6majik9 

• DrugRun1 cassette (Hashram) 3

Live recordings from 2007 from this collective that features Michael Donnelly from Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, who also runs this new label. Percussion-heavy stoner blues / psych that creeps and crawls uneasily. Quiet but never subdued.

• Language Shitting Papers cassette (Hashram) 3

A collection of tracks from the sprawling 6majik9 back catalogue from this group who share members with Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood and Charles Curse. Some of this is like a Southern hemisphere counterpart to Keijo's recordings with the Free Players: endlessly cyclical blues meditations with added gloopy electronic weirdness.

• In the Service of Mistress Cecily cassette (Hashram Audio) 3

2011 recordings from 6majik9, featuring Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood's Michael Donnelly, and joined on this release by sometime collaborator James Barratt. Spaced-out psych-rock / electronics.

• You Got Juice in You cassette (Hashram Audio) 3

Baked electronics meets out-there psych rock.

• Otters Laughing in the Drowning Pool cassette (Hashram Audio) 3

Third of the recent 6majik9 releases on Hashram Audio. Opens with a gorgeously stoned acid-folk instrumental, like a long lost track from Amon Duul's "Paradieswartsduul". Subdued but still spaced, the tape ends with a disjointed melody played on a Casio over scouring guitar and pattering drums.

20 Guilders - Wrong Songs for Patricia cassette (Sloow) 3

Excellent collaboration between Tabata Mitsuru (Zeni Geva) and Suzuki Junzo (Miminokoto, Astral Travelling Unit). Perhaps surprisingly this is rather gentler than you might suppose - dreamy psych-folk songs with (rather less surprisingly) some great fuzz guitar solos.

prankster pop from Sweden with a touch of Bonzo Dog ... and a bit of Eurotrash ... where's Wally?!

Acid Birds - Acid Birds II LP (Blackest Rainbow) 11.50

"Acid Birds was formed in 2004 in Brooklyn, NY by Andrew Barker (drums & percussion), Jaime Fennelly (harmonium & electronics) and Charles Waters (alto saxophone & bass clarinet). NY-based Barker & Waters are both founding members of Gold Sparkle Band, and Fennelly, who recently relocated to Chicago from the Pacific Northwest, is 1/3 of Peeesseye, and recently embarked on his new solo project Mind Over Mirrors. Their first self-titled LP came out on the Italian label QBICO in 2009. Their second LP, Acid Birds II, on Sagittarius A-Star, and their first cassette, entitled Mock Load, out on Electric Temple were released to coincide with their Midwest / East Coast Winter 2011 tour. This trio work tirelessly on some wide ranging genres of fine musical output; Barker has worked with Gold Sparkle Band, Sirone of the Revolutionary Ensemble, Daniel Carter, Roy Campbell's TAZ, Rob Brown, Chris Jonas, Sonny Simmons, Sabir Mateen, Virginia Genta, and many others.He has appeared on several recordings, including Apostolic Polyphony (with Matthew Shipp and Charles Waters) and The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra's Mayor of Punkville. In addition to several ongoing projects, Barker has also recently formed a metal band called Hallux. Fennelly is a founding member of Peeesseye, the transatlantic amalgam of minimalist rock, noise, folk, drone, psych, improv, sound poetry, and absurdity that has produced nearly twenty releases. Fennelly recently released his solo LP under the name Mind Over Mirrors on Digitalis Industries to some excellent reviews. Through blending together harmonium, piano and synth drone slabs, hemorrhaging feedback and percussive tape loops, he creates music operating somewhere between a hypnotic ritual, kosmische-inspired minimalism and seriously blurred out american folk music. Releases of his various projects/bandscan be found on labels such as Chocolate Monk, Locust Music, Utech, 8mm, Unframed, Archive, Digitalis Industries, QBICO, Smeraldina-Rima, Misanthropic Agenda and Evolving Ear. Charles Waters is a member of the Gold Sparkle Band, a large collective of musicians that has included Nate Wooley, Sabir Mateen, Matt Lavelle, Hill Greene, and many others.Waters studied clarinet with Eugene Kavadlo of the Charlotte Symphony, and has also worked with William Parker's Little Huey Music Orchestra, Matthew Shipp, and Chris Jonas' Brooklyn Comprovisers Orchestra. 'Red Beak, Yellow Eye' opens up the record with wild drumming, electronic screeches and raging alto sax, building to a rapid waterfall of incredible sounds and then falling back out to minimal electronic pulses and clarinet bursts leading to disintergrating electronics, percussive clatter, and back to full force with Barkers drums and Waters sax fusing together seamlessly with Fennelly's crumbling electronics. 'Rings and Lenses' is a shorter darker piece with Fennelly laying down a bleak electronic landscape with Barker adding sinister cello and Waters monsterous bass clarinet adding a real deep texture to the almost ritualistic piece. 'Acid Birds III' comes to a close with 'Rapture Rupture', an absolutely wild piece of free music, insane electronics, pummeling drums, and sax that at times doesn't even sound like a sax. What Acid Birds do here is completely tear down the walls between rhythm and noise music, creating something entirely new and pushing the genre of jazz and experimental free music to new limits and standards. Mastered by Scott Colburn. Pressed on 140 gram black vinyl in an edition of 500 copies with stunning artwork by Jacob Magraw and Rachell Sumpter." (BR)

Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno - Shakespeare from the Cosmic Inferno 2LP (Blackest Rainbow) 16

"Debut release on our new Blackest Bootleg labels releasing live recordings. The bootleg was recorded back in August 2008 at The Shakespeare in Sheffield, a great venue that played host to Acid Mothers first show in Sheffield, and it was so packed, the floor was literally moving underneath the crowd, the room was like a sauna, every single person dripping with sweat, it was one of the busiest shows I'd been too in Sheffield in a long time. I remember there being some total hippies down the front going so nuts, it was like their dream come true to see Acid Mothers. And, of course, it was INSANELY loud. This release captures that, the sheer volume AMT were playing at for the size of the room was crazy. I remember several months after, a guy I know said he'd heard there was a recording of it, and then a few months from then he said he'd managed to get a hold of it and he'd got a copy for me. After months I managed to get it, it was on DVD as it was too long to fit on a CD, so the guy had said he'd literally said he'd sat in front of the TV and listened to the 80+ minutes staring at a blank screen. That must've been a hell of an experience. I managed to get a hold of it in the end, and edit to a perfect 79 minute release just cutting of a few minutes of the encore. This double LP collects those 79 minutes of the recording, 6 tracks including two awesome versions of Pink Lady Lemonade, and other classics like Heart of Earth and Space Disco. The line up for the show was Pika (Afrirampo), Tabata Mitsuru, Hugashi Hiroshi, Shimura Koji, and Kawabata Makoto. Both Pika and Shimura played drums, so the set was seriously heavy as you will find out when you get this spinning... Be warned there are a couple of points in this where the sound goes a little crackly and distorted, but only very, very briefly, and it does get pretty loud at a few points. Just like a true bootleg should be!  Edition of 250 copies on printed card sleeves featuring cover shot of the band. Pressed on 140gram virgin vinyl." (BR)

Afterlife - Bodies in Motion cassette (Digitalis) 3

Duo featuring Franklin Teagle (Meditations) and Ryan McGill (Cliffsides). Side 1 consists of monolithic synth light refracting off colossal chordal skyscrapers. Side 2 opts for beams of synth light over a minimal motorik beat that eventually disintegrates into a video game laser shoot out.

A double helping of Boa HQ's favourite Irishman Dave Colohan. There's a beautiful picture of a rook on the cover which sets the tone echoing the elemental mystery of the landscape and the autumnal chill Colohan's melancholic music creates. It makes a good companion set to the other double in this week by Xenis Emputae Travelling Band, particularly on the more mood-setting pieces. Colohan's guitar wraps itself around drifting layers of drone like smoke. The songs are gloriously melancholic with shades of David Ackles in Colohan's world-weary tones but in a more folky context.

Alberorovesciato - Tigers on Acid in the Hell of the Brushwoods cd (Singing Knives) 2

Italian duo, now based in Berlin, who play the kind of percussion-based clutter and clatter we've come to know and love from Singing Knives. With some deranged free blowing on clarinet added to the mayhem, this sounds somewhere between Chora dn the crazed japes of Lauhkeat Lampaat. 

