21 October 2021

SKUNK'D GUNK cassette review

V/A “SKUNK’D GUNK” (dihd) 2021

 

Th’thing about skunk’d perishables is: they could be equally categorized as “aged”, mature, seasoned, if you will. The masters of the grocery timeline would lead us to believe only the fresh, unexpired and bestest before this date are worthy of human consumption. But do these suits know anything about GUNK? Let’s be honest, they wouldn’t dare touch that oozy Limburger sitting on a stoned wheat thin, unless ol’ Mister Moneybags brow-beat them at their couples bridge night. B-52s’s Dance this Mess Around 45 on his mahogany hifi turntable, crackles up the wallpaper.

 Sometimes that glistening brick of golden yellow Garden State extra sharp cheddar is what I’m hankering for. Can’t help but take a huge cartoon bite off of the corner. I’m talking about this year’s model from DIHD, SKUNK’D GUNK, in said yellow cassette shell. It is housed in a grey to periwinkle paper sleeve illustrated by Alina. I’m seeing chunks, curds, toothly stalactites n stalagmites, framing a skunk’r reliquary statuary holding its handpaws in proper secret society formation: blessings be upon them and those. Thankfully, and true to form, GUNK th’Sixth is beyond fresh, sure to fill every nostril with hints of mugwort and essence of Lon Chaney(s) Junior and Senior. All you lucid dreamers get a l’il treat.

 C’mon

 

[a]

 

BIG BLOOD.

It’s Alright pt 2: Like their oversized phlebotomist’s dream-name suggests, BB honor the human condition, how we flow our liquid through ourselves on the daily. What if Iggy Pop was a Passenger on Lee “Scratch” Perry’s(RIP) Black Ark in Kingston, Jamaica? Equal parts dub plate version and freaky family manifesto with a generously scorching tea-kettle whistle guitar solo. It is alright, the way that you live, the sequel.

 

SYKO FRIEND.

Knock: “every day I drive this car, it doesn’t blow it’s own horn, knock on the wall,” said the voice in a post-freak-out daydream with their toes sunk in the consciousness stream. Big group hug with Jandek and Kim Deal.

NOLLS.

Villain: Finland’s heavy groovers wax urgency on the Anthropocene, don’t sleep on this. Greta Thunberg, here’s yr inauguration band (If Rick Astley turns down the offer.) Otherwise, his backing band, for his second, nay, third act.

 

DRUMS LIKE MACHINE GUNS.

Guitar Center 2: The title leads one to believe this is a site-specific performance/field recording at a Guitar Center, possibly somewhere in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They test out their wares for a brothers jam. What bright, incredible strings you have! We’re all little flies on the wall, watching the manager sweat the scene.

 

[b]

 

JIM SCHMIDT.

Ten Pictures: A carefully constructed sonic exploration, like a collection of short stories rushing in with low tide waves. This improvisation, although it wasn’t necessarily intended, recalls the ghost of Syd Barrett’s Golden Hair, and the tarmac of Robert Wyatt’s piano on Brian Eno’s Music For Airports.

 

WASNT WISNT.

Tripping Hazzard: guitarist and drummer sync in a road movie, a scenic journey, buddy-odyssey jam-sesh. They dig some good ol’astro-surf à la Man or Astro-Man? without the civilian space travel agenda. Instead it’s a ride to nowhere, and some reverse feng shui. Lookout!

 

STEFAN CHRISTENSEN.

Hiss Reflection: Toy piano dost mak’th me feel woozy. Childhood memories blip in-n-out. Nice textures and layers from one of the heads of Headroom. He channels the spirits with the sound signal and instincts.

 

PSIRENS.

Redux: Kind of catches up where SYKO FRIEND left off, but gets all vibrato with multi-voiced soundplay. While writing notes about this I mistakenly wrote ‘recluse’. If a siren was used for pleasure rather than emergency, it would be woven with wavy-path vocals over heavy droney bass footsteps on a wobbly waltz. Do the lonely dance ‘n have a sound sandwich.

