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Tabs Out | Comfort Food – Waffle Frolic

Comfort Food – Waffle Frolic
3.30.16 by Scott Scholz

comfort

Chicago’s Comfort Food has been laying down their heavy jazz/rock/tribal/math jams for a few years now, but their latest tape for Already Dead, “Waffle Frolic,” is a whole new party power-up for your ears. Their previous tape, “Dr. Faizan’s Feel-Good Brain Pills,” displayed an admirable kind of gutbucket rock/jazz blend with some serious swagger in tunes like “Dem Grapes,” but look: ain’t no Frolic like a Waffle Frolic, ‘cause a Waffle Frolic don’t stop.

“Waffle Frolic” most closely reminds me of the first pair of Sex Mob albums, or Joey Baron’s “Raised Pleasure Dot,” mega-fun jams from the 90’s that found some seriously next-level players laying back, focusing on sloppy-but-sexy grooves and the occasional “bad note contest,” rediscovering the pleasures of jagged edges, weird forms, and other perfect imperfections. Those are some of my all time favorite albums for their total commitment to fun within a genre that was increasingly self-serious. But Sex Mob and Barondown were all-live lineups that could go wherever the music took them. What makes Comfort Food especially remarkable in comparison is their existence as a simple duo, with Daniel Wolff layering his work on bass, trumpet and vocals with clever looping strategies, while Jake Marshall finds the perfect beats to keep building these jams toward the sky. Where most loop-based music can’t help but feel a little subdued in terms of groove, these two have unlocked the mystery to using loops while still making music that feels confident and unrestrained.

My favorite tune here is opener “They Got Minivans,” a funky jazz riff piece with the perfect buildup of trumpet and bass grooves that keeps nudging toward an out-of-control frenzy, tempered by the perfect amount of compositional patience. But there are more rock/tribal-fueled pieces like “The Happy Good-Time Fun Situation” or “Tear Down Those Silos” on the B side that are just as satisfying in their rituals of abandon and release. And this is also a beautifully recorded album that alternates between reverb spaces and in-your-face dry mixes with thoughtful attention to compositional density. This is one of those “gateway” tapes perfect for getting your less-adventurous friends further into weirdo jams, with plenty of tight rhythms and riffs to hang onto while you slide toward bizarre vocals and samples and ecstatic noise.

Don’t be alarmed by that dried syrup coagulated on your chin when you return to your senses the next morning. These are grooves worth leaving in your beard for a while, even if you can’t grow a beard. Pick ‘em up from Already Dead while you still can.

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Tabs Out | Giona Vinti – Nox Lux

Giona Vinti – Nox Lux
3.28.16 by Ian Franklin

GIONA

Uneasy synth chords swirl back and forth in the opening moments of Nox, the A side’s lone track on “Nox Lux” by Giona Vinti, released this past month on Old Bicycle Records. Flashes of frequency modulation dance across the unbroken wave of tone. The mood: a pervasive sense of dread. Syrupy blips pop into focus and squeeze between the disorienting walls of synth swirl. Clanging bell tones knock together in an off-balance dance, the precursor to an all out freakout of heavily modulated skronk shuffle. Slips and pops and distorted bleeps bounce around in a steady barrage of digital(?) noise. Fragments of vocal samples leak into the picture, foreboding and separated from context.

Lux swirls forward on the B side with rushes of textured vocals and low zone feedback spirals. The mood lifted and bright with gong splashes. A flurry of dense patches of synth like blocks jump through the melody, returned to a slightly somber skip. Perhaps it’s expertly trilled guitar in sections? Tough to say for sure but it’s undoubtedly heavy. This is the type of light that blinds you. Switching between ping ponged bells and drops of distorted guitar and synth the melody drifts in and out of consciousness carrying the listener with it. Swirling and flying closer to the sun before drifting off in to burning light.

Like the Stefan Christoff / Post Mortem split, this is housed in a Brad Pack and features some killer graphic art from Maria Dolorosa De La Cruz, and some words on the project release and how it came about from label head Vasco Viviani on a fold out insert. Same minimal imprinting on the grey-brown shells for this edition of 75, still available from the label.

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Tabs Out | Stefan Christoff / Post Mortem – Tape Crash #12 split

Stefan Christoff / Post Mortem – Tape Crash #12 split
3.21.16 by Ian Franklin

tape crash

Unbeknownst to me, Old Bicycle Records based out of Piazzogna, Switzerland have been releasing some amazing music on cassette, CD, and LP since 2011 especially their Tape Crash series pairing artists from around the world together. #12 in that series is a split C48 between Stefan Christoff of Canada and Post Mortem from the Netherlands.