All in the Merry Month of May - Root Bramble Stone cdr (Reverb Worship) 5.25

Joelle Premo returns with another lovely disc of traditional songs and some of her own compositions, accompanying herself on harmonium, banjo, dulcimer, concertina and fiddle.  

Jack Allett was formerly known as Spoono and is also half of Towering Breaker with Ben Knight of Helhesten. Fantastic finger-picking that seems to explode from the fretboard while keyboard swirls and drones alongside. One of the most interesting albums of finger-picking I've heard in a while.

Alms - Harsh Meditative Trance cassette (Digitalis) 3

Black bassy synth throb with an intensity that burrows straight through your skull. Alms is Nathan Young of Ajilvsga.

Alphabets - s/t cassette (Digitalis) 4

"what an absolute revelation.  alphabets is the brainchild of denver savant, colin ward and his first ever tape, "pow sound," is the bedroom dance party of your dreams.  total synth overload and excess like somebody stole all the jewels hollywood has to offer and hid them in ward's keyboard.  cut & paste pop bliss that is heavy on the heavy beats.  seriously, the beats and the hooks are the stars here.  you can't help but get sucked in and shake your ass.  days later, the songs will be stuck in your head, you'll be humming the shower... from here on out, it's over.  don't fight it.  give in.  enjoy.  it's over. " (Digitalis)

Altar Eagle - Judo Songs cassette (Digitalis ltd) 4

From the ashes of Corsican Paintbrush comes Altar Eagle, another duo featuring Brad and Eden Hemming Rose. This is a different beast altogether - blissed-out synth-pop with a whole lot of psychedelia and fuzz thrown in. It reminds me of the nauseous pop swirls of Azalia Snail which is a very good thing indeed. Highly recommended.

Oren Ambarchi / Robbie Avenaim - Dream Request LP (Bo'weavil) 15.50

Anemone Pool - Afternoon Long Ago cdr (Seagrass) 6

"Imagine an old craftsman bungalow in Pasadena, with a dusty back courtyard shaded by the branches of orange trees; a place where the air is warm, still and scented with citrus, where cats stalk insects across the bricks, and the reflection of flowers shimmers on the surface of a small fountain. Imagine the rocky coast of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where cold water surges through tide pools filled with primitive, tentacled creatures, and the chill ocean breeze tastes of salt. On Anemone Pool's debut album, Mackenzie Michael Owen (Coup Pigeons) and Michael Scholtz (Faraday Trippers, Pathways) have imbued the three lengthy tracks with more than a hint of the atmosphere of their native southern California. Using guitar, theremin, electronics, voice and homemade instruments, they explore a sound world that lies just below the surface of consciousness, touching the tension, suspense and mystery that slips, almost unnoticed, through our daily experience." (Seagrass)

Aporias Trio - Entre Nous cdr (Iorram) 8

Here's a set of trio performances where everyone shines with their own wonderfully distinct voice. Neil Davidson conjures low frequency depth of almost orchestral proportions out of an amped electric guitar and brings out tones that defy what one might think such an instrument is capable of. Raymond MacDonald plays alto and soprano sax, at times simultaneously. I should add this is a live performance, no overdubs, purely a tour-de-force on two reed instruments at once. Tatsuya Nakatani is always a treat to hear, with a free and fluid style on percussion and drums and here his marvelously sensitive playing has lots of fine detail without missing out on plenty of wallop! The recording has very sharp presence too. (JC)

Aritomo - Blooming the Ena LP (Blackest Rainbow) 10.50

"Continuing on from last years reissue of the first Aritomo LP, here we have Aritomo's second LP, 'Blooming The Ena' which was previously issued on his own private Hakanairo label in 2007. It was housed in a brown card sleeve with paste on artwork on the front and back with an insert in an edition of only 200 copies. This original pressing is impossible to find now. This reissue has a pro printed cover reproducing the original cover art as the private press edition and a 4 page insert printed onto parchment art paper reproducing the original insert that came with the LP. Aritomo's music continues to be a beautifully laid back as his first record, with gorgeous acoustic guitar playing and dreamy vocals backed with bamboo flute, piano, chimes, and occasional electric guitar bursts. Japanese folk at its best! Pressed on black virgin vinyl." (BR)

The Artichoke Heart - When The Carnival's Gone cdr (Reverb Worship) 6

Here's an utterly charming collection of ten original songs, none of which outstay their welcome. The duo of Dee & Gerard Ivall alternate fine vocals and include some atmospheric sound captured in Cornwall to their instrumentation. This is nicely varied too: as well as guitar and autoharp, we find melodica and Pianorgan here... instruments that are always welcome at the Melodybar! (JC)

Ashtray Navigations - Cinderella Stamps cdr (Memoirs of an Aesthete) 5.50

Another excellent missive from Phil and Mel. 4 tracks that take you on a psyched-up ride to the stars and back. Synths heavy with an early Tangerine Dream vibe, splendidly gloopy electronics, freak-out sitar and, of course, plenty of Phil's wah-wah guitar.

Astral Social Club 

• Happy Horse cdr (Happy Prince) 6

7 tracks of psychedelic dancefloor meltdown from Neil Campbell on Japanese label. This comes in a nice felt sleeve.

• Generator Breaker LP (Dekorder) 10.50

"A new Astral Social Club album is always a highlight of the year and "Generator Breaker" is no exception. Neil Campbell is one of the veterans of the British DIY/Drone/Noise scene and with ASC he has slowly formulated his very own and unique musical universe, akin to the psychedelic visions of his contemporaries and sometimes collaborators Sunroof! and Vibracathedral Orchestra but with a more electronic, less rock-influenced approach, instead aiming towards a heavily layered techno-infused space drone whirl. "Generator Breaker" is Campbell's 2nd album for Dekorder after last year's highly acclaimed Iibiis Rooge collaboration with High Wolf and it's certainly one of his most magic and refined releases, combing through tremolo heaven, cat purr/classical music cut-ups, shuffle techno battling against high-pitched tones, harmonic kraut-infused electronica, distorted in-the-red hymnic quasi-techno anthems, twisted rhythmic noises that wouldn't sound out of place on a Black Dice record and heavenly music of the spheres" (Dekorder)

Astral Social Club / Tomutontto split LP (Tipped Bowler) 13.25

"Two of Europe’s finest collide on a 12” 45 RPM platter loosely inspired by the club single. On “Wet Wheel / Hot Wheel,” Neil Campbell of Astral Social Club succumbs to the heartbeat throb of house, but tops the bass with a frenetic squall of darting alien melodies. On cursory listen, the elements congeal into honest-to-goodness body music, but the track is riddled with stutters and gaps that the flooded synapses fill with aural afterimages. On the reverse, Jan Anderzén of Tomutonttu buries the dance influence, retaining only the genre’s neon shimmer and linear logic. “Syvät Svyät” overflows with cuckoo loops that briefly cohere into musical shapes before casting off, replaced by an ecstatic march of manic squiggles. One must focus to follow the train of musical thought, but Anderzén’s humor and intuition reward the effort. Silk-screened Alan Siwa sleeve" (TB)

Asylum Seekers - Dagon By Air cassette (Hashram) 3

A one-off 5 piece involving 3 members of 6majik9 and Joel Stern and Sarah Spencer. Along similar lines to 6majik9, creating tense, quiet atmospheres of scratchy improvisation.

Aidan Baker - Plague of Fantasies LP (Blackest Rainbow) 10

"Brand new solo material from Aidan Baker, one of the most prolific musicians recording at the moment, Aidan creates such a wide array of musical sound its hard to keep track, not only does he perform as part of the fantastic Nadja, as well as in projects such as ARC, and collaborating with other luminaries such as Tim Hecker, he releases a whole host of solo material. This new solo record is really something, pulling together all the genres he works in, fusing heavy drones, with broken drums beats, buried vocals, dreamy ambient manoeuvres, and moments referring to post rock build across the two twenty plus minute tracks on this new recording. Baker's genre blending somehow builds a sound that somehow sounds delicate and beautiful, but also at times sounds gloomy and melancholy. Plague of Fantasies is a rare vinyl release from Aidan Baker. Pressed on virgin vinyl in an edition of only 300 copies." (BR)

Gavin John Baker - Propeller  cdr (Bunkland) 5

Solo recordings from Gavin Baker of Billy Mahonie, Jet Johnson, Meets Guitar etc.  Gavin uses e-bow and propeller to coax visceral drones from singing metal strings on guitar, banjo and autoharp. Dense heavy-lidded drone. Recommended.

