New Lighten Up Sounds Batch Spans Format/Space/Time
2.4.14 by Mike Haley
You know what I like? I like it when something awesome happens. For example when pizza is hot, or the following day when the pizza is cold. Pizza is good hot or cold is what I’m getting at. But awesomeness doesn’t stop at pizza temperature. I also enjoy when a cassette label releases a tight batch. Something that sounds awesome, but doesn’t stop there. They go a little bit extra and make you do a quadruple take. Lighten Up Sounds, a label that i *think* is from Minnesota but I could be wrong so what’s the point of even mentioning that (??), did just that.
LUS dropped seven new ones into the world and they all caught my eyes and ears (two of each). Let’s dig in.
LUS#072: German Army “T’rung” C40
I think the first thing I heard from these dudes was a tape called Holland Village on Dub Ditch Picnic and it killed. They have a new LP out on A Giant Fern and a slew of other vinyl/cassette releases that you should be snagging up right now. This is a very yellow pro-dubbed tape, an edition of 100 copies.
LUS#073: Tirehouse Tapes “Vol.2″ C48
This is a duo (Dain Daller and Amanda Speer) from New Mexico that I have not heard of before, but the sound sample is quite dope. It’s a home dubbed edition of 50 copies and LUS says it “wonks steady”. Thus far I agree with their claim of steady wonkiness.
LUS#074: Burial Ground “Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things” 8 track
Here is one of the two 8 track releases from the batch and it’s a crumbly mess from Burial Ground. It’s a “real time duplicated” 8 track, which I assume is the only way you could dub them, right? I mean, no one is pro dubbing these and 8 track decks don’t have high speed options. Right? I don’t know. Comes with a sticker if you like sticky things.
LUS#075: Clear Fluids “After Dark” VHS/C28/7″ lathe
The next guy is a C28 that comes with a musical video’d VHS, like the MTV used to do, from Clear Fluids. There are 23 “standard copies” (kush green VHS (NTSC) with mauve & white spine and face labels and retro melt warning, packaged in large black clamshell with full color cardstock insert. Each copy includes an extended cassette version of the album, translucent green shell c28 with mauve & white labels and full color cardstock J-cards) and 10 DIE HARD editions (different artwork in lime green clamshells with black VHS stock (except for ONE lime green tape mixed in at random!) All ten “Deluxe” packages include a clear shell c28 cassette, as well as a beautiful limited edition lathe-cut flexi square 7″ record, featuring an exclusive Clear Fluids track entitled “La Femme de Chambre”, otherwise unavailable. Completely clear one sided polycarbonate 33rpm records cut by 2208, screen printed on the B sides by M.H.). The Die Hard editions do not include the film of the same name, but they do include a condom.
LUS#076: Men Of Science “Antiseptic” C44
A collaboration between Andreas Brandal and Matthew Himes. Home dubbed tape wrapped in sterile gauze. It’s sterile, so DEFINITELY use it on any open wounds you get. I’m sure that will be fine.
LUS#077: Rattlesnake Eggs s/t 8 track
And here’s the second 8 track in the batch. An edition of 10 copies of dark basement vibes. Rattlesnake Eggs gets my vote for best current project name.
LUS#078: The Howling Head “Wrong Way” C10
The batch is rounded up by a lil’ C10 from The Howling Head. A harsh jammer that is entirely made of field recordings of public transit and outboard marine motors. You can really hear the Coleman® Four-Stroke 5HP on this one. Needs some oiling though.
And there she is. You can read/see more over at Lighten Up Sounds. Everything is nicely priced so order away!