Bathetic’s Toolkit For The Inward Explorer
2.18.14 by Ian Franklin

“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.”
– Tony Robbins

I don’t know if Asheville, NC based Bathetic Records prescribes to much of the philosophy of Tony (Toni Toné) Robbins, but the above quote seems tailor made to sum up their entire record releasing effort. Always a consistent and forward thinking outfit, Bathetic has managed over the years to pull off what most record companies only hope to accomplish: release music that is somehow essential listening before the listener even realizes it. From Lee Noble’s wide-open bedroom stylings, to Earn’s completely mesmerizing drift, to Cough Cool’s self-reflective fuzzed out burners and a long list of who’s who encompassing everything in between (Sparkling Wide Pressure, King Dude, High Aura’d, Zac Nelson – to name a small few), Bathetic manage to hone in and deliver essential head vibrations which make you question what life was like before you listened.

Their newest batch is no different, dropping the Tsar Bomba of loaded sonics. Up first is “Live at the Hideout” a 3xCS collection from Bitchin Bajas encompassing a lengthy collage of performances and rehearsals in residency at Chicago, IL’s Hideout in January 2013. Using their Bitchitronics setup (a system of tape loops set up for generation and manipulation) with a wide array of synthesizers, woodwind & brass instruments, and percussion, they stream an other-worldly dose of musical sensory data to unsuspecting minds. This music is perfectly suited to long explorations of self-awareness and this long-form release, with over 120 minutes of music, is the perfect entry point for any sonic-explorers journey into the other. As the band says themselves on their website, “Find your zone”.

Next up is a new full length from the enigmatic Angel Olsen, “Burn Your Fire for No Witness” out on Jagjaguar with Bathetic slinging the only cassette offering. Featuring her syrupy razor croon, this is sure to be an absolute soul crusher in all the best ways. Evidenced on the track “Hi-Five” which kicks off with slightly overblown electric guitar accompanied by a warm warbly tremolo and punchy honky-tonk drumming, her voice cuts straight through to your heart and grips the fuck out of it. Delivered with stunning vocal control, the lyrics serve to hook you even more, “Are you lonely too?/ Are you lonely too?/ Hi-Five/ So am I”. This is pain everyone can understand delivered in a false bouquet of serenity. The cover art, from the equally enigmatic Daniel Higgs, solidifies the themes and mentality of this release as demonstrated in “Hi-Five” with blood red text around a beautiful image of what appears to be an internally burning head, all wrapped around a red soaked cassette shell. A firestorm of emotional turmoil bursting forth and displayed with no regard to who may be watching.

Rounding out the grouping is an expertly conceived “split” from Rale and Lolly Gesserit across two cassettes. A brilliant method of release and exploration establishing both artists as expounding on a mutual conversation; two complimentary pillars as opposed to different sides of the coin. Billed as more of a collaboration rather than a split in Bathetic’s words, both artists are free to elaborate over the double cassette with the artists alternating sides of each, creating self contained voices within a larger framework. Featuring harsh rumblings of fragmented mutterings, layers of metallic drones, and terse interjections of static and feedback, this dialogue will surely unfold and bloom across the 4 sides. Each rebounding and expanding upon the other as both blend together into a continuous regeneration of form.

Grab all three releases from Bathetic’s site, Check out the video for Angel Olson’s “Hi-Five” (below), and step into the vast expanse of inward exploration young traveler!