Stefan Christoff’s side is filled with emotional and sprawling textures of organ, guitar drones, and piano explorations. At times Terry Riley like, Christoff works with rhythmic counterpoint and revolving modes of melody and solos. “Fenetres Sonores” begins with swirling touches of delayed and reversed guitar patterns stacked on top of bass currents and rising synth drone. Christoff does an excellent job shifting form across the tracks and as a result they never feel bogged down by extended periods of exploration or stagnancy. “Silver Organ”’s bouncing synth rhythm hops along under the silver glass shine of stacked organ declaration. “Correspondance” is the most guitar heavy track; slightly distorted resonating solos punctuate the open air and drift along the canyons within. Then to finish it out, the side closer “Reve Populaire a Montreal”, beckons with waves of crescendoed piano flourishing climaxes. Deep mix of Ambient introspection and contemplation across this side that is simply beautiful to experience.

Post Mortem (Jan Kees Helms) “Waasland” kicks off the B side with a warm bath of ambient noise rising in intensity revealing a train like cadence, wind whipping by with the muffled clicks of tracks passing underneath. Looped fragments of distorted vocals punctuate the haze with bass-y mixtures of piano and noise lurking through crevices. As the dense layering of looped field recordings subsides, the piano shines through the spotlight, a slow and measured melody of hesitation. Creeping, heavy blasts of noise are reduced to the mechanical lilt of the train again, unable to escape the constant feeling of escaping. The continuous movement is juxtaposed against fragile piano creating it’s own rhythmic pulse. Distorted vocal chants slash across the stereo spectrum invading your ears. These too fade into the background, revolving back into the continuous loop of fragmented noise and breaths of haunting piano. Really, really solid use of mixing field recordings and acoustic instrumentation and a perfect balance to the melodic beauty of the A side.

Housed in a slick, dot-matrix printed Brad Pack, the white shell tapes have simple and minimal printing of the artists names on each side, and an insert listing track information and instrumentation which is always a welcome bonus. Edition of 100 and even though it came out last November this is still somehow available from the label so get gripping!

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Tabs Out | Gerritt Wittmer – Unknowns

Gerritt Wittmer – Unknowns
3.18.16 by Mike Haley

gerrit large

Near nothingness. A stretch of vacancy occurs. Then, in a Kramer-like jolt, the machines start up. Functioning correctly or not, gears chug along. Stray bolts drops to the floor and roll underneath the onerous mountains of metal and belts and wire. Maybe the machines grind up bones for old, rich people snort and look younger? Maybe they manufacture those tiny plastic taco and sushi toys for kids? It starts up. It runs, pumping out quarts or dozens or feet of whatever shit it makes. The sounds bouncing off the concrete walls are both mechanical and organic. Then, like clockwork, the machines break down. Workers have trouble getting them back up and running this time. All the while red lights flash, the word “DANGER” in bold type under them. Eventually more machines are sent to repair the machines. Basically training for robots who will be working there next summer. Maybe sooner if they can start balancing themselves.

That is the way of Gerritt Wittmer’s stalking collection of sounds called “Unknowns”, released by No Rent Records in an edition of 100 pro dubbed copies. Patience mentors the listener through copious downtime, inaudible bricks dropped into a cylindrical denseness of factory drudge. The sounds of mechanical midnights sliced and served very cold. “Unknowns” is a relatively short tape at twenty minutes, my personal minimum (I just can’t get down with C7s, ya’ll). But in that twenty minutes, Wittmer works with resonant loops, harsh concepts, and willful calmness like someone who’s been doing this for many years. Which, after all, is the case. Even though they can be rare as rocking horse shit, Gerritt Wittmer has been releasing solo material since the late 90’s on classic imprints like Troniks, RRR, and his own Misanthropic Agenda operation. Awesome to see a continuation of the action.

Dig the sounds. Dig the white on white shell imprinting. Dig the lonesome, b&w artwork. Dig yourself up a copy.

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Tabs Out | New Batch – Inner Islands

New Batch – Inner Islands
3.14.16 by Scott Scholz

innerisland large

Generally I’m all about the most note-dense, intense, wild musical excursions I can get my ears on. Composed or improvised, bring on the multiple layers, the contrapuntal races across time, the metrically modulating tempi in odd time signatures: if it’s headache-inducing, I’ll gladly suffer for the privilege of adventure.

But I’ve been mighty stressed in recent months, and sometimes the music I (think I) want isn’t the music I really need. In the last year, I’ve found myself turning regularly to the healing companionship evident in every curatorial move made by Oakland’s gently brilliant Inner Islands, and their latest pair of tapes will guide your next meditation toward a soft and supportive landing.

