2008 Year End List: Drone/Ambient/Noise Pt.2

Pocahaunted "Chains" LP (Teenage Teardrops), "Mirror Mics" LP (Weird Forest), "Peyote Road" LP (Woodsist), and "Island Diamonds" LP and CD (Arbor/Not Not Fun)
Pocahaunted, the crush worthy female duo from LA, switched things up quite a bit this year. Though their release on Woodsist saw them traversing the same mantric and mournful drone of the past, the rest of the year's releases saw the ladies add a new drummer and some deep and dark dubby riddims. Island Diamonds, in particular, was the most successful in this new excursion. Featuring the same plodding guitar drones and those distinct wordless vocals, the added dub element expands their sound into an exciting new direction. Can't wait to hear what ghosts they stir up next.

"Ghetto Ballet" taken from Island Diamonds


Download Mirror Mics here. (via Soundweave)





Download Island Diamonds here. (via Soundweave)








Download Peyote Road here. (via Sunflower Chakra Milk)





Download Chains here. (via Sunflower Chakra Milk)





















Burning Star Core "Challenger" LP (Hospital) and "Burning Star Core+Hototogisu" LP (Yik Yak)
Though not nearly as prolific as in past years, the quality in C. Spencer Yeh's long-running Burning Star Core project has made great leaps in the last few years. Most impressive this year was his full length on Hospital Productions, Challenger, which is a compositional work rather than the his usual improvised material. Field recordings, organ drone-outs, warbled keys, discordant and ringing guitars, oddball vocal cut-ups, and a mess of electronics weave in and about each other, usually resulting in a spine-tingling crescendo. Challenger stands out in an already impressive body of work.
Burning Star Core's collaboration with Hototogisu is another amazing achievement under the belt for Yeh. This time around he's joined by Trevor Tremaine on drums (Hair Police) and Robert Beatty on electronics (also of Hair Police), and, of course, the duo of Marcia Bassett (GHQ, Double Leopards) and Matthew Bower (Skullflower, Sunroof!). This is pretty much a continuation of the work achieved on last year's Operator Dead...Post Abandoned, and features, along with a flurry of harsh electronics and Yeh's violent electric violin, the amazing drumming of Trevor Tremaine. To me, Tremaine is the guiding force in the super group, and helps to forge a path through the mire of noise. Depsite it's harshness, this is actually a very, ummm, listenable album, at least as far as harsh noise goes.

"Mysteries of the Organ" taken from Challenger


Download Challenger here.

Treetops "Permission/When I Was Younger" LP (Arbor)
Treetops is the drone project of Mike Pollard, who also runs the continuously amazing Arbor label. He has had a flurry of releases this year (23!), many of them in ridiculously short runs that were usually on cassette, but his full length LP on his own label is the stand out release. Warbly spindles of synth and howling and distorted vocals whir against each other, creating a whole new buzzing vibration. Very reminiscent of the monolithic drones of Robedoor. Big things popping up next year for Pollard, including an LP release on Troubleman Unlimited and a split cassette with Dolphins on the Not Not Fun label. Catch him while you can.

Download Permission/When I Was Younger here. (via Redneck Fistula)






Eleh "Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis Vol. 3" LP (Important), "Eleh/Pauline Oliveros" split LP (Important), "Homage To The Squarewave" LP (Important), and "Eleh/Sun Circle" split LP (Important)
Eleh continues his deep drone exploration with Homage to the Square Wave, a split with drone guru Pauline Oliveros, the third release in his Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis series, and a split with Sun Circle. As far as I can tell, all of his releases have only been put out on vinyl and are meant to be played at high volumes, revealing details hidden deep within the drones. So far his albums have been pressed in editions of 500 and are usually gone within a week or two of release. Time to sign up for that Important newsletter, folks.

If you must listen to an mp3 sample off of Floating Frequencies Vol. 3 go here, though I would hold out for a vinyl copy if I were you. A cruddy mp3 will never do these works justice.































Honorable Mentions:

Robedoor
This Californian duo continued their domination in the dark drone category with several great LP releases on labels like Woodsist, Music Fellowship, and Olde English Spelling Bee. Style points go out to Altvinyl, who released an 8" lathe cut in their continuing series of this oddshaped format.

Download Endlessly Blazing here. (via Bolachas Gratis)








Download Shrine to the Possessor here. (via New Noise Net)











Download Shapeshifter Slave here. (via No Not Fun Not No)











Download Faded Crusade here. (via Cassette Tape Superstar)





SunnO))) "Domkirke Live" 2xLP (Southern Lord)
Domkirke Live was the only release from the relatively quiet doom drone duo, and though it was a live release, it still managed to reveal a new direction for the group. Ominous pipe organ and the sinister crooning vocals of Attila Csihar (ex-Mayhem), which were all recorded in a Norwegian Cathedral, help push the band away from their early days of Earth worship and into a league all their own. Of course this was magnificently packaged by the vinyl-lovers at Southern Lord; thick laminated gatefold sleeve with laminated innersleeves. Copies still available at the Southern Lord shop.



