Hellvete / Jake Blanchard - Split Cassette (Torcas006)

purps and drones. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Even before proceeding to the music, the artwork is among the best that I have witnessed this year. For those of you unfamiliar with the artwork and designs of Jake Blanchard - proprietor of Tor Press - I highly recommend perusing his personal webpage. Jake is responsible for the artwork on Mike Gangloff's Popular Hollow release as well as Pelt's Effigy among other releases. The artwork kind of corresponds to the disquiet-instilled drones that characterize the first part of 'Due Penance' - omnipresent vibrations. The split cassette featuring Hellvete - Glen Steenkiste - and Jake Blanchard, on Tor Press, exhibits fine attributes of each artist while also highlighting facets not yet heard in their repertoire.

 Hellvete's tranquil passages of cascading sonic light - 'Haardstaar VII' - on side A balances the palpable anguish and dread that ominously permeates the listener wave after wave in side B's 'Due Penance'. Hellvete's side is comprised of three distinct tracks. The opening track, 'Winterwind', is comprised of minimal drone and percussion. Near the middle, a transition occurs in which the listener is infused with concentrated reverberating energy. Delicate notes echo through the soul towards the end. 'Haardstaar VII' is the radiant sonic constellation that shimmers in the head of the listener. To trace these layered undulating waves with the breath is an exercise in awareness. Sustained drones garner energy and subtly shift prior to returning to its original state. Glen ends side A with delicately plucked banjo and percussion. Jake's music on the flipside fills me with alacrity regarding future releases. After listening to this side many times, I get the feeling that Jake's two releases from 2013 are only the beginning. The first track, 'Call Forth', is quite lovely and different from the foreboding and stellar Archaic Practices. Buoyant and dusty strings are contained within a passage of opaque ambient sound that shifts throughout the duration. The aforementioned 'Due Penance' is the final track on Jake's side. After the first section, there is a perceptible shift as the drones become more intense until reaching its apex and descending. The track turns plaintive and hazy toward the end.  

If you're into splits or the these artists, then this tape will fit nicely in your collection. Released in a limited edition of 75 pro-dubbed tapes, the last few copies are available directly from Tor Press or through Norman Records.  

peace and love, friends :)

Vales - Boreal Head Trip (Skell 015)

pure cannabis indica and Vales gonna scorch that earth! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

 My index finger trembles in anticipation as it approaches the play button. You see, the Overman in this realm manifests as guttural energy that explodes in the barren sky and descends ominously on the quivering listener. This nug has it all for the noise heads in the population. Tones with fangs that split at the seams and douse one in an array of textures. Sometimes it penetrates with acute precision - strident and uncompromising. At other times, the tape is a bubbling morass which oozes preternatural energy. As one tries to find their footing, sonic shrapnel besets the listener. With the tape rolling and consuming vibrations unceasing, it must be fate. I spilled a drop of hash oil on my pants upon being bludgeoned by these next-level apocalyptic tremors and vibrations. The viscous, sticky substance is now ingrained in the fibers of my pants - it's never going to be removed; and the same can be said for the effect on my head of Vales' - the project of Dave Doyen - modular opus on Skell Records, titled Boreal Head Trip. Doyen proceeds in surgical fashion, ripping one's head wide open and unleashing the type of aural therapy that we thrive on here at Honest Bag. Yet, while the scalpel is covered in trichomes, in the other hand resides a conductors baton. Doyen is keenly perceptive, and the attentive listener will come to quickly appreciate the manner in which the passages that comprise each side develop.  

Are you ripped and ready? The deluge beckons. Released in an edition of 100 pro-dubbed tapes, Boreal Head Trip may be purchased directly from Skell Records.

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 :)

Gaël Moissonnier - Live at Knot Gallery (ORL15)

 psychotropic modular vibrations for your head. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Usually, I do not post out of print releases that are unavailable to purchase. However, Gaël Moissonnier's performance at Knot Gallery in early 2013 - released on Orila Records of Greece - is the type of electronic music that is vivid, distinctive, kaleidoscopic, and psychedelically unpredictable. An experimental artist from France, Gaël Moissonnier utilizes analog modular synthesizer, field recordings and tapes in his music. Psychoactive, variegated layers are coated by thick and noisy processed field recordings. The deluge is frenetic and dazzling. Surging with enigmatic energy, it orbits the head at unfathomable velocity.  

