Mirry – "Mirry" – [Dutchess Records]

cinder   7/7/2021   A Library, CD

Whimsical, child-like reminiscences, warm sunny days, the hum and scratch of old vinyl…
An enchanting story of Tom Fraser’s great aunt, Mirabel Lorber (Mirry), who had recorded a number of piano compositions which she had kept secret from her family. While cleaning out his recently passed grandfather’s house, Tom came across an old scratched Transco record and along with his brother-in- law Simon Tong, brought to life this perfect marriage of sound. He’s re-imagined her piano recordings with added electronics, strings, found sounds, hiss of old records, and fantastical memories. It’s insanely lovely, very cinematic and caring. I imagine she’d be proud. 

Fruit Looops – "Orangina" – [Whited Sepulchre]

cinder   7/7/2021   12-inch, A Library

Cincinnati art-punks blasting chaotic, spazzy and rhythmical sounds. Female fronted screamer, yelling in baby English, maybe just blubbering random made up words… It’s like tossing Melt Banana, Boredoms, and Les Georges Leningrad into a blender and getting a sharp, glassy smoothie. Noisey percussion, zipping electronics, wailing sax, and flunked math guitars. A short & sour cacophony!

Morricone, Ennio – "End of The Game" – [Dagored]

cinder   7/7/2021   12-inch, Soundtrack

End of the Game was a 1975 cult noir movie starring John Voight and Jacqueline Bisset. A drama/mystery/crime thriller – “When a Swiss cop is murdered, a veteran homicide inspector and a rookie are assigned to solve the case but they are obstructed by interfering Swiss politicians.” The score is classic Morricone – themes, rhythms and crescendos that pull on your heart strings and reach into your deepest, most vulnerable, inner emotions. His compositions are always so gorgeous, and full of cinematic perfection. There’s the lovely moody pianos, the soft strings, the gentle horns, the ghostly singing…. and of course there’s a dash of some funky 60’s sounding instrumentals! Ennio e magico!    

Someplace: The Remixes [coll] – [FameFame]

cinder   6/16/2021   12-inch, A Library

A remix and interpretation collection of The Blameshifter’s (Tasman Richardson, also label founder) track, Someplace. The range of sounds on this album flow from dark horror, ambient drone, spooky shadowy experimental, IDM quirks, minimal beat and gloomy urges. If you didn’t know that it was a remix project, you wouldn’t be able to tell, each track is a completely different take – a perfect blend between being right on the cusp of deep sleep, and entering that sinister nightmare. Original track is on the B side, plus his own remix, as well as fantastic journeys from others! 

Legendary Pink Dots, The – "Pages of Aquarius" – [Metropolis Records]

cinder   6/16/2021   12-inch, A Library

I’m pretty damn picky with singing, but Edward Ka-Spel definitely is one of my favorite vocalists. His voice is so charming, delicate and whimsical – perfect for telling haunted fairytales and forlorn stories. This album came out in 2016, and delve into introspection, narcissism and self-loathing, mortality and the afterlife, destiny and social media. Electronics, piano, mellotron, guitars… it’s another great trip from The Dots.  

Sagan – "Anti-Ark" – [Seeland Records]

cinder   6/5/2021   A Library, CD

A beautiful, cosmic space trip from collaborators Wobbly, J Lesser and Blevin Blectum! Three weirdos from the bay area, Wobbly’s been a part of Negativland for bit as well as his own projects and other collabs, Blevin Blectum has Blectum From Blechdom, and J Lesser has toured with Matmos as well as his own stuff. It’s their second release together as Sagan, and it’s ‘a recursive love letter to the early decades of space travel and the High Frontier, when the lines between hard scientific research and emotional wanderlust melted away to reveal an optimistic vision for mankind’s shared future.’ It’s got those twitchy itchy Wobbly beats, along with lots of zips and zaps, quirks and wiggles, squiggles and programmed electronic spastic schitzo.

DJ Paul Nice – "Shaolin Buddha Beat Mix" – [Mdfm]

cinder   6/5/2021   CD, Hip Hop

Killer martial arts mix by producer DJ Paul Nice. Originally from Poughkeepsie, he relocated to Manhattan in the ’90s and eventually spent some time out here making a big name for himself, “one of the more sought after beatsmiths during the thriving indie hip hop scene of the late 90’s.” This is funky, instrumental hip hop beats with sample clips from various kung fu films. Fun, upbeat and black belt worthy!