Download Domkirke Live here. (via Southern Kataklysm)





Caboladies "Earth Canal" CDR (Students Of Decay) and "Waterslide Mines" Cassette (Arbor)
This young trio from Kentucky create bubbling synth based explorations for those late night cruises through the mind's eye. Future releases include an 8" lathe (me see's a trend!) on Peasant Magik, an LP on Digitalis, and a CD on Students of Decay. 2009 should be the breakthrough year for these cosmonauts of the inner ear.
















"Specular Tea" taken from Earth Canal




Download "Earth Canal" here. (via me!)


Emeralds "Solar Bridge" CD (Hanson). Steve Hauschildt "Rapt For Liquid Minister" Cassette and Mark McGuire "Amethyst Waves" Cassette (Wagon)
Speaking of midwestern synth bands, this year was a relatively quiet year for Emeralds as a group, though it happened to be the year everyone noticed their release on Hanson, Solar Bridge. While the rest of the world was catching up with Emeralds (and paying crazy money for older cassettes and CDr's on ebay), two of the trio did a nice job on pursuing their solo endeavours. Releases by both Steve Haushcildt and Mark McGuire kept the synth drone geeks, waiting patiently for the next Emeralds release, quite happy. Hauschildt's cassette, which is being released on LP next year by Digitalis, was the standout release. Here's what I wrote about it earlier this year (scroll down near the bottom).

Download Solar Bridge here. (via Sunflower Chakra Milk)

Coupla' Mark McGuire releases here. (via We Are Up For Sale)

Check out "Cybernetic Inevitable" from Hauschildt's Rapt For Liquid Minister here. (via The Submersible Dirigible)

A few other artists and albums that fit the category which I just don't have the energy or time to write thouroughly about... the weighty and monolithic drones of Acre...being blown back by the wailing guitar walls of the "Chinese Keiji Haino", Li Jianhong...the relentless space-skronk of the many Uneven Universe cassettes offered in '08... dub bliss in the form of Peaking Lights...the submerged basement psych of Aswara and Blank Realm...Pink Luminous Invocation's dark driftings...and the ambient takeover of Changeling.

Thanks to all the blogs out there carefully cataloging these micro releases and to all the readers who've made it this far. The '08 psych/garage/whatever-punk list is coming up next

2008 Year End List: Drone/Ambient/Noise Pt. 1

Apologies for the wait on the rest of my year-end picks. I had intended on compiling an insanely long list of my favorite noise/drone/ambient albums of the year but decided to make it a two-parter instead. Below you'll find brief descriptions of my favorites accompanied by all appropriate links, and there are even a few downloads that I've managed to track down. Part 2 should be dropping in the next few days.

**Update** Embedded tracks applied to albums where possible. Links to downloads added as well. Many of these are out of print, so I don't feel to bad providing those links. Some of these are still out there, and I've provided links to the label. You want it? You know where to get it.




Blue Sabbath Black Cheer "Endless Blockade" (Gnarled Forest) LP, "For The Sickly Weaklings" (Gnarled Forest) LP and "Untitled" (Gnarled Forest) LP
Seattle's Blue Sabbath Black Cheer have quickly pumped out a formidable body of work since their inception in 2006. Though many releases have been released on ultra-limited, impossible to find cassette editions, usually on their own Gnarled Forest label, 2008 finally saw the release of three full length LP's, which were usually released in attainable pressings of about 500. Together, these three releases are some of the most frightening noise I've come across in a few years. The demented basement dirge of Wolf Eyes is an apt comparison and will probably dog the band for some time. But, after a relatively quiet year from the normally uber-prolific Wolf Eyes (they "only" released a split LP with Sickness, a few tapes and some live, tour-only cassettes) it's nice to see a group taking that sound and running with it, forging it into their own. And that sound is what keeps me coming back; harsh static drenched beats; metallic detritus slammed repeatedly; coarse crunches of fried electronics. For some, these sounds are easy enough to create, but it's the horrific soundtrack-y/storyline created that makes these albums so compelling. Seeing it all pulled off live is where the true experience of the group is at. Luckily I got that chance when they played the all day Noise Fest here in Vancouver. Next tothe amazing Tunnel Canary, they were the best thing there, which is saying a lot considering how many artists played.

















