DSR lines - Venndiagram (SK009)

cosmic synth relief radiating from the Death Star.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Venndiagram is a sonic spectacle that will dazzle the head - a tape full of zoners!  This is the type of music that can make toiling through the day worth it; because at night these sonic explorations glisten from elevated regions.  Just like the title, Venndiagram contains shimmering sonic objects that intersect, modulate, and dissociate - constantly forming new relationships.  In terms of tone, texture, and bringing ideas into the light there are few releases which rival the latest tape from DSR lines on Smeltkop.  DSR lines is the long-running project from Hare Akedod head, David Edren.

Right from the start, blissful layers of synth modulate and then billow; multifaceted sounds appear.  At the apex, they coalesce as a unit comprised of components, always shifting in the cosmic air - excellent track! Near the end, it drops a few levels, drifting lazily into the void.  Aural ellipses dance excitedly on the periphery of heaven, echoing with effervescent energy in the second track.  In the distance, formations of rich, vibrant color flare animatedly.  Side A finishes with a section of peaceful drift.  Tranquil azure waves undulate in the vibrant resonant light.  The flip provides the same entrancing trip.  The first track on side B captivates one immediately.  It contains mysterious, yet lucid streams of sonic energy.  Layers of synth vacillate and are coupled with mesmerizing rhythms.  The ritual-like vibes of the next track manifest as a tranquil drone radiates under a constellation of vibrant synth.        

Kudos to Smeltkop for releasing such a wonderful tape!  This is one of my favorite nugs in the bag - top shelf vibes!  Venndiagram is a tape to which I continually return.  The skill with which these tracks were composed make each listen a wonderful experience.  Which leads me to recommend giving this tape your undivided attention.  It works the other way, too; however, there is much beauty to be harvested from listening actively.  Venndiagram is extremely limited - 60 copies.  Red tapes with white print come in a clear case and are accompanied by a two color screen printed 3 panel J-card, designed by Mathieu Serruys.  The few remaining copies are available directly from Smeltkop.    

peace and love, friends :)

Ecstatic Cosmic Union - XCU - (EID 007)

crystal-covered healing vibrations leave one in a trichome trance.   peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Say your farewells in advance of pressing play.  Once you arrive in the realm where Ecstatic Cosmic Union resides, the heady vibrations may obviate the need to return.  XCU, the latest from this Seattle husband and wife duo on venerable Eiderdown Records, guides you through sparsely populated climates that pulsate with celestial energy.  XCU swirls with interminable buoyancy through the plumes of dank indica haze that envelop the atmosphere.  From these lovely travelers emanate six cosmic lofi zoners comprised of guitar, synths, congas and incantations.  These tracks were endowed with life at the duo's XCU Experiential Research Center - i would like to be a subject!  My hypothesis - you are going to grip this tape and lift-off will soon commence - is such a sure bet that it exists in the right tail region of the normal distribution. With music like this, the only constraints are self-imposed.  Let's ride this heavenly tide until the flame of life becomes enervated.  Some tracks boast an outright cosmic funk style, while others mine the internal structures where outliers exist and the air is thin.  Admirers of cosmic synth, new age, krautrock, J D Emmanuel, Peaking Lights and Sun Araw will be in heaven with these sounds. One of the greatest joys of listening to music is being introduced to something by a friend.  Thus, XCU  has become one of my favorite nugs of the year; something to which i continually return, which highlights and enhances the good vibrations.

XCU billows in your head like a blazing dollop of hash oil - it's not long before it envelops your being.  'Center of Light' illuminates your chakras with new age vibrations.  Heady rhythms consume the head as light passages of synth and a guitar loop bring the breath and the moment into alignment.  It feels so good to close the eyes and revel in these ebullient waves.  The cosmic funk is ubiquitous in the symmetrical  oscillations of 'X=C=U'.  Outer realm synth transmissions dance among uplifting rhythms and fuzz.  If you still feel tethered to the earth, then the next track, '∞ Gratitude', will escort you farther away from the core.  An inward looking jam, it's comprised of reverberating drone and effervescent synth that accelerates across the myriad of synapses.  Fuzzed guitar is sprinkled over the track like fine cosmic dust.  The last track on side A promulgates the type of vibe that makes life worth living.  Wah and fuzz crystals glisten, while breathy incantations and lovely congas float effortlessly through plumes of Bubba.  An incredible side!!  The flip maintains elevation as 'Skarab's Bones' ascends the final tier with reverberating energy and a righteous groove that is joined by various electronics and interspersed guitar.  The frenetic molecules of 'Skarab's Bones' release their copious energy, descending to a stratum - 'Cave Paintings' - where serene reverberations and tranquil passages of synth meet up with the soothsayer.

I'm not reticent to assert that these jams are the real deal - some of the best of the year.  While i'm not reticent, neither am i surprised.  Adam, from Eiderdown, is operating a great label.  He is highly adept at bringing aural and visual elements into balance.  The artwork and design - credited to Ecstatic Cosmic Union and printed by A. Crawshaw for Broken Press - for his tapes are among the most appealing in the tape scene.  A true 'gripper and ripper', obtain a copy of this wonderful tape directly from Eiderdown!

peace and love, friends :)