Reissue of the cd originally released in 2004. An expansive collaboration that delves deep into out-there psych-guitar territory and is as captivating as you might expect from these two artists. Heavy vinyl with exclusive live cd recorded in Philadelphia in 2003.

"I have never hidden the fact that I have always loved progressive rock, especially from the 1970's.So for all you folks out there who also like it, may I recommend the debut release from Baron.A musical project by Alex Crispin who is the ex singer and keyboard player from Brighton's progressive darlings Diagonal.Barons music takes a considerable nod to music from the canterbury scene (think Caravan, National Health, Matching Mole etc).In fact Alex's rather lovely voice has drawn comparisons with Robert Wyatt and Richard Sinclair as well.The album contains nine tracks which feature both past and present Diagonal members ...Luke Foster, Dan Pomlett and Andrew Wileman.You get an album which Alex considers to be a a natural progression from his previous band. A very articulate and beautifully conceived album by a very talented and unique musician.The cover design comes from a design based on a silk scarf that Alex found in a charity shop.This cd is available now in a hand numbered edition of 50 copies." (RW)

Basic Microwaving - Fur Bath cassette (Digitalis) 3

Burbling sine wave explorations with a minimal library record feel.

"growing up right before our eyes, mirrored shards amplified and blitzed out" (Digitalis)

"Between recording sessions and touring with the Silvester Anfang II crew, Belgium's Ernesto Gonzalez has let a slow and steady stream of releases seep out over the past few years as Bear Bones, Lay Low. The sound has constantly evolved - from the heavy guitar chugging on 'Djid Hums' to the synth heavy 'Smoked the Whole Thing'. 'Basement Surge' finds him somewhere between the two, laying down feedback-laden krauty guitar passages and droning each note into a hissing infinity only to drop into a disorienting backwards loop of strange synth tones and clattering drum-machine jangles. The tone is dark, filled with cryptic melodies and the sounds seem to spread eerily out of the speakers. In an edition of 50 tapes in cardstock sleeves with an insert." (CFE)

Beautiful Friend - Hello Rainbow Geek cdr (Anti-Guru) 3

For those who've enjoyed Robert Horton's adventures in abstract sound, this release may come as a surprise: it did to me! The 20 tracks compiled here date from 1996-2005 and find Horton collaborating on mainly song-based material with Les Shimmin. What's really endearing about this is a spirit of adventure - the feeling of people making songs who haven't bothered with some rule book telling them how they should do it. Aside from a drum machine here and there, the tracks are based on layered textures, loops and collages of voices with some field recordings. Daniel Plonsey turns up with treated clarinet and sax on a few tracks, as does Horton's partner Janet Carter, whose voice appears on one song. The sound is very clearly ye olde 4 track portastudio, which has a certain glow to it as well. (JC)

Beren & Joey Chainsaw - Wishy Wishy Flower  cdr (Striate Cortex) 2

Searing guitar howl, spooky vocalisations and metallic clatter with a black undertow. Splendid packaging with a printed insert AND a hand-painted insert and painted card foldover sleeve too.

"Elevator Bath's ongoing series of picture disc LPs (each record being adorned with full-color artwork by the recording artist) continues with Keith Berry's debut appearance on vinyl: An absolutely mesmerizing cycle of deep, meditative tranquility inextricably linked to Berry's otherworldly painting which appears behind the record's grooves. The soundscapes along The Cartesian Plane are beautifully absorbing, heavy with the slow unraveling of emotions, almost beyond belief. There is an immense weight to these recordings, the richness of which belies the careful subtlety of the compositions. The sound is expansive and unreal, a perfect complement to the record's visual aspects which seem to describe a kind of alternate existence. Like bookends, the colorful images house a wealth of experiences, wonderful and frightening. As you gaze upon the rotating colors and Keith Berry's dense dream-sounds pour out of the speakers, total immersion in The Cartesian Plane is more than probable, it is certain." (EB)

"MIE Music is very excited to announce the first release in its new CDr series 'TIPPING POINT' by the Birchall/Cheetham Duo. Andrew and David met when they performed as part of Rhys Chatham’s G3 ensemble in Manchester early 2011 which MIE put on. Since then they have developed a sound exploring the deconstruction of rock music within the wider context of free improvisation. Both musicians are committed to the exploration of dynamics, texture, tone and rhythm. TIPPING POINT is the culmination of endless jamming and working deep into each others psyche, delving into the dark corridors of their deconstructed improv drone-rock. "Bad teach holier mulch, a cab hum-thrilled echo, David Birchall (guitar) and Andrew Cheetham (drums) cut up some Elmore James tapes and spliced them back together all out of sequence then learned the results note-for-note, I reckon. " - Braw Gigs. Mastered by Dave Jackson, All tracks recorded August – October 2011 in The Milkroom at Hotspur House, Manchester. Released in a run of a 100 in handmade and printed covers. Cover artwork by Craig Stewart"

"The first track is a 13 minute track commissioned for an arts festival in June 2011. It is sort of an imaginary field recording from the building where the arts festival took place, but with nio actual field recordings from the building. The piece was assembled from lots of  dictaphone cassettes, snippets and audio scrap recorded through the years, and sort of could have been recorded anywhere.. There are 5 remixes of the piece by Iversen, Claus Poulsen, Pål Asle Pettersen, Koff Koff and Sad Servant Doom." (GS)

Another limited disc on new UK label Striate Cortex, this time from Norwegian duo Bjerga / Iversen, with one long live track recorded in Norway in Jan 2009. Ambient drone that reeks of decaying machinery, cruel undertows and creeping sea fog.

Another live disc from Bjerga / Iversen, this time with Terje Paulsen on contact-mics, bowed metal and strings. This was recorded in Kristiansand, Norway in March 2009. Ambient drone with an unsettling undertow. Tones see-sawing like being in the hull of a listing ship.

Crazy collage / cut-ups from this Radio Antwerp duo that encompasses Belgian adverts and Boney M's "Ma Baker"!

Black Church is the work of LA-based musician Kim Free and this release compiles previous releases "Madeline Blue" (2008), "Less You" (2009), "YxY" (2010) and "Down With Hades" (2010) plus an unreleased track. Reverb-heavy shoegazery bedroom pop. 

Postal collaboration between Black Eagle Child and Tim Goodwillies (one half of (VxPxC)). One side is a gorgeous piece of delay-ridden guitar & organ drift that eventually succumbs to a wall of fuzz and echoing ping-pong ball beats. Side 2 sees the fuzzometer in the red again, Black Eagle Child's guitar roused from its lethargy into psych-out solos and malevolent electro-beats.

What a lovely split this is, one to turn to when you're in need of soothing. The 4 tracks from Black Eagle Child are mesmerizing pastoral guitar meditations that culminate in the delightful "Roscoe Running" embellished with chiming glockenspiel and accordion. More guitar (and indeed glockenspiel) on Donato Epiro's side, starting with dreamy spacious picking and moving onto raga / drone, then finally hypnotic repetition.

Waves of blissed-out fuzz wash over you again and again. On the opener Rob Kusterer lays down some techno beats and the effect is similar to Astral Social Club but the rest of the cd is much mellower.

"Blackened mayhem from Seattles Blue Sabbath Black Cheer. 'Crows Eat The Eyes From The Leviathans Carcass' is a collection of several older, long out of print cuts and included is also two unreleased tracks. Mastered by Hans Grüsel. Limited to 500 copies in a Stumptown Printers cardboard sleeve with artwork/design by FEEDING. Black on black print both on the cover and the disc. Blue Sabbath Black Cheer formed in late 2005, in Seattle, WA, USA, and is centered around the duo of wm.Rage: guitar, vocals, electronics and tapes - and Stan Reed: vocals, electronics, tapes and bass. The sound of BSBC is dark and heavy, violently bleak horror-noise: “a demon network of scraping nails.”" (RTB)

Blue Yodel is F Kennedy of Hunter Gracchus and this track of minimal vocal / percussion was recorded live at the opening of the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition in Sheffield. Belied Gunaiko is Kelly Jones of Part Wild Horses Mane on Both Sides and her track combines lingering feedback tones with florid Far Eastern extrapolations.

