Sloow Tapes

Available tapes

2011-12-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Eddie Woods - The Faerie Princess & Other Poems (CS)
Kohn - Stay Away From The Towers (CS)
Há-Zá-Má - Under The Radioactive Fallout (CS)
V/A - Beter Traag Dan Nooit (CS)
V/A – Dans Van Alpha (zine)

contact:
sloowtapes 'at' gmail 'dot' com

Eddie Woods

2011-12-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Eddie Woods
The Faerie Princess & Other Poems
Sloow Tapes – CS 50

Eddie Woods (aka 'the Gangster Poet') was born and raised in New York City. In 1960 he joined the US Air Force for a four-year stint in order to see Europe and experience an earthier way of life than was possible in America. Throughout the 1960s and 70s he lived and traveled in various parts of the world, East and West. Since 1978 he has resided mainly in Amsterdam. That same year, together with Jane Harvey, he started the literary magazine Ins & Outs and later founded Ins & Outs Press. Among the many writers and artists they published were Allen Ginsberg, William Levy, Ira Cohen, Rachel Pollack, Jack Micheline, Diana Blok & Marlo Broekmans, Mel Clay, Jan Kerouac, Harold Norse, Heathcote Williams, Hans Plomp and Simon Vinkenoog.

Inspired by both Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the Shakti power of the Hindu goddess Maha Kali, in 1977 (in London) Eddie wrote "The Faerie Princess," an erotic fairy tale in verse depicting the fantastical adventures of a lovely wood nymph in a future primeval setting. By contrast, his "The Second Coming of Kali" is a quasi-surrealistic sexual autobiography until age 37. Begun in Kathmandu in early 1976, worked on in San Francisco later that year, it was completed in London in 1977. Wholly dedicated to Divine Mother, it also portrays an intense spiritual journey and awakening. This is its first-ever public recitation. The other 11 poems are equally sensual. Edition of 100 copies.

Another fantastic addition to Sloow Tapes on-going documentation of fringe/counter-cultural poets that sits nicely on the shelf alongside the Louise Landes Levi and Simon Vinkenoog cassettes. Eddie Woods aka “The Gangster Poet” is a world traveller, poet and publisher now based in Amsterdam, best known for his 70s journal Ins & Outs and his Ins & Outs Press that published works by Jack Micheline, Jan Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Ira Cohen, Simon Vinkenoog, William Levy and more. This cassette consist of a series of readings – he still has the voice of a Soprano – of variously dated poems, kicking off with his amazing fantasy/fable of enlightenment and sexual gnosis The Faerie Princess which combines Tolkein-esque imagery with a libidinous commitment to the joys of fuck. Indeed, the bulk of his poetry is centered around a sensual reengagement with the world on its own terms and it feels so completely liberated, so Babalon-ian, it’s enough t make you wanna quit your dumb job yesterday and tickle your asshole with knee-high grass. The flip side of the cassette features “The Second Coming Of Kali”, a “surrealist sexual autobiography until age 37” begun in Kathmandu in 1976 and dedicated to Divine Mother. Fantastic and highly recommended. (Volcanic Tongue)

Há-Zá-Má

2011-12-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Há-Zá-Má
Under The Radioactive Fallout
Sloow Tapes – CS 54

Japanese Deadheads who have been tripping since the late eighties. Back in the day Michio Kurihara used to jam with these guys, but in recent years the band has been orbiting around the mellow guitarsolos of Yukotopia's Roku. Outraged by the Fukushima accident in march this year, this tape is a collection of protest songs against nuclear energy. 100 copies.

It’s no secret that around these parts we rate Sloow Tapes as perhaps the premier underground cassette label and you gotta hand it to them, their recent form has been completely off the chain. This latest release from Japanese underground psych legends Ha-Za-Ma represents another amazing turn-up, a new studio set from these Deadheads who at one time boasted Michio Kurihara (White Heaven/Ghost et al) as lead guitarist. It’s easy to imagine Kurihara’s endless, rippling style coasting over these amazing jams but current guitarist Roku Yukotopia ain’t no slouch and he peels off beautiful, clean post-Garcia ecstasies with alla the force and feeling of your favourite west coast pilot. The songs are simply gorgeous, with that perfect lost-in-translation feel of Rob Jo Star Band or even Brush and a vocalist who sings with such feeling – mostly raging against nuclear power in the fallout from the Japanese earthquake – that it’s enough to make you crease and comes over as wide-eyed as anything on Ainigma’s equally stupe Diluvium LP. This is quite simply a classic and timeless Japanese psych release and one that would sit equally well alongside first generation bombs by Flower Travellin’ Band, Rallizes et al as it would with the whole Tokyo Flashback scene. Somebody has to re-do this in a swank vinyl edition but in the meantime, here’s the original pressing in a run of only 100 copies. Can’t stop spinning this. Highly recommended! (Volcanic Tongue)

Kohn

2011-12-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Kohn
Stay Away From The Towers
Sloow Tapes – CS 84

Two long synth hallucinations by Jurgen De Blonde, Belgium’s premier Cosmic Courier. Projecting Klaus Schulze and Jean-Michel Jarre through multi-dimensional molecular clouds and spiraling black holes, these broadcasts from beyond turn the brain on to deep space circuits. 100 copies.

Two long synth navigations from Belgium’s Jurgen De Blonde: heavy overloaded circuitry feel here, with planet bombing analogue overload married to busy, bubbling 20th century electronics, monolithic slow-moving melodies ala Conrad Schnitzler and even some of the synth violence of Hiroshi Hasegawa/Astro. Edition of 100 copies on our favourite tape label. (Volcanic Tongue)

One thing I was wrong about when reviewing M. Geddes Gengras’ massive The Empty Space was the assumption that the whole lot was recorded during one or two live performances. It was not, and as Ged Gengras himself jokingly noted on his Facebook, if that cassette was a documentary of one performance, he probably wouldn’t have left the venue alive. The case is different with Belgium’s synthesist Jurgen de Blonge, who’s been crafting electronic soundscapes since the 1990’s. Stay Away From the Towers is a documentary of two live performances conducted in clubs in Belgium and the Netherlands. No edits, no overdubs, no post-production. Final destination.
The comparison between MGG and Kohn is not accidental: both tapes are equally massive and stunning – both clock at around 90 minutes and both take quite liberal cues at the previous eras of electronic music. While for Ged Gengras it was the raw, glitchy electronics of Morton Subotnick, Fifty Foot Hose (minus the psych rock element) or even Karlheinz Stockhausen, Jurgen de Blonde looks at the Berlin School era and progressive electronic masters of the 1970’s and the 1980’s. Each side of the red, unlabeled tape is a lengthy, ever-changing jam of rhythmic electronics and snakelike melodies treated with a pinch of outsider synth weirdness. De Blonde crafts intense cosmic voyages of the best kind: the ones in which the listener gets truly lost and loses the track of time, where seconds stretch into hours and hours into seconds, where the change in the ever-flowing rhythm or melody can be noticed only after several minutes, where one gets zoned out even with deeply focused listening. Once one gets over the slightly abrasive drones that de Blonde likes to put in certain places of the recordings, the world of emotions, images and scenes unfolds as a reward.
One of the best elements of this cassette (apart from its head-spinning length) is the perfect balance de Blonde keeps between the Berlin School worship and the more abrasive, abstract experimentation. The melodic, progressive parts and the reverbed hiss, crackles and drones are kept in equal proportions, serving as interludes or, in a great prog fashion, “movements” of one track. I can almost imagine a projection screen behind Jurgen while giving performances with various animations as he enters different phases: abstract, psychedelic animations of non-defined shapes or oscilloscope going haywire during the non-melodic sonic bricolage and fragments of films like “Fantastic Planet” or “The Holy Mountain” during the melodic, proggy parts. A great record of two great performances by a somewhat overlooked European synth wizard.
Copies still available at Sloow Tapes, but knowing their stuff is all killer no filler, they might be gone in no time. Be quick! (Weed Temple)

This is a tape of dark synth explorations that are on the more abstract side of cosmic. On the first side we’ve got drippy type sounds at different pitches which echo around until they’re accompanied by a synth drone and a low pulse and some lasery noises. This is headphone music, I think. Yet more late night headphone music. It’s bleak but not particularly abrasive, and it takes its time to evolve. At one point during the second side there’s some kind of repetitive klaxon/alarm type noise that’s actually strangely hypnotic. If you’re into that kind of thing, this is more of it. Fill your boots. (Norman Records)

Simon Vinkenoog

2011-10-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

Simon Vinkenoog
Kunst Is De Liefde In Elke Daad
Sloow Tapes – CS 60

Official reissue of a cassette recorded in Antwerp and originally released by De Goddaert in 1984. Simon Vinkenoog (1928-2009) was a Dutch poet, social critic and literary innovator, a key figure in the international poetry underground of the 1950s and onwards. He participated in the legendary International Poetry Reading at the Royal Albert Hall in London, One World Poetry (Amsterdam), Poetry International (Rotterdam) and dozens of others literary showcases. With Jules Deelder & Johnny Van Doorn he introduced poetry as high performance art to the Lowlands. Influenced by the Beats, psychedelic experiences (he took part in LSD experiments in the late fifties/early sixties), the philosophy of non-violence and the mystic tradition, he was involved with hundreds of titles and translated works by Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, Carlos Castaneda, Antonin Artaud et al into Dutch. On this cassette, Vinkenoog's readings (in Dutch) are accompanied by Louise Landes Levi, a founding member of The Floating Lotus Magic Opera Company, the first fusion orchestra in the USA. She went on to study Indian music, was part of the Dreamweapon diaspora and worked with both Angus MacLise and Ira Cohen, its major proponents. Front cover by Eddie Woods. Edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Latest instalment in Sloow Tapes excellent documentation of fringe poetry and avant garde thought comes from the Dutch poet and social critic Simon Vinkenoog. Kunst Is De... was originally issued on cassette in 1984 and features his readings – in Dutch – accompanied by the always amazing Louise Landis Levi, a key player in the Dreamweapon Diaspora and a member of The Floating Lotus Magic Company alongside Angus MacLise. She illuminates Vinkenoog personal, gnomic style with singing sarangi drones and recorder, situating the session in some fourth world interzone where avant garde thought meets folk ritual. Another great public service from Sloow Tapes, edition of 100 copies. (Volcanic Tongue)

Ralph White

2011-10-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

Ralph White
The Hanged Man
Sloow Tapes – CS 40

Ralph White’s home-made Americana internalizes old folk, proto-blues and country music into meditative, psychedelic textures transcended by a high-lonesome drawl. Drone-like banjo, reminiscent of Dock Bogg’s, fiddle, button accordion and African kalimba. Edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Edition of 100 copies cassette from American Primitive banjo player, fiddler, accordionist and homemade marimba stylist and psychedelic Texan balladeer Ralph White. Some full group settings here that see Ralph detourning country swing with dark drones and weird world music polyglots, resituating the music of Dock Boggs and The Stanley Brothers in the context of DIY Southern psych, with sudden wormholes of reverb and echo working to give the tracks a feeling of infinite depth. White’s style is as laidback and gloriously stoned as Michael Hurley, even when he’s taking “Gallows Melody” at a galloping, transcontinental pace. (Volcanic Tongue)

April In The Orange

2011-10-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

April In The Orange
When a River Meets The Sea
Sloow Tapes - CS 40

This is pure psychfolk nectar reflecting its alchemical light on sunbeams floating home! April In The Orange drift in and out hypnotic meditative passages of dreamtime magic, ageless folksongs with soft male/female vocals and drugged drones reverberating in diamond inner circles. Edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Edition of 100 copies cassette from this Michigan-based pastoral drone unit, with heavy/primitive beams of crunch dotted with singing percussion and tumbling acoustic reveries that would unite early American avant blues ala Loren Connors’ playing on the sides he cut with Kath Bloom and the baroque, circuitous acid folk of The Incredible String Band, Dr Strangely Strange, Roy Harper etc... April In The Orange take Flying Saucer Attack’s concept of ‘rural psychedelia’ and confuse it with drone settings and some great, lucid songwriting. (Volcanic Tongue)

GRAAG TRAAG FESTIVAL #2 - 22 oktober 2011 Zaal België/Hasselt

2011-07-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Bart De Paepe van het 'Sloow Tapes' label en kunstencentrum BELGIE presenteren, na de geslaagde eerste editie van 2010, voor de tweede keer verrassende geluiden en beelden uit de ondergrond. Graag Traag #2 schakelt voor deze gelegenheid nog een versnelling lager en biedt u meer tijd om het palet van psychedelica, hypnotische drones, kraut, acidfolk, improv en pure Belgische folklore ten volle te ontdekken. De aftrap van de expo ‘Dreamweapon: The Art and Life of Angus MacLise 1938-1979’ is tevens een unieke gelegenheid om het werk van deze veelzijdige en invloedrijke New Yorkse muzikant, dichter, beeldend kunstenaar, shamaan en wereldreiziger voor het eerst in Europa gebundeld te zien. Kunstencentrum BELGIE gaat hiervoor een samenwerking aan met het Hasseltse CIAP, een postume erkenning voor de grote invloed van MacLise binnen de Actuele Kunst. Op de websites van Sloow Tapes, kunstencentrum BELGIE en CIAP kan u terecht voor updates en extra's die het festival en de expo zullen kleuren !

sloowtapes.blogspot.com | www.kunstencentrumbelgie.com | www.ciap.be

GRAAG TRAAG FESTIVAL #2

CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE & TONY CONRAD : Tony Conrad (muzikant, filmmaker) maakte in het New York van de jaren zestig samen met John Cale, Angus MacLise, Marian Zazeela en La Monte Young deel uit van het legendarische Theatre of Eternal Music en stond, net als vriend en stadsgenoot Charlemagne Palestine (muzikant, performer, beeldend kunstenaar) mee aan de wieg van de minimale muziek. Conrad noemt zijn aangehouden viooltonen liever ‘dream music’ en voor Palestine mogen zijn pianodrones evengoed als ‘maximalisme’ worden geklasseerd. Hoe dan ook, hun 'maximale droommuziek' bezorgt het Graag Traag Festival een ultiem muzikaal hoogtepunt. Deze twee vrienden en medewerkers van wijlen Angus MacLise bundelen voor deze bijzondere gelegenheid graag hun meer dan veertig jaar ervaring als muzikale buitenbeentjes.

- Charalambides maakt verstilde songs, doordrenkt van tijdloze dromerige psychedelica, en is verantwoordelijk voor enkele van de meest bezielde concerten ooit in kunstencentrum BELGIE. Met de gloednieuwe release ‘Exile’ voor Kranky in de aanslag zijn Tom en Christina Carter klaar om 'Graag Traag' enkele magische momenten te schenken.

- Steve Gunn's (GHQ) gitaarspel laat zich inspireren door het 'American Primitivism' van John Fahey en Robbie Basho, Oosterse raga tot psychedelische blues.
Samen met drummer John Truscinski(GHQ, X.O.4) verliest hij zich in een dronefolk trance die bij vlagen herinneringen oproept aan het legendarische Sandy Bull / Billy Higgins duo.

- Dreampsychfolk, heftige fuzzsolo’s, acid blues of psyched out jams, het kan alle kanten op met notoir relschopper en gitarist Junzo Suzuki(Miminokoto, Astral Travelling Unit, 20 Guilders). En zo hebben we ze graag natuurlijk. Vergeet je LSD en oordopjes niet.

- Tonton Macoutesitueert zich in een lange lijn van Franse weirdness waarin we ook bands als Fille Qui Mousse, Red Noise en Catalogue terugvinden. Een elektronische hypnose van aftandse instrumenten en motorische soundscapes met 'basement feel'.

- Ralph White speelt banjo, accordeon, viool, kalimba en stem. Diepe 'homemade Americana' met 'loner feel', waarin blues, country en traditionals op een hoogst psychedelische manier met elkaar samensmelten. White laaft zich aan hetzelfde kaleidoscopische vaatje waaruit ook een Matt Valentine, Joshua, Dredd Foole of Willie Lane tappen.

- Wat het Franse Chanson en het traditionele carnaval van Binche gemeenschappelijk hebben wordt duidelijk tijdens het concert van Gangalai & Gourabai(Buffle, ROT). Meer dan gember, gitaar, casio en stem heeft dit duo er niet voor nodig... en aanstekelijke danspasjes uiteraard.

- Head of Wantastiquet
Paul Labrecque maakt deel uit van het psychedelisch zootje ongeregeld Sunburned Hand Of The Man, die enkele jaren terug een alternatieve soundtrack maakten voor Ira Cohen's Invasion Of Thunderbolt Pagoda (de originele werd ingespeeld door Angus Maclise). Met zijn solo project spint Labrecque een web van donkere dronefolk over sjamanistische energetische kruidenvelden verscholen in donkere wouden.

- Cian Nugent
Deze jonge Ierse gitarist haalde de mosterd bij oude countryblues en fingerpickers als John Fahey en Robbie Basho maar voegt er ook invloeden van hedendaagse klassieke componisten, Japans minimalisme en free jazz aan toe. Hij toerde in het verleden onder meer met Jack Rose, Glen Jones en Jozef van Wissem.

- City Hands
Manuel Padding (Helbaart, SilverGhosts) orchestreert met diverse elektronica, tapes, en percussie een regenboog van huis-, tuin- en keukenmeditaties naar inner space.

- Louise Landes Levi maakte in de jaren 60 samen met Angus Maclise en Terry Riley deel uit van Daniel Moore's Floating Lotus Magic Opera Company. Ze studeerde sarangi onder Annapurna Devi, Ali Akbar Khan en La Monte Young. John Giorno over haar poezie: "Her poems sing in the mind and dance through the heart and throat, and arms & legs, w. great clarity and bliss. Louise is Saranswati, goddess of poetry"

- Sylvester Anfang II
Occulte, surrealistische en bovenal psychedelische soundtrack voor Ira Cohen's cult film 'Invasion Of Thunderbolt Pagoda'.

DREAMWEAPON: "The Art and Life of Angus MacLise 1938-1979"

Angus MacLise was niet alleen de eerste drummer van The Velvet Underground, de toonaangevende New Yorkse band met Lou Reed en John Cale in de rangen, waar hij bewust vroegtijdig uitstapte. Hij was een artistiek polyglot, een dichter, muzikant, uitgever en beeldend kunstenaar, een avant-garde performer, multimediapionier, downtown shamaan en wereldburger van wie het belang en de invloed op de hedendaagse muziek-, literatuur- en kunstwereld slechts mondjesmaat duidelijk wordt. Een recent ontdekte koffer met unieke documenten, foto’s, tekeningen, tijdschriften, gedichten en tapes van Angus MacLise - geschonken door Hetty MacLise (vrouw van... ) aan componist LaMonte Young - was de rechtstreekse aanleiding en kans voor de New Yorkse curatoren John Kugelberg en Will Cameron om met de expo ‘Dreamweapon’ het publiek een blik te gunnen op het werk en het leven van deze bijzondere kunstenaar. Graag Traag, kunstencentrum BELGIE en CIAP zijn dan ook niet weinig trots om na New York, deze unieke overzichtstentoonstelling voor het eerst in Europa te kunnen presenteren.

De expo 'Dreamweapon' loopt na het festival verder in CIAP, Armand Hertzstraat 21 Hasselt
> zondag 23 oktober 2011: opening vanaf 15.00 u.
> t.e.m. zo 20 november 2011: di - vr 11.00 u. - 18.00 u. // za - zo 13.00 u. - 17.00 u.
Gratis toegang !

boo-hooray.com
blastitude.com/13/ETERNITY/angus_maclise.htm

http://www.kunstencentrumbelgie.com/programma/concert/graagtraag2.htm

Up-Tight

2011-06-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Up-Tight
The Night Is Yours
LP
Sloowax 001

New studio album by these Japanese heads, this one is sure to place your third eye right onto the eternal cosmic plane. Feels like spacing out in a hammock set between massively fucked-up, stripped-down mantra rhythms licking that sweet essence of crazed fuzz guitars and beautifully mellow acid ballads. A classic nocturnal journey into deep Tokyo psychedelica. Full-color artwork by Bart De Paepe, edition of 300 copies.

