pass, the music descends to a lower strata where voluminous tones and various signals exist.  Unabated action on the flip, as we continue in style.  Fuzzy, resonant chords and a minimal layer of tranquil sound combine with nascent rhythms.  There is an uplifting vibe to this track, which is partly due to the nice coalescence of rich layers of sound.  For one thing, the sonic repertoire of the artist has tremendous depth.  Next, languorous synth drifts tortuously through the head.  Elongated tones coast unflappably through the labyrinth.  The intriguing change in tempo and mood in the third track on side B lead to the final track, a lovely sonic conduit back to earth.

I need to find more of these tapes. Highly recommended, this one sits in trichome heaven.  With artwork from Adderall Canyonly and released in a limited edition of 40 cassettes, secure Between The Rays Lies Fear, But Also Joy directly from Jehu and Chinaman.

peace and love, friends :)

Black Thread - Fragrant Hoof Carvings (Turmeric Magnitudes)

elegant and lifted - jams that move at my speed.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Loops of mystical, celestial vibrations, shrouded in heavenly hash oil smoke - thick and viscous - drift in the manner of a hazy dream.  Fragrant Hoof Carvings is a tape by Black Thread on Turmeric Magnitudes. The crystal covered zoners on offer here are buoyant and blown out ambient paeans.  As far as aural energy is concerned, this tape possesses a copious quantity.

Ambient minimalism initiates the trip as tones quiver in the enveloping hiss.  Already, there is a lovely exhibition of contrasting tones - reverberating, drifting, quivering.  Combined with the opaque aural environment, it endows serene vibrations upon the listener.  Elevated, yet elegiac, the first track is a harbinger.  On the flip, blissful loops radiate brightly, almost blinding.  Solemn tones and oscillations meander in the haze. Tranquil loops waffle in the blurred light, dissolving in the luminous waves. Gusts of vigorous tapes hiss and profoundly resonant tones lift the listener to a welcoming environment.    

This nug is highly recommended.  And, we're fortunate that a bunch of Black Thread tapes are available.  Hand-dubbed and accompanied by a photocopied stock insert, I obtained my copy at Tomentosa, though it is sold out.  Copies appear to be available directly from Turmeric Magnitudes.  

peace and love, friends :)

Xanthocephalus - sp. (TQ45)

  Morning Wood and sp. make good friends.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Xanthocephalus, the intensely resonant experimental project of Russ Alderson, hovers with the menacing ferocity of a sonic zeppelin at moments, disquiet creeping from the periphery and threatening to consume the listener.  In other instances, sparse soundscapes reverberate through the head.  Enthralling and hypnotic for one hour, Russ utilizes treated bass guitar to create considered compositions that adeptly combine drone, noise, field recordings and improvisation.  A careful listen will reveal a profound interest in textures and layers of sound, each with specific properties.  There are myriad instances on sp., released on Tranquility Tapes, of Russ's keen ability to integrate sparse sound; dense drones; and discordant noise and feedback that razes the listener's head.  Overall, we're talking about a tape with an incredible amount of sonic depth that is difficult to capture in words - something that must be experienced.

'The Pelican Continues' exhibits wonderful qualities of this artist.  The tape commences with sparse field recordings of bird calls and a variety of sounds that slowly permeate the listener.  This track features an intriguing progression.  After occasional bursts of feedback and scraped strings, around 10 minutes into the track, low end rumble abuts frenetic, vacillating chords.  The latter possesses the quality of sounding somewhat removed.   Energy pulses and captivates the listener as the track transitions into a atmosphere of static-laced noise that whirls in the presence of a barely perceptible drone.  The second track on side A furtively approaches the listener, shards of feedback begetting layers of dense noise that constantly reverberates among field recordings.  The intensity of the track shifts to ear-rattling feedback and enveloping noise.  Sustained, voluminous tones briefly appear, and, as the noise abates, an amalgamation of reverberations and oscillations move to the fore along with swirling currents.  Gorgeous drone, deep and resonant, radiates through the listener's body as the flipside comes into being.  It shifts, moving closer, then departs to the sonic abyss, only to return with mutant energy.  An inchoate, pulsating beam of energy juxtaposes the drone.  Blasts of static covered noise writhe uneasily in the muck.  Scraped strings grate and bird calls echo next to opaque tones that billow and eventually dissipate.  Toward the end of the track,  apprehension grips the listener as a static mass of noise eviscerates all in its path.  'Air Boat', the final track, beautifully juxtaposes a deluge of scraped strings to oscillating drone. The noise shifts and frays when a loop of metallic coated sound heaves into consciousness.  When the torrent abates, there is a lovely release of tension.

Pro-dubbed and featuring the artwork of Caroline Teagle, secure one of the last copies of sp. at Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)

XANTHOCEPHALUS - Airboat from Moduli TV on Vimeo.

Grouper - The Man Who Died In His Boat (Krank177)

 the head healer.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Grouper, the radiant electric-acoustic/drone project of Liz Harris, makes the move to Kranky for this set of unreleased tracks.  Recorded alongside the sublime Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, these tracks have the feel of those sessions.  Thus, it contains moments of opaque, hazy beauty to which fans of Grouper are accustomed. Possessing an outstanding discography, I consider the majority of the releases necessary listening.  Often I refer to Grouper as the 'Head Healer' due to the capacity of her voice to assuage ills and lift one from malaise.  Perpetually, I could write about Grouper's singular style and effective use of reverb and tape delay that permeate the waiting soul of the listener.  Yet, it's Liz's voice that provides the serene vibrations, leading one to the gateway of the heavens.  Mellifluous and opaque, accompanied by lovely reverberating keys and strummed guitar, her art possesses an omnipresence that hovers like the azure sky on a tranquil day.