Twinsistermoon/Isengrind/Natural Snow Buildings "Levels And Crossings" CD (Digitalis), "The Snowbringer Cult" 2xCD (Students Of Decay), and The "Dance Of The Moon And The Sun" CD (Students Of Decay)
Managed to scoop up most of their releases this year, which never strayed too far from the CD player (sorry, no vinyl on these yet). Most of these releases by these French groups were issued on appallingly limited CD-R runs (The Dance of the Moon and the Sun was issued in a run of 19!) that were, fortunately, heard by the right people. Students of Decay and Digitalis were both kind enough to reissue these in limited runs of either 500 or 1000, allowing regular drone-folk fanatics like myself to actually obtain a copy. To get you up to speed, Natural Snow Buildings is a boy/girl French duo, and Twinsistermoon (the boy) and Isengrind (the girl) are their solo projects. Together and apart the duo make swirling bedroom drone-folk that's perfect for those gloomy days of introspection. Their raga-like drones are the focus of most of these recordings, but occasionally they break out into simple folk tracks that sound like some undiscovered songstress from the late 60s or early 70s. Fans of that era of folk and drone heads alike need to take note of this amazing duo.



DOWNLOAD Levels And Crossings here. (Via Laughing Into Fire)








DOWNLOAD Part 1 of Dance Of The Sun And The Moon here.

Part 2 here

"Rain Serenade" from "Dance of the Sun and the Moon"






Andrew Chalk "Time Of Hayfield" CD (Faraway Press)
Admittedly, Chalk was a new discovery for me in 2008, and I was delighted to find that the man has a very deep catalog and also runs an amazing record label, Faraway Press, which released this amazing slice of ambient drone. The record was apparently made up of extra material recorded for his highly acclaimed album, Goldfall. This album and the few others I've come across are made up of several layers of drones that slide up along side each other, creating a larger cascading drone that envelopes the listener. There are moments of calm (usually when his partner Vikki Jackman is at the piano) that help counter-balance the heavy weight of the drones. Very amazing stuff. For a more in depth look at the Chalk, Jackman, and Faraway Press please visit the Scrapyard Forecast (formerly known as Church of Drone).
DOWNLOAD Time Of Hayfield here (via Scrapyard Forecast)

**note: the above photo is a compilation of all 9 album covers.

"Temperance"


Emaciator "Reflections" 2xLP (Accidie Records) and "Coveting" LP (Not Not Fun)
Though known for many years as a harsh noise artist, Jon Borges (aka Emaciator) has channeled his energies into creating beautiful and brooding drone work. Reflection is a 2xLP set of gorgeous guitar and synth drones that sway over a submerged bed of submerged and hazy keys. His top friends list on his myspace page is an indication of the new direction he's been heading in, featuring Fears Fall Burning, Eluvium, Belong, Warmth, and Acre, all of whom have been filling the same drone void as Borges has on these two albums. The LP on Not Not Fun, Coveting, see's Borges venturing into the same fuzzy and static haze of Fennesz, but the outcome is much more sinister than the brighter outlook of Fennesz. In fact, I would rather listen to these two full lengths than the most recent Fennesz, which, don't get me wrong, is just fine, but Emaciator is exuding much more emotion through his work than the predictable Fennesz. Commence shower of hate...now.










SutcliffeJugend/Prurient "End Of Autumn" 2xLP (Troubleman)
The meeting of these two noise juggernauts on record is any noise nut's dream (nightmare?) come true, and, yes, it does live up to the expectations that one would laud on the pairing. Harsh electronics flail wildly against controlled high pitched feedback, all while red-faced and heavily distorted vocals scream fight for attention. In fact, everything here is demanding your attention. And that's just the first side. Heavy, entrancing, and commanding...my favorite noise record of the year.

"End Of Spring"


Download the whole fucker here. (Via New Noise Net)



Daniel Menche "Body Melt" LP (Important)
Entirely made up of a Hammond organ and Native American drums, Menche's drone masterwork is one of the more intense listens here on this list. The organ oscillates in a continuous manner and keeps the pace of the record going from a slow meander and into full throttle intensity and back again. The drumming goes from either an army of submerged pitter patter or into a full-on death march. The organ and the drumming continuously fight for supremacy, with the droning organ coming out on top at the end of both sides. This is a companion piece to the Glass Forest CD that was released at the same time as Body Melt, both on Important.




Fear Falls Burning "Frenzy Of The Absolute" 2xLP (Conspiracy Records)
This towering drone work comes courtesy of Belgium's vidnaObmana, who, for intents and purposes is Fears Fall Burning. He does have a few helping hands on the drums courtesy of several drummers from various euro-metal bands. The drumming, for the most part, is a slow, methodical, and sludgy pounding which help flesh out the slow-unfurling of the guitar-driven drones and rumbles. The results are akin to the slow-motion sludge of Earth but juxtaposed against the high-end droning of vidnaObmana guitar. With several releases planned for '09, I anticipate even bigger actions from FFB in the very near future. Stay tuned...