Sold Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpBjRV-Wetc

Tokyo psych monsters Up-Tight come out of the classically wasted/drug-damaged school of excessive fuzz and reverb, giving the nod to the endless jam style of Les Rallizes Denudes while spiking their sound with dark downer ballads that owe as much to The Jacks as they do to The Velvet Underground. The Night Is Yours is an edition of 300 copies LP that functions as the absolute apex of their catalogue to date, crossing beautiful comedown folk-psych moves with whole sides of extended scorch. Indeed, there’s a new focus on psychedelic ritual here, especially apparent on the staggering “She’s So Heavy” with choirs of disembodied monks chanting in the background while the bass – played w/all of the thunderous power of Mik from Kousokuya – marches the group ever forward and vocalist Tomoyuki hovers over the track like a wraith. If you can picture Spacemen 3 circa The Perfect Prescription produced by Ghost circa Temple Stone then you’re close to the outrageous levels of psychedelic excess captured here. Tomoyuki’s guitar tone has to be heard to be believed, with tactile garage punk crunch put to the service of endlessly euphoric orbits of three droning chords. Up-Tight have been responsible for a buncha the most memorable releases to come out of the post-PSF underground but this has to be their recorded pinnacle, the perfect balance of two chord Velvet downers and strung-out post-Rallizes string violence. One of our records of the year so far! Sloow Tapes are on a roll right now – highly recommended! (Tip Of The Tongue 2 July 2011, Volcanic Tongue)

Up-Tight are a three-piece from Tokyo who, from the evidence of this LP, play ponderous, overblown psych rock, of which this record contains five examples. Opener 'Blow Away' fades in with some insistent, repetitive bass and drums (the bass tone on this track is really enviably nasty) and then a load of noisy, squalling guitar over the top taking us to some pretty far-out places before everything fades out and we're onto the next song, 'She's So Heavy'. No, this isn't a Beatles cover, it's actually a really quiet and mysterious piece where the lead vocal is largely backed by chanting, with really minimal bass and keyboards adding a little depth, it's quite blissful and hypnotic, this one, but towards the end it gradually gets overtaken by all manner of strange noises...I was expecting it to be building into another freakout like the first track but actually it's gone in the exact opposite direction! 'After My Dream' is a totally restrained and beautiful ballad. Man, I don't know if it's my weird love of people singing in foreign accents or what but the Japanese totally know how to do ballads. There's even a dead tasteful guitar solo here. The second side is almost entirely taken up by a giant piece called 'So Alone'. Once again we're treated to that pummelling bass tone I loved so much in the first track, but this one's slower and more coherent. The rhythm section is totally locked into a slow, pounding, Melvins-esque groove while guitarist Aoki Tomoyuki gets another chance to explore. He's got some totally searing tones in his arsenal, too. I love how this band's tone palette is so organic. We've had so much synth-heavy stuff coming through here lately that it's great to hear a band that sounds like a bunch of guys battering the fuck out of some wood and wire, '70s style. As the aforementioned Fab Four used to say, "All you need is gain". I'm pretty sure that's what they said. Once that riff marathon is over there's just time for one spooky little ballad, 'The Night Is Yours', which sees everything stripped back to really minimal strummed acoustic guitar, practically inaudible bass, and a vocal line that's got so much reverb on it that every note sticks around for a good second or two after it's sung. I'm totally impressed with this whole record, and if you like your rock slow and psychedelic I don't see why you wouldn't be too. (Norman Records)

Overheerlijke psychrock van Up-Tight, het Japanse trio dat al voor aardig wat trips heeft gezorgd in het verleden. Opener Blow Away doet precies wat de titel je vertelt: fuzzy, krakende riffs in een hypnotiserend ritme zijn ervoor gemaakt om je speakers tot het uiterste te testen, terwijl de in echo’s verdrinkende (en nagenoeg onverstaanbare) zang je naar hogere sferen brengen. Ik hoor The Melvins, Spacemen 3 en The Velvet Underground, plus een heleboel vage shit uit de jaren ’70. Gek genoeg gaat de plaat op de A-kant daarna richting kosmische acid ballads, wat een nog grotere waas over de muziek van Up-Tight legt. Op de bijna 20 minuten durende B-kant gaan ze weer verder waar ze waren begonnen, met die stompende ritmesectie en bezwerende riffs die door feedback naar eenzame hoogten worden getild. Geweldig! (De Subjectivisten)

Beter Traag Dan Nooit

2011-04-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Various Artistis
Beter Traag Dan Nooit
Sloow Tapes - CS 120

Follow-up to ‘Graag Traag’ compilation (Sloow Tapes, 2006). Two hours of Belgian bands: psych, acid-folk, post-punk, synth and general weirdness. Featuring: Vom Grill, Floris Vanhoof, La Danse Du Sperme, Edgar Wappenhalter, Kosmische Keuterboeren, JB Donaldo, Cosmic Trip Machine, Bear Bones Lay Low, Kohn, Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, Innercity, Sylvester Anfang II, Dolphins Into The Future, Eekhoorn X, Etherik, Shifter, W. Ravenveer, Acid Child, Ping Pong Tactics, Ludo Mich/Maarten Tibos/Maximilliam I, Huur Is Duur, Gangalai & Gourabai, Hellvete, Gerard Herman, Witchbikers, The Beez. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Regular VT readers will know the esteem in which we hold the Belgian underground, both in its contemporary and historical manifestation. So Beter Traag Dan Nooit comes as a real treat, a compilation by Bart De Paepe that takes your hand and leads you through 120 minutes of the most beautifully fucked examples of middle-European madmanism, with exclusive tracks from Vom Grill, Floris Vanhoof, La Danse Du Sperme, Edgar Wappenhalter, Kosmische Keuterboeren, JB Donaldo, Cosmic Trip Machine, Bear Bones Lay Low, Kohn, Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, Innercity, Sylvester Anfang II, Dolphins Into The Future, Eekhoorn X, Etherik, Shifter, W. Ravenveer, Acid Child, Ping Pong Tactics, Ludo Mich/Maarten Tibos/Maximilliam I, Huur Is Duur, Gangalai & Gourabai, Hellvete, Gerard Herman, Witchbikers, The Beez. Edition of 100 copies: recommended (Volcanic Tongue)

Dire Wolves

2011-04-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Dire Wolves
The Creator Has A Faster Van
Sloow Tapes – CS 42

This one hits the spot alright. Dire Wolves, currently based in Pittsburgh PA, has a loose membershipwhich often 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. Dudes are on an endless trip of burned-out guitar riffs, stoned basslines, wasted vocals howling at the moon…fuck, I wanna jam! “In the back-wash of Fennario, the black and bloody mire/The dire wolf collects his due while the boys sing round the fire”. 80 copies.

Sold Out

Heavy Winged-esque riffology with a heavy kosmische vibe. (Boa Melody Bar)

Louise Landes Levi

2011-04-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Louise Landes Levi
City Of Delirium
Sloow Tapes – CS 40

LLL, NYC, world traveler and poet, years in No. India, Holland /Amsterdam & No. Italy/Arcidoso where she still lives, in stone tower, at least half the year. Publishing numerous books, chaps and broadsides, she also translated Rene Daumal Henri Michaux and great tantric poet, 16th century Mira Bai. 'Her poems sing in the mind and dance through the heart and throat, and arms & legs, w. great clarity and bliss. Louise is Saranswati, goddess of poetry (John Giorno). This tape collects poems from the late sixties to the present. In addition to writing, Louise is also a player (sarangi and flute). In these recordings, the spoken word is set to music drawn from two of her cassettes ‘Kinnari’ and ‘Padma’, recorded in Munich and West Hurley, NY, respectively and produced, in mid and late eighties, by Felix Mensingh. Louise played in the Floating Lotus Magic Opera Compnay (Daniel Moore, Angus Maclise, Terry Riley) and studied Indian music w. Annapurna Devi, Ali Akbar Khan and La Monte Young. 100 copies

SOLD OUT
Wow: this is a real archival discovery. Shamanist, poetist, street musician, tramp, Louise Landes Levi was a member of the Floating Lotus Magic Opera Company alongside Angus MacLise, Terry Riley and Daniel Moore as well as a student of Indian music with Annapurna Devi, Ali Akbar Khan and La Monte Young. She travelled extensively during the second half of the century, residing in North India, Holland and Northern Italy, where she still spends half the year in a stone tower. She has published numerous chapbooks, broadsides and pamphlets as well as important translations of Henri Michaux, Rene Daumal and the 16th century tantric poet Mira Bai. According to John Giorno, “Her poems sing in the mind and dance through the heart and throat, and arms & legs, w. great clarity and bliss. Louise is Saranswati, goddess of poetry.” This amazing 40 minute cassette compiles the best of her visionary poetry from the mid-60s to the present day accompanied by zoned string drones, sarangi, hand percussion, bells, acoustic ragas and floating flowers in a way that is directly comparable to The Cosmic Couriers’ classic account of their own trip, Gilles Zeitschiff, right down to the starmaiden cover art, documenting a specific moment in the history of 20th century occulture complete w/tales and memories of Angus MacLise’s “anarchist/sacred art” (who she met while busking on the tube in London), Ira Cohen (who the cassette is dedicated to) and the whole dreamweapon diaspora. This is an absolute trip - just thick with atmosphere – and Levi’s poetic recollections succeed in taking you right there, from MacLise’s smoking skull through 1970s Afghanistan and Henri Michaux’s Parisian pad to the sound of The Dream Syndicate and beyond. A major historical excavation, with tracks lifted from two impossibly obscure cassettes – 1985’s Kinnari and 1988’s Padma – originally released by Felix Mensingh in Amsterdam. Congratulations to Sloow Tapes for what might just be the historical find of the year. Edition of only 100 copies. Highly recommended.
(Volcanic Tongue)

Poet, world traveller and ex-member of the Floating Lotus Magic Opera Company alongside Terry Riley and Angus Maclise. This is a spoken word collection of her poems from the late 60s onwards, accompanied by sarangi and flute (Boa Melody Bar)

Dans Van Alpha

2011-04-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Various Artists
Dans Van Alpha
Sloow Ley Lines

Catalog of ‘Dans Van Alpha’ exhibition at Kunstencentrum België 12/11 -27/11/2010. Featuring b&w drawings by Abel Auer, Nemo Bidstrup, Cybele Collins, Eva De Leener, Bart De Paepe, Jaakko Pallasvuo, Adam Higton, Solange Gularte, Colleen Kinsella, Jason Leinwand, Eva Van Deuren. A5 size, 25 pages. Some remaining copies.

Bear Bones Lay Low

2011-02-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

Bear Bones Lay Low
Smoked The Whole Thing
Sloow Tapes – CS 40

Dark spaced-out basement hash jams courtesy of Bear Bones Lay Low, Sylvester Anfang II’s greatest stoner. About high fucking time. All synth on this one, and it all sounds pretty wasted too. Think wobbly slowmo melodies oozing green day-glo aura’s over demented kraut tapestries. 90 copies.

SOLD OUT
Kosmische synth lava from Brussels-based Venezualan Ernesto Gonzalez, who is also in the current Silvester Anfang line-up. Has some of the stoner vibe of that band as well as hints of Ash Ra Tempel (Boa Melody Bar)

Great Society Mind Destroyers

2011-02-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Great Society Mind Destroyers
Spirit Smoke
Sloow Tapes – CS 55

Great Society Mind Destroyers is a band out of Chicago consisting of heavy pysch Temple Lurkers. Dip into some exceptional manna of fuzz and wahwah gardens while you continue higher journeys. As the band states: “As bodies we mimic the ancients and dance at the fire of ruinous civilization. As minds we realize our oneness with the Divine Void and strive to destroy the barriers that prevent us from the perpetual mystic plane.” 90 copies.

SOLD OUT

Billowing clouds of smoke, a neon-lit cast of tie-dye colors, and various voodoo references help define The Great Society Mind Destroyers. Chaos is an all-encompassing description once the opening track on the Chicago-based quartet’s new album, Spirit Smoke, gets underway. “Temple Lurker” sounds nearly half-ironic in its title; its whirlwind of heavily distorted psych-rock is bizarre and wonderfully convoluted enough to deserve the mythological enigma of a temple, but the song does the opposite of “lurk”. It thunderously clamors instead, like rain on a straw roof during a storm that Poseidon deems worthy. Reflective of the band’s aggressively ambitious style, this in-your-face album is one of relentlessness and drug-fueled mysticism. Lost behind the rumbling distortion, gauzy rhythmic swipes, and fiercely energetic drumming there are some phenomenal pieces of songwriting to be found. With Spirit Smoke, The Great Society Mind Destroyers join a short list of contemporary psych/noise-rock artists that are too talented of songwriters to become examples of audible over-indulgence.

As one of two tracks on Spirit Smoke not in the 7+ minute range, “Kamsara Drag” is the best entry point for listeners. Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Mogwai are all great acts that help defined modern conventions for (semi)-instrumental post-rock, and this track does justice in showing The Great Society Mind Destroyers’ stylistic separation from such artists. This is a band that could easily pursue full-on instrumentals and still leave many tracks feeling over-stuffed. The instrumentation alone is well beyond most contemporary post-rockers today, but TGSMD’s addition of vocals lends an ambitious acid-rock feel reminiscent of late ‘60s/early ’70s acts like The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, and The Great Society (the latter a mid-‘60s San Fran rock collective whose name similarity points to a very probable influence). Add to such influences a more forward-leaning percussive method, more akin to the thrashing of metal and grunge with heavy uses of hi-hat and cymbals, and you have The Great Society Mind Destroyers, a band combining the best aspects of psych-rock’s past and present.

Fortunately for descriptive purposes, there has been a recent insurgence the past few years in psych-rock acts cross-breeding into both throwback and contemporary styles of post-rock, grunge, and acid-rock. Dungen has been doing it for some time and has touched on each of these styles with separate interpretations at some point. Names like Tame Impala, Dead Meadow, and The Warlocks are also noteworthy for their smart and generally infectious acknowledgement of such sounds. Unlike some work – like The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s most recent offerings – that rely wholly on their influences to produce anything worthwhile, TGSMD’s creativity arises from original songwriting simply designed for remnants of nostalgia; the anachronistic elements do not serve as the plot, but merely the setting. The production of artists like Dungen, Tame Impala, and The Great Society Mind Destroyers may intentionally invoke something from the past, but its reliance on it is minimal at best. There are no gimmicks or shticks at hand to disguise a lack of innovation.

Back to “Kamsara Drag”, it is exemplary of such feats. A sliding bass and restrained percussion helm the first moments, followed then by an extended bass line with subtle electric guitar harmonics panned to the left. The vocals enter in an unenthusiastic drawl, the lyrics indistinguishable but the melody itself asserting a dominance that needs no words. Once it is revealed that the verse’s intentions were to set up an explosive raucous of guitars, the song’s structure begins to take shape. A yelp at 01:26 signals the shift; the dynamic that takes here is astonishing, as flexible guitar and bass lines collide into one another with a seamless whimsy reminiscent of only the best psych-rockers. This is a remarkably brief track by The Great Society Mind Destroyers’ standards, but they do not waste a moment. The other shorter effort, “Equation of Time”, is in somewhat of a contrast. The feel there is certainly more spaced-out, with the guitars focusing on droning solos and repeating rhythms. The LSD-inspired vein of acid-rock is more prevalent here, from the subdued collective chants (which resemble a cross between a somber funeral and over-drugged concert in the woods) in the intro to the roaring assortment of guitars throughout the conclusion.
When tackling TGSMD’s lengthier and often more experimental efforts, like “Higher Bodies” and “Divinorum”, listeners should ready themselves for movement. These are predictably developmental, which for the band’s consistently nostalgic sound can be a risky venture. “Higher Bodies” does an extraordinary job of maintaining the listener’s interest though; the vocal involvement here is the most melodic and diverse on the album, while the relationship between twangy guitar solos and a deafening rhythm section is unpredictably defiant. They alternate leads while furthering the same initial melody, never letting dull improvisation take control of a surprisingly focused track. During the final three minutes, the band implements several scratching/production techniques to diversify the guitars’ tonal frequencies. You can even hear a touch of keys toward the conclusion. The fascinating versatility helps keep “Higher Bodies” afloat for its ten-minute duration, both for fans accustomed to post-rock and those who consider a track over four minutes to be “too long”. Spirit Smoke should be a widely appealing album in that sense though; any fan of post-rock, grunge, OR any variant of psych-rock (from acid-rock to space-rock and even stoner-rock) will enjoy it. A job well done. (Obscure Sound)

This is pretty much the soundtrack to you dropping a ton of blotters and having the sweetest trip ever. Great Society Mind Destroyers is pumping out some epically heavy psychedelic music and there's no excuse for you not to have this. It's wahwah peddles and fuzz everywhere. Recommended. (Gerauschkrieg)

Great Society Mind Destroyers provide the world with a killer new cassette on the label Sloow Tapes. This Chicago outfit unloads some top notch psych jams in full throttle fashion. The guitars slay, layering it on thick with wahwah and distorted overload, drums and bass pound away mercilessly, and the dreamy vocals blend in nicely. Recorded live. (Permanent Records)

This comes blazing in like some live Zappa or Mahavishnu Orchestra force, then forms into extended psychedelic rock songs, with freeform freakout moments cutting across riffs the Groundhogs would be proud of. It doesn't surprise me that these Chicagoans profess a liking for the likes of their own local Art Ensemble as well as the Stooges. This is a first class example of what so many bands attempt, but fail to achieve with any real spirit. It deserves to be played loud and often! (Boa Melody Bar)

Graag Traag Festival - 12 November Zaal België, Hasselt

2010-10-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

vr 12 nov

GRAAG TRAAG FESTIVAL i.s.m. SLOOW TAPES:
NEW JOOKLO AGE (IT)
CHIE MUKAI (JP)
THE BEAUTIFUL BAND (B/US)
THE DOOZER (UK)
QUOK (US)

Graag Traag is een avontuurlijk festival dat via een gedeelde passie voor verrassende geluiden uit de underground werd samengesteld door Bart ‘Sloow’ De Paepe van het Sloow Tapes-label en kunstencentrum BELGIE. Graag Traag staat - voor deze editie althans - voor acidfolk en psychedelica, etherische improv, AOR, heavy freerock en outjazz in een aangepaste, maar vooral relaxte sfeer.

Het Italiaanse collectief New Jooklo Age sluist freejazz via een psychedelisch luikje richting nieuwe tijden. De Japanse Chie Mukai loodst u graag naar een andere dimensie met haar er-hu (Chinees stijkinstument), ijle stem, percussie en dans. The Beautiful Band speelt AOR en verenigt Paul Labrecque (Sunburned Hand of the Man, Head of Wantastiquet), Laurent Cartuyvels (R.O.T), Laurent Gerard (El-g), Patrick Calvelo (COEM, Monokiri, Starfield Season...) en Bram Devens (Ignatz, Sylvester Anfang II ). The Doozer is een nieuwe worp van de Britse acidfolk, gepokt en gemazeld in Cambridge op een dieet van The Incredible String Band en stadsgenoot Syd Barrett en in Quok bijt Ava Mendoza zich vast in stuiterende gitaarpartijen waarop de mannelijke ritmesectie van Tim Dahl (The Hub, Child Abuse) en Weasel Walter (Flying Luttenbachers) bij voorkeur een krachtig antwoord formuleert.

