Number None with Medroxy Progesterone Acetate (pt. 2): Damp & Damned

Well this is part two. Another day late - my Sunday plan was flawed by a BBQ - but hopefully you don't mind and if for some reason you do, oh well, bad luck. You possibly realised what this post was going to be, or expected it in part one?

Big fan of all things Sloow, well, almost all things (nothing is perfect), so I can guarantee you a couple more of their OOP releases will appear in coming months.

Number None with Medroxy Progesterone Acetate - Damp and Damned

This was the last release of 2005 for Sloow Tapes capping off a rather successful first year - Keijo, Uton, MCIAA... Limited to 65 copies each with a hand cut octopus (or 'squidopus' - as described on Sloow's site) stuck to the J-card.
Now I'm not 100% sure how this was created so please excuse me if I'm slightly wrong, but the two pieces on here (one per side) are apparently made from Number None's 'Nervous Climates' disc (see previous post). The two guys in NN rejigged the sounds and then sent them off to MPA to remix.

"Chicago’s Number None end up reworking two tracks from their own 2004 3" CDR release Nervous Climates into two new pieces via the devolutions of Iowa’s Medroxy Progesterone Acetate’s side long remixes. The similarities to the original tracks are fleeting and buried as the barren landscapes of the originals are abused and bruised into extended storms on this cassette release" (Brainwashed)
Just listening to the tape I wouldn't have guessed. The two pieces are poles apart with the A-side sounding like an ambulance riding haunted winds and the B-side sounding like Charlie playing cars inside Willy Wonka's bubble machine.

"Damp and Damned is a silly, sobering, ghoulish treat. Break out a skeleton costume, paint your face, and prance." (Stylus)

Download

Tracks 1 and 7 of the MPA release in the last post will be re-posted tomorrow (ran out of time tonight).

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News:

L'Animaux Tryst has closed until 2010, their releases will only be available via distros. "L'animaux Tryst is going with the natural order of things and preparing for a brief hibernation period. We're shutting down shop till at least January, at which point we'll take a moment to re-assess."

Blackest Rainbow: Sindre Bjerga - Polluted Oceans Of Hiss And Muck
Mountainhood - Death Pod (one-sided LP)
Tom Carter, Shawn McMillan & Starving Weirdos - Live At The Accident
Heavy Winged (cassette)
Emuul - The Ghostwood Estates
Stefan Kushima - Magnetic Levitation
Basillica - Desert Queen

Apollolaan Recordings: Still Light - Lything

NNA Tapes have just this moment let loose the second edition of the Caboladies / Oneohtrix Point Never cassette.

Gel Life: Dunebuggy - First Ride
Evan Miller - Contacting The Eye
51717 - Sch
V/A - Radio Malaysia

Reverb Worship: Ammonites - The Tenth Transmitter

Gift Tapes: Pulse Emitter - Grass
Matt Carlson - Stereo Face
The North Sea - Daytona

Sentient Recognition Archive: Celer - Close Proximity and the Unhindered Care
Entia Non - Disinter
Hiroki Sasajima - Monogenic

Hanson Records: Aaron Dilloway - Hiss Nausea

The next couple of Under the Spire releases could be real sleepers - by that I mean unspotted gems. Apparently they will be from Ous Mal (myspace) and Martin Herterich (myspace).

Root Strata should be re-opening soon and will most likely have the new Barn Owl LP for sale - not saying definitely but it was on sale at their recent festival thing.

Number None / Medroxy Progesterone Acetate (pt.1)

This is part one of the two parter with the second part appearing on Sunday, hopefully. Bit delayed on this one having trouble with uploading and as a result the Number None is in 320kbps and the Medroxy Progesterone Acetate is in 192kbps due to length and upload limits.
I'm also quite tired right now - 1am, listening to the new droning Maarten Van Der Vleuten which is quite lethargic at this hour - so forgive me if this ends up quite short and looking incomplete.

Number None - Nervous Climates


Released on Mike Tamburo's New American Folk Hero label, mid-late 2005. There were only a dozen of these left (out of a print of 100) in February 2007 so I'm assuming this is now out of print - there may have been a second pressing?
Number None (myspace) is not the best known but have made some really great pieces. They're a duo from Chicago and consist of Christopher Miller and Jeremy Bushnell.

