Saturday, March 14, 2020
Friday, March 13, 2020
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Richard Ramirez + Atrax Morgue - (2020) Yours Eyes On My Hands LP
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Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - (2012) 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Constellation – 081
We are proud to announce the first new recordings by Godspeed You! Black
Emperor in a decade. Featuring two twenty-minute slabs of epic
instrumental rock music and two six-and-a-half minute drones,
‘ALLELUJAH! DON’T BEND! ASCEND! provides soaring, shining proof of the
band’s powerful return to form.
Having emerged from hiatus at the end of 2010, GYBE picked up right where they left off, immediately re-capturing the sound and material that had fallen dormant in 2003 and driving it forward with every show of their extensive touring over the last 18 months. The new album presents the fruits of that labour: evolved and definitive versions of two huge compositions previously known to fans as “Albanian” and “Gamelan”, now properly titled as “MLADIC” and “WE DRIFT LIKE WORRIED FIRE” respectively. Accompanied by the new drones (stitched into the album sequence on CD; cut separately on their own 7″ for the LP version), GYBE have offered up a fifth album that we feel is as absolutely vital, virulent, honest and heavy as anything in their discography.
We don’t have much time for mythology, but we’d be lying if we said the return of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in 2010 didn’t signify a whole lot to us as a marker from which to look back on the past decade, to reflect on what’s been gained or lost within the confines of independent music culture and what’s been gained or lost in the socio-political landscape writ large. Godspeed’s music will do that to you. It is music that bears witness to, channels and transforms this predominantly terrible, infuriating, venal and nihilistically sad story we’re all living, sharing, resisting, protesting, deconstructing and trying to change for the better. We think GYBE has once again provided a uniquely moving and compelling soundtrack for these acts of analysis, defiance and ascension.
Having emerged from hiatus at the end of 2010, GYBE picked up right where they left off, immediately re-capturing the sound and material that had fallen dormant in 2003 and driving it forward with every show of their extensive touring over the last 18 months. The new album presents the fruits of that labour: evolved and definitive versions of two huge compositions previously known to fans as “Albanian” and “Gamelan”, now properly titled as “MLADIC” and “WE DRIFT LIKE WORRIED FIRE” respectively. Accompanied by the new drones (stitched into the album sequence on CD; cut separately on their own 7″ for the LP version), GYBE have offered up a fifth album that we feel is as absolutely vital, virulent, honest and heavy as anything in their discography.
We don’t have much time for mythology, but we’d be lying if we said the return of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in 2010 didn’t signify a whole lot to us as a marker from which to look back on the past decade, to reflect on what’s been gained or lost within the confines of independent music culture and what’s been gained or lost in the socio-political landscape writ large. Godspeed’s music will do that to you. It is music that bears witness to, channels and transforms this predominantly terrible, infuriating, venal and nihilistically sad story we’re all living, sharing, resisting, protesting, deconstructing and trying to change for the better. We think GYBE has once again provided a uniquely moving and compelling soundtrack for these acts of analysis, defiance and ascension.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - (2015) Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
Constellation – 111
When Godspeed You! Black Emperor released their debut full-length,
1997’s F♯ A♯ ∞, they burned down the walls separating heaven, purgatory,
and hell in the wake of apocalypse. It only took 38 minutes. The
album’s championing moment, and maybe the band’s best opening sequence
to date, comes in the form of “The Dead Flag Blues”, a deadpan soliloquy
about a man’s skepticism of the government and the decline of modern
civilization. Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress is Godspeed’s first
single LP-length release since then, and as a nearly 20-year gap would
suggest, the two records stand at opposite ends of the emotional
spectrum. F♯ A♯ ∞ weeps violently. Asunder smiles faintly.
For Godspeed diehards, Asunder is nothing new.
The band used to play the whole thing live under the working title “Behemoth” and trimmed what little fat there was for the studio version. That means their eschatology has moved from field recordings to doom drone. There’s no war veteran babbling or ARCO AM/PM greeting here. Godspeed has gone the Hemingway route; there are fewer subsections, but the ones that made the cut are tougher. Asunder is polemical in its trudge, drawing out notes the way a politician pauses between words to emphasize their meaning. As with 2012’s Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, Godspeed pulls it off.