+ SCREENINGS & EXPO 'DANS VAN ALPHA'
BART DE PAEPE (BE)
JASON LEINWAND (US)
ADAM HIGTON (UK)
ABEL AUER (DE/BE)
SVERRE MALLING (NO)
EVA VAN DEUREN (BE)
JAAKKO PALLASVUO (FIN)
COLLEEN KINSELLA (US)
SOLANGE GULARTE (FR)
CYBELE COLLINS (US)
NEMO BIDSTRUP (US)
EVA DE LEENER (B)

Sinds 2005 besmeurt Bart De Paepe cassettehoezen van zijn eigenste Sloow Tapes label met bedwelmende viltstiftenpsychedelica: passende horror vacui - het verschijnsel dat elk plekje van een vlak of sculptuur gevuld is met geometrische figuren, bladen, ornamenten, mathematische motieven e.d. - voor de op de tape vastgelegde gitaarpsych, acidfolk, drone en andere rare geestesverruimende muziekjes. Een dans van Alpha inhalerend van kosmische platenhoezen, folk art en hallucinaties.

Het werk van De Paepe reist via de inmiddels meer dan zeventig geïllustreerde cassettereleases op Sloow Tapes moeiteloos de wereld rond, wat hem een stevige cultaanhang in de Verenigde Staten oplevert. Op zijn beurt verzamelt Bart ‘Father Sloow’ De Paepe internationaal werk van mensen als Jason Leinwand, Cybele Collins, Eric de Jesus... dat via zijn sporadisch gecompileerde magazines voor sublabel Sloow Ley Lines de wereld wordt ingestuurd. Voor ‘Dans van Alpha’ selecteert Bart De Paepe grafische parels van Belgische en internationale artiesten die de perfecte aanvulling vormen voor het Graag Traag Festival dat op 12 november zijn beslag krijgt. De expo loopt tot en met za 27 november op vrijdag en zaterdag. Opgelet voor parallelle activiteiten met inkom.

AANVANG: 20.u. - INKOM: vvk Ticketmatic EUR 8 (leden BELGIE) / EUR 10 // Kassa EUR 9 (leden BELGIE) / EUR 11

http://www.kunstencentrumbelgie.com/programma/concert/graagtraag.htm

http://www.kunstencentrumbelgie.com/programma/expo/dansvanalpha.html

Tickets
https://tickets2.ticketmatic.com/overview.php?a=erfKdCwm3tU&s=80cswBbInpo

Sylvester Anfang II/Ignatz/Hellvete/Bear Bones Lay Low UK Tour

2010-10-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

Sylvester Anfang II/Ignatz/Hellvete/Bear Bones Lay Low UK Tour

31/10 - Bumbles - Bournemouth (w/ Ignatz, BBLL, Hellvete, Andrew Perry/Dead Wood)

01/11 - The Croft - Bristol (w/ U.S. Girls, Hellvete)

02/11 - Head Of Steam - Newcastle (w/ U.S. Girls, Ignatz, BBLL, Hellvete)

03/11 - Cargo - London (w/ U.S. Girls, Gary War, Hellvete)

04/11 - Rammelclub - Nottingham (W/ U.S. Girls, Ignatz, BBLL, Hellvete)

05/11 - The Portland - Cambridge (w/ The Doozer, Hellvete)

Sloow Tapes – Hatour

2010-10-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

Yuka Ijichi
Peanuts Butter
CS 30
Sloow Tapes – Hatour

Great lost-in-time Japanese femme folk tape. Haunting vocals by Yuka Ijichi with acidic guitar leads provided by Doronco (Les Rallizes Dénudés) and Hiiragi Fukuda. 90 copies.

SOLD OUT
Another massive slow-burner from the Japanese underground courtesy of Sloow Tapes: Yuka Ijichi is a female downer psych/folk performer who sings in a high lonesome style that’s a little less fragile than Ai Aso while playing minimal primitive acoustic ballads with that bewitching post-PSF feel, complete with echo-laden lead guitar from ex-Rallizes bassist Doronco, vocals from Hiragi Fukuda and an up-close basement/bedroom ‘production’. A folkier, stripped-down take on the dark ballad style of Shizuka or an update of the Hallelujahs pop-primitivism? Either way, this feels pretty major. Edition of 90 copies. Recommended. (Volcanic Tongue)

Great name for an EP. Peanuts Butter.... genius! Info is skinny on the ground with this one but Yuka is a Japanese folk lady and she's backed up by Doronco from Les Rallizes Dénudés playing his axe and singing a wee bit here and there. The music is very simple almost twee folk. The opener is riciculously light and frothy and wierdly enjoyable. It gets a bit more psychey later on throughout the EP as the electric guitar traverses to widdly territory. But lurking around the widdlyness is some gentle acoustic strumming and Yuka's voice being all folksy and mystical. I was expecting a right noisefest and instead I got gently massaged by some sweet folk. (Norman Records)

Another Sloow release from a Japanese artist and another absolute gem. Yuka Ijichi is a Japanese folk singer and here she is accompanied by Doronco from Les Rallizes Dénudés and Hiiragi Fukuda. The result is 8 beautiful strung-out ballads, from the slightly twee bedroom pop opener to the incredible psych tapestry of "A Sand Dune". Throughout Yuka's voice is high, airy and mystical. Highly recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Baba

2010-10-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ralph White
Atavistic Pillow
CS 55
Sloow Tapes – Baba

Ralph White calls blues, country, folk and other influences to new psychedelic depths. Recorded under cold starry Texas midnight skies, these kalimba/ banjo/accordion/fiddle arrangements are sure to bring you ‘out there’. ‘Atavistic Pillow’ compiles the best tracks of the privately issued cd-r’s ‘The Atavistic Waltz’ (2008) and ‘A Kalimba Pillow’ (2009). Featuring Amy Annelle on a great rendition of ‘The Cuckoo’.100 copies.

Dunno whether the title is a play on Jefferson Airplane’s debut but there’s enough psychoactive activity in White’s lugubrious banjo stylings here to brain bomb Marty Balin. This cassette compiles the best of two OOP CD-Rs, The Atavistic Waltz and A Kalimba Pillow, with White’s haunting voice conjuring spirits from across the century accompanied by eerie, deep settings of banjo, kalimba, accordion and fiddle. Had a bunch of people raving to me about White’s privately released discs and damn it if they weren’t spot on – Atavistic Pillow comes straight out of the same magical zone as The Stanley Brothers and Joseph Spence and I’ll take White as a representative of the whole post-Partch tradition of homemade Americana before I’ll puke in front of Tom Waits. Spellbinding loner world/folk with a crucial DIY edge. Edition of 100 copies. Highly recommended. (Volcanic Tongue)

Viele der Songs auf "Atavistic Pillow" sollen im Freien, unter dem nächtlichen texanischen Sternenhimmel entstanden sein. Eine schöne Legende, die man beim Hören gerne glaubt: frei klingt die Musik tatsächlich, nach Erde, Luft und – natürlich – psychedelisch verspielt, sonst wäre sie nicht auf SLOOW TAPES erschienen, dem bunten belgischen Kassettenlabel.
Einige kennen den Banjospieler RALPH WHITE vielleicht noch als Mitglied der BAD LIVERS, einer frechen US-Bluegrass-Band, die ob ihres fehlenden Respekts vor großen Songs häufig den Zusatz 'punkig' verliehen bekam. Beinahe berühmt wurden die BAD LIVERS mit "Lust For Life", einer Coverversion des IGGY POP-Songs, von JOHN PEEL höchstpersönlich für ein Album mit seinen Lieblings-Coversongs ausgesucht. Seit 1999 ist der mittlerweile 58jährige WHITE zunehmend solo unterwegs und dabei 'independent' im besten Sinne. Er bespielt kleinste Bühnen quer durch die USA und Europa, produziert in Eigenregie und oft in Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Künstlern CDs in geringer Auflage, macht also kurz gesagt, was ihm Spaß bereitet.
Was WHITE mit diversen Instrumenten und seiner Stimme anstellt, passt streng genommen in kein Genre. 'Americana' – auch kein Genre, aber eine ungefähre Richtung – trifft es ganz gut, oder 'alternative Countrymusik', wie eine von vielen möglichen Übertragungen ins Deutsche lautet. Kalimba, Geige, Akkordeon und natürlich Banjo mischen Folk, Country, Blues und Rock'n'Roll, gewürzt mit Einflüssen der tausend in den USA diffundierenden Nationalitäten. Schon das 'atavistic' im Titel verweist auf diese Vergangenheit, auf Althergebrachtes, das WHITE mit Leben füllt. So liegen etwa die Wurzeln des Folksongs "The Cuckoo" auf der B-Seite dieser Kassette im 18. Jahrhundert, und auch "Ring Of Fire" von JOHNNY CASH hat immerhin schon mehr als 40 Jahre auf dem Buckel. Beide (Cover)Songs sind schon auf den CDRs "The Atavistic Waltz" (2008) beziehungsweise "A Kalimba Pillow" (2009) zu finden, das Tape vereint die nach Ansicht von RALPH WHITE besten Songs der beiden Alben.

"Gospel Plow" (A1) ist wie ein alter Schaukelstuhl, immer leicht schepprig und schief. Zunächst rein instrumental, sind die verträumten Melodiefolgen von einer 'weird folk'-Leichtigkeit und -Verschrobenheit. Es liegt die ganze Welt in diesen paar selbstvergessen anschlagenden Saiten. Dazu gesellt sich später die knödelige Westernstimme ("... ride on ...") des einsamen Cowboys. COCOROSIE ohne Show, oder eben JOHNNY CASH auf leichten Drogen. Im weiteren Verlauf (A2) nimmt die Ethno-Komponente zu, die Fiddle klingt irisch, die Kalimba orientalisch; WHITEs Countrytext erzählt eine Liebesgeschichte. "Stain On My Brain" (A3) zieht im Tempo an, so dass sich ein – immer wieder in Reviews auftauchender – Vergleich mit dem legendären Bluegrass-Duo THE STANLEY BROTHERS lohnt. Mystisch und schamanisch beendet der vierte Track ("Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning") diese Seite, nur Schlaghölzer und versch(r)obener Gesang, badend in einem ganz eigenen Rhythmus.
So geht es auch auf Seite B weiter: Bilder von Lagerfeuern und nächtlichen Urwäldern drängen sich auf. Ein nachdenklicher RALPH WHITE spricht mehr, als dass er singt. Die exotische Perkussion und lange, fast improvisiert wirkende Instrumentalflächen tun ihr Übriges. "The Cuckoo" ist ein Duett mit der feenhaften Folksängerin AMY ANNELLE aus Portland; zunächst eine fröhliche, natürliche Country-Ballade, dann viele Tempowechsel und schräge Einlagen diverser Instrumente. "Spoonful / March Of The High Kings" (B3) bringt uns zum ersten Mal das Akkordeon, was gleich einen Hauch von Seefahrerromantik bedeutet. Der Gesang passt sich an, pendelt zwischen Western und Shanty, die Musik ähnelt einer modernen Komposition von ASTOR PIAZZOLLA. "Ring Of Fire" (B4) schließlich mutiert zu einer südländischen Improvisation auf Saiteninstrumenten mit einer Portion Knödelgesang, Ähnlichkeiten mit dem Original sind rein zufällig, was auch für die lange, lange Improvisation am Ende des Songs gilt.

"Atavistic Pillow" bietet eine rührende Mischung aus heim- und handgemachter Musik, die sich irgendwo zwischen Folk (weird), Country und Weltmusik bewegt. RALPH WHITE erscheint als verschrobener Cowboy, der ganz in seinem Singer/ Songwritertum aufgeht. Sehr atmosphärisch, nur die Instrumentalschleifen sind an ein, zwei Stellen etwas lang.(Nonpop)

Sloow Tapes – Tout

2010-10-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

Majutsu no Niwa
Ecstatic Crystallization
CS 60
Sloow Tapes – Tout

Feedback drenched guitarnoise drones by Rinji Fukuoka’s Majutsu no Niwa, his follow-up band to the legendary Overhang Party. A magical garden of post-Velvet doom stripped to the bare essentials by way of the Japanese psyche. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Edition of 100 copies cassette from Rinji Fukuoka’s post-Overhang Party Japanese underground monster. Massively heavy feedback jams that bulldoze time and space with alla the ferocity of a fully-liberated Hawkwind plays “Sweet Sister Ray” with free jazz drumming, impossible gravities of heavy metal power chords and walls of singing amplifiers. A classic set of sculpted guitar thunder, up there with Arc/Weld, the first few Kabemimi discs, Ascension’s Live/Dead... highly recommended. (Volcanic Tongue)

You never know what you're gonna get with these lads, formed from the ashes of the genius Overhang Party. When this tape came in I was reminiscing about the time I stuck one of their CDs on in here expecting some blazin' jams, only to be greeted with some sort moderately psychedelic lo-fi pub rock (and much piss-taking). Here they've got their proper serious heads on, offering up two sides of intense, feedback-drenched instrumental guitar dronage which I'm finding very satisfying. Like many in the Japanese underground over the years they're obviously totally into the Velvet Underground and this tape sees them exploring the noisier end of that particular inspiration - definitely a wise move for them if you ask me. (Norman Records)

Formed from the ashes of Overhang Party, this Japanese group is no less brutal. This opens with ringing feedback emanating from (probably) a wall of amplifiers and never lets up in intensity from there. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Ley Lines – D

2010-07-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Jason Leinwand
S/T
Sloow Ley Lines – D
Book

Awesome collection of psychedelic collage art by this Brooklyn based artist. A collection of mushrooms, skulls, aliens and eastern symbolism. As Jason says: “My work is about Being. Bright, colorful, paper collages functioning as the Mandala or the Yantra: a meditational tool aimed at self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and devotion to the Divine Being. Navigating Consciousness through laser beams, Shakti, and joy. Confronting Fear by maintaining a rigorous process, Kali, and death. Experiencing Harmony from symmetry, UFO’s, and the cosmos. Densely layered patterns, shapes, and line hold together deep, symmetrical spaces where mind and body potential is revealed and explored. In either case, an attempt to create a magic Sacred Space where our primordial questions about Being, co-exist with comic books, science fiction, Timothy Leary and Terrance McKenna. A magic Sacred Space where the divine mother goddess can just as easily caress and nurture you as ferociously rip your face off.” Full-colour cover and 18 pages b&w.

SOLD OUT

Sloow Tapes – Mesore

2010-07-22T06:45:00.001-07:00

Sir Plastic Crime Wave
Into The Depths
Sloow Tapes – Mesore
CS 48

Solo recordings by Steve Krakow aka Sir Plastic Crime Wave. Loose smoke rings of heavy psychedelic guitar streams under rabbit’s moon on route to the mellow side of nowhere descending into whispering raagini drone and banjo dream-mirror. 80 copies

SOLD OUT

Sir Plastic Crimewave’s "Into The Depths" is more my cup of tea: heavy psyched guitar loops in a bath of feedback and delay on the A side. Blues guitar played with a hard rock attitude. Tetuzi Akiyama style. Now we’re talking again! The B-side is more drone based with kraut and even American folk elements. John Fahey, obviously. But also Roky Erickson or The Grateful Death. And oh yeah: the tape is pink. Pink. Nice. (Hairentertainment)

voice, guitar, banjo & raagini” from steve “plastic crimewave” krakow, the prolific illustrateur / provocator across various chicagoland wavelengths (Mimaroglu)

Excellent set of streetwalking guitar violence and live psychedelic histrionics across voice/guitar/banjo from Steve Krakow aka Sir Plastic Crimewave. Some great heavy-meta blues boogie/Spacemen moves that really scorch on the A complete with black hole vocal F/X while the flip sees him rolling out the pastoral drone to the scale of your favourite American minimalists, Conrad, Fahey, Bull... edition of 80 copies. (Volcanic Tongue)

Sloow Tapes – Epiphi

2010-07-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Modulator ESP
New Horizons
Sloow Tapes – Epiphi
CS 60
Dark brooding synth exploring analogue space with Jez Creek (also active in Astrogator, Cerberus and Quadra) behind the knobs. Time dissolves in these hallucinatory fugues invoking the unnatural dimensions of Klaus Schulze’s seventies work across the emerald pond. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Operator, please, come over. Green bubbles and blue smoke are coming out of my synthesiser. What? Have I tried to put the damn machine on off? No, of course not, I’m recording! Modulator ESP. "New Horizons". Really great stuff.(Hairentertainment)

some nice, almost raicevic-ian moves from jez creek, cut with decidedly post-emeralds arb. seq. float (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Payni

2010-07-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hiiragi Fukuda
My Turntable Is Slow
Sloow Tapes – Payni
CS 44

New late night nomadic travels by Hiiragi Fukuda (Doronco Gumo), who’s ‘Oya wa Touhoku, Oto Kumoi’ turned quite a few heads. ‘My Turntable is Slow’ mixes pop and psychedelia to new highs by way of Tokyo delay. These songs are like dancing shadows reflected in opium clouded jade. 90 copies.

SOLD OUT

lovely quiet/storm contempo-psych from hiiragi fukuda & company (Mimaroglu)

Nach längerer Abstinenz stellen wir mal wieder ein SLOOW-Tape des kleinen Kassettenlabels aus Belgien vor. Die klassische Einleitung mit ein paar Sätzen über den Künstler ist schnell geschrieben: HIIRAGI FUKUDA stammt aus Japan (Tokio) und spielt Gitarre. Das war's schon. Er ist außerdem Mitglied des japanischen Postpunk-Trios DORONCO GUMO, aber da dessen Alben – ebenso wie die erste Solo-CD – ausschließlich in Asien erschienen, sind die Vergleichsmöglichkeiten gering. Immerhin existieren ein oder zwei DORONCO-Zusammenschnitte auf YOUTUBE. Der Opiumschwaden-Vergleich des Labels – natürlich sind SLOOW-Veröffentlichungen vielmehr psychedelisch als punkig – passt zum Foto auf MYSPACE (und zu den drogigen Songtiteln): im Schatten liegender Schlafzimmerblick plus, nun ja, irgendwas zum Rauchen im Mundwinkel.

Die rund 40minütige Kassette umgibt ein südländisches Flair von warmen Sommerabenden. Entspannte Gitarrenmelodien prägen die Songs, im Opener "Martinique Post Office" (Martinique geht als 'südländisch' durch, oder?) mischen sich akustische und elektronische Saiten, wehen über dem Sirren eines Verstärkers durch die Luft. Ebenso ungezwungen wirken die – ich vermute mal japanischen – Vocals, eher erzählend denn singend, wie Seifenblasen aus dem Mund fliegend und mit Hall unterlegt, sehr surreal. Besonders an diesem Stück ist die französische, beschwingte Frauenstimme der mit FUKUDA befreundeten Belgierin CORALIE GERMEAU. Sommerlich liest sie aus dem Tagebuch ihrer Jugend vor, leicht, etwas drogig und sehr angenehm. An einigen Stellen, gerade während des ersten Liedes, erinnert mich "My Turntable Is Slow" übrigens an Ô PARADIS. Abgesehen von Frau GERMEAU und ihrem kurzen Gastspiel macht der Chef aber alles selbst, hat auch die Feldaufnahmen eingeholt.
"H. Kissinger Of Cetus" beginnt dann auch mit Vogelgezwitscher. Die geloopt wirkenden drei Gitarren-Töne machen einen recht monotonen Eindruck, erst gegen Ende dreht die dronige E-Gitarre gehörig ins Nirwahwah ab. "Down A Dirt Road" klingt passenderweise wie der Titel eines Western und ist das schönste der sechs Stücke: Eine Mischung aus Cowboy, Balalaika und Waldfolk; am Ende taucht sogar eine Elfenflöte auf. FUKUDA spricht intensiver, man würde gerne verstehen, was er da erzählt.
Seite 2 ist fast noch einen Tick lässiger, spielt zunächst draußen auf der Veranda ("Slim Harpo Syndrome") in der Sonne und mit drei Gitarren unterm Arm. Kurzes Zwischenspiel aus Xylophon und Familie am Esstisch, anschließend wirkt auch das funkige "Tokyo Delay..." gejammt, die legeren Vocals nach wie vor eher italienisch oder spanisch als japanisch. Am Ende steht warmer, schwebender Gitarren-Ambient ("On A Slow Boat"), der den Bogen zum Beginn der ersten Seite schlägt. Ein nicht unangenehmes Brummen im Hintergrund, die Stimme nachdenklich und mit viel Hall, zwischen einlullend und hypnotisierend.