Expo '70 "Black Ohms" CD (Beta-lactam Ring)
2008 proved to be a real banner year for Expo 70, especially after wallowing in relative obscurity for the years preceding. '08 saw Expo '70 (Justin Wright being the only mainstay in the "group") release several dark drone releases on labels like Peasant Magik, Beta-lactam Ring and Kill Shaman. He also managed to crank out a few split releases with the likes of Rahdunes, Be Invisible Now!, and I Am Sea Monster. The highlight of the bunch would have to be his full length album on Beta-lactam Ring, Black Ohms, which is easily his most focused record yet. Full of the buzzing drone guitar I've come to love from him. Due out on vinyl in early 2009.



Sample found here. (via Raven Sings The Blues)

Barn Owl "From Our Mouths A Perpetual Light" LP (Not Not Fun)
From Our Mouths A Perpetual Light is full of the kind of woozy, blown out and warbled riffage that makes your turntable sound like the motor is dying. A slow crush of riffs, comatose drumming, and down-the-canyon vocals marks Barn Owl as the leader in what I hereby dub stoner drone. Along with this release, the duo also pumped out a few solo releases (under Elm) and did a split with the infamous Tom Carter of Charlambides. The Elm release, as Aquarius Records put it was "all woven into a beautifully creepy expanse of slow burning twang flecked drone. Not all that far removed from more modern Earth, but much murkier and way more ominous." Unfortunately for you, my dear reader, damn near everything these fellers have released this year went out of print damn quick. Keep an eye on Aquarius records for future releases as the duo have very close-knit ties with the shop--Jon works there! This was the secret to my success in keeping up with the duo this year. The stock has risen on Barn Owl, don't miss out in '09.

"Voice of the Other"


Snatch the whole album here. (via Weed Temple)

2008 Year End List: Hip Hop

It's been said before but I'll say it again, hip hop in 2008 was fucking dismal. Yes there were a few solid releases but there wasn't an album that helped guide the limping genre into a new direction. Things were so slow this year that I couldn't even compile a full top ten. Most of my hip hop listening in 2008 has been almost strictly aimed at re-issues and/or finding and revisiting lesser known classics of the past, and there have been plenty to unearth.

So, what the hell was worth defending this year? Below are the albums and tracks that kept my head noddin' in 2008.

1. Flying Lotus "Los Angeles"
This one took a few listens before it ever "clicked," but, man, it was well worth the effort. I'm actually a little hesitant to even out this in the hip hop category, but this section needs all the help it can get. Though the bass-heavy beats are of the classic head bobbin' variety, the execution of the album and it's heady, in-depth production makes it much more than a mere hip hop album. The fact that it came out on Warp is indicative of this being much more than that. My ears hear the last fifteen years of Warp distilled through hip hop, dubstep, funk and (I hate to say it) downtempo. The oft-used Prefuse 73 comparison is warranted but it's hardly the only influence worth noting. Though I do note the technical bravado of early Prefuse 73, I also can't help but hear the psychedelic warbled warmth of Boards of Canada, the static drenched beatwork of Chiastic Slide-era Autechre, and, heck, there's even a hint of the playfulness of mid-90s Aphex Twin thrown in there for good measure.

I recommend snagging this one on vinyl, which is housed in a beautiful and slick gatefold with even slicker picture sleeves. Get it while you can because Warp tends not to keep their vinyl in print for long...

"Roberta Flack (Feat. Dolly)"

"Auntie's Lock/Infinitum (Feat. Laura Darlington)"

2. Onra "Chinoiseries"
I already wrote a review of this for Color, so I'm just gonna be lazy on this one...

Now that damn near every soul, R&B and jazz record have been mined for their precious samples, the forward-thinking producers in hip-hop have had to look elsewhere for their beat sources. Onra, a French-born DJ of Vietnamese descent, went back to his motherland of Vietnam and scooped up as many records as he could take back to France. The self-proclaimed vinyl junky took the few dozen records, scratches and all, and made beats out of material he was "completely unfamiliar with". The end result is Chinoiseries, a collection of 32 short (only two tracks break two minutes) instrumental hip-hop vignettes made up of old, dusty and scratched up Vietnamese pop and traditional records, which were then chopped up into tiny snippets and molded into unique and otherworldly hip-hop beats. Strings, woodwinds, and indecipherable traditional Vietnamese instruments hop along a bed of crackle and are backed by classic boom-bap drum breaks. Madlib’s Beat Konducta In India album and J Dilla’s Ruff Draft seem to have provided the inspiration for Chinoiseries, but Onra’s unique collection in Chinoiseries prove he’s an innovator and not just a mere copycat.
"Introduction"