As with any of Grouper's releases, The Man Who Died In His Boat is highly recommended.  Already, it has been pressed numerous times.  Secure one of the remaining copies through Kranky.

peace and love, friends :)

Mendocino - Ray's Chapel(Old Man Tapes #1); Dig a Hole (Old Man Tapes #4)

wake and bake, sans the shake.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

While performing some research for this review, I did a Google search for Old Man Tapes, and, just as well, it could have been a search for Al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine, haha.  The search yielded a sordid amalgamation of elderly porn links. Oh well, just another notch on the Honest Bag NSA belt.  There's a dearth of information on Mendocino, and, the micro-label on which these tapes appear, Old Man Tapes - operating out of Asheville, NC.  Yet, put those thoughts on hold and let this notion sink into your head:   this is the sound of friendship blossoming toward exalted realms- because that's where these kief-coated blazers travel. According to the information on Tomentosa's site, these jam sessions document weekly recordings by a group of friends.  If you have experienced the raw, communal feel of basement/house jam sessions - either as a participant or observer - then maybe you can identify with the sacred aura emitted by the times.  Ray's Chapel and Dig a Hole radiate stoned vibrations for the heads crowd.  The path these guys travel is sure to tickle the trichomes on your nug.  They touch on some beautiful sounds over these two tapes that will interest admirers of krautrock, early Sunburned, German Oak, and Sylvester Anfang ii.  Regardless of the references, these cats blaze their own path.  There's so much occurring over these two tapes. The mix of heavy lo-fi psych tempered by ceremonial vibrations on offer here is hard to exceed. The voluminous, drugged feel of these sessions is perfect listening at anytime of the day.

Given that Ray's Chapel is nearly unavailable, the following refers to Dig a Hole.  Immediately, Mendocino gets the listener lifted with serene vibrations the seem to echo interminably - Golden Roadies unite!  Percussion and reverberating strings gently hover.  In the next track, a lo-fi nug billows and then is fleshed out as they hit the groove with chugging guitars.  They touch the zenith with an unabated sonic assault.  Next crunchy chords approach the red, coursing with mutant energy; mayhem follows. On the flip, the aura of mindfulness shines brightly as a wind instrument, vocal incantations and tribal rhythms prepare the listener for the ensuing psych mayhem.  A successive flow of beats leads to heavy psych/space rock as writhing guitars, synth and percussion provide a veil to muffled vocals.  Dig a Hole finishes with a section of dreamy guitars, which leads to a final track.

Coming across this tape is analogous to picking up a bag of frosty nugs - they tend to disappear quickly. Get your dank goodness at Tomentosa.  Also, a copy of Ray's Chapel is available on Discogs.

peace and love, friends :)      

Brogan Bentley - Moments EP (RC73)

summertime zoners!  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Most likely, you know the feeling or at least an approximation of it.  The boss is droning on about the importance of customer service, shareholder wealth, year-over-year deficiencies, and worst of all, the future.  There's not much of a future in being a human doormat and catering to the whims of the consumer class.  Somewhere in that welter of bullshit, my mind drifts to more pleasant thoughts.  You see, I've been lighting up the sky with these tasty trichome-covered electronic jams from Brogan Bentley.  Each night, I return home beaten from the frenetic pace of modern day society, only to find solace and renewed vitality in the Moments EP, released by one of the best around, Rotifer Cassettes.  Moments, the second release from Brogan Bentley, has many positive facets.  For an EP, there is a nice amount of variety in the sonic structure and rhythms.  It's a wonderful amalgamation of warm, experimental music featuring myriad beats, and, at moments, ambient pop.  Overall, the mood is uplifting, though there are some lovely introspective moments that feature breathy vocals.

Brogan Bentley immediately brings the listener up to speed as breezy, uplifting sound is supported by periodic low ends and beats.  Occasionally, the Zawinul-like synth flourishes, ascending toward the sky in the manner of a helix.  Soon, the tempo increases with a quick succession of beats. Track 2 on side A continues on the path with dreamy electronics that vacillate.  Initially, a drone is tethered to the fluctuating soundscape, yet dissolves into the bliss of airy vocals and rhythms that are slightly removed.  Track 3 has a different feel than the first two.  Opaque synth combines with quickly shifting beats.  Gentle vocals appear in the middle of the track.  Later, reverberating synth is layered with fuzzy electronics.  'Soul Dance' starts of the flip in style as lovely patterns of synth coalesce with minimal rhythms that quickly change.  The slow tempo of the rhythms endows the track with a hypnotic, dazed feel.  As the track moves toward the end, synth pulsates gently on the periphery.  'What More' is an excellent track that displays the artist's impressive repertoire.  Soporific, yet acute, electronics and an array of rhythms combine with introspective vocals.  Cascading and cosmic synth sits comfortably behind treated vocals.  Shimmering electronics are added to nice effect at the end.  'Long' closes out the EP. Gauzy, voluminous sound billows among crisp beats.  Vocals echo into the night sky as a multitude of beats are tethered to ambient clouds.

More top shelf nugs from Rotifer to augment your day!  Featuring artwork from Casual Sniper/Silent Thunder and professionally duplicated on type II chrome cassettes, Moments may be purchased directly from Rotifer.

  peace and love, friends :)