"Underwater tonal discoveries; textured submarine sounds, taken from a longer period of reflection. 50 copies." (CR)

Mark Bradley - Deliver Me cassette (Ginjoha) 3

"Melancholia drone to resonate deep inside…loftiness sound alchemist Mark Bradley created 12 piece beautiful music. limited 100 copies." (Ginjoha)

Brother Ong - Deep Water Creation cdr (Deep Water) 5

"Brother Ong is Mike Tamburo, and Deep Water Creation is the first recording released under his new ordination. In contrast to the Pittsburgh-based Tamburo’s past work on guitar and hammered dulcimer, here Brother Ong focuses his energy on the shahi baaja – a 22-string electrified Indian zither – as channeled through a raft of effects (distortion, looping, etc.), plus floating wordless vocals on one track. While longtime fans will certainly be able to hear continuities with Tamburo’s previous music, Deep Water Creation also manifests an even greater sense of centered self-assurance in its pulsating webs of meditative sound. Call it post-psychedelic exotic trance music, or call it avant garde new age – just don’t call it late for kundalini yoga class… Five tracks, 47 minutes." (DW) 

Brume 

• Zona Ventille cd (Elsie and Jack) 9.50

Fascinating musique concrete soundscapes like a soundtrack for a Luis Bunuel film - final release from this French chap.

Adam Bugaj 

• Wave of Tears cdr (Dark Water) 5

This album is a bit like a spinning carousel of sounds in an echo chamber: it flys round and some fragments are thrown off while others leap on to ride the next circuit. Rhythms jump-cut around amidst the echo and tracks end/begin very abruptly, as though we're dipping into something and then the channel switches. Some neat ideas here with percussion (I think there's a marimba or a large xylophone, which sounds very good through all the delay) and guitars. Nothing outstays its welcome either. (JC)

• Telegraphed cdr (Deep Water) 5

A fragmentary & child-like sound world of bedroom electronica: delay-pedal treated synth ripples refract like light through a prism, while cheap keyboard beats pitter-patter like motorik beats for children. Some other tracks sound like a bargain basement '70s Eno (I mean this in a complimentary sense!).

Burial Hex - Angelic Gematria cassette (Blackest Rainbow) 4.75

"Brand new full length cassette from Clay Ruby's amazing Burial Hex project. Cascades of blackened electronics, distant and buried wailing electronics drenched in throbbing rhythms and grumbling thunderous reverberations, swelling across the two 20 minute compositions, steadily building to utter decay. Limited to 100, pro-dubbed with black and white covers printed on parchment paper." (BR)

Burial Hex / Kinit Her - Vedic Hymns LP (Alt Vinyl) 8

In addition to his role in collecting folksongs, Gustav Holst had a keen interest in much older material - Sanskrit texts. The composer's Four Hymns from the Rig Veda aren't heard too often these days; rarer still are Holst's Vedic Hymns, but that's what we have here: Holst's words, with the music to accompany them in a much altered state. The album opens with Clay Ruby pounding a grand piano in true prog proportions, whilst his growly vocals are reminding me of Laibach! Elsewhere, his voice straddles a path somewhere between Christian Death and death metal, whilst Troy Schafer switches from elegiac violin to blazing guitar runs. It's a highly unusual concept and one which is delivered very well. (JC)

Burt / Macdonald - Constant Weave cdr (Iorram) 5

5 pieces of sax & guitar improv which find Messrs Burt & MacDonald firing on all cylinders. George alternates between nylon string acoustic and electric guitar, playing some lovely sustains on the latter, whilst Raymond plays alto and soprano, running from breathy minimalism to a full tone which sounds as though he's playing through some sort of harmonic doubler. He's not: this is all natural sound. (JC)

George Burt / Raymond MacDonald Quartet with Lol Coxhill - Coxhill Street cd (FMR) 7.50

Lol Coxhill's long history of visits to Scotland has grown into something of an annual social event/series of collaborations since he met up with the George Burt/Raymond MacDonald quartet in Glasgow a few years ago. Coxhill Street (yes, there is such a place: just north of Glasgow city centre!) is a series of free pieces, ranging from 1 minute long to over 14 minutes, which show why this partnership keeps making more music. Ranging from solo improvisations to full band pieces, it also confirms that however freely Coxhill plays, he always does it with soul. (JC)

The George Burt / Raymond MacDonald Sextet - Boohoo Fever cd (Leo) 8

The second album from this winning combination and one which finds the balance tilted towards the abstract in comparison to 2005's Day For A Reason. Where song and straightforward melody occur, they do so in very lovely ways. Nicola MacDonald's vocal on the slow and sultry The Gallery finds Keith Tippett throwing in a reference to a Bach fugue, but the remarkable thing is that he makes it fit, rather than just being some piece of technical flash. Most of the album, however, is about the freer side of these players, exploring texture and space, catching fire in so many ways. If you've enjoyed anything by these musicians before, this is a surefire winner. If not, this might be a good place to begin. (JC)

Maybe it had something to do with the weather? George Burt's sleevenotes recall a show where a Scottish downpour cascaded through a marquee over the drumkit, not to mention the electrics. Whatever caused it, Tsumani has a mood of its own and distinct from other Lol collaborations with Burt, MacDonald and friends. Yes, there are some salvos of straight ahead free improv, but the overall mood is more reflective, at times almost bluesy. Coxhill excels in this area, his sound unique, but the style a little reminiscent of Steve Lacy on this album. If Scottish rain set the tone for these pieces, maybe we shouldn't complain about it so much! A very satisfying listen. (JC)

The George Burt / Raymond MacDonald Quartet 

• Think About It cd (Textile) 8

You'll find an unusual thing on this recording -an eight piece quartet! Bill Wells appears on piano, Daniel Padden supplies vocals, clarinet & percussion, Fred Longberg-Holm plays 'cello and the result as every bit as varied and interesting as those names might suggest. Fred & Bill duet on one piece, sounding like modern chamber music, Nicola MacDonald's vocals blend with textures of strings and soprano sax on another. Some jazzy elements run into more abstract territory and George Burt & Raymond MacDonald are equally comfortable in either form. These people really don't disappoint! (JC) 

• One Bloke cd (Textile) 8

Originally recorded in tribute to Steve Lacey, recalling a cd Lacey recorded with Lol Coxhill and Evan Parker entitled "3 Blokes", the title took on an extra poignancy after the tragic death of Textile founder Benoit Sonnette earlier this year. The quartet of MacDonald on soprano & alto sax, Burt on guitar, Lol Coxhill on soprano sax and George Lyle on double bass are joined on this release by Bill Wells on piano, Dan iel Padden (One Ensemble / Volcano the Bear) on clarinet, vocals and percussion and Nicola MacDonald on vocals and melodica. The album has a reflective melancholic feel with Coxhill's playing throwing some gorgeous melodic shapes and Bill Wells' compositional contribution "Copper in the Can" coming ac ross very Ennio Morricone at his most laid-back which is a very good thing indeed. Excellent stuff.