"Originating in Chicago, Number None are an experimental drone outfit who explore the very edge of noise on their 3" CD Nervous Climates. Clocking in at 18 minutes the album is the sound of glacial movements, the single beat of an insects wing, or maybe the sun imploding. Eerie, dark and foreboding this is a strange trip of the highest order." Terrascope
1. Chevy Hex Setup
2. Nephophobia
3. Polar Kraken
4. Psychic Exhaust Vehicle

Download
(if you too are wondering, 'nephophobia' is the fear of clouds)


Medroxy Progesterone Acetate - We're a Monotonous Band


This was a MusicYourMindWillLoveYou (MYMWLY) release from September 2007.
Tricky name to read - as I'm sure is the same with every chemical castration drug - so from now on you'll just process MPA.
MPA (website) is Darren Bauler out of Iowa. Treated field recordings from churches and cemeteries, spoken stories and bells. A dark album but definitely worth listening to - especially enjoy track 7.

"The sound of crackling black electricity from darkest Iowa. Sometimes a dense churring like millions of robotic grasshoppers, sometimes the high whir of interplanetary radio waves. Digging the felt inner sleeve." (Boa Melody Bar)
1. The Yoke
2. Paleyellowpurple
3. Circle of Salt
4. Teenage Basement Spaceship
5. Slaughterhouse Champs
6. How does the Skin Man get His Skin?
7. The Story of the Solehn Sisters, Who were in Love with Each Other
8. The Necropsych Snowblind Blues Band Performs Overdriven Liturgical Dirges for Lotte Reiniger

Download (files 1 and 7 are corrupted for some reason, they are for download here and here respectively)

Twinsistermoon news

Literally just received this news from Joe and it appears that he (as Blackest Rainbow honchō) will be re-releasing the CD edition of Twinsistermoon's 'The Hollow Mountain'.

The original plan for the album was to have a limited vinyl release on Dull Knife, which happened, and then have it released on CD by UltraHardGel, but that didn't seem to happen. I can't tell you the ins and outs of what happened there, because quite frankly, I have no clue, but the CD edition will hopefully be appearing towards the end of this year.

Not much information about the re-release is known yet as it is still in the talking/planning stages, but expect the originally planned bonus tracks to be included. And we are talking about the people that this year have released two CDs, seven cassettes, an LP and still have at least two or three more pieces planned, so maybe more has been written?
Who knows?
My recommendation would just be to sign up to the Blackest Rainbow mailing list - if for some reason you're not on it already - and be patient for a couple of months.

There is NO pre-order for this currently so please consider the health of Joe's fingers if hundreds of people start asking him about it.

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A two part blog post hopefully tomorrow and Sunday (not related to this post).

Ben Nash - Minions by Foot / Alcatraz Dialect

Two out of print, late 2008 EPs from Ben Nash (myspace) here. As usual they are both uploaded as 320 mp3s.

Ben Nash - Minions by Foot

This was a 3" disc released on Open Range Records (later transformed into Cabin Floor Esoterica) and was issued in a puny edition of 50.
It starts off with a short minute and a half track that isn't the most exciting but the second track, which is runs below the three minute mark, is fantastic. Great acoustic backing with a nice crunchy guitar, some pretty bell sounds with a screechy electronic sound - almost sounds like the noise you get when you suck in air between your teeth (if you know what I'm talking about). The third and final track is free. Similar to some subdued PWHMOBS with extra droning guitars and synths played out in the open in Australia.
This EP has gradually become one of my favourite Ben Nash pieces. Highest recommendation (as Volcanic Tongue would say).

As all three of the tracks are untitled I've put the order in parenthesis so you can play it in the correct order with out having to check extra info.

1. Untitled (1:26)
2. Untitled (2:52)
3. Untitled (8:17)
Download


Ben Nash - Alcatraz Dialect

This was released just a week or two before 'Minions by Foot' on Ben's own Recollections of Knulp label in an edition of 96. Why 96 and not 100? I have no idea but it does look a nice number written down...
There are two longer, more ambient tracks on this disc equalling about 25 minutes in total. The title track is a calm affair. A really relaxing 12 minutes. 'Samaya' is a piece of textured synths. Sustained notes punctured by staccato, reverb/delayed guitar that later comes to light on its own - although that becomes the point where I always question whether it has actually been a guitar.