Sold out at the source, a copy is available through a discogs seller with the same name as Gaël's label, Zerojardins. Additionally, the performance in its entirety is still available for your listening pleasure at Orila.

peace and love, friends :)

thanks to zimbra for the good vibe

Holly Waxwing - Goldleaf Acrobatics (NL002)

here comes the sunshine! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Goldleaf Acrobatics by Holly Waxwing is akin to the occurrence of a sun strobe. The listener, arms open and torso stretched, presses play and receives abundant beams of mellow, ethereal vibrations from the source. Pure grip it and rip action here on one of my favorite labels of 2013, Noumenal Loom. With joints blazing and the sun reflector handy, I could absorb Holly's dank, slow-rising waves and chilled beats that occur on 'Goloboie (feat. Pug)' all day - an endorphin that disseminates the lifted love craved so much by this blog. The crystal-covered collages in this c50, which repeat on side b, are varied with no one musical realm dominating.

 These sample-based instrumentals party under a stylistic tent that's as expansive as clouds of hash oil smoke - jazz, hip-hop, R&B, ambient/experimental among others. With Holly's aura at its highest point in the sky, my scrambled head transitions to the fluttering, playful sonics of 'Dolphinpods'. Nascent and warm, it moves in and out of focus, begetting a pleasantly disorienting feel. The slightly shrouded tropical/Brasilian pop vibe at the end seals the deal. 'Silktails for Isabel' is smooth and buoyant. Meanwhile, 'Shy Mimosa', is a lifted lullaby beamed from utopia. If I ever have a kid, the sweet vibes here will be required listening prior to bedtime. 'Backspin (feat. Isleapple)' is a nice variation on the first four tracks. Less euphoric than its peers, it later transitions to a cool, mysterious climate - lovely! Next, we return to serene and mellifluous environs via 'Swim Team (w/t Pug). Nigori Springs (feat. Plains and LBTV™) takes one higher than at any point on the tape. 

Another thing about these tapes: they have been prepared for your head with the utmost kindness and care. Each home-dubbed tape in the initial batch of Noumenal Loom features stunning artwork by Brenna Murphy. Released in an edition of 75 cassettes, this tape and the entire batch is sold out at the source. I did read something about a small repress in December, but maybe I was dreaming in the indica haze. In the interim, dig the digital tracks. 

peace and love, friends :)

Bird People / Hering und seine sieben Sachen - Drone Harvest Tour Tape (FCR25)

three things that never let me down (no order): the apothecary; Bird People; and Hering und seine sieben Sachen. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Drone Harvest Tour Tape is the sound of two friends burning a path through the cosmos with a combination of ritual zoners and celestial, abstract soundscapes. The cassette is comprised of tracks by Ulrich Rois (Bird People, Feathered Coyote Records) and Daniel Voigt (Hering und seine sieben Sachen, Sicsic Tapes). Recorded in July of 2013, Drone Harvest Tour Tape was created to channel the spirits of the tour, which occurred from August 30 to September 9. Once your head is enlightened by the varied experimental psych of Bird People, Hering und seine sieben Sachen programs the spacecraft to a dimension yet explored.

Undulating waves place one in a trichome trance. Ethereal vibrations flutter in the haze, as Bird People's side commences. One drifts in concord with the mesmerizing energy that moves dreamily. A few minutes in, a solemn drone abuts vacillating currents. Bird People guides the listener through some deep zones in this track. Later, electronics twinkle near prodigious constellations. The next track exemplifies the reason that I fill my head with Bird People tapes whenever possible. Sustained piano notes permeate the listener with ease. Trembling with awesome energy, yet pure as the morning light, it ripples faithfully through the soul. I like to bring in the day with these vibrations. The second track is a minimal masterpiece that is ubiquitous in the heart and head. It's at this moment in the recording that I usually utter, "These Bird People tapes are among the best I've listened to all year." Each tape presents a new sonic experience, once which is vibrant, and glistens in the stereo field - visceral and intimate. The Sloow tape, though it has yet to be reviewed here is something to which I meditate. Side A of that tape, Water Buffalo, has few peers in this realm. Track two drifts into the third, 'Motel Oblivion'. Locked in, we float on a carpet compromised of cosmic drone and tranquil vibrations - Miles in the Sky!