George Burt & Raymond MacDonald Quartet featuring Lol Coxhill & Future Pilot AKA - Hotel Dilettante cd (Textile) 9.50

Lol Coxhill's regular visits to Glasgow have yielded a series of albums with George Burt and Raymond MacDonald and, in 2005, their quintet was augmented by Future Pilot AKA Sushil Dade. The resultant album proves once more that each time Lol comes to Scotland , something completely fresh occurs. This is a set of warm playful pieces and might well be a good starting point for those who would like to investigate this essential figure, but feel that full-on improv could be a bit heavy for their tastes. There's some lovely vocal & melodica from Nicola MacDonald, at time a slightly dubby feel, without any direct references to Jamaican music and, overall, a warmth to this record which makes it highly enjoyable. (JC)

George Burt / Raymond MacDonald Septet Featuring Lol Coxhill 

• Popcorn cd (FMR) 7.50

Aileen Campbell turned up to photograph the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra. They discovered her work as a conceptual artist and her interest in harmonising with drones from household appliances. Ideas developed quickly and, next thing you know, she was in the studio with a hairdryer, a popcorn machine… oh, and the Burt/MacDonald Octet plus Lol Coxhill! Once again, these forces deliver an album that isn't just "more of the same" - the addition of Aileen Campbell - a sort of Yma Sumac let loose in the Argos showroom - makes sure of this! (JC)

• Shark Hunt cd (FMR) 7.50

The series of collaborations between Lol Coxhill and Messrs. Burt and MacDonald continued with this 2005 release. This time the septet included Bill Wells and Daniel Padden in four extended pieces which are as much about exploring space as sound: the seven players create a mood where what's between the notes matters as much as the notes themselves and nobody overplays their hand. The album's title - and that of three of the tracks - is a homage to Hunter S. Thompson. The other track, G.O.K, is an improvisation sparked by "hazy fragments" of the Beach Boys God Only Knows and is a lovely thing indeed! (JC)

Scratchy sounds form the undergrowth: quiet in the same unease-inducing way that 6majik9 skulk. Plucks of primitive strings mix with see-sawing bowed 'cello, flutes pipe and flutter like territorial birds over distant tribal percussion, layers of cheap synth drone edge up against wind tunnel noise distortion. I detect the hand of Michael Donnelly at work here but I may be wrong!

• Trances cdr (Rhizome) 2

Christina Carter - Obelisk / Tholos 7" (Emerald Cloud) 7.50

"A new 7" by Christina Carter which serves as the opening ceremony for our new 7" series of solo performances 'Alone Together'. A loan voice, the tangled bells, the caw of a crow, a plane passing overhead… A fortuitous overlapping of sound moments, trapped in amber by Christina for us to bear witness. Much like her early CDRs 'Hand & Mind' or 'Human As Guitar', 'Obelisk/Tholos' is an act of white witchcraft, a healing spell that defines time with the merest of tools: bells, voice, a microphone…" (EC)

Tom Carter & Robert Horton - Campfire cassette (Sloow) 3

Super-limited duo collaboration (40 copies only). Intensely intimate post-midnight guitar / boot meditations.

Cathedrals - Demo cdr (Fictitious Sighs) 3

Cathedrals is Tim Coster (who runs the Fictitious Sighs label) and Nigel Wright; an appropriate name for the cavernous sounds contained within. This starts out sounding like listening to a foghorn from the depths of the ocean and finishes with synth drones distantly heard in a disused warehouse.

Celer 

• Mane Blooms 7" (Low Point) 2

"‘Mane Blooms’ is the very first vinyl release by Celer, the husband and wife duo Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long. Seen by Celer as an 'outdoor' companion piece to ‘Brittle’, the duo’s album recently released on Low Point, the music on ‘Mane Blooms’ was created by multiple layers of cello and piano, which were then processed and played back at differing speeds. Also contained within the tracks are field recordings taken whilst Dani rode horses along the Californian coastline, a weekly pursuit that acted as a form of self-therapy and enjoyment. With the music composed specifically with the vinyl medium in mind, the two sides of the record act as a mirror image. For the B side, Celer approached the music of the first track in reverse, inverting the structure and musical motifs established within the first piece. Altering the playback speed of the vinyl brings previously hidden textures to the fore, providing each of the tracks with a new identity and a different reflection of memory." (Low Point)

• Salvaged Violets 2cd (Infraction) 11.25

Double disc of Celer music from February 2008. Gorgeous music as ever: tonal drift merging, floating, shifting focus with a distinctly melancholic undertow. This comes in a thick card gatefold cover with 12 art prints of photography by Peter Logrosso.

• Close Proximity and the Unhindered Care-all cd (Sentient Recognition Archive) 11

Another beautiful album from Celer. Elegiac tones drift and shimmer like a heat haze while faint impressions of the most melancholic melody come and go. Lovely fold out card sleeve.

• Levitation and Breaking Points cd (and/OAR) 12.50

"Originally self-published as a very limited triple 3" CDR release in May, 2009, Celer's Levitation And Breaking Points is now available again on CD - this time limited to 300 copies. Surely one of Celer's most subtly beautiful and uplifting albums out of an already beautiful, highly prolific and much celebrated discography of work. Especially magical to listen to in the early evening as the sunlight fades below the horizon... a balm for the soul." (label)

• Engaged Touches cd (Home Normal) 12.50 

"The music of Will Thomas Long's and Danielle Baquet-Long's Celer is an absorbing combination of classic ambient, minimalism, and – perhaps as thee most distinct characteristic – overwhelming romanticism. Longinng, melancholy, nostalgia, and the like seem to be recurring themes in Will and Dani's works. Engaged Touches begins with hypnotic sounds of a train clattering on its tracks. This departure seems to set the whole piece into a context of travel and distance, moving away from and towards something, someone. After a while these sounds give way to a rousing, majestic set of string loops. Similar phases of different field recordings and grandiose loops take turns throughout the whole work. This brings about a dynamics of contrasts: the concrete and the abstract, the particular and the general, the mundane and the exalted, and so on. The phases of string loops take up most of the album and evoke a yearning feeling of distance, grand and epic. The title, Engaged Touches, however, refers to quite the opposite, the close and intimate. It feels as if it is these kinds of touches that the string loops wailingly, albeit very gracefully, long for. This is exactly the kind of powerful romanticism that seems to define so much of Celer's work. Because of the heavy presence of string loops Engaged Touches reminds me of some of Celer's earlier works. I would call it a classic Celer piece, if it weren't for the fact that their oeuvre spans only a few years back, and it would be too early to ponder the distinct phases and the internal relations in their output. Engaged Touches is another beautiful addition to the rapidly growing body of work by Celer – an oeuvre that I already consider one of thhe most important in modern ambient music"

• Sunlir cd (con-v) 12.50

"All music by Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long, recorded in 2005-2006 at home in Huntington Beach, California. Originally self-released as a limited, handmade edition. new master by m.a.tolosa, Madrid 2011" (label)

• In Escaping Lakes cd (Slow Flow Rec) 12.50

"Celer is the sound, visual, literary, and artistic endeavor of the husband and wife duo of Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long.Will first began experimenting with sound at age 4, making 'unsynchronized tape loops' by recording fragments of pleasant tones from records and films onto audio cassettes, rewinding, recording again, and repeating the process until the tape was filled up. In Will and Dani's time together, they have produced numerous custom, handmade self-releases, sound for installations and art exhibitions, as well as creating works for independent labels in North America, Japan, and Europe. Their intent is producing works that reflect the nature of love, family, and their concerns and interests, through a relative and absolute symposium of expression. They currently reside on the coast of Southern California." (Slow Flow)

Celer & Yui Onodera - Generic City cd (Two Acorns) 7

Another excellent Celer release, this time in collaboration with Japanese sound artist Yui Onodera. This opens with the exuberant greeting calls of whooper swans, arriving at their wintering grounds in Japan, which is a surefire way to win this gal over! Yui Onodera contributes a lot of field recordings eg Japanese streetlife & temple sounds, which sound rather otherworldly bubbling under Celer's ambient drone and drift. 

Century Plants / The Coast split cdr (Deep Water) 5.50

2 tracks of damaged guitar improv from Century Plants. Track 3 comes from The Coast which features Florian Tositti (Ghost Brames / The Reggae) and is a fuzzed guitar / gently thudding drums meditation with bells spilling over the throb and slivers of silvery feedback.