"The Anthem"

"Relax In Mui Ne"

"Boundless Boundaries"




3. People Under The Stairs "Fun DMC"

Though this can hardly be considered their best album (I'll reserve that for O.S.T.) it sure is far superior to their disappointing 2006 release, The Stepfather. The duo are back in their prime here and have strung together a worry-free album that reeks of the sunshine from their home state of California. Nope, you won't find any typical complaints about street life here, instead are songs about BBQ's, chasing girls, playing video games, making beats, and living the laidback life of an LA b-boy who's world revolves around hip hop. This is a hip hop album for the heads who need to put their worries aside for an hour.
"Step Bacc"

"Ste. For Peter Pt.1 -The Fun-"

This next one is my hip hop track of the year!
"Ste. For Peter Pt.1 -The Grind-"


4. Dr. Dooom "Dr. Dooom 2"
The hip hop comeback of the year award officially goes out to Kool Keith, who, after releasing the dreadful Dr. Octagon 2 and several weak solo albums, dropped Dr. Dooom 2 on to the weary public. The production is courtesy of long-time associate Kutmasta Kurt and features some of his starkest material since the first Dr. Dooom album, which dropped almost ten years ago. Filled with quick-cut, low-end piano loops, Dr. Dooom 2 is a dark album which shows the cutting side of Kool Keith that's been missing on records for a looong time. He wastes no time in cutting down inferior MC's (his specialty), calling out Simon Cowell (?!), boasting (see God Of Rap below), and even takes out some time to mock himself by killing Dr. Octagon...again. Definitely not the strongest Keith release but it's easily his best since 2000's Matthew album and a welcome return to form.
"The Countdown"

"The God Of Rap"


5. Subtle "ExitingARM"
The third album by these ex-Anticon superstars is also the final in their trilogy that revolves around Hour Hero Yes. I would fathom to say that most fans wouldn't even know the last 3 albums were part of a trilogy as Doesone's hyper and nasally flow would make any storyline difficult to follow. I've always found the story to take a backseat to the incredible inventiveness of all 3 Subtle albums, so it's never really been much but an afterthought when listening. Though this album isn't quite the achievement that the first two have been, and see's the group treading very similar water as the previous two full lengths, it's still a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stifling airspace.
"Exiting Arm"


Honourable Mentions
Mike Ladd "Nostalgialator"
This was originally released in Europe in 2004, and thanks to the folks over at Def Jux, this overlooked album finally gets a domestic release. Nostalgialator came out a year after his triumphant Majesticons LP and has a very similar vibe in the production. However, this time around the lyrics are overtly political compared to the tongue-in-cheek party anthems of the Majesticons album. Nostalgialator should hold you over until the Trusticons album is released to complete the Infesticons/Majesticons trilogy. This is definitely the sleeper of 2008...and 2004. Sleep no more.
"Wild Out Day"

Personal favorite track: "How Electricity Really Works"


Daedelus "Love To Make Music To"
Though most of this album leans towards Daedelus' heart warming electronica, there are two standout hip hop tracks featuring unknown MCs that are definitely worth your time. I'll just let them speak for themselves...
"Touchstones (featuring Paperboy & Taz Arnold)

"Twist The Kids (feat. N'fa)


Over the next week or so I'll be dropping the rest of my lists, including my favorite albums in drone/ambient, garage/psych, reissues, singles and maybe a few others...Tune in laterz

Hip Hop Fridays: Saturday Hangover Edition--The Coup "Kill My Landlord" (1993)

Doing this one on my lunch break, so we're gonna have to make it quick.

Posted below is a download of the first album by The Coup, which was release in 1993 on the formidable Wild Pitch record label. The group was a three piece at the time but have since shrunk to a duo, consisting of Boots Riley (on the far left) and Pam The Funkstress. E-Roc would leave the group after their second album, Gin and Genocide. The debut is actually a little better than the last two highly profiled and well regarded records. I managed to snag this from Reckless Records in Chicago for a decent price, though the album has been seen to go for a small fortune on ebay. Anyways, I noticed a sample on a track called Funk that was taken from Superstar by The Overton Barry Ensemble. I recognized the track instantly because it was used in an old skate video that my friends and I watched to death--Toy Machine's Welcome To Hell. I had long forgotten about the track but after hearing the sample I just had to find it. Below is a YouTube video of the TOBE track which, even if your not a big hip hop fan but have read this far, must be heard. I highly recommend you take the three minutes out to peep it. You won't be disappointed. Also below is the video for Funk and the above mentioned segment from the Welcome To Hell skate video.

Enjoy.