Auf 44 Minuten bietet "My Turntable Is Slow" eine feine und in ihrer Entspanntheit ansteckende Ideensammlung. Für die manchmal etwas monotonen Parts auf Seite B entschädigen Songs wie "Martinique Post Office" oder "Down A Dirt Road" mit sehr viel Atmosphäre. Zum wohligen Genießen der letzten Urlaubstage! (nonpop.de )

Hiiragi Fukuda’s "My Turntable Is Slow" is very close to kitsch. This would not be a problem if the songs were well structured, but they’re not. They’re just too thin. More like half worked out ideas than real songs: the vocals sound the same on every track -spoken word with a lot of echo- and the guitar parts are an endless repeat of simple guitar melodies, with some extra arrangements added here and there. Am I too hard here? Maybe. "My Turntable Is Slow" is probability not bad, but than again: not bad is not good enough. (Hairentertainment)

Edition of 90 copies cassette from Hiragi Fukuda of Japanese underground group Doronco Gumo. This is more dosed and heavier on the acid folk vibe than his previous Oya Wa Touhoku, Oto Kumori with a great early-70s private/loner edge complete with echo vocals, comedown acoustic guitars and some stinging lead. Aspects of Masaki Batoh’s Ghost From The Darkened Sea but with a more progressive/rock feel alongside some classic Syd Barrett-isms make for a perfect late-night slow burner. (Volcanic Tongue)

Ah, the releases I should have had on my year end list begin to pile up, Hiiragi Fukuda’s being the most egregious omission so far. This just goes to show year end lists made in December of said year are awesome for driving up the site hits, Facebook shares and retweets, but always end up being shortsighted. I guess I’m trying to say, don’t think too hard about it or assume it matters. Anyway, how to describe this tape? I have never heard (or even heard of before now) Hiiragi’s work in (Holy Mountain recording artist) Doronco Gumo, or his first solo work (with ex-members of Japanese legends Les Rallizes Denudes and Maher Shalal Hash Baz), so I don’t have much to base it against in terms of his past work. Psychedelic folk-pop seems to be a good way to put it, but it often incorporates more than that.
Hiiragi doesn’t sing as much as he talks, and when he talks it’s in Japanese and has a sort of detached, Serge Gainsbourg quality. Indeed, a lot of the songs on this collection have that sort of French New Wave/existential feel, not so much interested in the story as much as just “being”, often in a mode of self-conscious coolness. Well, it works. The good part is that the lazily strummed acoustic guitars, repetitive riffs and beatnik rhythms almost always give way to Hiiragi’s sumptuous electric guitar, a reverb soaked laser with a real direction in mind. The album reflects the songs, with some country fried romps in between the longer, more sublime bookends.

This is a great tape, even more so because it’s not typically the kind of music that gets released on cassette. The song writing is for real and the knack for “pop” and melody is undeniable. It also avoids any kind of “it sound” of the moment and presents the listener with familiar territory while doing so in a very original way, but oh man, when Hiigati’s beautiful guitar starts a full space blast off, you start to wonder where this guy came from and why you never heard him before (unless you did, in which case, kudos). (Impose)

Sloow Tapes - Pachon

2010-05-18T06:02:00.001-07:00

Marianne Nowottny
Divine Cantos
CS 42
Sloow Tapes - Pachon

Hypnotic and bizarre interpretations of Dante’s Divina Commedia. Unsettling keyboards, harmonium and dulcimer with Nowottny’s narration guiding you through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. Somewhere between Kali Bahlu's "Lonely Teardrops" and Alice Coltrane "Sings". 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

A typically strange Marianne Nowottny release, this one features 6 tracks inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy" (2 each for Hell, Purgatory and Paradise). She accompanies herself on electronic keyboards, harmonium and dulcimer on epic meandering songs. Her voice has quite a theatrical quality to it and the cyclical nature of the songs (and the harmonium) reminds me a little of Nico. Intriguing. (Boa Melody Bar)

fairly creepy setting of the divine comedy to voice & atonal general midi backing tracks by marianne nowottny (Mimaroglu)

Divine Cantos" by Marianne Nowottny is a dark and perplexing interpretation of six sections of Dante's 'La Divina Commedia.' To a backing of deep, resonant keyboards, occasional lighter instrumentation and dulcimer, Nowottny's intense, almost overpowering vocals bring us brief snapshots of Dante's literary classic. The vocals on the concluding two tracks are lighter however, appropriately, as the text deals with Paradise, and are easier on the ear than those gloom-laden opening cuts. A strange, forboding, but ultimately positive release. (Terrascope)

Sloow Tapes - Pharmouthi

2010-05-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Plankton Wat
Shadows
CS 34
Sloow Tapes - Pharmouthi

Late-night brooding acoustic guitar arpeggios by Eternal Tapestry’s Dewey Mahood. Cosmic raga’s moonlit by deep earthmagic awareness, invoking the spirits of Jack Rose, Robbie Basho, Sandy Bull etc. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Gorgeous post-midnight acoustic guitar ragas from Dewey Mahood of Eternal Tapestry. Dedicated to Jack Rose. (Boa Melody Bar)

solo , overdubbed acoustic guitar mist from rising star dewey mahood ...

has a nice, easy / breezy, riverside approach to the form that’s something of an antithesis to the often studio-busy plankton wat sides i’ve heard thusfar ... dude’s clearly got range & the finger-skills to pull this off ; let’s see what he does next ... (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Phamenoth

2010-05-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Verde
Tapes
CS 54
Sloow Tapes – Phamenoth

Pulsating and buzzing electronics from another dimension by Mika Rintala (see also Circle, Ektroverde), king of homebuilt analogue synthesizers. This tape starts with a heavy krautrock vibe and gradually gives way to more abstract soundscapes with fieldrecordings, recalling Faust, Ilitch, Nurse With Wound etc. Lineup features Jyrki Laiho (Kuusumun Profeetta, Stalwart, Circle), Pekka PT (Gelsomina), Janne Tuomi and Sami Kukka. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

neat set of circuit-bending type electronic squawk from circle’s mika rantala ...

features gelsomina’s pekka pt (!!!) amongst others ... (Mimaroglu)

Sylvester Anfang II/Hellvete/Bear Bones Lay Low Tour

2010-03-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Sloow is on tour with Sylvester Anfang II, Hellvete and Bear Bones Lay Low April 3rd-17th

April 3rd: La Suite, Paris, France

April 4th: Le BPM, Nantes, France

April 5th: Handclapping Girls, Clermont-Ferrand, France

April 6th: Grrrnd Zero, Lyon, France

April 7th: Cave12, Geneve, Suisse

April 8th: MusikVerein, Nürnberg, Germany

April 10th: Chapeau Rouge, Prague, Czech Republic

April 11th: Leipzig, Germany

April 12th: Madama Claude, Berlin, Germany

April 13th: Utmarken, Göteborg, Sweden

April 14th: Aarhus, Denmark

April 15th: Copenhagen, Denmark

April 16th: TAC, Eindhoven, Holland

April 17th: Ffus, Stuttgart, Germany

Sloow Tapes – Mechyr

2010-03-12T05:06:00.000-08:00

Stranger Son Of WB

Other Songs From Lakes

CS 25

Sloow Tapes – Mechyr

Raucous set by Manchester’s heroes Stranger Son Of WB. A growling mix of post-punk and no-wave with an ass-tight rhythm section supporting the snarling howls and hollers by front man Gareth Smith. Think of The Fall, The Pop Group and Birthday Party. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Jagged post-punk from Manchester, featuring the righteous rants of frontman Gareth Smith. Exists somewhere between the Birthday Party and the Fall. (Boa Melody Bar)

More Sloow Tape action this time from Manchester's post-punk obsessed Stranger Son of WB. I love these guys, especially the unhinged rants of frontman Gareth Smith whose vocal styling are totally reminiscent of Mark E. Smith. Musically the group indulge in a paranoid, lo-fi style of New Wave punk that oozes that unique northern charm. Occasionally they sound like a The Contortions playing slow-mo funk or The Rebel on a mad rant yet strange musical occurrences and odd samples throw the whole thing out of whack at a moment's notice (I'm sure I just heard the chorus from Corona's 'The Rhythm of the Night'), keeping the listener on their toes. Sitting somewhere between The Birthday Party and The Fall without really sounding like either, Stranger Son of WB should be commended for playing post-punk that sounds fresh in the current musical climate. On a white tape. (Norman Records)

air-tight set of streamo-consciousness art punk from this band of mancs (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Tybi

2010-03-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

Wally Shoup and Dave Abramson

Good Curse

CS 40

Sloow Tapes – Tybi

Drum/sax duo by Wally Shoup and Dave Abramson. Shoup has been one of the core members of the Seattle underground scene for many years now and has played with everyone from Thurston Moore and Chris Corsano to Davey Williams and Bob Rees. Abramson is a member of local psych band The Diminished Men. A greet set of free improvisation. Fire Music with Soul. Cover art by Shoup. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

For out and out free-blowing, this hits the mark. For expressive, soulful playing it delivers the goods. The duo ignite and catch fire straight away and there's no slack to let your attention wander off. That combination, with saxophonist Shoup and drummer Abramson, firing on all cylinders, makes this an easy recommendation.(Boa Melody Bar)

great set of “in the tradition” dialed-back free-blowing from spider trio bandmates wally shoup & dave abramson (mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Choiak

2010-03-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Embryo

Aalst 2010

CS 82

Sloow Tapes – Choiak

What to write about Embryo? Christian Burchard was/is part of the Munich scene, played on Amon Düül’s Phallus Dei and founded Embryo in the late sixties. They flirted with krautrock and jazz-rock on mythical lp’s like Opal, Father Son and the Holy Ghost and Rocksession. In the following decades their travels led them, among many other destinations, to India, the Middle East and Africa. On their music trips they played with locals like Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu and Lebanese oud-player Rabih Anou-Khalil. A couple years ago they jammed with No Neck Blues Band. In Aalst the band consisted of Christian Burchard (Santur, Vibraphone, Percussion), Marja Burchard (Marimba, Drums, Keyboards, Trombone), Andreas Rust (Oud, Guitar), Christian Aderholz (Violin), Jens Pollheide (Flutes, Bass), Lothar Stahl (Marimba, Drums, Percussion) and Mik Quantius (Voice). The music was hypnotic, repetitive, oriental, jazz, kraut, spacey...The true living spirit of free music. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

As this is one of those tapes where there's no label on the cassette and the box doesn't give the game away instantly either, I just loaded it into the machine and pressed play without prior knowledge of what I was listening to. My first reaction to side 1 was that this was free folk, but more in the sense of Amon Duul. It turns out that Embryo is a band formed by Christian Burchard decades ago and that he played on Amon Duul II's Phallus Dei, so my ears were not deceiving me. The wood flutes and twangy strings of the first side move over for a more jazzy feel to the flip, with some wonderful Hammond playing (I don't make comparisons with Alice Coltrane lightly, but, wow, there are some beautiful runs here) from Marja Burchard, who also plays marimba, drums and trombone... quite a combination! This is a very special tape and with an edition of only 100 copies, it's the lucky few who will get to hear it. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Aythyr

2010-03-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

Kosmische Keuterboeren

Harvest

CS70

Sloow Tapes – Aythyr

Kosmische Keuterboeren recorded this tape on a sacred mountain dedicated to Saint Amands, who is said to have brought a hanged criminal back to life. Surprisingly, he is also the patron saint of all who produce beer: brewers, innkeepers and bartenders. Especially that last part is applicable to this duo, both intense supporters of the Belgian beer cult. As far as ‘Harvest’ goes: one of these guys is also active in Penguins Know Why and Sylvester Anfang II. Imagine the postpunk antics of the former being reflected in a stoned haze of the latter. Devotional music to meditate to. Same tracks on both sides of this cassette. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Kosmische Keuterboeren ("cosmic small farmers") are ready for harvest. For years they've been playing primitive folk music in their barn. Then crop circles started to appear. This didn't really affect their daily life, but in the barn things started changing: their music became even more primitive and also distorted and alienating. The end result is now out on Sloow Tapes: two sides of ritualistic folk/kraut jams from cosmic farmville. 8/10 (Cassette Revival)

Belgian duo who feature a member of Sylvester Anfang 2. Stoner rituals using drums / casios. (Boa Melody Bar)

psychedelic “brol noise” from blodklod’s geronimus & mollenhauer (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Phaophi

2010-01-14T23:20:00.000-08:00

These Wonderful Evils
Vermilion Sands
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Phaophi

Drugged bedroom lo-fi psych. Meandering acoustic guitar tones showing occasional signs of fuzz outgrowths while drowning in an overall feeling of obsessive loner harmonies. Imagine early Six Organs jamming with Spacemen 3 in New Zealand. A real sloow burner. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Monday morning. Time to get up and go to work. I check my mailbox before I get into my car. I received some new Sloow tapes. Finding new tapes in my mailbox is always a good start of the week.

The first tape I put in my car cassette deck is These Wonderful Evils’ Vermilion Sands. I put my sunglasses on because the sun is low and it has been snowing all night. I feel like Johnny Depp in Dead Man; drifting in a small boat on a big lake. That’s probability because the first track on this tape reminds me of Neil Young’s soundtrack for Dead Man. I never understood why this record never got mentioned when they talk about Young’s best records. It’s one of my favourites. But back to These Wonderful Evils.

Track number two starts like a Sublime Frequencies record: a lofi recorded wah wah guitar solo that could be on a Group Inerane record. Than, strangely enough, the mood changes. Milk And Honey by Jackson C Frank is the first thing that comes to mind. Damm, It’s been way to long since I putted my Jackson C Frank record on.

The B-side than. American trucker sing along songs. I never drove on an American highway. I’ve never been in the US. I’ve never been inside a truck. I only know this kind of music from the tapes I could choose at truck stops when my dad had to make long drives with me as a kid. Those tapes kept me quit. Those tapes made me happy. Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Eagles. John Denver. Hell yeah! And, of course, These Wonderful Evils doesn’t sound like any of the artists mentioned here. His music just makes me feel great when I’m in my car, on my own, on snowy Monday morning.

I’ll be Antwerp in about 15 minutes. Get calm. Pull yourself together again. Good morning. How was your weekend? Fine. Thanks. How was yours? Eight more hours and I’m on my own again, in my car. King of the road, in my small Japanese second hand car. Eight more hours and I can put Vermilion Sands back on. What a great thing to look forward to. 8/10 -- Joeri Bruyninckx (Foxy Digitalis)

Latest release from Zak Boerger. Mostly ragged guitar sprawl with some spoken vocals on the final track, it still has the same outsider NZ feel to his last two albums. (Boa Melody Bar)

Kassetten mag ich aus diversen nostalgischen Gründen sowieso. Eine besondere Freude ist es, wenn sich Musik aus der Neuzeit und Medium aus der Steinzeit gut ergänzen, wie – selbstredend nach dieser Einleitung – bei den 40 Minuten von THESE WONDERFUL EVILS in weißem Plastik. Auf solchen Tonbändern verbreiteten früher Bands und Künstler, die im Idealfall Talent, aber kein Geld für teure Aufnahmen hatten, ihre hausgemachte Musik. Sie landete in Kleinstauflage bei Freunden, Verwandten und eventuell Plattenfirmen. 'Homemade' sind die Gitarrendrones von ZAK BOERGER ganz bestimmt; irgendwo habe ich von 'bedroom psych-rock' im Zusammenhang mit seiner Musik gelesen. Auch in kleiner Edition von 70 Exemplaren erscheint dieses Tape, so dass sich – (Achtung Phrase) wie in alten Zeiten – ein Gefühl von Exklusivität einstellt: Teil von etwas Besonderem zu sein, das es nur wenige Male auf der Welt gibt. Und Talent, ja Talent weisen die meisten der psychedelischen Spielereien, welche das belgische Kassettenlabel SLOOW TAPES seit einigen Jahren hervorbringt, massig auf.

ZAK stammt aus Minneapolis, seinen Projektnamen lieh er sich von der gleichnamigen Vinylserie über schwedischen Psych- und Garagenrock, welche sich wiederum auf den Hit der schwedischen Band THE SHAKERS aus dem Jahr 1967 bezog: "Who Will Buy (These Wonderful Eyes?)". Seine experimentellen, mäandernden Lo-Fi-Gitarren bringen ihm regelmäßig Vergleiche mit dem neuseeländischen 'Dunedin Sound' und Künstlern wie ALASTAIR GALBRAITH ein. In den vergangenen beiden Jahren hat er mit den Alben "Regine Flory" und "Parade Room" bewiesen, zu welcher Vielfalt er in seiner Rolle als zwanghafter Eigenbrötler fähig ist; auf "Vermilion Sands" dagegen konzentriert er sich auf eine Idee, auf sich immer wiederholende und dadurch sehr intensive Mischungen aus akustischer und elektrischer (Fuzz) Gitarre.

Wir beginnen etwas eiernd – man weiß ja bei Kassetten nie so genau, ob das am Band oder an der Musik liegt – und zunächst mit einem sehr folkigen Gefühl. Die Stellen, an denen ausschließlich die improvisiert wirkende Akustikgitarre erklingt, haben immer etwas urtümlich Amerikanisches: 'Campfire'-Atmosphäre wie bei MICHELLE SHOCKED oder SUZANNE VEGA. In diese Wiesen und Wälder hinein dröhnen E-Gitarren-Drones, so als ob zwei dicke Farben langsam ineinander laufen eine schöne neue entsteht: schwebend, bunt und ziemlich bedröhnt eben. Später erinnert das rückgekoppelte Fuzzdings an ein fernöstliches Instrument, die Lagerfeuervariante wartet mit wunderschönen Melodiefragmenten auf. Sehr erdig, ich warte ständig auf die feenhafte Frauenstimme aus einem alten Folksong.
Die zweite Seite startet mit diversen Gitarren und flottem, fast countryhaftem Klang und Rhythmus. Im Hintergrund loopt ein schnatterndes Geräusch vor sich hin. Vermeintlich wiederholt sich minutenlang immer dieselbe Abfolge, bei genauem Hinhören fallen allerdings zahlreiche winzige Änderungen an Lautstärke, Klang oder Geräusch auf, mit Hall wird das Ganze am Ende gar spacig abgehoben, zieht sich insgesamt jedoch etwas länglich durch Raum und Zeit. Dafür folgt unmittelbar danach das wohl spannendste, letzte Stück: Zerrende, düstere Gitarren, in die sich – in umgekehrter Reihenfolge wie zu Beginn – nun die akustischen Schwestern hinein mischen, und plötzlich beginnt ZAK BOERGER mit klarer, heller Erzählstimme vor sich hin zu denken. In seiner Anmutung erinnert dieser Song – nicht beabsichtigt, wie ich vermute – an CURRENT 93, mit den priesterhaften, leisen aber eindringlichen Vocals und dem stellenweise apokalyptischen Geschredder.