Charlatan - Equinox LP (Aguirre) 14.75

"A warm, filled with rich tones, re-issue of one of the earliest tapes of Charlatan. After the Triangles Lp on his own Digitalis label this is Brad Rose’s second vinyl release under his new solo project moniker. Synthclouds and starchords on a carpet of white hiss. Brad Rose is one of the most active personas in the current adventurous contemporary music scene. As label honcho of Digitalis records / limited and online magazine Foxy Digitalis he’s constantly in search of exciting new groups/artists. Add to that numerous solo and collaborative projects and you can rightly consider him as one of the spearheads of the experimental underground scene of the last five years. This release marks one of the highlights from his output last year, now rightly re-issued on heavy vinyl with two bonus tracks!" (Aguirre)

Hans Chew plays boogie woogie piano in a hard-hitting, straight down the line, Meade Lux Lewis/Albert Ammons style. He sings too and New Cypress Grove Boogie sounds like a solo number until the band star whooping it up with him about half way through. Pass the bourbon, this is a good session and is that the throaty grunt of a fuzzed up synth I hear on the opposite side of the mix from the bass? Nothing too trad about this band, then! Chew has also played with D. Charles Speer & The Helix and the late Jack Rose and the flipside of this picture disc reflects the range of his songs. Forever Again is a country tinged ballad of the sort which might fall under the heading of "Americana", although I'm shaky ground when it comes to applying such definitions. (JC)

Chicalovoh - Quand Les Tables Se Mettent a Tournover cassette (Digitalis) 3

Solo project of Alice Dourlen. Fuzzed slowed-to-a-stop stoner ballads, mainly based around minimal distorted guitar, atonal chord organ and Alice's voice meditating around a few notes, like a darker version of Empress or Mazzy Star on Mogadon. Highly recommended 

"Almost - no joke - three years in the planning, the best thing about London since they moved there drop in with an epic that's worth the wait plus one. Shifting over eight tracks from a minimal vocal/mouthpiece/cymbal feedbacking opener through air-raid free rock and spooked Taj Mahal Travellers-esque live séance to full-on big band shakedown; it sounds like there's even some overtone singing in there too. Line-up changes abound around core members Ben Morris and Rob Lye, with free blower Karl Brummer, percussionist Patrick Farmer, guitar/everything-ist Ben Nash and Hunter Gracchus freedom riders Fiona Kennedy and Jon Marshall all aboard at various points. Seems like there's a riot going on in South London..... Edition of 74 copies from some floorboards, drilled and sprayed through the hole, with eye-popping wraparound fold-out artwork by David Bailey and typewritten card spine. Cost is £10 including UK postage, ask about postage elsewhere." (WP)

Christian Television - Cathode Mirror cassette (Hashram Audio) 3

Quartet featuring Drea Merkin, Helen Southall, Rohan Holiday and Captain Hashram himself, Michael Donnelly. This shares similarities with the current Death Chants reissue on Time Lag but on this release the spectral acid folk gets a heavy shot of lysergic madness in the arm and as a result, the feeling you get is of listening to distant psych folk / rock songs through a series of ever-distorting aural prisms.

Chubby Wolf 

• The Darker Sex 7" (Low Point) 4.75

""Time moves differently with Chubby Wolf’s latest work of fluid sound art….more than a single, you're embraced and carried, pulled gently in one direction, urgently in another. You feel Dani had woven a tapestry of emotional choreography just for you. As with all her work, there is a sense of a personal touch…a slight weight of a hand on the shoulder, your skin gone electric where her sound has lifted you. We sadly do not know what Dani’s exact intentions were with this music. Our only direct hint the title, 'The Darker Sex'. Even that, like a game of playfulness or frustration with a lover…which is the darker sex? But don’t you know? All of her work was a labor of love and gift to the world, and I believe we were meant to feel more then define. For here purgatory is not flat, it is pregnant and undulating with expectation and anticipation…and above all else, an effervescent timeless beauty. We will want to stay a while." - Maile Colbert, March 2011" (Low Point)

• Maudlin & Elusive cassette (Teosinte) 9

Circle Bros - You'll Be Missed 3" cdr (Blue Sanct / Morc) 1.50

5 track prelude to the full-length due later this on Morc. Dream-like acoustic manipulations - shimmering flicker drones constructed from delayed guitar, accordian, bells and vocals.

• Princetown Air cdr (Rural Faune) 4

Another fascinating recording from Pennsylvania's Clear Spots, recorded as a radio session. A free-floating improvised jam of weaving guitars, percussion flourishes and some occasional synth. Not as riff-heavy or garagey as previous recordings, this finds Clear Spots getting spaced out and mellow. 

Cloudland Ballroom – Illusion Circles cassette (Aguirre) 5.75

Spiralling analogue synth melodies - there are 12 on here and each is a beautifully constructed piece of cosmic electronic bliss that never outstays its welcome. Similar to Brother Raven.

Alex Cobb / Aquarelle split LP (Low Point) 9.50

“Artists sharing a split record are akin to being roommates, with their share of common spaces yet separate headquarters. Such an undertaking tends to bring about elements of juxtaposition, contrast and union. This Low Point release from Alex Cobb & Aquarelle encompasses these and many more in a seamless fashion, breathing an ease of cohabitation throughout. One side of the vinyl LP picks up where the other left off and there is a manifest impression of torch-bearing with a common decisiveness within these pieces. Their work may be seen not in opposition, but rather as an alternative to the otherwise microwaved and unimaginative drones steadily filling up the modern musical landscape. Gracing upon themes of immanence, embodiment and metamorphosis, it embarks the listener into deeply immersive sonic territory. The shades and nuances are undeniably subtle but also rich and vast, which makes entering the dwelling of these artists both a mystifying, yet coherent experience all at once.” Samuel Landry, September 2011 Alex Cobb (who previously recorded under the Taiga Remains moniker) has released material alongside Low Point’s curator Gareth Hardwick in 2008 as well as on his own label, Students of Decay. He is at the steering wheel for what he depicts as ‘a one man musical operation that deals mainly with the creation of intricate sound environments that seduce the listener through layer upon layer of sound.’ With appearances on labels including Root Strata, Callow God & Arbor as well as collaborations with the likes of Valerio Cosi and Jeff Witscher, Alex Cobb is not one to sit on his laurels and much can be expected in the coming years from this extremely fruitful artist. Aquarelle is sound artist and curator of the Rest + Noise label Ryan Potts, originally from Wisconsin and currently a resident of Toronto, Canada. Alongside his latest album ‘Sung in Broken Symmetry' released by Students of Decay in August, this year promises to be bountiful one for an artist who has so far shown parsimony and restraint with his however potent outings. Ryan’s inclusion in the Low Point roster seems for all purposes organic and most welcome, it will surely bring attention to a project of unmistakable depth and lushness." (LP)

Concern - Living Wage cassette (Digitalis) 5

"the 'living wage' EP was recorded over a few mornings following 12 hour graveyard shifts as a taxi driver, in a very weary and warm state of mind while adjusting to a new sleep schedule. each piece was recorded live and manipulated using spring reverb, 1/4" and cassette tape, with a piano as the sound source on the A side, and a lap steel guitar on the B side. it is intended as a window into my own tattered and crude processes of of tape manipulation, as well as the feeling of soon-to-sleep in full summer light, and a bridge between more fleshed-out and composed full-length albums. edition of 125. chrome tapes." (Digitalis)

Psych pop gems galore pour forth from the Cosmic Nanou. This set starts with a guitar instrumental, played whilst Patrick Moore & Chris Lintott are heard on a tv in the background. These songs were, says the cover, "recorded on barbara's tape recorder june - september 2000, mullingar, ireland". The sound quality is a bit like something taped from the radio around - oh - 1971 or that album of Roky Erickson demos (All That May Do My Rhyme). These songs have lain unreleased for a long time and I'm very pleased they're with us now. (JC)

Another cdr of slowly-uncoiling laptop drone from Tim Coster, this time made with bass guitar, ocarina, accordian, bells, harmonica, mbira, cloves, bottles, bowls, alarm clock, wood, string and field recordings. The sounds have a real winds-whistling-through-pines sense of unease to them.

• untitled cdr (CLaudia 022) 4

There's a heartbeat pulse through quite a lot of the music here and, allied to the oscillations which have a soft, slightly distant sound, this suggests what one might hear in a pre-birth state. Recorded in a place called the Wine Cellar in Auckland, New Zealand, you'll hear Mark on guitar and dictaphone, with Tim playing oscillator, keyboard samples, walkman and looping things too. (JC)

Dangerlamb? cassette (self-released) 4

New project from Kitchen Cynics / Matricarians' Alan Davidson. Along similar lines to the dark and mysterious soundscapes Alan cooks up in Matricarians, this sounds like the accompaniment to an alchemist's dreams - forest-dwelling drones, spooked one-finger synth and expressive improvised acoustic strumming. Excellent.

