Week in Review #91
Starting off with a late entry this week, circa 10.17, but I very much wanted to share BeatRoute’s recent introductory primer on Dub Ditch Picnic and its headman Chris Jacques — someone that’s introduced me and a gaggle of other isolated weirdo dandies to a whole range of distinct but equally appealing gaggles. Noisy, squelching, frequently psychedelic gaggles. Click through to the wee’ feature for details on the label’s nativity, but here’s some Final Cop to keep your ears busy while you’re reading… -DP
#1 – 10.18.2015 – Third Kind Records released The Long Halloween Mixtape, a massive collection of tracks from various artists, including Third Kind proprietors Nicholas Langley and Molly Askey-Goldsbury under various guises, Wrong Signals, Concept Devices, Slash’s Wormhole, and more. While the tape isn’t ruled by an unambiguous Halloween theme, it still works perfectly as a soundtrack for chilly autumn afternoons and the dark nights that follow. The first edition of the cassette is sold out, but luckily there are still some of the second-run copies available, this time as a bright orange tape in purple-tinted case. Each one comes carefully wrapped in pages from the Batman graphic novel The Long Halloween. Stream Wrong Signals’ “Battle Fields” below and treat yo’self here! -LP
#2 – 10.20.2015 – Obviously I have to say something about a future funk mixtape series called The Vape Council and curated by someone going by Baconwave — even as a committed vegetarian smoker. All brilliant future funk golems and self-eroding disco jams, courtesy of the Elemental 95 imprint. Listen to Pt. 1 (highly recommend the Metallic Ghosts outro for a nourishing lol if you can’t listen through) below and click through to Bandcamp for further installments or to pick up a copy of what I’m sure is an AMAZING cassette box-set edition with all four. -DP
#3 – 10.20.2015 – King Deluxe shared a new, hypnotizing music video by Alexandre Louvenaz for Pixelord’s track “Rescue Cyber Party.” The 3D animation sees a group of futuristic robot friends traveling through various psychedelic scenery until they reach an alien party on a lake, where things start to get really cray. Check it out below and if you enjoy the face-melting, another of Louvenaz’s videos for King Deluxe can be viewed here. –LP
#4 – 10.21.2015 – More than adequate demonstration that 2015 is the perfect time to start a music blog (PLEASE DO, I promise I’ll help). –DP
#5 – 10.22.2015 – Leaving Records announced a trio of standout tape reissues from their early catalog, including Louis Johnstone’s Caveman Smack, one of only a couple on-label releases from his Dem Hunger project; Belgian producer Franz Baker/François Boulanger’s staggeringly mellow and zonked Sssaliva cassette Thought Has Wings (a welcome touchstone while Leaving kicks off it’s new age series); and the wonderful LIVEPHREAXXX!!!! cassette ‘record’ of Matthewdavid’s 2010 jam with Sun Araw at Sun Ark Studios. Check out some Sssaliva below and grab all three reissues at the Leaving website. -DP
#6 – 10.22.2015 – Southern California-centric blog Slanted Manor interviewed Matthew Conrad Gray, musician and brain behind beloved lo-fi label Juniper Tree Songs. They discuss his various projects and musical history as well as his influences, thoughts and processes on the label, and upcoming releases; read it here. -LP
#7 – 10.22.2015 – Auckland, NZ-based End of the Alphabet Records announced an upcoming compilation of “underground” tracks from their home country but in the meantime have something else on offer, skewed north/northwest: a showcase of Indonesian experimental music from across the last two decades. “Spanning 20 years and lord knows how many islands and cultures, Pekak! is curated by well known musician and promoter, Indra Menus. He has spent the last five years compiling a massive collection of noise and experimental music from all over the archipelago of Indonesia and this tape is a smalll sampler of that collection. Hailing from Java, Bali, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and spots in between, these 18 tracks chart a huge and exciting scene from the most densely populated place on earth.” Treat yourself to “error twin” courtesy of Satan Loves Nintendo below, and click through to End of the Alphabet for more. -DP
#8 – 10.23.2015 – New Orleans D.I.Y. outpost Community Records is midway through a two day version of their annual Block Party culminating today — so check out the Facebook event if you’re resident or just swooping through Louisiana in the next several hours — and coinciding with new fifth installment in their even more annual compilation series, which boasts a characteristically poised dog illustration (“Bark Simpson”) and a slew of great bands (Caddywhompus, Ex-Breathers, and plenty of others). Check out the event here or click through to the Community Records Bandcamp for a cheap download below. -DP
