I Own Some Records

Herbie Hancock is so funky it’s kind of painful. #jazz #herbiehancock #funk #psychedelic #ipodtoiphoneirony

Aluk Todolo - “Occult Rock” (Norma Evangelium Diaboli/Ajna Offensive 2012)

So tonight there is supposed to be Aurora Borealis aka The Northern Lights, visible in my part of the world.  In anticipation for such an amazing phenomena, I put on this record, something I’ve been putting off for some time now, waiting for the perfect opportunity, and northern lights in my part of the world is quite the opportunity.  

Of course no lights have yet to be seen, but this record is totally filling the void in my mind with what I would call sonic metal northern lights.  Aluk Tolodo summon henceforth a bleak instrumental epic spread out over for sides of black vinyl.  Concepts and phrases of different metal and psychedelic rock influences repeats and gradually shift for a constant brain melting listen.  There are many peaks and or valleys, but my favorite has to be the sick doom riff at the end of side four, that closes out the song, making any hope for a happy ending pounded into oblivion.  

Buy.

-Log.

Fontanelle - “Vitamin F” (Southern Lord Records 2012)

Well, I’m back.  

Remember how I always complain about buying all the new hardcore records that Southern Lord has been putting out and being completely disappointed by them and cursing myself for continuing to buy everything the label puts out?  This record is a perfect example of why I started following the label to begin with, and why I buy everything they put out.  

Fontanelle (at least on this album) are an experimental jazz-funk combo based out of Portland, Oregon, USA, who’s members (according to the sticker on the polybag the record came in) also play in fellow Southern Lord acts sunnO))), Earth, and Eagle Twin.  Musically I can say this is one of the most interesting things that Southern Lord has EVER put out, not just because it’s a huge departure from the labels normal output (metal/hardcore), which also isn’t strange for the label to do (see Jesse Sykes And The Sweet Hereafter), it’s just a very interesting take on the genre.  While I may not be an expert on psychedelic jazz-funk, I have heard a few albums in my day, and really what sets this apart from the genre is this is fucking HEAVY.  Not heavy in a sense that this is metal in any way, more that the whole thing just grooves so much; but the band takes time with their grooves. These are all (for the most part) much more downtempo jams that let you take in everything that is going on, rather then pound you over the head with a million things at once like Parliment/Funkadelic, or solo after solo like so much avant-garde jazz likes to do.  That and liberal use of fuzz bass makes for this a very heavy listening experience indeed.  

Such a great and rewarding listen, I do suggest you all check this out.  

-Log.  

aTelecine - “Sounds That Gods Fear” (Pendu Sound Recordings 2012)

The second installment of aTelecine’ss omnibus series for Pendu Sound has arrived.  Well I got my copy months ago, and I’m finally getting around to listening to it.  So sue me! I’ve got lots of records to get through and a full time job to deal with on top of this blog! Excuuuuuse me for having a a busy life.  Trust me, if I could, I would do nothing all day every day, just laying on my floor, spinning vinyl, slowly decaying from lack of exercise; and I’d be plenty happy about it.  As long as I got the mental stimulation from listening to music, that would be all I would need.  Kind of like those Buddhist monks in India that claim they don’t eat or drink ever, pure spiritual energy nurtures them.  It would kind of be like that.  It would be a lot like that actually.  Ok I think I want to do that.  Go team.  

This record is cool. whatever.  Not as good as the last one, the second side is a bit wanky actually.  The first side is an enjoyable enough psyched out synth trip, but nothing mind blowing.  I’m tired and its my birthday.  I’m gonna go buy more records.

-Log. 

Growing - “His Return” (Troubleman Unlimited 2005)

Man I love Growing.  I saw them a handful of times, and every time they were opening for Boris.  I have a few of their records, and every single one of them is different.  They were one of the bands that got me into spacey, ambient, non rock psychedelic music.  After seeing what a band can do live with a mess load of pedals and some ingenuity I was totally sold.  

This explores possibilites of synth and vocals within Growing’s guitar driven drone psychedelics.  Seriously, its really doing it for me, when shit like this will usually ruin a record for me.  Well vocals at least; I loves me some delicious synthesizers if you haven’t guessed already at this point in my blog.  