1. Alcatraz Dialect (12:09)
2. Samaya (13:13)
Download

Ben has recently released another EP with Sophie Cooper on Blackest Rainbow but has recorded and mastered more for other people in the past year. Looks like a split with Magic Lantern is still planned on BR but I don't know of any more, hopefully there will be lots in 2010.
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New Releases:

Sloow Tapes: Cosmic Trip Machine - Vampyros Roussos
20 Guilders - Wrong Songs For Patricia

A Beard of Snails: Pine Smoke Lodge - Pine Smoke Lodge
Lee Noyes & Bruno Duplant - This is Our Post-Exoticism
V/A - Expulsion Into Offering #3

Pizza Night: Sudden Oak - Limestone Sinks & Stream Deltas
Outer Space - 0000278928993
David Russell - Artistic Suicide
Imaginary Softwoods - The Invisible Cloud Container

Rusted Rail: Agitated Radio Pilot - A Field Day
Yawning Chasm - The Shadow is That Hidden

Dead Pilot: Ekca Liena - Sleep Paralysis
V/A - Drone Poets
Seabuckthorn - Distant Summer Storm
Stray Ghost - An Avalanche of Swollen Tongues

Subliminal Sounds: The Amazing - s/t (members of Dungen)

Cursillistas - Peace Pipers and Cursillistas / White Light - Travel Light

Was really hoping to get this post up and finished last night but got completely distracted by the football and pizza - a pizza that was ordered at 8:30 and arrived at 10:15! So here it is...

It was pointed out to me the other day that both of these were uploaded to Microphones in the Trees over the past couple of weeks (here and here respectively) so maybe everyone will have already downloaded these, but having spent the time ripping and uploading these, they're going up. It should be noted though that they're both really good releases and deserve to reach as far as they possibly can - definitely check the split if not both. And also, it's probably worth mentioning that the Joint Chiefs LP is out next month (limited to 200) and Les Biches has just been released. Both small editions so don't say I didn't warn you...

Both freshly ripped and recorded as sides A & B (rather than split tracks) and then converted to 320kbps mp3s.

Cursillistas - Peace Pipers


Exclusive jams that add up to a prequel or addendum to the Joint Chiefs LP out on Digitalis later this year (see below for more info on that). 45 minutes of headspace dustbowl jams that are a perfect complement to your zoned-out summer heatwave evenings.
A1. 4:20 Sundial
A2. Totem / Tokem
A3. Realm of Hungry Ghosts
A4. American Afghan
B1. Arrowhead Necklace
B2. Light up at the End of the Tunnel
B3. Stoned Eagle
B4. Feathered Chimes
B5. Medallion
B6. Love is all we eed

Download

Cursillistas / White Light - Travel Light



This LP was made for the Cursillistas / White Light tour and limited to 150 copies. There were a couple left over and subsequently sold via the L'animaux Tryst mailing list.
Some really great psych-folk stuff here.
Matt and Cursillistas manage to bring out a couple of excellent songs, a nice 10 minute jam and two shorter pieces. 'That Great Stone' being my personal highlight of the A-Side.
The only thing I had heard of White Light before was the split with Barry Burst but after this I really hope to hear more. 'Five Horses' comes as a bit of a revelation. Can't ride them all.

Cursillistas
1. Crutches (3:28)
2. Incantations of Bona Dea (4:17)
3. That Great Stone (7:57)
4. Rewa Dokpa (18:09)
5. Tivoli

White Light
1. The Root of All Evil (3:13)
2. Five Horses (8:52)
3. Without the Other One (13:51)
4. We Do True

(times are rough finishing points of tracks)

Download
Looks like Cursillistas is travelling around the US during the next couple of months so check the Myspace page if you're interested.

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Loads of new releases and news:

Root Strata is closed for the month of September, but good news is the 'Tsuki No Seika' single series (that one that was costing up to $50 for four 7"s) is going to be heading to distros. Hopefully the price will come down slightly as a result.

Apparently there will be a CD edition of the Bobby Beausoleil 'Lucifer Rising Suite', expected for release in November.

Low Point: P Jørgensen - To
Celer - Mane Blooms
Gareth has also worked Sound Cloud into the website so you can preview what you're buying.

Blackest Rainbow has shipped the NSB 2CD sets and the vinyl edition (distros: (US) Eclipse, Time-Lag, Forced Exposure, Tomentosa. (UK) Norman, Volcanic Tongue, Alt Vinyl, Second Layer, Boa Melody Bar. (Europe) Repo Man, Bis Auf Messer, Unrock) is heading out at the end of this week. Can't wait!
Vakhchav - Birth To A Point It Comes
Basillica - Kingdom Of Status
Master Slave - Death Prayer

Install: Aidan Baker - Dry
Jason / Shinobu - Dispel Space-Time Lust

Utmarken: Relic
Oneohtrix Point Never - Scenes with curved objects
Skonhet - The girl who stole the Eiffel Tower
Dead letters spell out dead words - Live at Lava / PK365

Winebox Press have released a triple cassette box featuring guitar wanderings from Ross Parfitt, Tom Carter, Matt Valentine, Tom Settle, Jon Collin and Infinite Light. This costs £30 though. Ouch.