Dark Sun - A Journey Through Space cdr (Reverb Worship) 6

Finnish space-rock. Apparently they've issued an album featuring Nik Turner of Hawkwind and I can only say that definitely figures as within the first 30 seconds I was thinking Hawkwind. Within the first couple of minutes the band have managed to sneak in a cheeky reference to "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" too. Stencilled sleeves.

Neil Davidson 

An intimate and enthralling exploration of guitar acoustics. Neil uses a variety of implements to coax vibrations and tones from his guitar - knitting needles, hand-held fans, paint scraper, stones. The result has been recorded with such clarity that the strings sound like they are vibrating in my ear. A dinky 3" in an outsize sleeve.

Dead Black Arms / Fire Serpent cd (Ark Tarp) 9.50

Excellent Danish drone. Dead Black Arms contribute one long piece of gently undulating tone, which will appeal to fans of Gareth Hardwick. Fire Serpent's 3 tracks are more visceral, reminding me of the searing tape delayed flicker drone of Our Glassie Azoth. Handmade packaging.

Dead Wood - Slow Threat cdr (Striate Cortex) 2

Yet another lovely handmade package from Striate Cortex, this one being an eco-pak digipak with a little wood insert. Dead Wood is Adem Baker and there are 6 tracks on here of manipulated field recordings: fast flicker electro, horizontal drones, meditative pulsations that sound like gongs.

Cam Deas 

• My Guitar Is Alive and It's Singing cdr (self-released) 3

Cdr reissue of sold-out debut vinyl release from acoustic guitarist Cam Deas. The A side is one long track and is reminiscent of James Blackshaw, albeit in a more aggressive mode. There are 2 tracks on side B: the opening one starts with a quiet but unsettling undercurrent of drone and the tension continues with flurried assaults on the strings. Back to more 12 string mastery on the last track. An excellent release.

• Quadtych Parts 1 & 2 LP (Present Time Exercises) 9

The opening two parts mix spaced minimlism, warped Takoma stylings and breathtaking full-on drone strumming worthy of Charlemagne Palestine. 

• Quadtych Parts 3 & 4 LP (Present Time Exercises) 9

Part 3 is more along the lines of what you'd heard previously from Cam Deas - a sunburst of glorious fingerpicking. Part 4 starts out in similar fashion before the repeated notes become gradually more and more detuned into a metallic morass. Highly recommended.

• Untitled Blues Part I & II 7" (Great Pop Supplement) 3.50

Deas & Denton 

• s/t cdr (Blackest Rainbow) 3

Last time I heard Cam Deas he was pulling a remarkable range of sounds out of a 12 string acoustic guitar. This time he's joined Adam Denton for an amped up 32 minute sonic storm of electric guitar improv. Check that any loose items in your room are in secure positions, turn it up to eleven and stand the hell back! (JC)

• Inferno LP (Present Time Exercises) 5 

Another collaborative release from Cameron Deas and Adam Denton following their Blackest Rainbow cdr. On this again all sounds are created using guitar but with some surprising results. Minimal electrical fluctuations and electronic throb very reminiscent of Basic Channel.

Del - Grim Ace cassette (Gold Soundz) 1

Death rock crunch from Lasse Marhaug and crew. Overload, distortion, monolithic riffs and a woman with a big syringe on the cover.

Denied By Character - Wrecks cdr (Reverb Worship) 5.50

Duo featuring James Brewster and Andreas Beraha. Recorded live at Malmo's Cafe Montag the pair use guitar, pedals, laptop and metal objects to create a huge wall of fuzz that engulfs everything in its path.

Dense Reduction - Fictive Agriculture cassette (Digitalis) 3

Duo featuring Travis Bird and Evan Lindorff-Ellery. Oscillates from synth flicker to tape hiss scree and infernal over-saturated howl.

I'm unsure exactly who plays on the 2 side-long tracks on this release but Dire Wolves usually includes Jeffrey Alexander (Black Forest/Black Sea,Avarus, Secret Eye Records), Matt McDowell (Sagas, Dark Yoga, ArcoFlute Foundation), Ian Bonnet, Jennifer Myers, Dan Letson, Davide Manbeard Lifrieri, Joshua Kretzmann and Kenny "K-Doh" Donut. Heavy Winged-esque  riffology with a heavy kosmische vibe.

"let the insanity begin!  these beasts from toronto follow-up their mind-melting LP from last year, "post-mortem depression," with absolute avalanche of hell.  jagged guitar swirls get the beat down from a pommel horse of drum bombs.  screams escape from the abyss only to be sucked back under by crawling basslines.  and then the guitars come at you again and again and again.  there's no avoiding this minefield - you're gonna lose a leg.  this is clusterfuck city folks and disguises are your tour guides. these jagged excursions will cut your face open and make you want to apologize for bleeding all over the brand new carpet.  edition of 80, pro-dubbed with broken golden fairy art and smeared labels." (Digitalis)

"essential debut  album by the ethereal and mesmeric LA based former front woman of cult alt.indie band blackblack and of pocahaunted. This is the real diva coming out, quirky, catchy alt.pop for those hankering after a hook and looking for a middle ground somewhere between the cure and joy division. Variously described as a psychedelic assette tape princess and a mythicalcreature lady diva, frsh frour playing with os mutantes and ariel pink, is touring across Europe from april, so enjoy the record and catch the live show and get in on the ground floor.   " (AV)

Dozens / Confused Kundalini split cassette (Tranquility Tapes) 4.50

"Three talented lads offer two zonked out sides on this split. Dozens, the Montreal duo of Frank Oulellette (Hobo Cubes) and Ryan Connolly (Sundrips), kick off with abrupt psychedelic drifts for guitar and synth. Occasionally channeling their city’s post-rock ghosts, other times locking in on strange melodic passages that sound as though they’re from another dimension, Oulellette and Connolly revel in both  the joy and bewilderment of improvisation at once. Fort Wayne’s Adam Meyer (Dry Valleys) takes command on the flip side with his new side project, Confused Kundalini. CK takes the new age synth bliss crafted through DV and warps it entirely with the addition of strange field recordings and vocal incantations. Something like a soundtrack for a yoga session in hell, Meyer mixes loops of sublime chord progressions with deliciously bizarre sounds from who-knows-where across five fascinating pieces. Pro-dubbed and imprinted, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle." (TT)

Jon Dræby – subjektive undersøgelser (søg selv i reolerne) cd-r (Golem) 3.50

Jon Dræby's (of trulofa, shiggajon, trulofa trio etc.) music could be some of the closest you get to an authentic modern folk-music. Naive and eclectic approaches to instrumentation is combined with free collage-based compositional style reminding one of old-school electronical music, resulting in a strangely natural, intuitive, and undoubtedly heart-felt, playful and at times even humoristic, but always deeply convincing, way of expression. At the same time, you could also call it art-music par excellence, as every piece seems to invent its own genre, being composed around a clear idea or emotion, shaping the form to fit that specific content without any regard to tradition or genre-limitations. Quite simply, this is some of the most human music I have discovered for a long time. (Golem)

An ominous choir of layered and treated vocals, woozy and indistinct as if you're listening underwater. 

Dreamcookie - s/t  cdr (Reverb Worship) 6

"This is the debut recording from Dreamcookie.A four piece psychedelic space rock band from Phoenix, Arizona, USA.Dreamcookie features Molusk ~ bass, John ~ guitars, Claire ~ drums and Timmy Stamper aka Timas 23 on synthesizers, circuits, electric sitar and samples. This superb cd is compiled from two totally improvised live performances recorded in November 2009 and February 2010 at Revolver Records in downtown central Phoenix, AZ.The band had not played these songs previously.This is the only document of these two live performances.Musically this band have a similar feel to Delerium era Porcupine Tree ("Coma Divine" /"Signify" / "Lightbulb Sun" etc) and I.E.M , using sound samples of voices generally talking about chemically enduced states of mind.The cd contains ten tracks clocking in at almost sixty six minutes.Each cover is unique featuring a different character/s from Star Wars.Available now in a edition of 60 hand numbered copies with insert" (RW)

Drekka 

• Take Care to Fall cd (Blue Sanct) 3

An excellent (long-awaited) debut that exceeds my expectations - fractured in-the-depths-of-your-head folk / lo-fi experimental pop - earlier singles and tapes were always full of intrigue and atmosphere but this is a dark, hazy beauty of an album.