The three tracks on here fly by even though the shortest one is just about 9 minutes long. The b-side takes up the entire side of the 12” and it feels like its 2 minutes long.  Love this.  One lame  thing is that I bought this new and sealed and the record is slightly warped.  Worst thing ever. 

-Log. 

Big China & Little Trouble - “Lo-Panning” (Magic Bullet Records 2011)

I’m not gonna lie to you my faithful readers, I bought this strictly because of the name and cover art.  If you don’t know, the band’s name is a reference to the classic John Carpenter action/kung-fu/comedy masterpiece Big Trouble In Little China.  If you haven’t ever seen this movie, kindly turn off the internet and go watch it somehow.

Back? Good.  That was the best movie ever was it not?  You can thank me later, onto the review.

I would feel pretty bad for any normal schmuck who bought this for the same reasons I did, because if you weren’t into weird music you would hate this.  As we all know by now, the weirder the better with me.  ”Lo-Panning” other than being another great reference and audio pun, is a spacial, glacial, drone epic that takes place over the two sides of this record.  Basically this a repetitive super slowly changing piece comprised of guitars ringing out, analog sequencers (I think), and low end synths, that combined create a wispy, windy epic.  Not for those with short attention spans, and/or posers.  Mostly not for posers.  I hate posers.  Bye.

-Log. 

Kevin Drumm - “Sheer Hellish Miasma” (2010)

After a long day of listening to records and coughing my lungs out, this is the perfect way to cap off my night.  ”Pure Hellish Miasma” is one of those albums that just works.  It easily invades your psyche and doesn’t let go.  Even though this is two LPs I was craving more and more.  

Contained in these grooves are 6 epic tracks of searing noise, warm sheets of fuzz, psychedelic repetitive electronic buzzing, canyon like drones, sparse synthetic ambience, and other pretentious descriptions of sound.  

Really all I can say is this record is like the soundtrack to a dream about flying a space cruiser through deserted lands that may or may not be inhabited by robots. Or mutants.  Thats what I see.  I’m tired alright? 

-Log. 

Masonna - “Astro Harshtronism EP” (Anti-Music Records 1996)

Fucking Masonna. FUCKING MASONNA! Despite having a large collection of Merzbow albums (I bought most of them mostly so I would have enough material to listen to him for 24 hours straight, which is a day I don’t feel like reliving[this was also before I bought the Merzbox]), Masonna is probably my favorite Japanese noise artist.  His noise is energetic and violent and psychedelic all at the same time.  It’s mostly based on manipulated vocals and you can just feel when listening to him that this is all he fucking cares about in the world. 

This 8” (yes 8 inches) is no different. It starts with a misleading intro of some folk band that just cuts straight to the noise.  The whole first side is Masonna signature vocals (screams) and blasts of ripping distortion.  The second side is a little less harsh, with much more colorful loops of sound that bubbles into a quick break featuring what sounds like a tamborine until the vocal destruction kicks in.  Fucking amazing record.

-Log. 

Sylvester Anfang - “II” (Aurora Borealis 2010)

Man I really don’t feel like writing a review right now, but I really felt like sharing this incredible album with the world.  A friend described Sylvester Anfang as folk/black metal (NOT folk-metal) but this is pretty far from that.  It’s like a blend of psychedelic rock and kraut rock (two genres that kind of overlap) with lots of strange electronics and an overall evil mood.  The mood is probably the only black metal thing about this record.  That and the art; lots of naked chicks and skulls and anti-religious iconography.  There are lots of droning repetitive grooves that I’m just getting lost in as I listen to it.  So incredible.  Also the vocals are sparse but they remind me of Les Claypool for some reason.  Great shit. 

Millions - “Pluto” (2AM Tapes 2010)

Millions is a one man drone/psych act based out of the magical land of Brooklyn, NY, where dreams come true on a daily basis.  

This is a killer little box filled with magnetic tape. You get to enjoy 3 whole tracks of droning psychedelic kraut rock inspired goodness.  Clouds of fuzz shift in and out while flickers of guitars and bubbling synths dive bomb to and fro.  If you listen very closely a light simple melody will creep up on you. Slowly it will get louder as the clouds dissipate, and by the time the melody is in your face another sound will be introduced.  Repeat forever.  I love this kind of stuff, it’s so great to get lost in.  Also if you get a chance, check this guy out live.  So captivating.  