On Asunder, we inch closer to the final renovation of the universe. In the past, Godspeed outlined the end of the world as if it were a fiery consumption engulfing all we knew, so vicious and hopeless that it was best imagined in black and white. Asunder sounds more akin to the Zoroastrian doctrine. Recorded during late 2013 and 2014, it’s a dramatic look at evil once again being destroyed — or perhaps as the one doing the destroying. Slowly, layers peel off and burn, but as they do, the distress of destruction becomes unrecognizable from the relief of peace. It’s there in the album art: The front cover shows sheep grazing in the shadows, unaware of anything more than that moment, and the back sees scratched vermilion American dawn dahlias, like a beloved photo drawn out of storage.
“Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’” is a bleak rumination on catharsis via the acceptance of devastation. This winter saw record-breaking snowfall. Even on the first day of spring, it snowed all along the East Coast. The world is caving in on itself slowly, gently, with irony and ambivalence. “Peasantry” mirrors that with its opening drums and microtonal divergences that slap back and forth with gutting, titanic force. It’s the sound of nature retaliating, burying us under its might while we sit at our bedroom windows, noses pressed against the glass. Once “Lambs’ Breath” follows, we’re flat in that field, letting tinny drone and tugged strings that recall Earth ease the buzzing in our heads. Godspeed has no antidotes for the modern day. This is the soundtrack of decline and the beauty of collapse.
For Godspeed diehards, Asunder is nothing new.
The band used to play the whole thing live under the working title “Behemoth” and trimmed what little fat there was for the studio version. That means their eschatology has moved from field recordings to doom drone. There’s no war veteran babbling or ARCO AM/PM greeting here. Godspeed has gone the Hemingway route; there are fewer subsections, but the ones that made the cut are tougher. Asunder is polemical in its trudge, drawing out notes the way a politician pauses between words to emphasize their meaning. As with 2012’s Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, Godspeed pulls it off.
On Asunder, we inch closer to the final renovation of the universe. In the past, Godspeed outlined the end of the world as if it were a fiery consumption engulfing all we knew, so vicious and hopeless that it was best imagined in black and white. Asunder sounds more akin to the Zoroastrian doctrine. Recorded during late 2013 and 2014, it’s a dramatic look at evil once again being destroyed — or perhaps as the one doing the destroying. Slowly, layers peel off and burn, but as they do, the distress of destruction becomes unrecognizable from the relief of peace. It’s there in the album art: The front cover shows sheep grazing in the shadows, unaware of anything more than that moment, and the back sees scratched vermilion American dawn dahlias, like a beloved photo drawn out of storage.
“Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’” is a bleak rumination on catharsis via the acceptance of devastation. This winter saw record-breaking snowfall. Even on the first day of spring, it snowed all along the East Coast. The world is caving in on itself slowly, gently, with irony and ambivalence. “Peasantry” mirrors that with its opening drums and microtonal divergences that slap back and forth with gutting, titanic force. It’s the sound of nature retaliating, burying us under its might while we sit at our bedroom windows, noses pressed against the glass. Once “Lambs’ Breath” follows, we’re flat in that field, letting tinny drone and tugged strings that recall Earth ease the buzzing in our heads. Godspeed has no antidotes for the modern day. This is the soundtrack of decline and the beauty of collapse.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - (2017) Luciferian Towers
Constellation – 126 1. UNDOING A LUCIFERIAN TOWERS – look at that fucking skyline! big lazy money writ in dull marble obelisks! imagine all those buildings much later on, hollowed out and stripped bare of wires and glass, listen- the wind is whistling through all 3,000 of its burning window-holes!
2. BOSSES HANG – labor, alienated from the wealth it creates, so that holy cow, most of us live precariously! kicking at it, but barely hanging on! also – the proud illuminations of our shortened lives! also – more of us than them! also – what we need now is shovels, wells, and barricades!
3. FAM / FAMINE – how they kill us = absentee landlord, burning high-rise. the loud panics of child-policemen and their exploding trigger-hands. with the dull edge of an arbitrary meritocracy. neglect, cancer maps, drone strike, famine. the forest is burning and soon they’ll hunt us like wolves.