Hering und seine sieben Sachen's side begins with the appropriately titled, 'Lights at Distance'. Spacey and ominous oscillations and foreboding drone swirl. Solemn in sections, it evolves with a lovely synth section occasionally intersected by disintegrating currents. Later, the track is fleshed out by more layers of resonant electronics - lovely! Towards the end, it displays a dynamic character. The second track contains an enigmatic sequence of notes that rumbles, beeps, and buzzes frenetically. Shortly, the components merge into a stream of luminous energy. Near the end, random signals bounce effervescently. In the last track, sparse figures are scattered below as the aerial tramway glides over the empty city corridors. It begins with a loop and fluctuations that move randomly. Soon, layers of synth float pleasantly, as the fluctuations become more vigorous until tapering towards the end of the track.

This review refers to the cassette on Feathered Coyote Records, which also appears in the latest Siscic batch. Home-dubbed in an edition of 50 blue tapes, the excellent artwork is credited to Ronnie Oliveras. Drone Harvest Tour Tape may be purchased directly from Feathered Coyote. The Sicsic version of 50 black tapes may be purchased directly from the Sicsic site.
    

peace and love, friends :)

Suzuki Junzo - Sings II (MVD5921LP)

sweet nugs of heaven is this good! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Sings II, from Japanese psych guitarist Suzuki Junzo - Overhang Party, Miminokoto, 20 Guilders - on Nod and Smile Records, is an lp that I pull from my top shelf daily. Lustrous in the light as it revolves on the platter, once the needle drops the harvest instantly commences. Upon listening to it for the first time, Sings II emitted a beautiful, poignant and multifaceted vibe. It infused my room with an intriguing amalgamation of folk, blues, drone, american primitivism, and some fuzzed out shredding. This latest album from Junzo - not to be confused with the more guitar-centric album concurrently released on Utech, Portrait of Madeleine Elster - is song based; Junzo is joined on Sings II by Acid Mothers Temple guitarist, Kawabata Makoto; and LSD March/Kousokuya and ex Fushitsusha drummer, Takahashi Ikuro. Returning to the aforementioned harvest, Junzo bestows an array of tasty nugs to the listener's waiting head. There are myriad moments suffused on this lp that will please admirers of Robbie Basho, Jandek, Charalambides and Jim O'Rourke among others.

 Side A begins with 'In the Eyes of Naze', which features rasping vocals and acoustic guitar that flickers. One of my favorites immediately follows, 'Midsummer's End', in which passages of crystalline finger-picked acoustic guitar and bluesy electric guitar are coupled with Junzo's affecting singing. One of the most attractive attributes of the record concerns Junzo's singing style, which is varied throughout. One feels the earth's plates shift upon Kawabata Makoto's fuzz guitar erupting in the next track, 'Eclipse IV'. Junzo's bleary, ringing guitar and captivating, soaring voice provide an apt companion to Makoto's blazing guitar. Languid blues covered in reverb are fleshed out by percussion and drums in the penultimate track on side A, 'Crying Out Double Suicide Blues'. Junzo's breathy vocals fit congruently to the hazy droning guitar.

 Initially, it almost felt tangential, but the punk rock vibe and change of pace in side B opener 'The End of Horizon' exhibits the proficiency of the artist. For me, Sings II is analogous to the rotating earth. As Sings II rotates, the sun illuminates a particular area and something new and beautiful manifests, yet never departs from the album's aura. Directly following, 'A Tree of Night' sees Junzo return to gentle finger-picked guitar and restrained vocals. The longest track on the flipside, 'Chi No Mure', thrives on the lovely juxtaposition of sustained guitar and calm vocals. The guitar in the beginning has a dreamy, almost listless quality. Progressively the sound becomes more intense, sporadically joined by vocal growls. Before too long, the track ascends as a droning wall of sound abuts composed vocals - the quality of the vocals next to the blown out sound is one of my favorite things here. The energy of this track is such that one may perceive that it resonates in the body. Admirers of Steven R. Smith will enjoy this one. Lastly, 'The Man With The Golden Arm' is more minimal than that which precedes it. Breathy, soft vocals and sparse guitar notes emit intimate energy that extends faithfully until exhausted.      

From the top shelf with love, this is highly recommended. Sings II, also available on cd, is released in an edition of 500 copies on black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. It's available for an extremely affordable price from See of Sound.
      

peace and love, friends :)