Sympathische Lo-Fi-Packung! Es schleicht sich unweigerlich das Bild von einem Mann in den Kopf, der tatsächlich auf der Bettkante in seinem Schlafzimmer sitzt, umgeben von einem Sammelsurium an Gitarren, und seiner aktuellen Stimmung auf diesen Instrumenten freien Lauf lässt. Die zahlreichen, oft ähnlich klingenden Gitarrenmischungen ergeben zusammen mit den Lagerfeuerteilen und dem Schlusstrack ein buntes, natürlich psychedelisches und oft naturnahes Gesamtbild, das Spaß beim Hören und neugierig darauf macht, was ZAK BOERGER sonst noch so kann, wenn er mal vom Bett aufsteht.(Michael We. Nonpop.de)

Edition of 70 copies cassette from Zak Boerger’s bedroom psych project, here cutting up Renbourne/Jansch/Chasny styled acoustic jams with elegiac fuzz-punkers that reference UK punks like early Wickham-Smith/Youngs and Flying Saucer Attack. (Volcanic Tongue)

gorgeous tape of motorik guitar minimalism & folk-raga modes from chicago-based contemp. psych “journeyman” zak boerer (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Thoth

2010-01-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

The Doozer
Error Engerumong
CS 30
Sloow Tapes – Thoth

Zonked lullabies and exotic travelogues towards inner hairy space. Taste the saliva carried on the winds that purify these coastal gamelan hymns and watch a new dawn. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

This opens with a track that sounds like a loop of a long-lost Hood track and then veers off into exotic percussion hypnosis, inspired by Balinese gamelan music. (Boa Melody Bar)

bonkers tape - five “process-music” spheres from this cambridge, uk artist ...

seriously, in a blindfold test i’d be more inclined to place most of this music squarely in the “historic sound art” sector (akio suzuki’s work, specifically, comes to mind) than the terrascope-ian lanes normally traveled by the sloow tapes elite ...

great, beguiling stuff ... (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Hunting Moon

2009-12-04T04:12:00.000-08:00

Seven That Spells

You Must Do This On Stage Vol. 1

Sloow Tapes – Hunting Moon

CS 90

A collection of dazzling live recordings by Croatia’s heavy psych band, chasing Hawkwind, Igra Staklenih Perli and Acid Mothers Temple in an evil labyrinth of disorientating rhythms, destroying guitars, complex sax, synth awareness and celestial knowledge. 120 copies.

Some live recordings from Croatia's heavy prog-psych band. Noodly guitars, crunching riffs, squalling sax, driving rhythms, this is like a proggier Hawkwind! (Boa Melody Bar)

Got some cool looking tapes in from Sloow this week including a collection of live recordings from Croatia's premier psych rock outfit Seven That Spells. Primarily influenced by the likes of early Hawkwind and Acid Mothers Temple whilst also absorbing a little of post-rock's rhythmical dynamic, Seven That Spells kick out total psych party jams with eastern European enthusiasm and zeal. Skronking, violent saxophone onslaughts take the lead over a bunch of wild rhythm players to create a spellbinding display of psych rock virtuosity. Lively, euphoric and totally intense jams that will no doubt surprise and amaze in equal measures. Oh, the tape is red. Ace. (Norman Records)

Sloow Tapes – Beaver’s Moon

2009-12-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

Fredrik Ness Sevendal

Tinoll

Sloow Tapes – Beaver’s Moon

CS 40

Norwegian apartment-psych by Fredrik Ness Sevendal, who collaborated with the likes of Slowburn, Bill Wood and Makoto Kawabata among other fellow mind explorers. A collection of lo-fi space oddities, from hallucinating acoustic acid guitar lines to repetitive hypnotic distorted weirdness. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Home-made psych / experimentalism from this Norwegian chap who has collaborated in the past with Kawabata, Slowburn and Bill Wood. This starts off with some hypnotic guitar-work and then heads off into more unsettling territory - thick atmospheres of densely layered distorted guitar, sampled voices, milk-bottle percussion. (Boa Melody Bar)

Let me tell you a story. Well, it’s not a story, actually. It’s a long forgotten news fact: in 1990, Russia shot an astronaut from Kazakhstan into space. One year later, Kazakhstan became independent. Good for them. But they had a small problem; they didn’t have the money anymore for space travels. And the Russians didn’t care anymore. So the astronaut stayed into space for a whole year before Russia and Kazakhstan came to a solution.

Space and isolation, that’s what I had to think about when I was listening to Tinoll. This record reminds me of Patashnik by Biosphere, an R&S classic. It also reminds of the darker parts of Fennesz his Black Sea record. It must be the combination of distorted guitars and thick layers of fuzzy electronics. It must be. Dark side of the moon. Is there anybody out there? Whish you were here. Oops, a free association mind travel. Ground control to Major Tom: commencing countdown. Engines on. Check ignition and may God's love be with you. 6/10 -- Joeri Bruyninckx (Foxy Digitalis)

Multi-track c40s can be like watching different colored paints dry to a wall in the dark, but Fredrik Ness Sevendal keeps things varied and focused. Largely honed around outer limit guitar destruction through the prism of unknown electronic boxes, with a few auxiliary percussion toys at his beck and call, Fredrik Ness Sevendal's Tinoll (c40, Sloow Tapes) is a David Lynchian nightmare of cave reverb melody, midnight muttering, the car left running outside that you hear through the window panes. At times suffocatingly dense and then suddenly sparse and lonely, only to tumble into tom-driven rock dirges, this generally creepy, cerebral release never loses hold of its powerfully evocative, textural sensibility. Spoooky. (Impose Magazine)

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Journeys

2009-10-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

Numinous Eye
The Tunnel At The End Of The Light
Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Journeys
CS 60

Totally zonked guitar/drums duo out of San Francisco by way of Mason Jones (SubArachnoid Space) and Mike Shoun. Turned-on interstellar spacejams in overdrive reaching beyond Sandoz. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Maize

2009-10-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

Robert Horton and Tom Carter
Campfire
Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Maize
CS 40

Casual late night camfire jams by Robert Horton and Tom Carter, with laidback appearances by Natacha Robinson, Janet and Mary Carter. Baked guitars, boot and percussion. On special request there’s only 40 copies of this one.

SOLD OUT

Perched high in the coastal range with what Bay Area real estate sharks like to call a 3-bridges view, the Horton household is an oasis in an already stunning landscape. This tape was recorded out back one night in Robert & Janet's apple-laden zen garden, boot and gtr duets framed by crackling fire & percussion by Janet, Natacha, & Mary. Breathing idyllic memories of a gentler coast. Already sold out at source, and I only have a few, so jump fast. (T.C.)

Sloow Tapes – Moon of the Sturgeon

2009-09-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

20 Guilders
Wrong Songs For Patricia
Sloow Tapes – Moon of the Sturgeon
CS 40

Guitar duo of Tokyo underground regulars Tabata Mitsuru (Zeni Geva) and Suzuki Junzo (Miminokoto, Astral Travelling Unit), with a cameo appearance by Acid Mothers Temple Hiroshi Higashi on synth. Illuminating acid blues straight from the pinal gland. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Well-known Tokyo troublemaker/scenesters Suzuki Junzo and Tabata Mitsuru have gotten together and created a dream-psych-folk duo called, for some reason, 20 Guilders. Based on simple guitar and folk, the songs are most often on the calm side, though with the occasional burst of fuzz breaking through.
Junzo will be known for his solo work — which this is very akin to — and his recent membership in the New Miminokoto. His adept guitar work and emotional vocals fit right into this format. Tabata, perhaps best-known for his roles in Zeni Geva and Acid Mothers Temple, may surprise listeners with his heartfelt singing and gentle playing here. His “Enban” is a simple strum with background lead guitar and soulful singing.
There are two 20 Guilders releases out now, with overlapping versions of some of the same songs. Their self-released CDR “Patricia” and the “Wrong Songs for Patricia” cassette (Sloow Tapes) contain the same songs for the most part, with a couple that aren’t shared. However, the versions of them all seem to be different enough that if you enjoy the songs, you may well want both. The cassette’s only available in an edition of 70 copies, by the way, and the song “Little Swallow-Hikari”, only on the tape, features synth added by AMT’s Hiroshi Higashi. (Ongakublog)

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. (Boa Melody Bar)

burning psychedelic guitar duos from miminokoto’s junzo suzuki and zeni geva’s other guitarist tabata, with hiroshi higashi adding some nice vcs3 bleep-out highlights here & there (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Moon of the Roe-buck

2009-09-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Cosmic Trip Machine
Vampyros Roussos
Sloow Tapes – Moon of the Roe-buck
CS60

One of Belgium’s finest psychedelic bands, these night-trippers sound like Demis Roussos jamming with Gong imagining a psychedelic horror soundtrack wandering through a free-flowing erotic surreal delirium with enough sitar, cosmic electronics and wailing acidic guitar leads to blow your head clean off. Edition of 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

18 freak-pop nuggets that reminds me at its poppiest of the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Also present: plenty of sitar, wah-wah guitar, bubbling sci-fi electronics, psych-out fuzz solos. It's a lot of fun. (Boa Melody Bar)

hilariously fiery tape by this belgian troupe, charting halfway between later amon düül ii’s european choogle and santana (“caravanserai” era, natch) ‘s acid-guitar howl (Mimaroglu)

Kein Geheimnis ist es, dass die beiden Belgier viele psychedelische Bands der 60er- und 70er-Jahre verehren. Das verrät ihr Bandname auf den ersten Blick. Auch aus ihrer Leidenschaft für psychedelisch-mystisch-erotische Filme machen WILL Z. und MAJNUN keinen Hehl: "Vampyros Lesbos" (1970), "Beyond The Valley Of Dolls" (ebenfalls 1970) oder "The Holy Mountain" (1973) nennen sie als Inspiration für ihre Arbeit. Bestäubt von solchen Bildern und drogigen Tönen gleichgerichteter Musiker, haben COSMIC TRIP MACHINE nun eine Rockoper vorgelegt. Einen durchkomponierten, fiktiven Soundtrack, der alle Einflüsse so leicht und locker zu einem bunten Kaleidoskop vermischt, als würde es sich lediglich um einen Kasten mit Wasserfarben handeln."Vampyros Roussos" soll einen imaginären Film untermalen, in dem JIMMY (ein junger Mann) vor FUZZY (einem Polizeiinspektor) und FUNKY C (Partner von FUZZY) wegläuft – aber ich vermute, das ist eigentlich gar nicht so wichtig.WILL und MAJNUN arbeiten schon mehr als zehn Jahre lang zusammen, in dieser Zeit ist allerdings unter jetzigem Namen nur ein einziges Album erschienen: "Lord Space Devil". Mit der Materialsammlung dazu fingen die Musiker zwar schon im Jahr 2000 an, ihre damalige Band löste sich aber im Streit auf, was Fertigstellung und Veröffentlichung um läppische acht Jahre verschob. (Kostenloser Download => siehe unten). Ihr zweites Werk ist vor einigen Wochen zuerst als Kassette bei SLOOW TAPES erschienen (70 Stück), kommt aber in Kürze noch bei OPEN YOUR EYES (Vorbestellung => hier) als CD auf den Markt, mit – wenn die Vorab-Trackliste stimmt – zwei zusätzlichen Titeln.Prallten beim Vorgänger die Stile und Instrumente noch sehr heftig aufeinander und erschien das Werk aufgrund der Vielfalt überfrachtet, haben die Belgier einiges dazu gelernt. "Vampyros Roussos" wird von einer funkigen, floatenden Atmosphäre getragen, die mich immer und immer wieder an das erotisierende und treibende "Shaft"Theme von ISAAC HAYES erinnert. Wir starten aber vor einer ganz anderen Kulisse, auf der 'Sommerinsel' aus "Wicker Man" (1973), den COSMIC TRIP MACHINE ebenfalls zu ihren wichtigsten Einflüssen zählen. Die Tür öffnet sich in eine einsame, naturnahe Welt. Handtrommeln und Gitarre spinnen einen wunderbaren, sphärischen Folk, der später nahtlos von einer Fuzz-Gitarre abgelöst wird. Summerisle begegnet uns auf der zweiten Seite aber in Form eines Folkjuwels im Stile von SIMON & GARFUNKEL noch einmal wieder. Fiktive Samples (JIMMY: "I am Jimmy". FUZZY: "What's the matter with you?" Oder auch, wenn es gruseliger wird: "Hi, I am Lucifer. Someone was calling me?") verstärken den filmischen Eindruck, dazwischen, darunter und darüber wirbeln vor allem dröhnende Gitarren, die an LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE oder – um die großen Drei voll zu machen – BLACK SABBATH erinnern. Die Querflöte dagegen könnte aus einem JETHRO TULL-Songs stammen, und zu Beginn der zweiten Seite entführen uns die ersten Töne gar in die Welt des Angstpop. Häufig wird sogar mitten im Ton der Schalter umgelegt, diese Kulissenwechsel funktionieren allerdings absolut organisch. Die Hauptdarsteller beherrschen ihre Instrumente, was gerade während der improvisiert wirkenden Gitarrensoli deutlich wird. Ebenso vielfältig und gelungen setzen sie ihre Stimmen ein: Zwischen Falsett, gehauchtem Folk bis hin zu JASON KAY von JAMIROQUAI ist alles drin. Eine feine, sympathisch durchgedrehte Mischung aus Stoner Rock, Soul, Funk und Folk, mit viel Können und Liebe in die Form einer gedachten Filmmusik gegossen. Mich begeistern zwar vor allem die erdhaften Folkstücke, aber erst die Kombination mit dem Rest macht das Gefühl aus, eine tolle Show zu erleben! (NonPop.de)

The COSMIC TRIP MACHINE is back again. Last year Will Z. and Majnun threw their debut 'Lord Space Devil' (LSD) across the genre stage on which they are constantly exploring the folk/raga/psych fields with much trickiness. Variety is the spice of life - both fellows are proving this motto once more on 'Vampyros Roussos' - that's for sure. The album is concipated as a rock opera - a soundtrack of an imaginary movie with other words. As for the inspirations a systematic backfall again into those years where the prog music was born - but obviously provided with other preferences now.What makes it different ... first and foremost because they have drummer T-Bone contributing here, who does a great job too by the way. This means it's more rocking on the whole. While the opener Vampyres links to the predecessor album for the moment with a typical dreamy psychedelia start, it all surprisingly turns into a jazzy behaviour after some time. This song is really symptomatic for the whole production filled with well thought out twists and turns. Which immediately points to the next grooving Psychedelic Twist provided with playful drumming, multi-layered guitars and mysterious female narration.
And so the following songs take you away on a rollercoaster trip through the 60/70's, bouncing from one event to the other. Poppy charming beats like on Revelation Evil are competing with lots of heavy psych guitar solos and fusionesque bass lines. Oh dear - really damn rocking this time what I never expected - way more powerful because of the drum kit presence of course. It Feels Good even appears in a funky James Brown outfit. Heavy riffing and sawing guitars are corresponding with swirling synths on the space rock tunes White Lodge and Cerbere which temporarily seems to get out of control in between.
When it looks like that Deep Purple is on the wrong track here for a while - never mind - by way of variation you're shortly forwarded to India on a hallucinatory trip with sitar accompaniment. And being completely restless Will and Majnun later on switch to a horseback ride crossing the prairie with a mouth organ at their lips ... I hope you're slowly but surely obtaining a hazy notion how it works? Okay - I really try my very best ... anyhow ... you have to check this on your own to get the ideal impression. It's something you won't find every day - believe me!
For the second time they put forward 18 song snippets exactly - probably this number is something magical for them. The album sleeve offers ten clues which are supposed to help for assimilating the album - especially concerning the concept, the lyrics. Nice idea ... however ... generally I don't care much for lyrics (except they are in German). But I don't want to keep it secret - the (weird) story deals with young fellow Jimmy who fails to rob a bank, escapes from the police and eventually gets caught by a vampire ...
.... no not eventually of course - the adventure goes on. Even when you're not interested in the story behind, 'Vampyros Roussos' offers enough challenge when you only explore the music as such. COSMIC TRIP MACHINE have worked out an entertaining album once again - a rather eclectic approach with a wondrous blend of genres and styles. Listen as much as you are able to - I'm sure it will remain an enjoyable freaky event because you are always sent into a labyrinth of contrasting impressions - 4.5 stars. (Progarchives)

Sloow Tapes - Warm Moon

2009-06-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

DRMWPN
Smoker
CS 51
Sloow Tapes - Warm Moon

Light your dreamweapon with some of Chicago’s most enlightened Heads. Improv band rocking the outer limits of Quantonia featuring Michael Zerang, Adam Vida, Liz Payne, Sam Wagster, Majahbeen, Steve Krakow, Jim Becker, Jim Dorling, Carol Genetti and Dan Mohr. A galactic transmission from beyond. 70 copies.

Sprawling cosmic rock from Chicago from a bunch of folks who clearly like their Amon Duul II records! (Boa Melody Bar)

second release from this chicago esnemble, formed to forge group-mind improvisations around a ian sommerville-spec “stroboscopic flicker device” ... participants here include steve “plastic crimewave” krakow, us maple / signer’s adam vida, and half of the town & country lineup (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of Flowers

2009-06-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Im Jahrtal
Reprisen Und Instrumentalstuecke
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Moon Of Flowers

Post-Pilz folk instrumentals from the mountains of Tyrol. Jahrtal is the one-man project of Ewald Spiss, who has been involved in music and art since the early eighties. Tranquil melodies, exotic instrumentation and barking dogs echoing peaceful mountains and forests. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Im Jahrtal is the magical musical world inhabited by Ewald Spiss of the Austrian Tyrol. It's a world of pastoral psych-folk instrumentals with backwards tapes, drifting flute, exotic instrumentation, guitar and pipe organ madrigals and a rudimentary charm in the way it's all put together. Lovely stuff. (Boa Melody Bar)

Wie auf der vorangegangenen Seite erwähnt, haben JAHRTAL einige Wochen vor der CD eine Kassette auf SLOOW TAPES veröffentlicht, einem wunderbaren belgischen Tape-Label. (Das irgendwann einmal eine eigenen NONPOP-Geschichte gewidmet bekommen wird.) "Im Jahrtal – Reprisen und Instrumentalstücke" heißt das 40minütige Band und ist, wie immer bei SLOOW, streng limitiert; dieses Mal auf 70 Stück. Das Cover (siehe oben) stammt vom Labelbetreiber BART DE PAEPE selbst.Der Titel verrät es – die Songs bleiben rein instrumental, und an einigen Stellen sind Fragmente der spinnwebendünnen Folkstücke aus "Lieder von Unschuld und Widerfahren" zu erkennen, deshalb "Reprisen". Auch wenn wir uns also noch im Jahrtal befinden, haben wir doch mindestens einen Abstecher in den angrenzenden Doom-Wald gemacht, denn alles ist plötzlich so erdig, moosig, pilzig und irgendwie langsam. Verträumt wird zum Auftakt eine Sitar gezupft, wie überhaupt die exotischeren Instrumente mehr im Vordergrund stehen. Einige Melodien haben denselben, reinen Charme wie die Lieder mit Vocals, aber die Überraschungen sind in der Überzahl: An manchen Stellen scheint sich eine JAHRTAL-Band zu einer improvisierten Jamsession eingefunden zu haben. An anderen schweben heavy Drones aus E-Gitarre oder Cello vorbei. Instrumente werden lagenweise aufeinander geschichtet und von schrägen Tönen oder Rückwärts-Swooshes wieder auseinander gewirbelt. Alles wirkt, als ob JAHRTAL einen verspielten und psychedelischen Traum von sich selbst träumen. Auf diese Weise entsteht ein Folk, der etwas uriger und deftiger ist als das 'Original', ein Echo zurückgeworfen von großen Bergen und dunklen Wäldern, ähnlich der Musik einiger Alpinfolker oder den Tönen der jüngst hier besprochenen ÀRNICA. Wer das CD-Album kauft, sollte sich die Freude machen und die Kassette auf jeden Fall dazu erwerben. (Nonpop)

sorted folk-psych modes from one ewald spiss ... comes across as a more woodlands / schwarzwald-ian take on witthuser & westrupp’s whole canon (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Plants