 

HUMAN ADULT BAND.

Ceased to exist(fragment): Custom engine-rattling low-end vibrations in the vein of the whale calling out to their mates by the nautical mile. Hear the darkest depths of sonar, where the fishes are living glow-sticks, and the sand is finer than pastry flour. It’s a deep tissue chakra cleanse at the mer-parlor in downtown Atlantis. This one is a fragment, a piece of a larger puzzle. More could be on their way, keep a shell on your ear for the updates.

 

gunk n roll r rama

thtape n other dihd creations at dscgs

 

Adam Padavano

 

 

03 August 2021

TOM CHIU “The Live One” record review


TOM CHIU “The Live One” (XI/Experimental Intermedia) 2021

 

We are more than our possessions, even when one of them happens to exceed the value of a modest house on Lake Erie. Much has been said about the great Tom Chiu, and I don’t intend to challenge the journalism that predates this review of Tom’s new record.  

I won’t even make note of any absurd parallels to a famous jam band whose first proper live offering happens to be titled A Live One. Not the fact that it is a double cd (the release of “The Live One” barely coincides with the 26th anniversary of A Live One (and that is no round number), nor that Tom’s Flux Quartet shares the same number of members as the band that shall not be named, really justifies any fair comparison. Do I dare continue this diversion? I will if asked.

Okay, one last point, and that’s all, I swear!

The Flux Quartet, founded by Tom, performed Morton Feldman's six-hour marathon String Quartet No. 2. That’s a long show wouldn’t you say? Sound like any trampoline jumping, drummer wearing his mom’s vintage dress (respect to him and his mom), harboring $1 grilled cheese sandwich production from broken down Vanagons in parking lots, fronted by a Princeton native who worships The Rhombus (ok… derives inspiration, no judgement!)… other quartet? Lord knows I tried.

For a little more context, beyond my speculation, Mr. Chiu has collaborated with the likes of Ornette Coleman (extensively!), Alvin Lucier (I am sitting in a room, thank you very much!), and definitive balloonist, Judy Dunaway(no real joke here). Enough Tom 101, let’s get down to the Nitty Gritty, because the circle may be broken, I’m afraid.

A fairer comparison for a legendary double album, be it LP or CD, might be the White Album, for its shear breadth and variety, engaging with electronics with his raw and bold hand, further on, headfirst into the bpms and all the tempos, then a slow burn to forest fire of layers turned orchestra, all the way to straight up classical, but like, up in your face. Was that a run-on? I had to.

Do record reviews risk spoilers? If so, here’s one: at the tail end of the final track, deKonstruct, (which stops suddenly), the audience, perhaps at NYC’s Roulette, makes an appearance with a rollicking applause (same reaction at the end of Duo Improvisation16741, and BABIP and RETROCON, especially). Yeah, I think it’s a live record.

Some of the sounds on the 20-minute Duo Improvisation 16741 truly reach other planets and the inner worlds of the inhabitants of those planets, including the sci-fi planets their authors write about. There are sounds within sounds within sounds. Some zones are discovered here, and there were people present to prove it, (at least one of them recorded it). If Tom is playing his 1913 Stefano Scarampella on all of these tracks, it causes me to think of how much more action this instrument has gotten in the 21st century than the 20th. No offense, 20th.

You see, Tom got this violin, and he learned how to make it talk. Be it when he accompanies said violin Into the Forest, braving the honeybees’ nest, the whippoorwilll, howling wind, he turns proverbial pied piper, leading a trail of nature from his improvisations. BABIP blasts in with pizzicato and leaps into long form passes of his bow, adding effects pedals which goes quite psychedelic. He knows loud quiet loud, and he does it like a classically trained musician. Is there an animator out there willing to attempt a visual companion to these sounds? 

Birave Trifecta entering territory of early Mouse on Mars and Matmos, raves well beyond Mccartney’s faux Kraftwerk, Temporary Secretary. With a stronger grasp of Classical music history I might be able to pick up the references in some spots. There is something on this track that I can’t distinguish between Old Timey piano and prepared piano. All of that said, I’m waiting on Aphex Twin for his remix, for cash.