Channelers is the solo project of Inner Islands label guru Sean Conrad. The followup to last year’s excellent “They Are Cloaked in Stars and Rivers,” his “Essex” brings synth-driven pieces with just the right touch of acoustic instruments and field recordings to create balanced, immersive experiences. Opening with gentle ostinato figures and drifting synth pads, the album begins to take full shape around “Safe Space,” with guitars drenched in reverb and delay while insistent synth rhythms propel the piece. This piece is more rhythmic than most here, but not to the extent that you’ll fall out of the blissful state you’ve been nudged into: just a little definition to further shape your serenity.

The B-side opens with some nicely hazed banjo work amid synth drones, but the final piece is the real stunner here. “Longing to Swim in the Realm of My Childhood Dream” makes field recordings the foundation for evolving, breathing synth work. True to the childhood dream concept, many of these sounds morph and reverse on themselves, creating a restful yet surreal space. A great end to a serene pleasure of an album.

A kinder gentler iteration of Braeyden Jae, softest gives us six “wishes” over two sides. That’s twice as many wishes as the average genie, folks. And what gorgeous wishes they are—where Channelers often feels oceanic, softest evokes those ozone-heavy moments right after a good spring downpour. These pieces progress carefully, initially feeling a little static but gently evolving as they dry off in the sun. On the A side, the first three wishes feature electric guitar figures and vaguely symphonic synths drifting in and out of the mix. Melodies coalesce out of effervescent pads, with guitar strums at the perfect points of emphasis.

The B side introduces simple but very effective percussion. In “wish 4,” a simple kick drum pushes swirling arpeggios ever forward. The repetition here feels like a mantra with just a hint of vaporwave, like a phrase snipped from a soft rock prechorus as it repeats and mutates into something transcendent. Field recordings bubble in the mists of “wish 5,” and “wish 6” hosts subtle percussion under long, luxurious pads, while a keyboard melody asserts itself toward the end of the album.

I know it’s rough out there, but be sure to add “pick up the latest batch from Inner Islands” to your to-do list, and your tensions will be melting away soon enough.

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Tabs Out | Semănat – Duobė

Semănat – Duobė
3.4.16 by Mike Haley

semanat

Semănat turns over only three, relatively condensed tracks on “Duobė” in an unethically limited run of 30 copies. But what it lacks in volume (amount) is made up for tenfold in volume (loudness). A short, battery acid shot with menacing endurance, leaving bitter tastes you can’t wash from your mouth. Semănat probed the fields of drone, black metal, and ambient sound structures and returned with a dense cache.

At just under eight minutes, Duobė I coats the A side like a lacquer. Bleached-white guitar riffs exist in a panic-free void, uncoiling in an immutable, reliable attack. Hovering in arms reach above a fog of drones, thumps, and injured vocals. It’s with absolute reverence to grey scale scenery and poorly manicure historical battle sites that Semănat pours this poison. Side B is a speck less pessimistic, but still dangles on the building’s ledge. Slightly sped up, Duobė II sustains the gear-like progression of ashen doom, allowing in a negligible dose of stunted vibrancy. The room continues to spin, bringing the listener closer and closer to a much needed vomit. Duobė III acts as an outro. A 120 second dram of thunder and dragging karma.

“Duobė” may be undersized, but it’s deficit of comfort is massive. It may just end up sucking all joy from surrounding tapes in your collection, so be cautious where you store it. But first, buy it from III Arms!

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jump-ropeTabs Out #12:
Pulse Emitter “Blasted Space” C51

Edition of 55. Packaged in a Space Blaster module that gives the listner the ability to manipulate space and time. Archival synth work recorded in 2008 and previously unreleased.

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Tabs Out | Pleasure Brothers – The Accident & Ecstasy

Pleasure Brothers – The Accident & Ecstasy
2.25.16 by Jacob DeRaadt

pleasure brothers

According to Cantankerous Records’ website, Pleasure Brothers is the defunct moniker for Sydney, Australia’s Tony McKey, who specializes in a very peculiar sort of nauseating minimal tape loop action that calls to mind the more minimal elements of Dog Lady Island and Aaron Dilloway. Side B of “The Accident” drags your ears through the muck of tape slowly shedding its magnesium oxide, shedding its fur and flesh slowly as air is compressed into the engine room and parts.

A shining example of constant motion becoming non-movement over the course of 20 minutes of hypnosis. Small metal spheres are hovering in a white room, moving in small circles around a room that is full of light, the capstans dragging on the reels increasingly with each painful repetition, a machine that will eventually self-destruct. The performer has left the mechanisms to their own eventual destruction, but not before they wear down their gears in the process of pointless labor. The machine plays itself with as little guidance from the operator as possible, and a state of eternal entropy emerges. All movement becomes non-movement. There is no “same moment” in a state of total repetition where things slowly melt into the background or vise versa. The interaction of near -static constant tones and rumbling gear-like movements are corroding viscosity of the machine and my earlobes. Left me wanting more.