Reynolds, Graham – "A Scanner Darkly" – [Lakeshore Records]

cinder   6/5/2021   CD, Soundtrack

A musical journey sculpted from many different genres, creating an interesting soundscape. There’s twinges of soft country-surf, loungey bar Lynch’s, electronica, whirli-gigs, xylos & violins…. an overall dark vibe. The film tells the story of identity and deception in a near-future dystopia constantly under intrusive high-tech police surveillance in the midst of a drug addiction epidemic… so that sets the tone. There’s whimsical sounds, dark brooding ventures and tripped out tracks. Music made by Graham’s Golden Arm Trio, and the last 2 are one each from Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto) & DJ Spooky!

Black Pus – "All Aboard The Magic Pus" – [Limited Appeal]

cinder   5/24/2021   12-inch, A Library

Solo project of Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt, Mindflayer). This was actually started back in 2007, but various elements kept it from being finished… until covid hit and there was ample time. It’s all Chip’s mastermind, but there’s others listed such as percussion-  TIME, LORD SUN SON, vocals – PRINCE PRANCE, keyboards – INSPECTOR BASS & other stuff –  YABO JAGAIMO. Who knows if those are really other people or made up personas of Brian’s. Ha. It’s frantic drumming of course, with crunchy vox, oscillators vibrating, fuzzed bass, sometimes heavy… sometimes the drums sound super hollow. It’s manic and spazzy! 

USA/Mexico – "Del Rio" – [12XU]

cinder   5/24/2021   12-inch, A Library

Third release from Texan trio guitarist Craig Clouse (Shit and Shine), bassist Nate Cross (Marriage, Expensive Shit), & drummer King Coffey (Butthole Surfers). It also features monster vox from Colby Brinkman (Taverner). It’s loud, noisy, sludgy, dirgy, and distorted as fuck. Crunched out efx, gritty layers, rough edges. Abrasive.

Risaripa & Takeshita – Cute Bears – [Imploding Sounds]

cinder   5/12/2021   A Library, CD

Collab noise release from Risa Reaper (Japan) & Takeshita (Pronounced TA-KESH-TA, Seattle). Electronics crunch and churn, while whimsical demented toys are pulverized in the giant industrial steel grinder. Unbellies of childlike rhythms & demonic possessed vox try to escape through the harsh, scorching fire of hell.   

Crown of Eternity – Dream Architecture – [Sounds Eternal Music]

cinder   5/12/2021   A Library, CD

An intensely meditative duo of Mike Tamburo and Galina Haralambova. This release is a musical journey through 11 gongs and over 60 bells, sound plates, singing bowls and tuned metallic instruments that transfuse into your inner lamb and soothe your soul. The reverb you hear from each tap of the gongs/bowls/bells is like a deep relaxing breath. Could definitely lay in a giant flower field, staring up at the sun peeking through the clouds listening to this. It’s like a giant, mythical wind chime. Would mix excellently next to Tom Heasley’s droned out tuba.

Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage – Live At The Issue Project Room – [Imprec]

cinder   5/12/2021   A Library, CD

An expanded version of Catherine Christer Hennix’s mind-altering ensemble. CCH is Swedish musician, poet, philosopher, mathematician and visual artist who is known for being associated with the early minimalist movement. Active since the 1960s, her drone interest intertwines with her love of jazz, Arabic music, Sufi Islamic art, and the blues. This one, hour+ long piece includes vocalists Imam Ahmet Muhsin Tüzer, Amir Elsaffan and Amirtha Kidambi, brass sounds of Paul Schwingesnschlögl and Elena Kakaliagou, & Marcus Pal and Stefan Tiedje on electronics. It’s a hypnotic, mesmerizing psychedelic trip through the high desert. Indian style drones morph with wafting chants that cocoon around your core and tendril out your solar plexus like glowing comets. It’s a meditative journey, drop in anywhere! 