RETROCON(Retroactive continuity) noun: literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work are adjusted, ignored, or contradicted by a subsequently published work which breaks continuity with the former. Or as I like to put it: what was that Deadpool character in X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009) all about? Awful! Words truly do not describe the emotions felt by early Marvel Comics Universe film franchise fans. The applause at the end of this performance clearly encapsulates the relief felt after viewing Deadpool (2016).

Stefane Grapelli ripped, no one will deny that (sure, someone will). Tony Conrad (RIP) joined Faust Outside the Dream Syndicate with his signature scrape-age. Boyd Tinsley (not the same jam band, but a jam band all the same) brought the heat to Ants Marching. It seems relevant to mention Warren Ellis and his cinematic collaborations with Nick Cave, as there are quite a few filmic moments on The Live One, and Tom’s scored a few films (<hot link). 

Tom Chiu, a contemporary of all of these violinists, exhibits, particularly in this record, his vast knowledge of genres and his own inventions, which defy categorization. That is, of course, unless I dive further into Phil Niblock’s (since 1985) XI catalogue and realize Tom is biting some of his label-mates’ ideas. That is… unlikely. Eliane Radigue’s long-form pieces go softly into that good meditation. Alan Licht’s New York Minute goes hard on the weather reports. Gen Ken Montgomery has his hands full with all the not-made-for-music, but-definitely-sound objects found around the house. Case in point: The Aquarium Fishtank Symphony (didn’t make that up).

All of that said, Drone-master Phil Niblock has quite a stable of artists, one for the ages (actually all the way back to 1968 by Elaine Summers!) Here’s to 52 years of quality sonic exploration, composed, live, recorded and supported.

Cheers, Tom!


Experimental Intermedia : XI 145

 the live one


-Adam Padavano

27 May 2021

Blaa Fugl <> Hair Magic <> Angular Brothers <> Half A House @ Pino’s 6/11/2021

poster will arrive soon (here it is!) (again) 










Poster designed by Phil Pirri of Blaa Fugl

(Note the process of alteration as inclement weather changed the show from outdoor to indoor)

Thank you to all who participated.


CORRECTION: INDOOR SHOW LIKELY

 start @ 7pm

meanwhile, look at this poster: blaa fugl

and how about Hair Magic’s (a different Hair Magic) 

base of operations: Hair Magic

Blaa Fugl’s FB

Hair Magic’s FB

Angular Brothers’ FB

Pino's Gift Basket Shoppe and Wine Cellar

This is an outdoor indoor (likely) show, 

inside front of  Pino’s 

at th'corner of Raritan Ave & 

13 N. 4th Ave Highland Park, NJ.

Friday June 11, 2021 5:30pm-10:00pm(?)

12 May 2021

Civic Mimic 'Deep Clean' lathe 7 inch (Dromedary Records)

This is a solo record by Jeff of NJ band, Glazer. I don't know what he plays in Glazer bc every time I have gone to see Glazer, th' room is so packed i can't see who's doing what; but for this record Jeff played it all. Bass, gtr, drums, sax and vox. This record is further evidence that Jeff takes his cues from early 90s indie acts. I can hear Green Day (1st two), Fugazi and firehose. The rumor is that th' lathe seven version of these tracks feature an alternate 'less guitars' mix, which, in my opinion, gives these tunes a janglier sound. Nice effect. Civic Mimic, is standing on th' shoulders of giants, but he also holds his head high while up there. Sweet jams for th' pop punk show at th' ghost coffee shop downtown, that survives in th' memories of veteran scenesters.