4. ANTHEM FOR NO STATE – kanada, emptied of its minerals and dirty oil. emptied of its trees and water. a crippled thing, drowning in a puddle, covered in ants. the ocean doesn’t give a shit because it knows it’s dying too.
finally and in conclusion;
the “luciferian towers” L.P. was informed by the following grand demands:
+ an end to foreign invasions
+ an end to borders
+ the total dismantling of the prison-industrial complex
+ healthcare, housing, food and water acknowledged as an inalienable human right
+ the expert fuckers who broke this world never get to speak again
Throbbing Gristle - (1978) D.o.A. The Third And Final Report
The Grey Area – 003
Actually the group's second official full-length, D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle is nearly as harsh and uncompromising as The Second Annual Report. While both albums are a mixture of live and studio material, D.o.A is much more stylistically varied -- rather than focusing on multiple versions of the same pieces (plus a 20-minute film score), each of the 13 tracks is distinct, ranging from captured conversations to thoroughly composed creations. The four bandmembers each contribute a solo piece; Peter Christopherson's "Valley of the Shadow of Death" and Cosey Fanni Tutti's "Hometime" are both detached, atmospheric spoken word collages, while Genesis P-Orridge's "Weeping" is a sorrowful anti-love song. By sharp contrast, Chris Carter's "AB/7A" is a vibrant, chipper slice of futuristic instrumental synth pop, almost fit to soundtrack a Tomorrowland ride. TG's more accessible side was previewed with the single "United," which reached the U.K. Indie charts and remains one of their most celebrated moments. The song is listed third on D.o.A's track listing, but it perversely appears as a fast-forwarding tape of the track, lasting all of 16 seconds! One of the group's other calling cards, the gloriously unsettling "Hamburger Lady," makes its first appearance here. The song tells the gruesome tale of a burn victim kept alive via life support in a hospital, set to a slow, queasy rhythm and distorted echo effects. Elsewhere, the album displays flashes of TG's live energy, with P-Orridge caterwauling over the brief "Hit by a Rock" and "Blood on the Floor," and "Dead on Arrival" being a trippy, electrifying group jam. Typical of the band's morbid sense of humor, they also include a track consisting of death threats left on their answering machine. One of TG's grimmest, most disturbing records, D.o.A is easily one of their most compelling.
Bass Guitar, Violin [Violins], Vocals – Genesis P-Orridge
Lead Guitar, Effects, Tape [Tapes] – Cosey Fanni Tutti
Remastered By [Digitally Re-mastered] – Chris Carter
Synthesizer [Synthesizers], Drum Programming [Electronic Rhythms], Tape [Tapes] – Chris Carter Tape [Tapes], Electronics [Machines] – Peter Christopherson
Notes
A few words about this record: for various reasons we have decided to include a solo track by each of the four individual group members. We think you may find this illuminating. The recordings are in stereo throughout and on certain tracks you may find it preferable to listen on headphones, though it is by no means essential. Explanatory details about individual tracks are as follows:
"I.B.M." was inspired by a found cassette sent by Mark Eyles.
"Hit By A Rock" was recorded live at Highbury Roundhouse, London in September 1977.
"Valley Of The Shadow Of Death" was recorded and arranged by Peter Christopherson.
"Dead On Arrival" was recorded live at A.T.C., Goldsmiths College, London in May 1978.
"Weeping" uses four types of acoustic violin through a space-echo played and arranged by Genesis P-Orridge, the lyrics are co-written by Genesis P-Orridge and Ewa Zajac.
"Hamburger Lady" was inpired by a section of a letter from Dr. Al Ackerman of Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
"Hometime" was played, recorded and arranged by Cosey Fanni Tutti.
"AB/7A" was played, produced, arranged and recorded by Chris Carter.
"Death Threats" was taken unaltered off our telephone answering machine.
"Walls Of Sound" was recorded live at five locations during the last year.
"Blood On The Floor" was recorded live at Highbury Roundhouse, London in September 1977.
The remaining material was gathered on location or recorded at the studios of Industrial Records, to whom, as ever, our thanks are due.
Information above was taken from the cover notes.
Tracks 14/15 from the single We Hate You (Little Girls) / Five Knuckle Shuffle.
Monday, March 9, 2020
Jarada | חרדה - Ma'agal Sina'a | מעגל שנאה
Doomtown Records – 037
Jarada is a four piece political hardcore punk band from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Jarada means anxiety in hebrew and this name perfectly captures the bleak sound the band is going for, in these thirteen tracks full of angry, chaotic and forceful hardcore sound!
