New Arrivals
Drone Islands - Stellar
*200 copies limited edition* Third volume of the series Drone Islands, "Drone Islands - Stellar" continues Eighth Tower Records' deep explorations into the realm of "drone music". The volume mainly focuses on drones inspired by astronomical events, and were originated through various musical approaches, from the well established synthesizer sounds and onto orchestral arrangements sounding like drones; furthermore, it showcases many young and talented musicians involved in the latest "drone dream…
The Body Of Horror. Music Inspired By The Cinema Of David Cronenberg
Eighth Tower Records is proud to release a compilation of music inspired to the cinema of the Canadian legendary director David Cronenberg. More than a cult filmmaker, a true legend of the contemporary cinema, Cronenberg inspired an unimaginable number of artists all over the world and in every field of the artistic expressions. Cronenberg’s signature is a mix of graphic sex and violence broadly known as “body horror.” His early works exploited special effects to provoke audiences with bugs and …
almenrauschen
These five albums by Klaus Janek appear to have been originally released in 2018, but were bundled together under the title almenrauschen in 2019 in nice colour-coded sleeves designed by Stephanie Roderer – I’ll refer to this aspect at the head of each review section – in an edition of 300 units. The name “almenrauschen” derives from the aural sensation perceiving a non intentional sound world and transforming it to musical sense-making.
This bundle includes the following albums on vinyl:
- Casp…
Caspar
This habit some experimental musicians have of applying forced context or stories to what is essentially pure improvised music does sometimes perplex me. Here Janek references Kaspar Hauser with the title and in the sleeve notes. He also states the intention “…to de- and reformulate the idea of beauty”. When referencing the case of Kaspar Hauser, I assume Janek sees himself as “…set free…” from traditional technique, and aims, on this disc at least, to “…redefine by discover[y] and recover the p…
Three Seasons
'This disc commences with “Prolog / Autumn / Winter Part 1” which are relatively unadorned solo contrabass improvisations from 2003, inspired by the poem Lettera Amorosa by René Char. Although the work apparently “…follows an emotional path a man lives through a loss…” which is intriguing, the main emotions this music is conveying to me are morbid self-analysis, ennui and fatigue. So far so good. Nonetheless, Janek insists upon the piece “…awakening from impotence, sensing awareness and rediscov…
Infinite Bang
'Janek’s “source of inspiration” was apparently Stanislaw Lem’s novel Solaris and Janek’s own social observations in Prospect Park in New York City “…where I was living during the main research period for this work”. I’m not familiar with Lem’s novel, but if you’re expecting echoes or resonances from the soundtracks of either the Tarkovsky film or the George Clooney remake, I’m afraid you may be disappointed.
On side A we find “Infinite Bang Part 1”, which is more solo contrabass and electronics…
Prospecting
'The first track on side A is “Violeros Revisitados”, which is a fight between the sounds made by Brazilian traditional musicians and the UHER Report 400 tape machine the sounds were recorded on. This source material was recorded by Gunther Kipfmüller in Northeast Brazil in the 1970s. Kipfmüller’s daughter, Milena , processes the raw material while Janek adds his contrabass and electronics to the mixture. Brazil born, Milena is also Berlin-based and works as”… a freelance soundartist, dramaturgu…
Reciprocum
Magenta. Road at night. Its probably worth quoting from the sleeve-notes so you get an idea of what the intention is on this disc: “The album consists of music chosen from a pool of recordings made over a time span of 10 years and according to its expression composed ‘together’. All of the music was created through a practice of combining the compositional and performative act. The album making process consists of two levels: the music created in the past functions as material and is put into fo…
Two Extended Pieces for Four Pianos
Building on the back of their stunning release of Ensemble 0’s rendering of "Femenine" issued earlier this year, Sub Rosa returns with "Two Extended Pieces for Four Pianos", featuring brand new recording of two seminal works composed by Julius Eastman between 1970 and 1980 - "Evil N*gger" (1979) and "Crazy N*gger" (1980) - realised by Nicolas Horvath, Melaine Dalibert, Stephane Ginsburgh, and Wilhem Latchoumia.