06 May 2021

michael hurley and the croakers livestream 5/8/2021




5.8.21 set one

5.8.21 set two                                                                                                                                                

3.26.21 set one

3.26.21 set two

snock

    

05 March 2021

aurora aura cassette review


AURORA AURA “S/T” (Totally Real Records) 2021

 Whether or not a conscious choice, the turquoise cassette encasing this recording employs a hue clinically known to signify stress reduction. New Jersey duo, Aurora Aura starts their journey From the North, and heads in several directions. Initially, guitar and treatment offer a gentle rhythm that recalls the meditative, Steve Reich-inspired parts of TNT-era Tortoise. In arrives a windswept vocal layer, and completes a proper introduction. What follows is a long-form shiny metallic exploration by the name of Mind’s Eye. The cover image happens to evoke a textured fractal variant on Magic Eye posters, which challenge visual ability beyond the regular rods and cones. Consider where optical puzzles and ambient music meet halfway, and the possibility of synesthesia.

 The next two tracks, Holding Space and Whatever Story It Is inhabit territory similar to that of guided meditation, with the lines “holding all of it… rain wash away” and “whatever it is you say will play out…in the quiet background”. They suggest healing and affirmations for general well being. The link below to the band and label’s online offering includes song lyrics, which are poems on their own.

 Alice Fawn’s vocals and Dustin Sebes’ guitar strike a balance and share the space equally across this record, as they seem to have a proper read of each other’s sensibilities. Fawn's delivery along with layers and intricate effects are in family with those of Julianna Barwick's and Liz Harris'(Grouper). At times it is hard to tell which is leading the song, the vocals or the guitars, and that suggests a shared responsibility. Meadow exercises a rare low-end intro, a variation on this pairing. Both dig lower in their registers to achieve rich and soulful results, even hints of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks.

  Would-be album closer, the cassette's penultimate Lullaby, introduces a soft metronome-like guitar ticking, and maintains through to the end. There isn’t a building-up but rather a signal of continuum, just like occasional moments that pulses and heartbeats become noticeable in a silent room. Tangerine Dream's Risky Business soundtrack contributions (completely removed from the film context) come to mind as well. The singing maintains the threads of mind, consciousness, spirit, body, place, feeling... Although the title suggests a slowing down, shutting down for a nap, the cassette follows with another by the name of Sunshine of the Heart.

 In lieu of a metronome, Aurora Aura enlists a live-action drummer in the form of Ted Rawson. The unexpected trio drops a secular Easter egg on our heads like a pastoral folk tune that somehow sounds familiar to both Stand Up era Jethro Tull, and the organic display of Silver Jews’ Federal Dust. It sounds truly freeform and loose as can be, showcasing significant musical chemistry. It’s the eventual rolling rollicking send-off: picture a hand built schooner on its maiden voyage to parts unknown. No maps on board, and no electronic gadgetry to interfere or confuse, but there is a self-sufficient lower-deck solar micro greens farm, and a seawater to drinking water filtration system installed. Thus concludes the journey of the turquoise tape upon the eleven seas.


auroraura


adam padavano 

29 January 2021

bestiary cassette review






V/A "BESTIARY" (Hairy Spider Legs) 2014

A DNA sample was taken from a brown recluse spider buried under terra cotta bricks circa 1906. Through an early model digital microscope, scientists were able to pull evidence of a collective of troubadours and minstrels that wandered and entertained the good people of Chicago. They managed to capture audio frequencies to tape and visual data by dot matrix printer. I will attempt to give my assessment of the data collected. This scientific discovery doubles as a cabinet of curiosities. 

Each entry will include a description of the visuals (illustrations by Rebecca Schoenecker) that accompany the track listing as avatars. NOTE: this one was limited edition and as far as I can tell, only available via dizquoggz(link below), and streamable via a certain fruit-named company's musical arm.

🅑BESTIARY(cover image): clawed mammal with tiny tail, mouth open, waiting to be fed.

curio the first

🅢SPIRES THAT IN THE SUNSET RISE_arrival: long-beaked bird gracefully descending south-westerly. Hear a Gaian hymn, harmonized paean to nature's bounty. Banjo & mandolin plucks merge with folklore annunciated with perfect diction.

🅞ORA COGAN_ribbon vine: double helix model that grows split-tongue leaves. This is a masterful example of guitar soli primitivism, which bears resemblance to the title of Ora Cogan's solo LP.