2009-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Von Himmel
Space Communion
CS 45
Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Plants

Mysterious recordings by anonymous band that crashed my doorstep and skull. Never knew where it came from nor where it’s heading to. Headmusic for the Kraut gathered on Strawberry Hill. Combine the most spaced-out Ash Ra Tempel passages with late-period Cosmic Jokers sexy collage. Wow. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Space communion indeed! This is one cosmic cassette - mysterious drones, flute drifting through the ether, clanking space debris, hypnotic hum and some mellow space-rock moves. (Boa Melody Bar)

as if the schwingungen-style cover art wasn't tip-off enough, lemme tell you that here we have a fine fine document of some contemporary kosmiche goings-on.
if you, like me, are a little tired of people releasing tape after tape of mediocre basement jams and pseudo-spirituals, then the psychedelic goo on this C45 will be a wonderful breath of fresh, stoned air. pieced together in a collage-style w/tons of fidelity changes + various homages to the respectful kraut gods (with heavy nods to popol vuh), it captures the dark psychedelia that is so prevelent on those classic LPs without falling victim to being a straight rip-off or throw-back.
this tape kind of has it all - anonymous field recordings getting shot into space, aimlessly gurgling synthesizers, flute and conga jams recorded in ancient caves...
absolutely deserving of a vinyl reissue on some hopelessly obscure american private-press psych label. dig it... (Mimaroglu)

Diese Band ist ein Novum: Es gibt keinen, aber auch wirklich keinen Hinweis auf ihre Herkunft. Ein Rätsel, vor dem auch schon eine Handvoll weiterer Rezensenten stand, denn immerhin ist die 45minütige Kassette die zweite Veröffentlichung von VON HIMMEL nach einer unbetitelten und selbstproduzierten CD, welche unbemerkt vor einigen Monaten erschien. Eine leere last.fm-Seite - das war's. Normalerweise würde ich ein auf 70 Stück limitiertes Tape von einer völlig unbekannten Band kaum besprechen, aaaber: Erstens handelt es sich um eine Veröffentlichung von SLOOW TAPES, einem sympathischen Kassettenlabel aus Belgien, dem wir schon das gerade besprochene JAHRTAL-Band zu verdanken haben. Zweitens gibt es noch ein paar Exemplare zu kaufen. Drittens zaubern VON HIMMEL eine selten gelungene Space-Atmosphäre. Und viertens lassen sich wunderbar Geschichten ausdenken, je weniger Infos vorhanden sind. Vielleicht haben Außerirdische diesen 'Cosmic Space Rock' - um mit POPOL VUH zu sprechen - produziert, mit lustigem Deutsch betitelt und über Belgien abgeworfen? Vielleicht sitzt der Labelchef gar selbst an den Instrumenten - schließlich hat BART DE PAEPE für diverse Untergrundbands (etwa SLOOW ROAD) schon Synthesizer und Percussion bedient?Auf jeden Fall macht "Space Communion" seinem Namen Ehre, denn die 45 Minuten sind eine Zusammenkunft, eine Vereinigung mit den unendlichen Weiten des Weltalls. Plastisch und außerordentlich krautrockig, als ob die schon erwähnten POPOL VUH oder AMON DÜÜL II in die Jetztzeit transkribiert worden wären, mit viel elektronischer Zusatz-Frickelei. Wir starten unsere Instrumentalreise mit einer Serie von lose verbundenen Geräuschen (A01), die dennoch komponiert wirken. Pfeifen, Scheppern, Rückkopplungen, Plätschern und Blubbern zaubern einen lebendigen Kosmos aus Sternen und Staub. Field recordings wie Grillenzirpen und (künstliches?) Vogelgezwitscher machen den Horizont ganz weit auf, bevor sich einige zaghafte Streicher und Melodiefetzen von analogen Keyboards einschleichen. "Astronomer" nimmt deutlich an Fahrt auf, mit hohlen, hallenden und sich immer wiederholenden Trommeln. Die orientalische, geheimnisvolle Flötenmelodie und ein fortwährendes Plätschern unterstützten den rituellen Charakter. Wie Insektenflügel sirrende und flirrende Drones leiten zum nächsten, besonders krautigen Part (A03) über: entlang der Basslinie ziehen schwebende, sich wie Kaugummi dehnende Synthietöne, zu denen sich eine vorsichtige Gitarre mischt. "Mantra" ist drogig-transzendent: Vermutlich arabische Vocal-Samples und ein sitarähnliches Instrument (pling!) münden in knirschende, überdimensionale Schritte, welche zu dem auf der nächsten Seite (B01) ewig nachhallenden, überdimensionalen Gong passen. Sonnenwinde pfeifen und dröhnen, verstörende Stimmfetzen werden von fernen Planeten übertragen, und wenn dann noch Geräusche von unbekannten Tieren einsetzen, verschmilzt alles zu einem riesigen, bunten, manchmal auch gefährlichen Space-Traum. Beim Wiedereintritt in die Atmosphäre begleitet uns eine Kakophonie aus zerrenden Gitarren, Gezwitscher, Getucker, einer eiernden Bluesorgel und Rauschen, und die unwirkliche Landung schließlich lässt den Geist abdriften in ein Nirvana aus Sitar, Getrommel und Getröte."Space Communion" ist wie ein mit wenig Aufwand produzierter Science-Fiction-Film, der plötzlich zum überraschenden Kassenschlager wird. Viel Lo-Fi-Charme, aber immer sehr unterhaltsam. Eine krautig-kosmische, elektroakustische Weltraumreise. Energie! (Michael We/Nonpop.de)

Sloow Ley Lines – C

2009-05-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Cybele Collins
Book
Sloow Ley Lines – C

Very pleased to present this collection of beautiful drawings by the amazing Cybele Collins. She also records as Blue Shift and her visions have graced covers for labels such as Last Visible Dog and Rare Youth. Drawings have appeared in dozens of magazines including Morbid Curiosity, Paper Rodeo, Sound Projector, Free Radicals, The Ganzfeld, Cemetery Dance, Shimmer, Dark Animus and Vial. Full color cover, 36 b&w pages.

SOLD OUT

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Worms

2009-03-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Expo 70
Awakening
CS 50

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Worms

Crystallized visions of krautdrone love connecting you with the physical pleasures of analogue drum machines and celestial guitar odysseys. One of Justin Wright’s best shots so far. Hand-colored cover art wrapped around a big insert, 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Cosmic synth drones and delicate guitar lines echoing into the distance. This comes with a colour cover and a fold-out poster / insert. (Boa Melody Bar)

This tape is limited to 70 copies. We got exactly HALF, it's already sold out at the label, so these are THE last copies anywhere. And it's awesome. Less heavy than some of the other Expo's, Awakening, features some super stripped down drumming (or drum machine, hard to tell), locked into an endless groove, pulsing over a swirling spacescape of smeared riffs and fragmented melodies, it sounds a bit like Goblin, very soundtracky and otherworldly, space-y and mysterious, and not at all cheesy, more sort of classic new age / krautrock, think Klaus Schultze, scoring some super abstract French sci-fi flick from the sixties, and you'll sort of get the vibe.
Like all Expo 70 stuff, dark and dreamy, warm and warbly, drone-y and hypnotic, but the addition of drums really adds a new dimension, and the soundscapes swirling around the groove seem to be endlessly shifting and transforming. Awesome stuff as always. Total blissed out new age spacey krautiness, as only Expo 70 can do it. WAY recommended. And it's also recommended that if you want one of these you don't dawdle, as we mentioned before, this is LIMITED TO ONLY 70 COPIES! AND WE GOT HALF!! Already sold out and out of print, so you get one shot at these. Nicely packaged in a hand colored psychedelic fold out sleeve. (Aquarius)

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Worms

2009-03-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Franklin
Splitsing
CS 60

Sloow Tapes – Moon Of The Worms

A dark trip in the neither world of Benjamin Franklin (Buffle, R.O.T.) sleepwalking along deep low humming casio rumblings and floating urban soundscapes. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Messed-up outer space casio synth-scapes peppered with junkyard debris from Buffle / ROT's Benjamin Franklin.

Sloow Tapes – Snow Moon

2009-03-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Andy Robbins
Red Sun Lines
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Snow Moon

A psychedelic brew of catchy guitartunes spiced with abstract meditations on electronics, sitar, moog etc. Features contributions by David Hayward, Stephen Clarke, Ben Reynolds and Andy Jarvis. Art by Robbins, 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Excellent cassette from Andy Robbins of Sculptress featuring contributions from Ben Reynolds, Andy Jarvis, Stephen Clarke and David Hayward. A mix of acid-drenched string ragas / intrumentals (played on sitar, acoustic & electric guitar and banjo) and abstract improvisations / tape collages. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Snow Moon

2009-03-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Gin En Tsubame
Yukino
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Snow Moon

Duo of Tansch and Tsubame. Repetitive acoustic guitar plucking shimmers through the cracks of fragile folksongs reverberating in clouds of acid dust guitar. Artwork by the band, insert by Sloow. Edition of 70.

SOLD OUT

Delicate acoustic meanderings from Japan, in a similar vein to another Sloow release by Muffin, but with more of a folk feel. Soft breaths of female vocals and dreamily picked guitar. Lovely. (Boa Melody Bar)

interesting tape from this japanese duo ; a nice mix of maher shalal hash baz / nagisa ni te style “innocent” songcraft and interlocking guitar patterns (listen to the sound-sample for an example of the latter) (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Cold Moon

2009-01-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

Sedayne
Naked Season
CS 60
Sloow Tapes – Cold Moon

Experimental re-imaginations of English traditionals by the man who in a distant past was member of the Masstishaddhu cult. These tracks venture through dark medieval seasons of sheep stealers and John Barleycorn. Instruments played, among others, are hurdy-gurdy, voice, jew’s harps, crwth, citera and bones. Artwork by Sedayne, 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Reworkings of English traditions by a former member of the Masstishaddhu cult. He accompanies himself on a rather wonderful collection of instruments - jew's harps and bells galore, shruti box, clarinet, citera, bones and hurdy gurdy - creating a magical drone-based atmosphere throughout (particularly on the raga version of "Seeds of Love" which recalls the Family Elan). Excellent. (Boa Melody Bar)

Very interesting new cassette from Sean Breadin aka Sedayne, one-time member of Masstishaddhu alongside Richard Rupenus of The New Blockaders. Masstishaddu released one excellent, obscure LP on Steve Stapleton's United Dairies imprint. Sedayne are focused more on re-thinks of traditional English folk melodies using hurdy-gurdy, vocals, drone, jews harp et al. Comparable to Martin Carthy or the solo work of Andrew King with dense, acoustic-drone focused settings. This is a creative re-imagining of folk modes, one that effectively joins the dots between centuries of outsider prole art. Edition of 70 copies. (Volcanic Tongue)

Sloow Tapes – Cold Moon

2009-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Aminome
Blue Fishes
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Cold Moon

Akiko Terashima (Doodles) and Masayuki Toshimitsu letting loose some classic mindbending baked goods. Part psychedelic guitar duets, part guitar/drums duels: these melodies are ripping the high mountain of vocal buzz apart. Artwork by the band, edition of 70.

SOLD OUT

Gorgeous slow-burning psych ballads that sound a bit like a bedroom-recorded take on Nagisa Ne Te, complete with the fuzzed up guitar solos. Add male / female vocals and a feeling heavy with melancholy and you have a lovely release. (Boa Melody Bar)

Duo guitar/drums electric psych moves from Akiko Terashima of Doodles and Masayuki Toshimitsu. Downer folk songs with forlorn female vox and epic post-Neil Young guitar solos. Edition of 70 copies. (Volcanic Tongue)

Sloowjob - Festival

2009-01-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

Sloowjob - Psychedelic Dreams At Play

EMBRYO [d]
JULIE MITTENS [nl]
PETER WALKER [us]
GNOD [uk]
GEOFF MULLEN [us]
+ films by Matt Valentine, Heidi Diehl, Roberto Opalio, Marja Mikkonen en Erik De Jesus

Sat 28 march 2009, Netwerk / centrum voor hedendaagse kunst, Aalst (16:00 7-10 EUR)

Ever since their debut "Opal" from 1970, seen as a master piece of psychedelic music, EMBRYO traveled around the world for the last 40 years with a mix of kraut rock, psychedelia, jazz and in recent years lots of ethnic music. Music as a life style, and open ears and minds for unexpected meetings with exotic surroundings and headstrong musicians such as Mik Quantius and No Neck Blues Band.

PETER WALKER is a monument. In the sixties he released two legendary albums, "Rainy Day Raga" (1967) and "Second Poem to Karmela" (1969) on which he combines the eastern influences of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan with American folk. He teached Jim Gurley (Big Brother and the Holding Company) his first guitar chords and cooperated with LSD guru Timothy Leary. In recent years Walker mainly focussed on flamenco. Expect an instense trip with one of the masters of nylon strings.

GNOD is a cosmic collective from Manchester who are constantly looking for new boundaries. In a swirling universe full of delay, distortion, wahwah and fuzz they destroy minds and reap souls. Dudes jammed with White Hills and stuff. Gnod bless Tangerine Dream, Hawkwind, Sun Ra and Acid Mothers Temple. Expect the unexpected. Gnod have mercy.

JULIE MITTENS still is The Netherland's best band, which was noticed by labels as Rococo and Holy Mountain. The intrumental jams of this guitar/bass/drums trio send loud feedback blues, hammering rhythms and hypnotic bass lines to the point where their free rock disolves in an intoxicating psychedelic harmony of electric spheres.

Slow drones spread their tentacles over deserted grey landscapes, a scratched surface of resonating strings and buzzing amps. GEOFF MULLEN brings together guitar, banjo and analog synth to psychedelic abstractions, New England reverb and weird noises. He cooperated with Family Underground, Kris Lapke and Pumice.

FILMS
Eric de Jesus (USA): Born Of Jackals (2008)/ My Heart And I Agree (2007)/ History of WHH (2007)/ Easy Commercial (2007)
Dreams and reality become one during a lazy afternoon in the fields. Taking it easy.

Marja Mikkonen (FIN): Rondo (2006) / Marraskuun Lohtu (2005) / Lyömätön Perhe (2005) Abstract, experimental films with soundtracks by Musta Hevonen, Boris Morgana en Horst.

Heidi Diehl (USA): Moon Void Of Course (2006)
Tour diary of a 13 week long American tour of Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, including jam sessions in the desert.

Matt Valentine/Erika Elder/Gabriel Walsh (USA): The Temptation Of Zoology (2003)
Surrealistic and psychedelic short film referring to the same abstract mythology and visions in which Matt Valentine’s lyrics and music unfold.

Roberto Opalio (IT): Light_Earth_Blue_Silver(2008)
Existential journey of an alien in the mountains. Soundtrack by My Cat Is An Alien.

For more info please visit
http://www.kraak.net/en/events.php#4
and
http://www.netwerk-art.be/nl/activities/sound/359

see you in the pit

Sloow Tapes - Fir

2008-12-19T04:38:00.000-08:00

Sloowroad
S/T
CS 60
Sloow Tapes - Fir

Space hymns from deep woods within by Sloow Tapes Bart De Paepe and Golden Roadie Matt Valentine, crawling beyond shredding wah-wah guitars and intoxicating synth, culminating in twisted chouffe raga and porkslap pulse. Reissue of obscure Heroine cd-r, 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Des hymnes enfumés pour les fins de soirées embrumées, tout un programme. SLOOW ROAD, c’est la rencontre entre Bart de PAEPE (le père de Sloow Tapes) au synthé et Matt Valentine (celui de MV & EE) à la guitare. Sur la face A, on trouve des chansons qui oscillent entre le blues et le folk psychédélique. La deuxième chanson est énorme, un riff de guitare bien crade passé à la fuzz vient dévaster les enceintes d'entrée de jeu. On a envie d'augmenter le volume en balancant sa tête de gauche à droite en gueulant comme un porc et en renversant sa bière. La face B est irrécupérable, un trip halluciné pour vieux papy nostalgique.Excellent ! (Venice Beach Communication/Young Girls)

Reissue of a long gone Heroine cdr. Sloow Road are a duo featuring Matt Valentine and Bart de Paepe. Some great zoned-out psych guitar from Matt and equally interplanetary synth textures from Bart. (Boa Melody Bar)

Reputedly a reissue of an obscure Heroine CD-R (you ever seen one?), this is a zoned duo date from Matthew ‘MV’ Valentine and Mr Bart De Paepe, rocking a long mellow stone on the porch in Vermont with MV dropping elegiac Lee Underwood styled single note gems into the eye of the sky in a way that seems linked to his earlier guitar style circa I Burned One With God. Totally slo-mo folk-drone-for-eternity feel. This one is endless, edition of 100 copies and already sold out at source. (Volcanic Tongue)

Sloow Tapes – Fir

2008-12-19T04:35:00.000-08:00

Sachiko
With Lament
CS 50
Sloow Tapes – Fir

New album by one of Japan’s key players in the psychedelic underground. Sachiko was also a member of legendary bands such as Overhang Party and Kousokuya among others. ‘With Lament’ finds itself in the lost worlds of eerie devotional chants drowned in eternal reflections of kaleidoscopic electronic powers. Paste-on cover, silkscreened insert and edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Fantastic new solo album from Sachiko, ex-Overhang Party/Kousokuya et al and long-term VT fave in an edition of only 100 copies. This is the closest she has yet come to cutting a full set of choral/early/devotional vocal settings, albeit dosed with hallucinatory levels of F/X and positioned on the lip of the most beautifully smudged void of sound-on-sound your ears ever curled round. If you dig the sounds of Grouper/US Girls/Inca Ore et al but have a more classically-bent psychedelic taste and worship at the feet of Japanese underground gods like Shizuka, Nijiumu, Toho Sara, Angel’n Heavy Syrup et al then this is the bomb you set out for. Highly recommended. (Volcanic Tongue)

Side one of this tape is a flowing sequence of pieces using Sachiko's voice, looped and layered into a lovely sort of chorale. It seems a bit strange to write this, but the one thing it reminded me of was the closing track on my own Phosphene album with Lol Coxhill and Raymond MacDonald, not that I'm suggesting this was any influence! Side 2 has spiraling spacey drones and a harsher electronic piece too. Another good Sloow Tape release. (JC/Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Elder

2008-11-27T04:37:00.000-08:00

Aswara
S/T
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Elder

Space hymns echoing in swirling psychedelic synth patterns, zoned guitartones and out-there primitive percussion. Featuring members of Death Chants and Muntjac. Devotional raga wrapped in appropriate silkscreened offering. 80 copies.