The Overton Barry Ensemble "Superstar"



Welcome To Hell Satva Leung section


The Coup "Funk"


DOWNLOAD THE COUP'S KILL MY LANDLORD

The Hospitals

Special request from the bloggers over at COD Music, who, thanks to Thee Expressway, had their minds blown by The Hospitals' Hairdryer Peace and just had to hear some of the earlier jams. Not much time to get into the gory details here, but these first two albums are almost entirely different beasts than the one encountered on Hairdryer Peace. Hairdryer Peace is some Year Zero shit for The Hospitals and see's the band veering away from their blown-out and assaultive garage rock and plunging deep into psychedelic dementia. There are a few moments on Jocks and Jazz that hinted at things to come, but, for the most part, Hairdryer Peace was a pleasant and shocking surprise. So anyone who's heard Hairdryer and doesn't know these first two albums, well, here's yr chance to catch up on one of the more exciting garage groups of the last 5 years.

Fun Fact: John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees, Yikes!, Coachwhips and Pink and Brown) and Mike Donovan (drummer for Sic Alps) both played on various sections of I've Visited The Island Of Jocks and Jazz.

s/t on In The Red Records (2003)

DOWNLOAD S/T HERE

I've Visited The Island Of Jocks and Jazz on Load Records (2005)

DOWNLOAD JOCKS AND JAZZ HERE

Again, big shout out to COD Music, who have been relentlessy posting some hard to find albums almost everyday for two years. Make a stop by

Nu Sensae In Discorder

My first full length article for Discorder has recently been published, and since they take forever to post articles on their website, I've taken the liberty to post it here. Anyone who actually read the article has probably noticed an error where it says that Kat Bjelland of Babes In Toyland was also the lead singer of Le Tigre. FYI: This was an error on the part of the Discorder editing team and definitely not my mistake. I guess they figured that Kat Bjelland and Kathleen Hanna are the same person. Anyways, below is my original edit. Many thanks go out to my man Brock Thiessen, who helped me through this one. Above photo by Alex Turgeon. Artwork at the bottom is courtesy of Andrea.

PS. I couldn't figure out how to get those damn umlats into Nu Sensae. Can anyone help me on this?

In many ways, Nu Sensae are a punk band. Sure, newfangled tags like
"noise punk" and "weird punk" are constantly hounding the group and
their cohorts, but c'mon, punk is weird and noisy by definition. No,
for Nu Sensae, punk will do just fine.

Now this isn't to say the Vancouver duo are exactly what you'd call a
classic punk band, but rather a group that take snippets from the many
rungs in the continuously growing punk ladder. Bassist/vocalist Andrea
Lukic's guttural screeches can be traced back to riot grrl
predecessor/punk rock scream queen Kat Bjelland of the underrated
Babes in Toyland. Drummer Daniel Pitout also takes a few cues from one
of his teenage loves, namely, the tribal thump of X's drummer D.J.
Bonebrake. Add in the duo's own twisted brand of theatrics and their myriad of other influences, and they come out making a unique racket in a city full of punk bands bent on rehashing the past.

The pair takes all these elements, wraps them up and hurtle them full
throttle towards unsuspecting audiences — a tactic that sends some
listeners careening for the exits, while holding others captive with
the duo's self-proclaimed "voodoo punk" vibes. "People have said we
have a dysphoric quality. It makes people feel uncomfortable or they
say we have bad vibes, an eerie feel," says Pitout. "Voodoo punk just
sounded funny to us. It fit."

Nu Sensae began like many bands: as a mere thought in the minds of two
high school friends. But upon graduation, Nu Sensae went from daydream
to reality. After their first group Maggie Gutwrath dissolved, Lukic
and Pitout jammed on their own and found they only needed a rhythm
section and Lukic's vocals to pound out the dark punk sound incubating
in their heads.

Soon after—on March 24, 2007, to be exact—Nu Sensae had their first
show, playing with Mutators, Shearing Pinx and Modern Creatures at the
infamous Alf House. The show, in their minds at least, was a disaster.
Though the crowd and other bands didn't see it that way and encouraged
Nu Sensae to keep playing. Determined, the duo practised often and
played any gig they were offered, including an early Emergency
Room show. The band have since become a staple in the ER scene and
went on to record three tracks on the Emergency Room LP compilation.

Their close-knit ties with the already burgeoning underground noise
and punk scene in Vancouver soon helped solidify their DIY leanings
and made the community that much stronger. "There is a really strong
community here. All of us are friends, all of the bands: Shearing
Pinx, Twin Crystals, Mutators, etc., with Fake Jazz playing a major
role," says Pitout. "The scene now has more direction and people find
it easier to get into now."