🆃THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS_dragonfly: more dragon, less fly. More forked tongue and scaly serpent's tail with an arrow point. Headfirst dive, mouth open. Is this a field recording? It is evidence of natural abilities of voice, thumb piano, jaw harp, metallic bass drum. The joyous chorus: "Please don't drop those bombs on our heads."

🅐ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO'S MALAIKAT DAN SINGA_shaman rock and rolling thunder: in a glass ampoule, a pair of hands open and behold a great mountain. Tom Waits bumped into Lou Barlow in an alley, and all of their synths, pedals, plumbing equipment, Popeye vhs tapes and Daniel Johnston's barnyard animals noise toy splashed into polka-dotted puddles, while a baritone saxophone exhales the HVAC system of the bodega around the corner.

🅜MARMITS_little tony's last ocean trip: Little tony might be bummed, with hidden arms and with a sick wave creeping up over him. This maybe the soundtrack to a puppet show with a lesson. It depicts tony's nautical journey, and builds into a youthful punk anthem. Sweaty felt.

🆁RUBY FRAY_seventeen years: two more double helix patterns, each with double-forked tongues and earthworm pairings, and a beautiful charm necklace floating before a hand-held mirror. Spiritual vox & autoharp with fx, a pagan ritualistic hymn.

🅻LAUGHING EYE WEEPING EYE_dandelion: fox-faced dandelion stretches its long thin tongue.  A fine transition from Ruby Fray to LEWE shows the compiler is no slouch, with an ear of precious metals. Synths and delay fx and harmony vox build the beginning of New New Age.

🅺KNIVES OF SPAIN_part one: a non-anatomical heart with an anthropomorphic cat-like creature wedged into it. Mallet instruments and vocoder and echo showcase a paced ambient monologue/poem. For anyone who digs Laurie Anderson's O Superman.

curio the second

🆅VILLAGE OF SPACES_ancestral oak: five acorns and three oak leaves. A pure pastoral folk gem as joyous as any of Fairport Convention's happier times. This one's a shout-out/homage to a tree, and I feel it's energy.

🆅VRARIDER_the bullet's song: pipes descending from clouds blowing out and sucking in arrows of something, maybe air or energy or bullets. But a whisper and then pizza-pan crashes and a li’l ‘careful with them axes, Eugene’! It carries on with the threadbare rhythms and verses, dabbling with light sonic witchcraft.

🅶GREEN THRIFT GROCERY_tick tick tick: grandfather clock is not amused, his eyebrows are at ten and two. Making nice with the metronome(uh, of course?) As with any time-based medium, the proprietors of the fragrant Green Thrift Grocery contemplate the void, the end, maybe not for them, maybe for you!

🅣THE VONVOLSUNG SISTERS_the death of queen jane: her highness is not looking well, perhaps a little jaundiced, but well dressed. The folk revival revival is 'ere my dears. The sisters (approximately) harmonize to a sweet crowd, and I wish I was there. Won't you come see me?

🅶GIANT SQUID AUTOPSY_stilligiati: super-close-up in the microscope, a hazy backyard protozoa party. Take note: the Queen's Root, Stillingia Sylvatica supports skin health, the upper respiratory system and occasional constipation. I totally get that. Must be the bassoon. Know your sub-shrubs, people. Cephalopod loves tuber. This Duo rips!

🆈YES YES_ylllov-ely llov-ely eyes: more double forked-tongue, adorning a pair of eyelashed eyes. Speaking of immune-boosters, Yes Yes may cure that melancholia after all. They'll put a big dumb smile on your face, not just because they know how to play and sing, they seem really nice. It's fer what ails ya.

🅼MARMITS_little tony's last ocean trip reprise: two rows of swirly ocean waves with a clever optical two-part viewing option. I know you missed him, so we brought Little tony and his pals back for an encore. So you know what that means, children? One last splash in the abyss before bedtime.

beastie hairy

adam padavano