As for the lyrics, the band was sick of boring, mostly apolitical music, sung in english lyrics, so they decided to remind the punks around the globe that punk is a political movement in every way and since the main source of frustration was the current situation in Israel there were no reasons to sing in another language except their own.
The band is heavily influenced by radical leftist and anarchist politics, political apathy in Israel and older Israeli bands such as Deir Yassin and Nekhei Naatza. Also, if you like Negative Approach guitar hooks or some recent hardcore punk bands like Repos or Los Crudos, Jarada will be right up your alley!
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Andrew Liles - (2019) Colossus (Amalgamation, Codicil & Appendix)
Self-released – none
COLOSSUS was initially released as a download project that consisted of 50 tracks all of which were 50 minutes long. It was completed on 11th March 2019, my 50th Birthday.
Part One and Two of the download version combined are over 41 hours of 'music'.
The 'songs' are extreme, simple, complex, mellow, angular and often surreal adaptations of every single hit from the last 50 years that was at Number One in the UK charts on my birthday.
The music is either in the same key or with the same notes played but in a different order, backwards or inverted. Further music and notation has been added by myself. They are absolutely nothing like the originals.
Additionally, the words to the songs are formed from the lyrics to every Number One hit from the last 50 years. But with a twist. I adapted the lyrics by using the William Burroughs cut up method and further changed them to make some kind of structure, but they remain predominantly abstract and nonsensical.
This L.P. version is an instrumental, edited and consolidated collection of all 50 tracks in chronological order cut into 50 second extracts.
Japanese Torture Comedy Hour - (2011) The 24 hour Japanese Torture Comedy Marathon
By the end of '97 I had this almost nightly ritual of getting stoned and
recording a 60 min. session of live electronics. All these recordings
were created by simply patch wiring guitar FX boxes into a
self-sustaining sound loop and manipulating the feedback rushing through
them. I used absolutely no instruments (synthesizers, guitar,
microphones, samplers) as source for any of these recordings. Even
though I had a computer I was still recording to either VHS cassette or
to minidisc due to concerns with PC hang ups and crashing. In 2004 I had
the intentions of finally converting over some of the few hundred hours
of audio I'd accumulated into some usable digital format and maybe try
and release something. After successfully converting a dozen or so of
these recordings directly onto an external drive I started feeling more
open to the possibility of recording with my PC. This lead me to rethink
an idea I had shelved of attempting a continuous 24 hour long live
recording session. In complete awe of Masami Akita's 50 CD, 60+ hour
MERZBOX I felt really inspired to attempt something completely absurd
like this. I started buying up tons of patch cables and hitting up pawn
shops for used guitar pedals. The recording setup was to include a Mac
G4, external hard drive and two VHS decks to use as a failsafe in case
this recording failed digitally. For days I wired and tested different
combinations of effects but even with the amount of preparation I did my
first two attempts both failed around the 4 hour mark from dead air. On
June 28th, 2004 I committed myself to having another go at it. I bought
a couple packs of Newport's, blunts and some Adderall to get my head
back in the game when I needed it. I also had a couple large jugs of
water that I knew I'd wind up having to piss in once this shit got
rolling. At 1AM the following morning I pressed record on what would
turn out to be one of the most self defeating experiences of my life.
Only six hours into the session my mind was already starting to unravel.
During one of many hyper critical moments I cried real tears realizing
how committed I had become in this. Around sixteen hours in I was so
mentally raped I found myself picking at my face and plucking hairs out
of my beard with my fingers. I remember asking myself over and over
"What kind of asshole does this shit?". I honestly lost real trust in
myself that day in regards to what I was doing with my life. By the time
this thing was finally wrapping up I was so bat shit crazy I literally
thought I was hearing voices speaking to me through the static. I passed
out minutes after powering down and woke up some 14 hours later to a
headache, difficulty breathing and a 15.24 GB audio file that wouldn't
load. Searching through some old hard drives a couple months back I came
across the audio file for this recording. I had always believed the
file was corrupt but never could bring myself to delete it. I figured I
take another stab at opening it and amazingly I was successfully able to
import it in Final Cut Pro X. Not trusting I'd ever be able to open the
file again I immediately chopped and exported it as x24, 60 Min.
tracks. After reviewing the material I have to say I'm personally not
all that impressed with what I heard but for all it's flaws I felt it
was still a stunt worth sharing with others -all 24 strange hours of it.
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