-Log. 

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - “Glorify Astrological Martyrdom” (Important Records 2008)

I’m not gonna lie, this is my first experience with Acid Mothers Temple.  Their discography is intimidating to say the least, so I just picked up the first record I saw at a record store in Orlando (Park Ave. CDS …nice guys, they gave me a shirt because I spent $300), this was what I got.  

Listening to this was like a revelation or something.  Just based on these three looong jams, I decided I need to track down as many of their records as possible.  NEED.  

As the tracks get longer on here the speed of the playing gets slower.  All the songs are psychotic heavy riff fests with nonsensical to the point of almost being noise guitar solos and insane synths and what sounds like could be a theremin flying around.  But all the different elements are represented clearly; the mix is phenomenal.  

I can’t help but compare this to Boris. But it’s more like what Boris could have been, but they instead decided to go weak and have a more polished sound. Or something. Though I still love Boris.   Great record.  

-Log

Asian Women On The Telephone/Spreaders/NRYY - 3 way split (Babysunghxing Tapes 2011)

A little something for everyone (if everyone enjoys oddball, noisy, loud/quiet instrumental music).  This is a gorgeous three way split tape with bands from all over the globe.  This tape is LOOOONG (about 90 minutes) with each band getting about a half hour to show off their chops.  

Asian Women On The Telephone hail from Russia and play a strange combo of krautrock and psyched out synth driven instrumental rock (actually that doesn’t sound that strange at all).  Wierd synths sputter and twitch all the while a fuzz bass plods and drums repeat over and over.  Cool stuff to zone out to. Or read to, like i was doing when I listened to this tape (hey, I have a really short attention span).

Spreaders are from New York state, not to far from where I live.  Their stuff is minimal sounding (but still tuneful) drone soundscapes.  Heavy low end pounds your bowels while spacey high end puts you in a trance.  This is boning music for the demented 60’s biker or spanking music for the 00’s fat basement bound internet scouring noise head.  I think that last comparison makes sense.  I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a stage with these guys 2 times, and it always makes for a good time.  

NRYY call Japan home, you know, that place that’s been in the news lately? Yeah I’ve never heard of it either.  Anyway, NRYY brings you two long, HEAVY noise tracks, one sounds like its made entirely of textured distorted screaming (to my ears it sounds like that, I’ve recorded a lot of that type of thing in my day) that are layered and pounding, but not boring and overly varyed, great track.  The other track is sonic painting, making liberal use of samples of things like gunshots, people crying, and drums, to an almost tuneful, industrial music, effect, all the while synthesized noise whisks in and out.  good stuff. 

All in all an AWESOME tape (i’m not just saying that either; I have some of NRYY’s other stuff and it’s nothing special) and it comes in a lovely hand stamped white tape, and a hand assembled booklet.  It’s attention to detail like this that makes these micro release DIY labels good or bad.  You don’t know how many shitty shitty DIY tapes and CDrs I’ve gotten over the years and just don’t bother with after the first listen because the packaging is so bad. You can argue the music should come first blah blah blah…with noise and other such genres the package is half the fun (in my book at least! see the Merzbox]).  This one is obviously one of the good ones.  

Check out the label and pick this (and more) up here:  

http://babysunghxing.webs.com/

-Log.

PS: This tape has kept me up long past my bedtime. 

Melvins/Isis - split 12” (Hydra Head Records 2010)

Let’s be honest here. You already know what this sounds like. 2 tracks each from two of the best rock bands ever. The Melvins bring one of their newer sounding fast and heavy songs and a slower wierd one. It almost reminds me of something Sloth would do. Seriously.

Isis bring two of their heavy as fuck without actually being all that heavy tracks. 

All that on heavy pink vinyl….

….All this record really does for me is reminds me of how my brother got to see this tour lineup (which happened to be Isis’s last tour and I believe show too) and I had to work at my shitty, shitty retail job. 

Fuck.

-Log.