Russom, Gavilan Rayna – Secret Passage – [W.25th]

cinder   4/9/2021   12-inch, A Library

Gavilan grew up in Providence, Rhode Island in the 70s and 80s. This release is recorded in remembrance of East Side Rail Tunnel, which ran for one mile underneath the city, and the people she spent time with there (the names included on each track). It’s synth heavy, in the experimental, explorative way. Woven throbs, haunting undertones, tape hiss, pulsing swells and echoed swirls. The tunnel had a bend in it, creating total darkness if you were to get to the middle of it, which often resulted in hallucinations as you lost sense of any surroundings. The acoustics also played a big part of her liking – “long natural delays and harmonic reinforcing reverberances.” Unfortunately, the tunnel has been inaccessible since the 90s, the result of urban development and gentrification….booo.

fun facts!:

Is the synth player from LCD Soundsystem

Played/jammed a lot in the earlier years with Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt (track 4 is for him)

Came out as transgender in 2017

Did a few releases with Delia Gonzalez on DFA

Pierson, Dax – Nerve Bumps (A Queer Divine Dissatisfaction) – [Dark Entries]

cinder   4/7/2021   12-inch, A Library

Underground Oaklander, Dax Pierson’s debut solo release. He lives life as a quadriplegic, but that doesn’t stop him at all at slaying the electronic sounds! The vibes here are like a mash of gurgled up computer processed bloops and bleeps, with vigorous rhythms, semi cinematic flairs, shards of trap style beats, and tough edges. A bit of Pantha Du Prince meets Autechre… last track turns the notch down a bit and voids out. Cover art by Pierson’s partner, artist Chuck Nanney, and the back is a photo of his wheelchair.    

*’Dax’s guiding mantra throughout this journey has been a quote from choreographer Martha Graham: “No artist is pleased… There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”’

Meirino, Francisco – A New Instability – [Helen Scarsdale Agency]

cinder   3/31/2021   12-inch, A Library

A 2019 release from Swiss power-acoustic musician, Francisco Meirino. Unsettling high pitches that induce migraines (half of side A), mixed with field recordings from a martial arts dojo in his hometown of Lausanne. Electro acoustic rumblings, electronics in a subdued state. Creaking floors, rotating and rustling sounds. Slaps, hits and cheers & jeers from fights linger in the background. Experimentally visual. Cobra Kai!  

SS / S – “Sicario De Dios” – [Jealous God]

cinder   3/4/2021   12-inch, A Library

This being a collab between Silent Servant (John Juan Mendez) and Svreca (Enrique Mena). The first track opens like a foreshadowing into a nightmarish dream. A dark, guitar drone ala Sun O))).  Then the struggle in your dreams begin. The next track brings a bass heavy techno beat, that runs repeatedly through your head as you run through the fog filled forests at midnight, escaping what lurks in the shadows. Side B has that foreboding drone feel again, as if you’ve been stopped cold in your tracks…something is whispering your name, pulling at your soul, but you can’t see it. The final track – you race like hell to find shelter and hope that your sweat drenched smell doesn’t attract the steaming behemoths that stalk.

C.O.T.A. – “New Mythologies” – [Sonick Sorcery]

cinder   3/3/2021   A Library, CD

A release from 2012 from Children Of The Apocalypse.
Dark ambient journeys through mystical, neofolked fantastical lairs.
Rustling sounds, crackling fires, deep water currents, cult like vibes, possible witchcraft, spiritual dives.Each track takes you on a quest, almost theater/radio story style with all the specific sound effects and foley.
female vocals/singing/casting spells on 3 tracks, the rest are instrumental.

Loscil – “Coast/ Range/ Arc//” – [Kranky]

cinder   2/15/2021   A Library, CD

Ambient electronic project of Vancouver Canadian, Scott Morgan. He chose the name Loscil from the ‘looping oscillator’ function in Csound (some computer language programming thing). This is a release from 2011, looks like originally on Glacial Movements, but re-released on Kranky. Gorgeous, lush tones, drift and wave like soft fluffy clouds after a winter storm. Rays of light bursting through. Mellow, relaxing, and dreamy. Planetarium vibes. 

Gravite – “Gravite” – [Empty Cellar Records]

cinder   2/15/2021   12-inch, A Library

A duo of Matthew Riley and Aaron Diko. For their debut release, they’ve used a collection of classic and reissued analog equipment: Juno 60, Prodigy, Mono/Poly, Minimoog, SH-01A, MS20, Minilogue, Volcakeys, & a TR-08. It’s a fantastical journey through the cosmos, with an edge on the rainbow crystallized comets and colorful oil hues of the horizons. Happy and optimistic. Definitely has a Kraftwerk vibe. Synth-tastic!