Palace Zones
*75 copies limited edition* Palace Zones is an epic statement from veteran weirdo music unit Sex Funeral. The long form double album constitutes an exquisite corpse: an incidental yet coherent sonic narrative traversing naïve wonder to cosmic dread and then beyond. Matthew Crowe and Bob Bucko, Jr. evoke cinematic visions; both in gleaming HD widescreen and straight to crackling VHS. A perfect soundtrack for reading paperback sci-fi in the woods, at the end of the world.
Medjugorje
*50 copies limited edition* "I have always felt that God has been leading me, in that I'm only an instrument. Who am I without Him, anyway? I rely on prayer and fasting to help me live according to His will, and to help me fulfill my role as a messenger." - Mirjana Dragicevic, Medjugorje visionary
Mirror Thru Haze
*75 copies limited edition* Orb Tapes presents Mirror Thru Haze by Andrew Kirschner.
Panopticon
*50 copies limited edition* "Fourteen days, two full weeks after he had trapped himself in a cave that others could barely enter, Floyd Collins had died. And what was the rest of the country left with? A gaping fascination with what lies beneath us, a fixation with the blackness. Congress regulated the area around Collins' cave, in part to try to regulate the stream of wannabe explorers plunging into their own underground worlds. You might have heard of what resulted: Mammoth Cave National Park.…
Animal
*75 copies limited edition* Since the 1990s, Nathan Berlinguette has been performing and releasing a prolific range of experimental music. Throughout the years, he has shared the stage with bands such as The Haters, Scott Arford, John Wiese, Geronimo, Locrian and Pharmakon. Some of Berlinguette's projects include 5/5/2000 along with Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation) as well as 3 different projects with his ongoing musical accomplice Ryan Unks, which includes their latest effort - a new band insp…
Uncertain Sediment
*50 copies limited edition* Orb Tapes presents Uncertain Sediments by Floralplasm. Squirgles and flimpers by Ian Franklin Ronkles, tomps and flaggelananix by Jamie Orlando. Recorded at Slimbo's Slimy Slurry Shoppe.
Dead Light Miasma
*100 copies limited edition* Government Alpha is the long-running and incredibly prolific solo project of Japanese artist Yasutoshi Yoshida. Having released dozens of albums since the mid 1990s (on his own Xerxes label as well as countless others), Government Alpha has solidified a place as one of the seminal acts of the Japanoise sound and scene. "Mobility" recorded at Xerxes Studio in 2021 Coalminer is the malevolent brainchild of Chester Masangya and Robert Glen Dilanco based in Rizal, the Ph…
"Human Free Eden"
*300 copies limited edition* Like Weeds: "After a friendship of over 25 years, a couple of collaborative tracks, and sharing bills in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, it's an honour to finally present a full length split release between myself and Bastard Noise in the year of their 30th anniversary. Bastard Noise recordings demand a lot from the listener. they demand patience. They demand concentration. They take me on a journey, both illuminating the actualities of my surroundings and propellin…
Storage Unit Music
*50 copies limited edition* Unlearned free jazz recorded to magnetic tape in an oblong, steel box.
Storage Music Unit is: Derek Dunn - guitar, contact mics Zachary Hickerson - alto saxophone, game calls Syoma Klochko - drums, percussion, miscellaneous instruments.
Recorded on reel-to-reel tape by Derek Dunn in October 2020
Split
*50 copies limited edition* NGM: "Sufferer" and "Hyperventilate" recorded by Luk Henderiks. "Turn Around" recorded by Mac Stephens. Mixed and mastered by Andrew Corl. MM: Both tracks recorded directly to tape by Matthew Jaime.
Split
*50 copies limited edition* TG: 'These tracks were recorded using a variety of source sounds and the Ciat Lonbarde Cocoquantus. "Amoebaean Personality Traits" recorded in fall 2020 / "Wig Twister" recorded in summer 2021. Thanks to Kevin Sims for the consistent musical inspiration and to Peter Blasser for the osmosis. Teuthis Galore is James Searfoss.'HB: 'You can thank Dave Petersen for this mess. Recorded live on November 20th, 2021, at The Pharmacy in Philadelphia, PA. Shout out to Zombieshar…