SOLD OUT

Featuring members of Muntjac and Death Chants. Haunting plumes of recorder waft over echoing percussion and exotic pluckings. Minimal snake-charming music. Silk-screened sleeve. (Boa Melody Bar)

choice modern-psych nugget from rafi bookstaber, paul grimes, & co., channelling some 70s new age vibes via hand-percussion, flutes, clarinet, and guitar ... all bathed in a fine mist of tape-echo & assorted time / space-altering blur (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes – Elder

2008-11-27T04:35:00.000-08:00

Kawaguchi Masami’s New Rock Syndicate
Live In Japan 2007
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Elder

Kawaguchi Masami (Miminokoto, LSD March, Broomdusters) returns with his New Rock Syndicate, recorded live in Tokyo. Monster guitarpsych feedback screech and heavy dosed garagerock insanity. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Blistering new live album in an edition of 100 copies from one of the hands-down best guitar/psych/jam units currently active on the Japanese underground. Kawaguchi was previously a member of LSD March, Broomdusters and Miminokoto but his New Rock Syndicate are his most rock-inflected project to date, channelling the pre-punk sound of Television and Rocket From The Tombs into long post-Ayler noise jams. Excellent. (Volcanic Tongue)

The sort of live recording that makes you wish you'd been there. It was smiles all round for me as one song ended by very nearly turning into Interstellar Overdrive. Another was most unlike Like A Hurricane, but the guitar solo could've dropped into it very nicely and then there was the bass riff from the Damned's Neat Neat Neat which, again, went into a song not remotely like the reference point at the start. Lots of fun and very rockin' with an A4 poster inclusion folded wrapped with the tape in a neat (neat neat) paper band. (JC/Boa Melody Bar)

burnin’ tape covering a live set by masami kawaguchi (ex lsd-march) ‘s new rock syndicate ...quite present & detail-discernable room recording placed this squarely in the “tokyo flashback” lineage (Mimaroglu Music Sales)

Sloow Tapes – Reed

2008-10-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sepviva Bells
Halloween In The Sea
CS 63
Sloow Tapes – Reed

Duo recordings by Tara Burke (Fursaxa, Anahita, Tau Emerald) and Grant Acker (Slurp Dogs), smoking one late-period Un/early Fursaxa style. A scorching blend of distorted psychedelia, hypnotic riffing and mellow vocals trapped inside a very trippy atmosphere. Edition of 170 copies with silkscreened fold-out booklet.

Edition of 170 duo recordings from a Philly-area cabal that would reunite Tara Burke of Fursaxa with former Un bandmate Grant Acker. The result is a great Xerox-primitive slice of early 90s private press weirdness with Tara’s gospelised vocal sat deep in the kinda fuzz-clouded zone where weird electric Syd Barrett re-thinks go up against hazy drones and lucid vocal chants in a way that could have been documented by Siltbreeze then or now. Very heavy Un vibe. Excellent. (Volcanic Tongue)

Duo recordings from former Un-bandmates Tara Burke (Fursaxa) and Grant Acker (Slurp Dogs). Hypnotic riffs, stoned lullabies with Tara's vocals buried deep in the fuzz and a bedroom-recorded feel. Silk-screened fold-out booklet. (Boa Melody Bar)

alternatingly folk-oriented/inspired and drone/noise-addled takes from un’s grant acker & tara burke (Mimaroglu Music Sales)

Sloow Tapes – Ivy

2008-10-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

Talugung
Distant Flying-apart
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Ivy

Mystical trip from Canada, heading for deep exotic zone and ethnic space. Acoustic improvisations and clouded forest rhytms on various instruments, including homemade ones. Ideal companion to your morning meditation. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Exotic ethnic meditations from Canada, played mostly on homemade instruments. Similar to the Henry Kuntz releases. Recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

Les jeunes filles de Venice Beach flottent dans le ciel, lentement. L’atmosphère est reposante, le rêve est langoureux. L’apaisement est enfin arrivé, Talugung nous a envoyé en apesanteur. Les canadiens nous offrent une lente méditation à travers les forêts humides avec leurs instruments fabriqués à la main. Les ménagères bobos-écolos peuvent revendre leur cd’s de méditation transcendantale à base de sons d’eaux synthétiques, il y a bien mieux et pour bien moins cher. (Venice Beach Communication)

Sloow Tapes – Vine

2008-09-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Second Family
Dirty River
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Vine

Crunching, raw and abstract psychedelic blues improvisations by this collective featuring Clay Ruby of Davenport and Burial Hex fame. Tasty keys, moody rhythms and two long, relaxing and dirty tunes. Edition of 70.

SOLD OUT

New nom de plume of Clay Ruby, previously of Davenport / Burial Hex. He maintains the mood of ritual his best music has had but this is electronic / synth music this time round. Malevolent drones and the atmosphere of a black mass. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Vine

2008-09-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Muffin
Tane
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Vine

Tremendous fragile folk and pop songs with gentle hints of psychedelia by this female Japanese singer/songwriter. Lonesome late-night transmissions from a bedroom somewhere in Tokyo. 80 copies.

SOLD OUT

Almost not-there bedroom folk-pop from a Japanese singer-songwriter who makes Vashti Bunyan sound like Lemmy. So fragile you would think you've dreamt it. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Hazel

2008-09-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Gnod
The Somnambulist’s Tale
One-Sided CS 100
Sloow Tapes – Hazel

Kosmische Musik from Manchester speaking through hypnotic percussion grooves and splashes of synth delayed into eternity. Cover by Fliss Horrocks, 90 copies.

SOLD OUT

The Somnambulist's Tale eases in gently with spoken word passages over a hypnotic keyboard pattern and melodica and builds into a long piece which, at times, evokes Stratos-Fear era Tangerine Dream, only with some large drums (possibly tablas?) along with the synths, leading to something spookily groovy towards the end. Even if you don't normally buy cassette releases, by ignoring this you're missing something rather special. There are only 90 copies and it deserves to be heard by a lot more people than this implies will get to listen to it. Recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

This was released in October 2008 and is a cassette release made in just 90 copies. It is a very cool long (50min) mind journey. It starts off with a man telling a story and a typewriter and drifts through a lot of different moods. There is some very repetitive stuff like a mix of the Finnish band Circle and Tangerine Dream. The band make good use of some tabla percussion as well in this quite spaced out piece of music. I really liked it but it is very different from the early stuff I have which the band was in a more spaced out rock format of Hawkwind meets Sun Ra or something.. Anyway, cool stuff and if you dig this one you will like the stuff they have done with White Hills as well. (Lowcut)

Sloow Tapes – Holly

2008-09-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Cursillistas
Expanses Growing
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Holly

Murky beauty channeling its way from underneath layers of 4-track tape hiss. Acoustic guitars, percussion, voice and undefined analogue ambience. Homegrown is the way it should be. Edition of 70.

SOLD OUT

Gorgeous late night psyched ambience from Matt Lejoie. Hazy guitar wanderings amidst a woozy fog of percussion / murmurred vocals. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes is het label van een Vlaams Gonzo oudgediende met goede smaak en heeft de band weten te strikken voor zijn conceptserie. 'Expanses Growing' voelt aan als een korte psychedelische trip door visioenen. Alle klanktextuur is onthecht en het rituele spel is het nieuwe evangelie dat hier gepredikt wordt. Om van in de ban te raken, luister met mate en met een sterke geest in het kielzog. Deze shamanen willen zieltjes tot hun natuurlijke aard terug laten (be)keren en daar slagen ze wonderwel in. Een nieuwe aanwinst in het rijk der trancedentalen. (Gonzo (Circus)

Sloow Tapes – Oak

2008-09-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Peonies
Infinity Has No Exits
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Oak

Continuous fascinating and mysterious vocal harmonies unfolding into raw infinity. This acid-soaked haunting psychedelia truly has no exits. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Peonies have become a real Melody Bar favourite with previous releases on Time Lag, Blackest Rainbow & House of Alchemy among others. This one is just as special. Two spaced-out lullabies with layered female vocals ushering you to a strange dreamworld and one ragged song that reminds me of '90s NZ pop like Alistair Galbraith. Gorgeous. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Hawthorn

2008-05-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

Area C
Darkens The Mind
CS 50
Sloow Tapes – Hawthorn

A fountain of sounds opening a gateway beyond the mist of time and most likely not going to bring you back home before dark. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

A sound to slowly immerse yourself in. Eric Carlson creates molten soundscapes from looped guitar gloop and tremulous delay shiver. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Willow

2008-05-27T02:15:00.000-07:00

Hisato Higuchi
Wind Chimes In The Head
CS 45
Sloow Tapes – Willow

Guitar-moanings from the Otherworld drifting away through the clouds of a black Japanese night, dissolving into silence. Cover art by Ritsuko Ozeki - 'Netting F'. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Edition of 100 copies, with more tremulous, nocturnal six-string stylings from this Japanese guitarist with an approach to implosive edge-of-the-bed style home recorded blues that should sit well with followers of fellow Venusian stylists like Christina Carter and Loren Mazzacane Connors. (Volcanic Tongue)

Another beautiful release from this Japanese musician. Subdued guitar notes and breathed vocals suspended in heavy silence. Deeply atmospheric late night star-gazing blues. Highly recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Alder

2008-04-29T01:59:00.000-07:00

Pink Luminous Invocation
The Pink Sea
One Sided CS 60
Sloow Tapes – Alder

Riding high on the lazy waves of pink twilight, this journey sets off with an illuminated chorus of exotic northern sounds before inhaling a nasty smoke of dark feedback. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

This starts out as dreamy mind-float but descends into wails of feedback-soaked guitar webs and doleful lurching trumpet with dirge-paced crashing drums. Bleak and black mournful blues from hell. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Alder

2008-04-29T01:56:00.000-07:00

Dreamer’s Cloth
Total Descent To Mind Beach
CS 20
Sloow Tapes – Alder

New Age meditation dance party on tropical beach, getting one with nature under a relaxing shower of multi-colored fractals and shining keys. It’s only the dreamer who moves mountains. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Fantastically zoned drones from Denmark . Smoked-wreathed drones underpin heady swirls of vocal wail and wow. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Ley Lines - B

2008-03-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Eric de Jesus
Cult Of The Moon
Sloow Ley Lines - B

SOLD OUT

Drawings, photo’s and lunar stories by Eric de Jesus. Half black & white, half full-color. Let your moustache grow easy. Bound together by the hand.

Sloow Tapes – Ash

2008-03-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

We Have Heaven
S/T
CS 35
Sloow Tapes – Ash

Dreamy music for lazy hot summer afternoons flowing down weaving paths through the forest while laughing hyenas take a shortcut through the valley. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

As soon as I hit play, I liked this tape. There's a spoken word piece (Do Things With My Mind) over a lovely chiming guitar and some droney winds, then frantic percussion appears to be drifting in from another room and it all sounds as though it's coming from an old radio - actually, I think it might be from a 'phone it in radio session. That's just one of the tracks and I'll recommend the tape for this alone, but there are longer live pieces too, the cassette is purple and the pink paper liner is a colour match for the shirt I have on as I'm writing this! Prog fans may like to note that We Have Heaven is a song on the Yes album Fragile. If you don't like yes, just put that down to coincidence! (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Rowan

2008-03-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Andy Futreal
Wrack: Oud Improvisations, Reactions and Abstractions
CS 40
Sloow Tapes – Rowan

The transmutation of El Din and Jansch into the boiling earth waves of Ogdoad. The light shines on the other side of the spectrum. No raga. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

In the mood for oud ... Exactly as it says, abstract sound manipulations and improvisations on the oud - a fretless North African lute-style instrument. Quiet and mysterious sounds. (Boa Melody Bar)

very nice set of”oud, lapsteel, piano, contact mic, mobile phone, and shortwave” improvs from andy futreal ... a magic blend of sandy bull & dariush dolat-shahi-isms that work especially well in the contemporary tape-trader framework ; could really use a multi-lp box of this stuff (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Ley Tapes

2008-01-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

V/A
A Great Magazine
Sloow Ley Tapes

Interviews with Book Of Am, Ed Yazijian, Geoff Mullen, Ghosting. Art and words by Ilyas Ahmed, Juan Arkotxa, Tara Burke, Darrell Buxton, Tom Carter, Cybele Collins, Sara Czerny, Bart De Paepe, Paul Grimes, Jani Hirvonen, Phil Legard, Samara Lubelski, Leslie Mackenzie, Marja Mikkonen, Thurston Moore, Roberto Opalio, Zachery Reno, Matt Valentine. Silkscreened coverfrogs by Colleen Kinsella.

SOLD OUT

Sloow Tapes – Birch

2008-01-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

Slurp Dogs
Postal Licks
One-sided CS 60
Sloow Tapes – Birch

Echo-dyed space chanteys dwelling into cosmic generosity, homebrewed by high sky couriers Willie Lane (Golden Road) and Grant Acker (Un). Have another sip of the lion’s head and get with the beam. Silkscreened visions in 101 copies.

SOLD OUT

Rural psych from Willie Lane of Golden Road and Grant Acker of Un. Spacious and seriously spaced out guitar and a heavily dosed atmosphere. Suitably psychey sleeve design on the fold-out cover too. (Boa Melody Bar)

New duo jams from a group that features Willie Lane (of Matthew Valentine/Golden Road fame) and Grant Acker, who was a member of original Siltbreeze destructo-rockers Un alongside Marcia Bassett of Double Leopards/GHQ/Hototogisu. Here Lane and Acker slow-wrestle 12 electric strings into the kind of serpentine, wah-wah form that would reconcile the black hole sound of Jerry Garcia circa “Dark Star” and the free, rolling spectrasound breakouts of Matthew Valentine with a hint of John Fahey circa Days Have Gone By. Silkscreened sleeves in an edition of 101 copies. (Volcanic Tongue)

Willie Lane, one of our fave guitarists from the haze-light of New England, and a critical element in the MV/EE Golden Road investigations, relocated to some weird other road in Pennsylvania and we were sad. But now we are brightened! A message beam has been fireflied into our homes via an amazing recording collab betwixt Willie and Grant Acker (gtrist from ex-Siltbreeze lost-art spacialists UN). They are called the Slurp Dogs, the tape is called Postal Licks and it’s on the consistently worthwhile earth-psyche label from Belgium, Sloow Tapes. Real singing amplifier bent note drone wah magic mind music here and all in high order. Super recommended. (Bull Tongue)

excellent tape from the duo of willie lane (whose recent self-released “known quantity” has been a real “grower” around here) and un’s grant acker ...gorgeous, muted guitar ragas par excellence (Mimaroglu)

Sloow Tapes - Muninn

2007-12-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ben Nash
Magnetophone 8
One-sided CS 60
Sloow Tapes - Muninn

Subterranean substances flipping over into parallel visions of increased awareness. Bringing the aura of inspired nakedness to fruition. Exposing percussion by Brett Womersley. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Another great release from Ben Nash who is clearly unable to do any wrong! This opens with James Blackshaw-esque 12 string flourishes before going into a heavy stoner raga, with 12 string, fuzz guitar, bongos, saxophone and throat singing-like vocals that gets gradually more cosmic and spacious as it progresses with the charged thrum of distorted guitar and Nash's oscillating vocals sounding like an earthier Roberto Opalio. Fantastic. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Huginn

2007-12-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Mike Tamburo and Matt McDowell
Are We Not Drawn Onward To New Era?
CS 50
Sloow Tapes – Huginn

Vibratory energy forms dropping out with molecular and cellular guitar phrases in trance-like babble. Two pot-smoking guitarists harvesting their daily supply. Edition of 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Another sublime release from Mike Tamburo, this time with regular collaborator Matt McDowell (who was also a member of Arco Flute Foundation with Tamburo). Long liquid lines of slide guitar, some percussion, melancholy electronics and wheezy organ drone come together in a beautiful piece of music that has an ecstatic glow. The end dives into darker waters with bass-heavy electronic buzzings and vocals swimming in echo. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Shiwasu

2007-11-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

Stefano Pilia
Haikustrings
CS 45
Sloow Tapes – Shiwasu

SOLD OUT

Haikustrings is a "work in progress" diary composition began in 2004. The tape consists of 111 sound miniatures divided into 3 sequences, at once random and simultaneous. On side a and side b are recorded 2 of the possible cycles of the 3 sequences and of the infinitely possible versions of this piece. This was presented earlier this year at Turin's Silence festival as a sound installation. Paste-on cover art by Andrew Hooker. 100 copies.

The above explains what this release is all about - the result is a series of slow drifting drones and hazy ambiences. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Shimotsuki

2007-11-19T04:34:00.000-08:00

Spiral Joy Band
The Dreams of David Crosby
CS 60
Sloow Tapes – Shimotsuki

Spiral Joy Band adventures farther into epic rolling drone percussion clang, resonating it’s way through meditative and psychedelic tones and drones. Featuring Pelt’s Mikel Dimmick and Mike Gangloff. Artwork by Emily Keown. 150 copies.

SOLD OUT

Recorded mostly during the run of shows early this year at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville, Va., it has the most developed duo percussion from Amy and Nathan that's yet seen release, and probably the most damaged fiddling Mike's put out there. Mikel's harmonium is a warm tsunami rising above the beachfront in a smooth and impossible cliff, a glassine pocket for the sky, the distant object that becomes an all-devouring horizon that becomes an eternity of shredded palms, exploding hotels and twisted rental umbrellas flying wraith-like before the gale. (Mike Gangloff)

Appropriately enough "The Dreams of David Crosby" opens up with the ululations of a myriad of pipes! These, along with the hand-drums, establish a suitably dosed atmosphere to fill the dreams of the Great Ego. These tracks are all live recordings: the first side is filled with mostly hand percussion jams. Side B finds SJB in full-on cosmic drone mode with fiddle and harmonium. (Boa Melody Bar)

assorted drone-improv tactics from pelt’s mikel dimmick & mike gangloff ; comes in halfway between the theater of eternal music & amon düül (i ; definitely amon düül i) ... love these guys ... (Mimaroglu Music Sales)

Sloow Ley Lines – A

2007-10-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Jaakko Pallasvuo
The History Of The World
Book
Sloow Ley Lines – A

Drawings, paintings and photographs by Finnish artist Jaakko Pallasvuo. Black & white xerox on paper of different colors and very nice silkscreened cover. 66 pages.

SOLD OUT

Sloow Tapes - Samhain

2007-10-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hellvete
Een Duvelse Zak Is Nooit Gevuld
CS 40
Sloow Tapes - Samhain

Evil Silvester Anfang boggart passing the gate to the Other World, sucking Lilith’s breasts on stones of fire while conjuring peacocks of pure form. Flowerpower romance of 80 copies.

