Imperial Topaz - Full of Grace (TQ56)

Shining more brightly than ever! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Full of Grace is the 'nova' release for New York-based synth duo, Imperial Topaz. Featuring Caroline Teagle and Zachary Zierden, Imperial Topaz' adept use of electronics coupled with varied rhythms - and Teagle's moving, nuanced voice- result in evocative, poignant tracks. With two previous releases - one of which is a split with Motion Sickness of Time Travel - Full of Grace ascends from the strides made on the MSOTT split and emits shimmering golden, yellow rays of energy. Teagle's affecting voice and breathy vocals, which featured prominently on the split, suffuse the atmosphere. Bleary synth and crystalline vibrations are provided more room to develop on the vinyl release. Icey, melancholic melodies comprised of variegated textures and enervated beats establish a dreamy, somewhat torpid, tempo for the majority of both sides. Yet, Teagle's beautiful vocals melt the icicles, imbuing the tracks with a degree of warmth.

The ominously titled intro, "Death Drift", is surprisingly idyllic - one of the most peaceful tracks on the album. Shimmering synth floats gently as droplets of electricity twinkle. A stream of buoyant energy occasionally overcomes everything, only to subsequently subside. Drum machines pulsate and throb next to Teagle's light and airy voice in the following track, "Juarez". Mysterious, contemplative synth exudes dark waves. "Moonlit Mind" sprinkles the kosmische crystals over crisp rhythms. Teagle's breathy vocals are joined by electric buzz and textures that one might associate with an organ. I love the energy of the final track on side A, "White Car". Infectious, driving rhythms abut Teagle's mellifluous voice. As it careens in one instance, her voice gently rises and falls in the next. Deliberate tones seem to echo for infinity and lightly touch the listener's consciousness. The title track starts off the flipside. Tranquil passages of synth float easily, while deep beats and stuttering drum machines provide the backdrop to Teagle's ethereal voice. Their use of texture is salient in the subsequent track, "Follow". Pace is integral to conveying the vibe in the next track, "The Soul Still Burns". Effervescent synth races through a labyrinth and is followed closely by bouncy tones. The synth and electronics dart furtively and bubble with excitement. Everything leads to the beautiful closer, "Wet Sand". Pensive, voluminous tones burst; their particles dissipating as they descend from the sky. Bleary synth ruminates while Teagle's voice hovers and sprays like a fine mist.        

Tranquility's first vinyl release is excellent. If you enjoyed the two tracks on the split with MSOTT, then I highly recommend securing a copy. Pressed on sturdy black vinyl, Caroline Teagle's artwork aligns nicely with the mood and feel of the album. Full of Grace may be purchased directly from Tranquility Tapes.

peace and love, friends :)

Various Artists - Duets II (TQ51)

experimental duo exchanges - two nugs of luv!  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

In these homely environs, we live for duos.  Whether they are of the sun-baked variety - MV & EE - or something in the experimental realm - Quiet Evenings - the releases provide an opportunity to experience facets of an artist not readily apparent from other projects.  Duets II, the subsequent release to the highly acclaimed Duets tape from last year, brings the good vibe from some of the most innovative duos in contemporary experimental music. With their focus on collaboration, Tranquility Tapes has once again bestowed a tape of heavy hitters.  Just a passing glance at the list of artists on the j-card should make one excited:  Dozens, Urkas, Nite Lite, and Coyote Image Revisted to new a few.  Therefore, not only is this tape comprised of duos - it presents a radiating spectrum within experimental music. Tabs Out posted an excellent article on the Duets II, which features the roster of artists and some words from Tranquility proprietor, Franklin Teagle - recommended reading.  Below are a few of my favorite tracks from the tape.   

The exciting ascent commences with Dozens, the guitar and synth combo of Francesco De Gallo and Ryan Connolly.  We blast off into a warm environment full of spacey, serene tones and trance-inducing rhythms.  One of my favorites on Duets II is from Cream Juice, the duo of Keith Rankin and Seth Graham.  Cream Juice emits a deluge of shapes and sounds which move at supersonic velocity.  The frenzied synths - not frenetic - are warm and vibrant.  After descending from such a great height, there's nothing quite like the minimal deep space vibes from Roped Off, the team of Mike Haley and Dave Doyen.  Once you reach their stratum, they blow glass in space from which a sonic hallucinogen tricks forth and penetrates each pore.  Ominous and consuming, this track contains some heavy visceral vibes.  Another family fave closes off side A.  Perspectives, the duo of Kyle Conklin and Josh Tippery - the latter recently released an excellent tape on Worn Habit with Mike Pouw - create music that seizes the listener via a combination of ambient waves and prescient, haunting drones.  Urkas, the duo of Russ Alderson and Mike Griffin, take the tape to another level with a mind-blowing track.  Surges of reverberating waves and resonant walls of sound are key elements in the beginning.  Once the components merge, all one can do is sit in the slipstream with the bird calls - awesome track!  The ultimate in electronic duo exchanges for me is the duo of Grant and Rachel Evans.  Regardless of the project, their experiments with texture and tone are unrivaled.  The track which they contribute manifests with the gentleness and calmness of the morning sun.  Gauzy loops billow lightly - a luminous eternal light shining steadfastly in the sonic breeze.                       

   

Featuring designs by Caroline Teagle and produced in an edition of 150 cassettes, Duets II may be purchased directly from Tranquility Tapes.

peace and love, friends :)

Tranquility Tapes presents DUETS II from Moduli TV on Vimeo.

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.