Country Roads (Milieu Music): David Tagg - Established Trees

Cabin Floor Esoterica: Archers by the Sea / Kawrelia Soul Collective - Split
Gorman - Red Oak Trail (most likely sold out)
Gorman/Cursillistas - Ash Masks

Cass/Flick: Jonathan Lesbian Seagull - Jitterbug

Digitalis: Bugskull - Communication
Seht - HRRY
Elm - Nemcatacoa
Evan Caminiti - Psychic Mud Shrine

Digitalis Ltd: Goatfooted / Hunting Rituals - Split
Plankton Wat - Our solar beings
Rambutan - Incidences
Sundog Peacehouse - Bros
Lakes - Monument of nests
Brother Raven - Nellie
Alphabets - Pow sound

Myiasis Tapes: Pummeler - The Sewage Riot
al Qaeda - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Plasmic Formations - The High Preist's Will Save Us All

Reverb Worship: Timas 23 - Levitation

Gronland Records are apparently working on a box set comprising of four Neu! albums.

According to the latest issue of The Wire we are all due a bunch of Peel Sessions from the likes of PiL, Gang of Four and The Specials.
They also claim that at some point this month we're due another edition of the BBC's Britannia series, this time about synths. If they're anything like previous instalments then I'd highly recommend looking out for it if you have a passing interest.

Boomkat have copies of the new Rameses III record on Type in. Heard lots of good things about it - haven't taken the time to listen yet though, check the Type site for a stream.

Kimberley Dawn: Eagle Altar - The Life of Bridgette Driscoll
Pink Priest - Goddess
Scott Cloud - Infi Cycles

Peasant Magik: Thou - Kingdoms (3 cassettes)
Light of Shipwreck - The Night Sky Burns a Hole in Us All
Sparkling Wide Pressure - The No Self Journey
My3yeah / 6majik9 - Split

Kutomo - Lauluja Surun Kaaresta

Ooooh, gif.


Dala Horse 1: Kutomo - Lauluja Surun Kaaresta. It's a strange Finnish folk album by Veli-Matti Ikavalko, aka Kutomo, a name you may have come across alongside Kulkija (Uton, Keijo & The Free Players, Vapaa…) under the guise of Tulasi.
There's a religious feeling to this release between the guitar and the wind instrument (does anyone know what that instrument is?). The mystical language which, if I wasn't told could have been anything from Japanese to Latin, all adds to that perception.

The care and attention taken over the packaging of this one - by Lidia, who used to help create some of those Centre of Wood releases - gives the impression that you should take some time with this release. And if you do it becomes a much more rewarding and pleasurable listen.

"In his music lives all the poetry about the cold, the lakes and the immense Finnish forests. Melancholy and intimate as a day passed looking at the snow falling outside a window but also, in a certain way, "epic" as the natural landscapes of his land."
1. Univelkaisen Varityskirja (3:12)
2. Kauas Vie (3:22)
3. Hautuulehdon Puut (1:56)
4. Runnelma Ja Ruumiin Esto (3:43)
5. Orastava Syksy (2:35)
6. Meidan Varjoinemme (3:45)
7. Kauneudessa Kasvat (3:41)
8. Usvan Runoja (1:45)

Download (320kbps mp3)
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Releases:

Under the Spire (pre-orders): Coldstream - Alarums
Pillowdiver - Tony Rides A Bike

Milieu Music: Milieu - Tidewater Petrol
Pink Space - Let Me Show You Them
Brian Grainger - Noxious Variations
Coppice Halifax - Blackforest Dirt
Vhom - Blackener

905 Tapes: Andrew Coltrane - In dreams we channel the flight of the blind

Tired Trails: A Man & A Guitar - To kill a dead man
Zack Kouns - Peter Denied Our Lord
al Qaeda - Aluminum Lock Smith
Goodwillies - tangerine tape burst
Donato Epiro / throuRoof - Tamandua's gorgeous dream drones

Reverb Worship: The Restless Dead - Live / Dead
Wereju - Fairytale Ending
UFO Zion - Si Music Festival At The Living Room

Boa Melody Bar is having another blow out sale (not on every item). Some extremely low prices.

And Digitalis have a quiet pre-order of the upcoming Elm and Evan Caminiti CDs (both Barn Owl).