• Collected Works Vol 1 (1996) 2cd (Morc) 5

Double disc collection of all Drekka's earliest recordings from 1996. Features Grieve, Windowframe and Hermitage One EPs plus bonus tracks. Fuzzy folk fragments, creepy hissed-out tape collages and lo-fi ambient. Comes with a little booklet.

Tape, vocal and electronic experiments from Paris-based Laurent Gérard. This sounds like an uneasy liaison between This Heat and Suicide.

JD Emmanuel - AMM LP (Aguirre) 17.75

"Re-issue of the AMM tape recorded between 1981 and 1985 by JD Emmanuel, a new age composer who has received a lot of praise from people like Lieven Martens and John Olsen. These recordings signify Emmanuel's praise to the course of the day. Starting off slowly, with morning synth meanderings, walking through midday,  running in the evening and closing the day with midnight meditation. "Somewhere hidden in the deepest part of the Self is that special place, where One can go within to the most ancient part of one's Self and connect with the origin of Self. Ancien Minimal Meditations reaches into that special place of creation of the Self and its Oneness with the Creator of All."" (Heavy vinyl. (Aguirre)

Emuul - Two Studies for Order and Chaos cassette (Tranquility Tapes) 4.50

"Seattle’s Kyle Iman returns with one of his most charming and minimal works to date. Eschewing much of the subtle darkness that often permeates his work, Two Studies for Order and Chaos finds Iman harnessing his modular synth to bask in the simple glories of melody and soothing drone. Each side-length track gradually builds to its own shimmering climax, but Iman also takes great pleasure in the journey itself. Sequences gently bounce about in playful, lulling fashion, and pure analog tones are unveiled and layered with commendable patience. Not one to tread the same path twice, Iman has added another enthralling piece to an already remarkably consistent catalog. Pro-dubbed and imprinted, featuring designs by Caroline Teagle." (TT)

Enfer Boreal 

• Sea of Tranquility / Sea of Darkness cassette (Digitalis) 2

• The Way of the Masks cdr (Tape Drift) 3

Dense electronics / acoustic sound manipulations from Maxime Primault. Alchemical bubblings and rumblings, the distant chug and drone of old machinery, frenetic scuttling beneath rampant hum.

Enumclaw - Painted Valley of the Mineral Monks cdr (Deep Water) 5

Solo project of Norm Fetter, also of Niagara Falls and sometimes Espers. Deeply meditative synth joy that wouldn't sound out of place on a Cluster album. Very 70s and very good.

E.S. / I.S. - I Saw You, Sister, Stand in the Effulgence cassette (Digitalis) 5

"the sound of being trapped in a cybernetic torture chamber" (Digitalis)

Evening Fires 

• s/t cdr (Deep Water) 5

Fake Map - A Continued Garden cassette (Digitalis) 5

New project from Taiga Remains' Alex Cobb. He's still dealing in fuzzed-up, heavily layered drones but they're not as visceral as Taiga Remains, using synths and electronics instead of guitar.

Family Elan   

Far Black Furlong - Caerbre 3" cdr (Reverb Worship) 4

"Far Black Furlong are a musical project that I have liked for quite some time since hearing their limited edition recording on Barl Fire.So,its a great pleasure for me to release music by them in the form of "Caerbre".Far Black Furlong make experimental, ambient music that also draws on folk, drones, classical and electronica. Their music is based on live improvisation that is often later edited and treated, and otherwise mangled. FBF are comprised of   baroque oboist Mark Baigent, composer Richard Moult, medievil   harp and woodwind player Anne Marie Summers, guitarist Ian Tengwall & Andy Cotterill on electronics & drones.They have had previous releases on Barl Fire, Beta Lactum Ring and   ICR. "Caerbre" has two quite long tracks and comes as a 3" cdr with a cover made from black handmade paper strewn with flower petals."Caerbre" is available now in an edition of 52 hand numbered copies in a resealable plastic packet." (RW)

Far Concern - Stubborn Feet 3" cdr (Black Petal) 4.50

I do like the element of surprise offered by labels like Black Petal, which defy category. Jared Davis's songs are pop tunes, replete with handclaps, maybe even footstomps, and subtle twists... chattering tape running across the heads, something that sounds like a rotating bike wheel to me. 'Tis great fun and it comes in a handmade package of dayglo pink felt. 50 copies only - hard to resist! (JC)

Ben Fleury-Steiner - The Places That Find You LP (Low Point) 9.50

"First impressions pull closer, strings and fizzles fall, carrying you, reaching further and ending up in an all-new place. Time is simple and less than a moment, with the lasting habit of a worn-out keepsake but nonetheless you are still immediately there again, inside those open arms and a world you have always dreamed of. In homage to minimalism and imagination, 'The Places That Find You' by Ben Fleury-Steiner embodies an ultimate trance, the ability to connect directly with the listener and the truth behind the feeling of music from the heart. Far away but incredibly close, the five tracks forming this album never return to the ordinary but move, invert and grow, through time-lapse expressions and faded visions. Some listeners want to be transported to other places through music, whilst others hear the technical artistry and find inspiration to delve deeper into the creative process. Without any direction and by simply following your own natural instincts, 'The Places That Find You' is a guide that places you instantly, allowing each listener to find more, not only through the music but from inside themselves.” Will Long, September 2011. Ben Fleury-Steiner is a Delaware-based composer, published author and owner of the Gears Of Sand label. Drawing upon his deep love of minimalism and influenced by the work of Mirror, Jonathan Coleclough and Tim Hecker, 'The Places That Find You ' was recorded over a two year period between 2009 to 2011. The recording process made use of a mixture of instrumentation, including the use of the kalimba (the traditional name for a thumb piano) and the various sounds produced when played in the manner of a prepared guitar, coupled with more modern electronic instruments including effects pedals and synths." (Low Point)

Flaming Creatures & Hering Und Seine Sieben Sachen - Kein Stress cassette (Digitalis) 5 

"Collaborative recording. Two long dreamscapes of twinkling synth, gaseous drones, delayed guitar and wordless vocals that build into ecstatic reverie." (Digitalis)

Flying Sutra 

• Levitate & Dissolve cdr (Deep Water) 3

Pennsylvanian guitar / drums duo of George Draguns and Bob Cozzolino who merge avant-rock / free jazz stylings - the longer tracks are particularly fine.

• Glowering and Glowing Red cdr (Deep Water) 3

Pennsylvania's guitar / drums duo return with 66 minutes of crunching avant-rock that merges angular art-punk with freeform heavy rock.

Fordell Research Unit - Heavy Petting cassette (Krapp Tapes) 4

Great new tape from Fraser Burnett on Drew Wright's (Wounded Knee) label. Heavy-lidded fuzz fog that eventually lifts just enough to let a burning black morass of drone and 2 note guitar dirge seethe out. Fraser calls this a "blatant Lee Stokoe rip off" on the sleevenotes ... it may be but it's a damn fine one. On the other side, more blackness, culminating in a 2 chord synth drone shrouded in fuzz.

Chris Forsyth & Keon Holtkamp - Early Astral LP (Blackest Rainbow) 10.50

"Chris Forsyth has recently been touring around Europe with his Paranoid Cat Band in support of their excellent LP on Family Vineyard as well as playing with Meg Baird on her recent record and a continuing member of the Peeesseye. Koen Holtkamp plays as part of Thrill Jockey's Mountains, as well as releasing solo material on aformentioned Thrill Jockey and Type. On Early Astral Forsyth and Holtkamp team up, playing guitar and synthesizer and modular electronics respectively. The record consists to two tracks, each with a great kraut guitar groove, but frequently rocking into a blissed out epic psychedelic smog of wailing riffs and bubbling electronics tones. Pressed on heavyweight black vinyl." (BR)

Ray Hare of Century Plants / Burnt Hills with a wildly eclectic collection: slowly unfolding guitar / silence weave shacks up alongside minimal bass / electronic churring.