sativa sweetness for your encounter with this lovely environment. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)
The tape scene seems to provide many lessons. And, last week I unfortunately learned a harsh one: if you wait on a tape that you would like to purchase, then don't be surprised to find that it is sold out or out of print. However, through the Cooper Cult Bandcamp site, I was fortunate to be introduced to Birds of Passage, the project of extremely talented artist, Alicia Merz. Brave Man with a Sword b/w In Heaven is a limited cassingle released on Cooper Cult, which was sold out quickly. From chatter on Facebook, it seems a 7" reissue is a possibility.
In the opening track of Brave Man with a Sword b/w In Heaven, the listener is ensconced in a hazy climate of gentle piano that is permeated by distortion and noise. Gradually, the piano becomes veiled by dense clouds of noise, its weathered, fragile notes barely audible in the maelstrom. After the deluge of noise, the piano merely a vestige, Merz's enchanting voice hovers with a ubiquity that makes the listener want to hit replay repeatedly. The second track, 'In Heaven', is an homage to the song performed by The Lady in the Radiator in David Lynch's, Eraserhead. 'In Heaven' is a disquieting, yet beautiful folk track. Merz's haunting, grainy vocals swirl in the dark, sounding removed as if they were hovering uneasily. Soon, her vocals are juxtaposed to solemn, vacillating tones - a string of warbling ellipses that lead to the light. After many listens, it is quite conspicuous that Merz is adept at layering sounds and creating the perfect mood.
Enthralled by these two tracks, I look forward to hearing more from this beautiful artist. Additionally, the same is true for Cooper Cult. This young label has already produced some aural dreams from Listening Mirror; Felicia Atkinson; Brother Sun, Sister Moon; Birds of Passage and others. The releases - the majority of which are sold out at the source - seem to be released in beautiful, handcrafted limited editions. Also, this review was composed from the tracks on Bandcamp. With alacrity, I look forward to purchasing the wonderful art produced by this label. I hope you will join me.
peace and love, friends :)
In the opening track of Brave Man with a Sword b/w In Heaven, the listener is ensconced in a hazy climate of gentle piano that is permeated by distortion and noise. Gradually, the piano becomes veiled by dense clouds of noise, its weathered, fragile notes barely audible in the maelstrom. After the deluge of noise, the piano merely a vestige, Merz's enchanting voice hovers with a ubiquity that makes the listener want to hit replay repeatedly. The second track, 'In Heaven', is an homage to the song performed by The Lady in the Radiator in David Lynch's, Eraserhead. 'In Heaven' is a disquieting, yet beautiful folk track. Merz's haunting, grainy vocals swirl in the dark, sounding removed as if they were hovering uneasily. Soon, her vocals are juxtaposed to solemn, vacillating tones - a string of warbling ellipses that lead to the light. After many listens, it is quite conspicuous that Merz is adept at layering sounds and creating the perfect mood.
Enthralled by these two tracks, I look forward to hearing more from this beautiful artist. Additionally, the same is true for Cooper Cult. This young label has already produced some aural dreams from Listening Mirror; Felicia Atkinson; Brother Sun, Sister Moon; Birds of Passage and others. The releases - the majority of which are sold out at the source - seem to be released in beautiful, handcrafted limited editions. Also, this review was composed from the tracks on Bandcamp. With alacrity, I look forward to purchasing the wonderful art produced by this label. I hope you will join me.
peace and love, friends :)
