Death Rattle - Death Rattle (House of Alchemy 076)

Brutalizer's crystals go up in smoke in the place where bedlam dwells. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

My good buddy from Buffalo ruminates, almost venerably, about the frigid blanket that each winter envelops the denizens of this fine city; the frost covered peaks of homes fighting what seems like interminable bleakness; the icy labyrinthine streets, corridors on which pallid light from above reflects somberly. A tape which fits perfectly in House of Alchemy's discography, the terminal vibrations exuded on Death Rattle would melt the thick ice of desolate winter instantaneously. For some time this Buffalo duo, Jim Abramson and Pat Cain, have been lighting up minds with their highly charged end-game burners. Death Rattle create terror-laced and psychedelic-tinged improvisations. They shake the crystals from your glistening flower and then suffuse the room with an ominous haze; two guys that explore outer zones fervently, working their sound into a frenzy before exploding into infinite luminous particles. 

These guys strike sparks right from the start. Spacey electronics and frenzied drumming pummel one unsuspectingly. Cain works the saxophone hard, coaxing myriad variegated transmissions. The atmosphere could be characterized as lo-fi, sinister and cold. Abramson's presence over the drums is one of the memorable facets of this tape. Rolling disquiet generates a palpable chill as a devouring voice emits expansive terror. The visceral unease felt in the latter stage of track two on side A kept me on edge. Unstable electronics spiral downward; burned out vibrations buzz venomously abutting a depraved voice. A full blown maelstrom awaits on the flip. Cain's sax stretches for the sky among withering energy comprised of percussion and deranged utterances. The climax smolders brightly. Were you to ask about a recommendation, I would reply: Cain and Abramson imbue this cassette with primal intensity, awash in mystery, oddity, trepidation, wonder and ritual. Whether billowing a dense, dark apprehension or traversing the dreary, dank catacombs, Death Rattle does not abate until the last faint gargle. Are you lifted yet?

Death Rattle shakes with feral intensity perched atop House of Alchemy's crystal covered steeple. Produced in an edition of 100, Death Rattle may be purchased directly from House of Alchemy.

peace and love, friends :)

Chapels - But I Was Never Much Good (House of Alchemy 072)

House of Alchemy tapes make Bubba's trichomes shimmer with excitement. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

One of my favorite things to do upon receiving a batch of House of Alchemy tapes is to go right for the gold - Chapels. Chapels is tantamount to a sweet trichome-covered nug in the bag that leaves a lovely fragrance wafting through the house. Throughout the duration of a recording, these tapes exhibit a propensity to envelop. Studying these sounds in the present moment is an enriching experience. In the realm of experimental tape labels, few compare to the venerable and prolific House of Alchemy. When I listen to Chapels, I often find myself thinking of another talented artist who permeates my head similarly, Josh Mason. That comparison may bewilder some.While their craft manifests differently, both are notable for providing a minimal and encompassing experience. Drilling down more deeply, it is about exploring sound, and sometimes its relationship with the environment. Chapels' discography explores myriad moods and vibrations, ranging from foreboding; ominous; dark; vibrant; voluminous; introspective; hopeful; austere - the human experience. Label proprietor, and Chapels main man, Adam Richards, utilizes a phalanx of instruments in his recordings, as well as on the latest release, But I was Never Much Good. Each side is comprised of obscured and hazy collages, which yield thick, sustained and opaque ambient vibrations.

Blotches of corroded keys surge and modulate. Loops hang tenuously on a blighted synapse - music for introspection. Shortly, abundant layers of modulating, hazy energy coalesce. Becoming more concentrated, the sound moves to the fore until the flickering energy is exhausted. Soon objects resonate, which culminates in a churning wall of noise. Side A ends with a poignant sample. As the flip gets going, scrambled field recordings and rolling minimal noise graduate into a stream of high pitched whirling noise. Swirling energetically in the silent night, blurred tangential signals float ominously through clouds. Ghastly utterances struggle to communicate in the murky hiss - lovely!

But I was Never Much Good may be purchased directly from House of Alchemy or through Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)

Jailbird - S/T (House of Alchemy 066)

dank dread never felt so good.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

  Jailbird flew the coop to disseminate these dank drones that furtively unfurl to reveal its sinister purpose.   The self-titled tape, released on House of Alchemy, is a collaboration between Husere Grav and Wm. Berger.  Just knowing that this is a project of Husere Grav, who made a fine contribution to the Stunned discography, is enough to excite one about the sonic possibilities on offer.  Brooding and ominous, Jailbird exists all around you.  Yet, no one is certain of the precise location.  You see, it exists in the thick tape hiss; the blazing, resonating drones; the oscillating haze; the passing seconds and the dubious future.  On side A, a slow moving drone expands to envelop all denizens in its path.  Before it slightly morphs, a static, virulent drone inculcates a sense of dread in the listener.  Shortly, opaque tones squirm within the slowly moving mass.  Periodic bursts of frayed synth and barely audible plodding tones portentously come into being near the end.  The flip exhibits a different character, as charged layers of sound modulate and resonate - vigorous tones that flare, dissipate and resurrect.  Vibrant and unconstrained, it is soon consumed by an amorphous, yet expansive body of sound.

The pernicious artwork alone made the trichomes and hairs on my nug quiver.  Released in an edition of 100, it is part of the recent batch that includes an awesome tape from Sheldon Siegel, Three Euro Breakfast.  Secure your copy of Jailbird directly from House of Alchemy.

peace and love, friends :)  .