However, the duo have started expanding beyond Vancouver's borders as
well. They recently completed a West Coast tour in the U.S. that was
booked entirely on their own. Thanks to groups like Mutators, Twin
Crystals and Shearing Pinx, who have all helped carve a path down the
coast, Nu Sensae had no problem setting up shows that draw large
groups of kids out to see the latest Vancouver punk band — no booking
agent required.

After playing an average of a show a week for most of 2008, taking
part in several underground compilations and split cassettes, and
releasing their debut 12-inch LP, Nu Sensae show little sign of
slowing the pace. The group's first 7-inch is soon to be released by
newly launched Critiscum label, run by local noise mongers Josh Rose Ian Gregory James. The group also have a brief North Western U.S. tour lined up.

For those looking to get a piece of the band right now, you can nab a
copy of their debut full-length LP (errr half-length — the LP is one
sided), which was paid for by saving the money from a year's worth of
shows. Released on the local punk/noise/drone/everything label,
Isolated Now Waves, the album was recorded in a single day by close
associate Nic Hughes of Shearing Pinx, and for art, the band
silkscreened all the covers themselves.

Even if Vancouver hasn't been the most accommodating city for the
noisy underground, Nu Sensae and their brethren refuse to let this
stop them and have created their own opportunities, whether that be
playing and setting up illegal venues or self-releasing their own
albums. And as the crowds expanded with every show, it seems the rest
of the city is finally catching up to what has been bubbling
underground.

"Vancouver's music scene is pretty diverse; it's noise, it's punk,
it's everything," Pitout says. "I think this is because it's a small
community of bands who are really into making music and playing with
one another, and I think the crowds respond to that."

"If these [illegal venues] ended tomorrow the bands would still be
playing music and putting out records. Everyone is great about doing
things for themselves and not waiting around for things to open up. I
think this says more about the bands than the venues."

Monthly Cassette Reviews (All Vancouver Edition)

It took some time, but the all local edition of my Monthly Cassette reviews is finally complete. The cassette culture in Vancouver has been pretty strong the last 4 or 5 years, so it wasn't really an issue culling together 10 or so releases to cover. Unfortunately, outside of buying directly from the band or label, there really isn't any way to get a hold of these releases. Zulu and Solder and Sons carry some local cassettes, but there has yet to be a shop that carries a wider selection. Maybe some day. I would suggest copping these from live shows or just heading to Fake Jazz to see what's for sale, where there is usually a table of local handmade goodies ripe for the pickins.

Seagull "Gorgeous Calf" (Smoke Filled Casket)


"Cold Dreamin'" (Smoke Filled Casket)



















"The Buffalo Dying On The Vine" (Smoke Filled Casket)


Three new tapes by Seagull (aka Michael Piercey) landed in the inbox last month and, boy, are these ever heavy. All 3 tapes are 10 minutes of pure, uninterrupted harsh noise. No build up, no release; just straight and brutal assaults on the ears and mind. Think these could be out of print already, as Michael usually does really short runs. Get at him here. And here. He also has a some beautiful looking and brutal sounding new releases on CDr's/3"CDr's, which are highly recommended. Get 'em while you can. Anyways, these are great appetizers if yr next listen is this one...


The Rita/Body Collector "s/t" (Ecstatic Peace)
The Rita, whom I've written about here before (and also for Discorder) dropped this one earlier in the year via Ecstatic Peace. The Rita side, much like those Seagull cassettes, start off with harsh white blast which ceases to relent. This is a full torrential force of frying electronics that, to the untrained/unfocused ear, sounds monotonous. Further and deeper listening reveals wires of electric fire springing loose and flailing under the jet engine assault that dominates the mix. Intense and relentless, yet very very satisfying. Sorry, kiddies, this one is out of print. Reach him here.



Sex Negatives "Stalker" (Cassette Or Die!!!)
Sex Negatives has a tendency to divide audiences, and it's no wonder why when they always seem to end up on non-noise bills. The free-aggro-stomp of this uncompromising cassette is unlikely to win anyone over. For the noise nerds who just can't seem to get enough of the duo/trio, Stalker should be enough to tide you over until the next show or the eventual release of their next 7 inch (due out early '09!). The A-Side is a two-piece tease between drums and guitar with the two seemingly challenging one another like two dragsters on the start line. The B-Side sees the two dualing in a frantic almost-Lightning Bolt-esque skipping that could practically cause some sort of epilectic hearing seizure, if one were to actually exist.