Which is great, since a copy of another recent PB release on Altered States Tapes, “Ecstasy”, came in the same package. This tape sounded a lot closer to what I’d heard on their release on Mazurka Editions a couple of years ago; slow-moving formations of confusion and oxide degradation coupled with a pervasive humming undertone that freezes your blood with a chill of the eternal decay that is life and death. More of the same on side B. Pleasure Brothers are the Lungfish of the modern tape loop scene. The same song being played over and over… Damn, its a good song, though. No answers. Modern minimal excellence in tape saturation and (de)composition that deserves your attention.

“The Accident” C26 is an edition of 30 and available from Cantankerous. You’ll have to do some hunting for a physical copy of “Ecstasy” or settle for a digital grip.

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Tabs Out | Moon Lagoon – How Do I Get Out Of Here

Moon Lagoon – How Do I Get Out Of Here
2.24.16 by Mike Haley

moon lagoon

The enticement game begins right out of the gate with Moon Lagoon throwing charms into your eyes via a handsomely designed silk screened Jcard, textured stickers on the shell, and the shell itself glitterfied in a way once reserved for homophobic presidential candidates. Thankfully, the audio end of “How Do I Get Out Of Here”, A C50 released on the in-n-out of hibernation imprint 5nakefork, hovers in an equally majestic zone.

Moon Lagoon, who resides in Wichita, Kansas, deals in lo-fi, stained glass music. Sounds that blend and whirl into an adventitious psychic experience. Enduring beats plant themselves deep in the steady-pulse sound-ooze of guitar vaccinations and kaleidoscopic flecks while drones crackle under a layer of beauty. This is the farthest thing from open heart surgery. Moon Lagoon participates in holistic efforts. Like acupuncture, each passing second is a casual pin prick. A 24 hour, all you can eat endorphin buffet with a soft-serve machine at the end of the line. The cover art features a vintage deep-sea diver jettisoned into an ocean of swirls and zig zags, a decent analogy for the relaxed, regret-free distraction you’ll find yourself submerged in.

“How Do I Get Out Of Here” is limited to 54 hand numbered copies and available at the 5nakefork 5tore.

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Tabs Out | V/A – Half A Decade Of Chrome

V/A – Half A Decade Of Chrome
2.10.16 by Mike Haley

fieldhymns

Five years ago seems like a totally different planet at this point. Do you remember it? Barack Obama was President of the United States. We toiled away, sharing the most mundane moments of our days on “websites” like Face Book and Twitter. And a 10,000-watt fluorescent bulb called Field Hymns was powered on. Just how many sound wizards does it take to screw in a Field Hymns bulb? According to “Half A Decade Of Chrome”, a double cassette compilation featuring tracks from FH alumni, 26.

“Half A Decade Of Chrome” is like a family reunion attended exclusively by the cool cousins who brought weed to smoke behind the tool shed. On full display is unreleased music by the people and droids that made Field Hymns one of the best, if not thee best, adventurous sound explorers in modern day DIY tape experimentation. Let’s rattle off these fuckers: Giant Claw, Bastian Void, German Army, Yves Malone, Grapefruit, Adderall Canyonly, Black Hat and more offer celestial gleam, RPG OST’s, skunky nuance, and genial luster to a world in desperate need. A perfect starter pack or continuation to the saga, depending on how plugged in you are. For five years Field Hymns have been a foolproof example of elastic curation, rich eye candy, and damn near flawless execution. Here’s to another 500 years.

tracklist:
Strategy – Synare King
Boron – Shangam
Ilkae – Staircase Bear
German Army – Two Thongs
White Glove – Never Forget
Portopia ’81 – Neonlight
Giant Claw – Brightest Fighter Car Music
Adderall Canyonly – I’m Over the Moon for Glue
Mike Coykendall – Jacked
Grapefruit – Trogon Cigas
Hammer of Hathor – Rhododendron
Cremator – Fans Are Slans
Black Unicorn – Departure and Flight
Brainchai – Rosmarin
Garth Steel Klippert – Peace
Chores – Live Without You
Andreas Brandal – Spirit Valve
PLVS VLTRA – Like Water Said J
Bastian Void- Observatory
Yves Malone – I Eat Your Face
Conrade Wedde – Boon Docks
nodolby – Action Pain Ting
Black Hat – Neerlands
Sad Horse – Trick Or Treat
Mattress – Heavy
Oxykitten – Attack of the Koala People

This double cassette is packaged in an XL Norelco case and is limited to 100 copies. Pick one up!