Workbench & Magneticring "Live In A Room With All The Windows" 2xCS (Rundownsun)
Coupla' confounding newish releases on the Rundownsun label, who have also released a live document of the seminal late 70s/early 80s Vancouver noise/power electronics outfit Tunnel Canary. Very recommended stuff indeed. Anyways, finally found the time to catch up on these two cassette releases from earlier this year and have been scratching my head ever since. Magneticring (local psych-meister Josh Stevenson, who, by the way, started a half-year long psych/folk/acid/outsider internet mix. Check it here) duals against Workbench (aka Mike Bernstein of Double Leopards and Religious Knives, and also of the Heavy Tapes crew) in an understated improv synth battle. Most of the two cassettes veer from submerged bubbly synth scribblings all the way to blackened and bleak electronics, then right back into the synth weirdness. The second cassette I found the most interesting, with one of the sides ending in a full on oscillating drone-out. Packaging on this one--as is the M.O. for Rundownsun--is well crafted. Double-wide cassette case with textured paper sleeve and pro-printed labels. Still available. Snag it quick.

Ian Gregroy James "Castle" (Rundownsun)
It seems as if Rundownsun has almost completely removed itself from it's penchant for harsh noise and has shifted into the sound art world. Here we have a solo release by Ian Gregory James, who is one-half of Blouse and one-third of the mysterious Robed and Allied. This C92 is a true test of patience on the end of the listener and, well, Ian as well. Slow rising tones rise up, fade away and leave large gaps of silence in their wake. It eventually gains a bit of steam until we have several low pitch tones buzzing and whirring against one another until a full tonal barrage is achieved. Nab it if you see it. Should still be some copies out there.





Shearing Pinx "Ammugammu" 2xCS (Isolated Now Waves)
It wouldn't really be a local cassette review without delving into a few of the Isolated Now Waves/Shearing Pinx-related releases, now would it?

First up in the INW camp is the Shearing Pinx "Ammugamu" double cassette release. The idea behind it is reimagining Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma" but fashioning it to Shearing Pinx punk/noise leanings. One side for Shearing Pinx and a side each for Les Beyond (Erin), N. 213 (Nic), and Mongst (Jeremy).

The Shearing Pinx side is a different dynamic from the already chameleon-like group. It sounds like Erin is playing and looping several spindly guitar lines while Nic builds up a modern day Sonic Youth guitar orgasm. Jeremy's propulsive drumming keeps the band moving over the ten minute side towards the white heat goal line. Not the best recording on this side but definitely worth releasing for posterity.

The Les Beyond side is a nice come down after the intense SHPX side. Lovely layers of looped and quivering guitar rubbings start the tape off. Soon the side builds up into a swirling, hazy ice cave of drone. Immense and quite beautiful.

N.213 starts off the third side, and it really captures the many vibes of Nic's alter ego. Switching from oddball tape manipulations to weirdo bedroom synth folk to noise, all in the span of ten minutes.

Mongst finishes up the final side with some vaccuumed garbage electronics that alternate between repetitive and blown out beatwork to harsher crashing noise. Over a little too soon for my liking, but that can only be a good thing, right? Always keep 'em wanting more.

N.213 & Jesse Taylor "15 Minutes/Soft Disco" (Isolated Now Waves)
Continuing along the INW freeway, we have this exciting new split cassette from N. 213 (Shearing Pinx) and Jesse Taylor (Twin Crystals), who both play(ed) together in the recently resurrected Channels 3 and 4. Both sides reveal their inner synth pop leanings that have had to remain mostly dormant in their other bands.

N. 213 starts off the tape with an echoed sample from Lost Highway. Soon, thumping bass kicks in accompanied by some deep bass and warbly toy keyboards. Once the warped melee comes to fruition, Nic jumps in with his unmistakable vocals, which are totally blown out and warped. Some of the tracks feature slow, distorted bass that almost creeps into Wolf Eyes terrortory, but rather than using it to frighten, it's used to entice. N. 213's side is very danceable and shows that there's a dancepop creep just waiting to cut a rug with you. Also features a Modern Creatures cover!

Jesse's side is a bit of a departure from his other band as well. Featuring drum machine, long notes on a buzzy junkyard keyboard and Jesse's instantly recognisable vocals. Soft Disco plays like Twin Crystals but at half speed. Much more sleepy-eyed than the immediateness of his other band, but there are still hooks'o'plenty to keep you coming back. This cassette has had more spins in the deck than any of the other releases listed above. Highly recommended.

Les Beyond "E.C.G." (Isolated Now Waves)
Packaged in a soft little pillow, Les Beyond's latest cassette on INW is easily the best thing I've heard from her. The first side is made up of two tracks that showcase her layered guitar twinklings to perfection. The flip is a live at Fake Jazz set recorded earlier this year. This ten ten-minute track is the guitar squeal version of her normally languid guitar lines. Once again, the lines are played then looped...over and over again until you lose count of the layers and become fully entranced in the ensuing dream weaving. The pillow should come in quite handy for this one. Dream on...


Feel free to contact me or any of the above labels/bands for info on how to get a hold of these. Most should still be in print.