SOLD OUT

Hellvete is a member of Belgian satanic psych-folksters Silvester Anfang. Gorgeous acoustic guitar drifts wreathed in a haunting occult fog with occasional wordless chants. Side 2 also features a lovely piece of wheezy organ / violin droney sea shanty. (Boa Melody Bar)

The jams on this css are languid and lushly low-key, my friends, tho resolutely (yeah!) psychedelic w/ a sleepy, Blues-seeped undertow that drags you down under for the third time into a sort of flickering alpha-wave eyeball-movie, a sub-universe inhabited by bowed ragadrones, tinkling bells and weird Hungarian Minor Scales. Everything here shimmers and breathes...you can almost see the music's chest rising and falling, like slow tumbling waves on the petulent green-grey autumnal sea off West Bay, or pale sand-dunes shifting in the breeze, slowly changing shape...tiny wisps of sand evaporating in the heat-haze like puffs of smoke; a cobra emerging from a whicker-basket in time to slightly sour-sounding plucked thaats and swaras from a detuned accoustic gtr. and gently rattled cymbals..."Sandoz in the Rain" stretched out like an endless road of guilded musical possibilities thru the gentle, desolated scrublands that have sprung up unexpectedly on the edge of your hometown.It's lovely stuff, and it's been a total joy for me watching the music of the Funeral Folk collective (in their various permutations) slowly open up and grow into something so wonderous - this is quietly emotive stuff, gently even... it hits yr inner-eye without being flashy or bombastic, wh/ is a talent in itself. (Kid Shirt)

Hellvete is the solo project of a member of Silvester Anfang, the flagship of the Belgian Funeral Folk collective. While Anfang has been slowly rising through the ranks with their Sunburned meets Satan clatter, Hellvete swerves drastically from the necrotic path, swapping the sinister arboreal creaking of Anfang for a style rooted in psych guitarist nirvana—references for the tape include Steven R. Smith and James Blackshaw, with not a bit of Alesteir Crowley to be found. Although Hellvete’s compositions don’t possess the crushing gravity of Smith’s or the formal elegance of Blackshaw’s, the A side compensates by nailing that elusive loner mystique. His work is never cluttered or rushed, rather the notes melt slowly in a field of hiss, as if each were a memory fading or an opportunity lost. The plaintive guitar reverberates mostly alone, accompanied by contemplative raga drone that further emphasizes the solemnity and insularity of the recordings. The organ is the instrument of focus on the B-side, but the wayward spirit of the tracks remains intact. After a wailing woodwind intro, “Diene Kee in Den Bunker Onder de Vaart” lofts into the stratosphere, stacking harmonics ala Lichens or Valet. Vocals also make their first appearance to stunning effect; Hellvete chant-sings with a deep hopefulness, but the tone still bears traces of resignation and leaves the impression of one turning away from the world for the richer terrain of the interior. The entering guitar line lilts with Appalachia twang, as the organ pushes the track to a verdant plateau. The remainder of the side outlines the stunning vibrancy of the interior, while its darker tones suggest the ominous clouds that threaten these fragile constructions. It’s become almost old hat to praise Slow Tapes, as seemingly every release reveals a new nuance on the noise/drone/psych continuum, but this tape stands out, even from the Belgian label’s stellar roster. Track it down and pay whatever price is demanded. You will receive a reprieve from temporal things. (Bryan Berge, Tape Hiss)

Sloow Tapes – Kannazuki

2007-10-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Anna Kallio/Rokkiryhmä
Balladi Neidosta Joka Rakasti Varjoritaria/Sinenmaa
CS 60
Sloow Tapes – Kannazuki

This side are sweet and innocent ballads about Baader-Meinhof and Atari Teenage Riot by Anna R.J. Kallio, a seventeen year old girl from rural Finland. Other side is one long distance spacejam by crude teenage rockband Rokkiryhmä, youngsters getting things done with the outsideness of casio aficionado’s Kuupuu and Kulkiya. 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Split tape featuring two Finnish artists. Anna Kallio is a 17 year old girl from rural Finland and her songs, about Atari Teenage Riot and Baader Meinhof, are intimate bedroom pop affairs with an alluring air of strangeness, recorded on wheezy chord orga and one-note / one-chord acoustic guitar. Includes a spooked cover of "Just Like Honey". More lo-fi oddity on the other side from Finnish duo Rokkhiryma who previously enchanted with a 3" on 267 Lattajjaa. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes - Nagatsuki

2007-09-16T04:40:00.000-07:00

Attar Cups
S/T
CS 45
Sloow Tapes - Nagatsuki

Dreaming collaboration between Visitations, A Sparrow and Drona Parva, wandering in the depths of Strange Maine. Blossoming brainfood for those mellow minds traveling down the bummer road. Moonlit found art by the band, 120 copies.

SOLD OUT

Made up of members of Visitations, A Sparrow and Drona Parva, this is gorgeous. Murky magical atmospheres and dreamlike drones inhabit the first side and cosmic psych-folk-drone with all the cultish zoned intensity of some of the MYMWLY / Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood releases, on the other. Highly recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

If talking about music is like dancing about architecture, maybe writing about music is like choreographing about architecture?If so, this Attar Cups tape would take place in an empty barn. Rats scurry in the moist heat of the decaying hay. A barn owl coos an eerie warning from the rafters. The chill wind sings through the window’s broken teeth, and the building cracks its old joints.Enter the dancers. They move with ceremonial stillness, bobbing gracefully, as if in a pool. Come to think of it, add a few strings, shakers, and knobs and that might describe this recording session pretty well. Attar Cups features half the psych scene of Portland, Maine pensively tone-conjuring in some kinda cold, airy space. The A side outlines the space with oblique electric gestures, and the flip fills it with wisps of spacey spider-webbed blues guitar, anxious shakers, and goner tongues. The band sounds utterly alone, with all the melancholy that entails, but joyous too, as if in hermitage.The music breathes like a sleeping animal; its methodical expansions and contractions have a secret, nocturnal vibe, requiring silence and close attention to register. Recommended for insomniacs, regardless of musical taste, as a soundtrack to the night’s languid shadow puppetry. (Bryan Berge, Tape Hiss)

spot of spot-on popol vuh / artemiev adulation from nemo bidstrup, sparrow wildchild, and co (Mimaroglu Music Sales)

Sloow Tapes – Hazuki

2007-08-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Starbird
Nanook Of The North
Sloow Tapes – Hazuki
CS 65

Anthropological aural envisioning to Flaherty’s real fiction cinema Inuit epos by Starbird’s Carson Arnold. Lonesome drifting icebergs of frozen guitars, distant percussion and cold midnight dog howls from another time and place. 80 copies.

SOLD OUT

An aural envisioning of the "Nanook" film by Starbird - the sound does conjure up visions of glacial landscapes with minimal percussion - deep drums, glassy chimes - and haunting weaving recorders. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Fumitsuki

2007-07-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

GHQ
Square Growth Sessions
Sloow Tapes – Fumitsuki
CS 60

Three extended celestial hymns of acid smoked vibrations spiraling right into the labyrinth of the third eye, connecting profoundly with the psychedelic freeflow of the earth’s and body’s four fluids. Mirage healing powers as played by the boundless trio of Steve Gunn, Marcia Bassett and Pete Nolan. Elongated and shadowy-lit edition of 150 copies.

SOLD OUT

New limited to 150 copies cassette from the GHQ trio of Marcia Bassett (Double Leopards/Hototogisu), Pete Nolan (Magick Markers/Vanishing Voice) and Steve Gunn (Magik Markers/Moongang). Two sides of illuminated technicolour American Primitive drones that build to a juddering machine-noise climax. (Volcanic Tongue)

Latest release from Marcia Bassett (Double Leopards / Hototogisu), Pete Nolan (Vanishing Voice / Magik Markers etc) and Steve Gunn. Incense-wreathed acid folk-forms. (Boa Melody Bar)

I’m definitely biased, but this is perfect. A gently unfurling matrix of e-bowed elegy, Far East lotus positioning, and low cloud banks of meditative reverb. Muttered mantras echo through steam baths of chiming strings, smooth stones lightly clattering at the bottom of a mossy well. At the end of side A they plug in the Strat and strum a groovier trip, muted tube amp riffing set against a waterfall of shimmering ambient vertigo that slowly cascades more and more chaotically, burying the guitar in crystalline rapids. The Gunn/Nolan/Bassett axis rarely fails to churn out occult chemistry in their mind-meetings, but “Square Growth Sessions” shows the recent splatter paint of genius GHQ releases to be far from dry and done. The B side is the trio at the height of their dark art, summoning a beautifully burning beast of magma drones, crash cymbal fire, subterranean toms, and a melting tower of opalescent wax noise. With a classic Bart/Sloow Tapes watercolor hallucination J-card. (Cassette Gods)

First up is a release on the Belgian cassette label Sloow Tapes, by GHQ entitled Square Growth Sessions. GHQ consists of Marcia Bassett (Hototogisu, Zaimph), Steve Gunn and Pete Nolan (Magik Markers). GHQ is all about the sustained slight evolutions, the material seemingly improvised as opposed to some of their more folk oriented works heard on their last LP. Its lo-fi charms befit an opium den in its hazy rhythmic movements. The A-side features some particularly fine light raga, space tones of a vaguely middle-eastern flavor while conjuring images of flea markets as guitars feedback and glow, talk to each other in muted tones. This material here is fairly raw; the second side offering a dark meditation giving way to blasts of free-form mind squall that’s heavy enough to jar one out its initial dream lulls. In the end they bring it back down to a tempered finale. Drummer Pete Nolan really shines on his performance on this side, offering percussive dynamics rarely seen in the drone medium. This release ranks as the best GHQ I’ve heard as I prefer their spontaneity anytime. (The Fader)

Sloow Tapes – Minazuki

2007-06-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

John Clyde-Evans
The Smell Of The Burning Empire
Sloow Tapes – Minazuki
One sided CS 60

Tirath Singh Nirmala returns as his former moniker John Clyde-Evans, bowing transcendental Asian instruments and Indian thought back to the mysterious groove of manipulated drone. 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Manipulated string bowings, singing bowl clang and whir and screeching interference weave into an incredibly focussed and mysterious drone. John Clyde Evans has more recently been releasing a series of limited cdrs and a Digitalis cd as Tirath Singh Nirmala. Complete with Bart's usual eye-popped felt-tipped cover art. (Boa Melody Bar)

A name that seems to be popping up more and more among the newbreed of new folk / free folk underground noisemakers is Tirath SinghNirmala, who has released a series of limited cd-r's on variousmicrolabels, as well as a handful of lps and cds, the only releasewe've had was an lp collaboration with longtime AQ fave RichardYoungs, and even in that review we were lamenting the fact that wehad yet to review a Tirath record proper. Well, while this isn't aproper Tirath record, per se, it is a brand new recording by JohnClyde-Evans, who just so happens to be the man behind Tirath SinghNirmala, and while the name may be different, the sound is quitesimilar. Asian instruments are bowed and coaxed into unfurling longdreamlike drones, shrouded in Sunroof!-like clouds of glisteningsparkling high end skree, like a sky full of shimmering metallicconfetti, simple percussion peppering the gauzy swirl, hauntingmelodies wrapping themselves around thick sheets of crystallinefeedback, a fantastic slab of shimmering trance-like upper registerur-drone drift. The tapes are all psychedelic and hand painted, with tripped out fullcolor covers. (Aquarius)

Sloow Tapes – Satsuki

2007-06-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

Voice Of The Seven Woods
Black Morning
Sloow Tapes – Satsuki
One sided CS 60

One long track captivating the true spirit of green. UK guitarist Rick Tomlinson turns Bert Jansch’s wooden instrumentals outside into flowering cobwebs of droning Bull-esque trance and electric fantasies. Edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

This new release from Rick Tomlinson (who usually records for Twisted Nerve) opens with a slowly unfolding electric raga with the emphasis on piercing trebly tones, which then drifts into a gorgeous languid acoustic section which echoes work by James Blackshaw and Sandy Bull. The piece finishes with sombre hand-drum. Just lovely. (Boa Melody Bar)

The whole field of neo folkies and folk foresters and modern Appalachians is getting more and more crowded every day. For every Rose and Blackshaw there are about a hundred other wandering troubadours with acoustic guitars, whipping up their own take on modern psychedelic Appalachian folk. And as much as we love that sound, and we do, it takes something super special to prick up our ears and get us all excited again. A few months back, a customer passed on a cd-r by some band called Voice Of The Seven Woods, aka guitarist Rick Tomlinson, and we were floored. Echoes of the usual suspects sure, Rose, Blackshaw, Bishop, but there we something distinctly unique about Tomlinson's approach. The songs long and raga like, with as much space as there are notes, the melodies, dark and twisted, but warm and effulgent, usually nested on a warm bed of hum and whir. And this latest cassette only release is no different. A backdrop of muted whirs and slow swirling ambient rumble, layered and rich, almost pretty and trancelike enough to listen to on its own, but over the top are draped long loops of guitar, electric, steel string, melodies and melodic fragments, gorgeous melodies, dark and drone-y, lyrical and druggy, super emotional and intense, not really even melancholy so much as mysterious and thoughtful, the various strands of notes and chords suspended in a landscape of low end shimmer. The guitars eventually drift off, replaced by simple hand drums, beating out a primitive tattoo, a mesmerizing primal rhythm, as hypnotic and simple as the drones beneath, until the guitars come back in again, and it becomes some gorgeous Comus-y summer folk jam, melodic strum and that strange off kilter beat beneath. So great. We've been trying like crazy to get more releases from VOTSW but they're all so limited that this is the first one we've gotten enough to list, and these will be gone crazy quick too so you know what that means...The tapes are all psychedelic and hand painted, with tripped out full color covers. (Aquarius)

Sloow Tapes - Uzuki

2007-03-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Tulasi
Maa Autaa
Sloow Tapes - Uzuki
One Sided CS 60

Ethereal recordings by the duo of Kulkija (Uton, Keijo & The Free Players, Vapaa…) and Kutomo. Waves of flutes, voices and bubbling ambience drifting away on a soft whispered breeze blowing it out into thin cool air. Artwork by the band in an edition of 90 copies.

SOLD OUT

Tulasi are a Finnish duo featuring Kulkija (Uton, Vapaa, Keijo & Free Players) and Kutomo. This is gorgeous haunting music, easily at atmospheric as the Free Players stuff but with a totally different character, maybe more similar to Xenis Emputae Travelling Band. It sounds ancient and ghostly, like forest spirits floating in dense air. Lovely stuff. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes - Yayoi

2007-03-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Geoff Mullen
Dog Daze Of Summer
Sloow Tapes - Yayoi
CS 40

Fuzz and buzz improvisations tuning in with the higher forms of New England reverb. Turning deep, lonesome abstract guitar feedback modulations upside down into mad psych blues of the dog. Edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

It's a full on wave of almost impenetrable noise; a banjo played with lots of delay; an extended psych-out; a frenzied guitar that sounds like you're hearing it on shortwave radio; a warm wave of colliding drones. It is all of these things for 'tis the new tape by Geoff Mullen...oh - and the cassette is sprayed a purple-y pink. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – Kisaragi

2007-02-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

6Majik9
Your Friends Are A Photograph Of Your Future
Sloow Tapes – Kisaragi
CS 60

Lost in between heaven and hell, sprawling psychedelic grooves picture Brothers Of The Occult Sisterhood, Terracid and friends painting spirals of red dust on snake dancing bodies in front of a new golden dawn. Edition of 83.

SOLD OUT

New and limited cassette release from the Musicyourmindwillloveyou collective (Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Terracid etc). Earth-crawling clatter and burrowing psych noise. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes – The Lovers

2007-02-19T01:42:00.000-08:00

Pulsating In The Eye And Vision
Family
Sloow Tapes – The Lovers
One Sided CS 60

New Age synth psych meditations from Belgian cyborgs Lieven and Wietske, committing deep relaxation lovecrimes with J.D. Emmanuel and Vangelis. Edition of 40 teddy bears.

SOLD OUT

Hmmm this is just gorgeous. Featuring Lieven Martens (who runs / ran Imvated / Cauliflower Dreams etc) and Wietske - this opens with a beautiful one-finger organ melody and then gradually delves into a warped and magical world of synth burblings and seasick droning. As vivid as the usual Sloow tapes sleeves! (Melody Bar)

Nice analog bliss-out sounds (Time-Lag)

Sloow Tapes - Mutsuki

2007-01-23T02:24:00.000-08:00

Suishou No Fune
I Throw A Stone Into The Endless Depths
Sloow Tapes – Mutsuki
CS 90

Damaged Japanese psychedelic acid guitar freak-outs bringing early Fushitsusha down with laid-back spacious dreamy Miminokoto and LSD March melodies, all descending into a lonesome blues abyss. Heavy silkscreened fold-out cover and lyric sheets, total black edition of 150 copies.

SOLD OUT

I was pretty excited to hear that the latest instalment in the Sloow tapes series was by this band as I loved their self-titled cd from a year or so back. Slow-burning strung-out psych ballads and Mazzacane-Conors style abstract blues with a heavy dose of classic Japanese-psych distortion. Highly recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

killer new sloow tape in a great little package. way recommended (Time-Lag)

Edition of 150 copies in heavy silk-screened fold-out cover, this new cassette album from decadent Tokyo black-psych trio Susihou No Fune is an absolute beauty. This tape somehow manages to reconcile all of the drama and ritual energy of The Doors with the trips and trauma feel of prime Rallizes and the sensation of floating solitary in the void. The vocals are as blasted as ever and the guitars nudge the whole thing into the kind of sublime super-charged psychedelic simultaneity that makes every smeared nod and delayed whisper feel seismic. (Volcanic Tongue)

In het mooie Japandossier dat laatst op deze site verscheen had ik het in een artikel over Les Rallizes Denudes en de immense feedback saga die ze achterlieten. Feedback tot kunst verheven. Het is dan ook geen wonder dat andere Japanners zich voor hun inspiratie tot die legendarische groep wenden. Van High Rise tot Fushitsusha en Mainliner, de bron is tot op heden rijkelijk gevuld.
Suishou No Fune behoort tot de laatste lichting Les Rallizes-erfgenamen, een stuk minder vilein dan Fushitsusha en ongestructureerder dan High Rise en Mainliner, Suishou No Fune gaat voor de algehele sfeer en die sfeer gaat altijd vóór Het Liedje. Episch en mysterieus, een beetje zoals de geschiedenis van hun vaderland Japan.
Deze cassette uitgebracht op het Belgische Sloow Tapes bevat drie nummers waarvan de eerste de prachtige titel ‘I Descend into the Oasis of Your Eyes’ draagt. Gitaren die zwaar en echoënd gestaag aan een langzame en onheilspellende opmars beginnen. Het klinkt een beetje als een slaapwandelende Glenn Branca die zwalkend door een enorme concertzaal zijn gitaren bespeelt.
Het draait hier om de eerste plaats om het pure geluid van de gitaren en niet om een post-rockopbouw zoals je die misschien van Explosions in the Sky of Mogwai gewend bent. Hier telt niet de ontlading maar de suggestie van psychedelica, iets dat je op eender welk moment ín het gitaargeluid hoort.
En dat is een fascinerende luistertrip. Terwijl langzaam een basgitaar voor zwaartepunten zorgt sijpelen de galmende akkoorden van een gegeselde elektrische gitaar je onderbewustzijn binnen, het zorgt voor oneindige, panoramische uitzichten.
De klapper van dit album is het laatste, half uur durende opus ‘Everything Turns into Sand’. Drums spelen een prominentere rol en ook de extatische vocalen van Pirako Kurenai dragen bij aan de ultieme spookpsychedelica van Suishou No Fune.
Cassettes op Sloow Tapes zijn zoals gebruikelijk in de experimentele ondergrondse altijd gelimiteerd dus met elke minuut die je langer wacht met de aanschaf van I Throw A Stone Into the Endless Depths wordt de kans kleiner dat er een in je brievenbus valt. En dat is in dit geval erg zonde. (Kinda Muzik)

That the latest full-length from Pirako Kurenai and Kageo’s Suishou No Fune is evocative Fushitsusha’s legendary ’89 double live album should be reason enough to seek this cassette out. Pirako and Kageo’s guitar playing is rousing throughout, drenched in reverb and creating complex melodies between their tangled lines. Kageo’s singing conveys an element of longing throughout the album, particularly during the second piece, Endless Descent, which is possessed by the ancient middle-eastern motifs that have haunted the best work of the Sun City Girls. The B-side is comprised of a single 30+ minute piece, Everything Will Turn to Sand, which is built upon a nice rich drone, explodes into free rapture and then brilliantly burns down into an eloquently ambiguous and unresolved finale. Unforgettable, and highly recommended. (The Z Gun)

I can't afford to buy all the Sloow Tapes all the time (in a perfect world...) but there are some one just can't miss out on and a Suishou No Fune Sloow Tape is about twelve of those. If there's anything better than three Japanese longhairs getting in touch with their psychedelic side, it's when they're doing it on cassette...wrapped in a brain-blistering vintage Bart/Sloow fold-out extravaganza...with glossy (translated) lyric sheet included! It's the perfect stocking stuffer. Buy it now and save it for next Christmas, you'll truly touch someone's heart with it! If you ain't knowin', Suishou No Fune are a trio comprised of Pirako Kurenai (guitar/vocals), Kageo (guitar/vocals) and Jun Harada (drums). In the past they've been responsible for a bunch of CD-Rs a "real" self-titled CD and a disc on Holy Mountain by the name of "Where the Spirits Are", and now they've got a couple more on tap from well-to-do labels Blossoming Noise and Lotus Sound. Impressive and a real pain on the wallet. Like just about every Japanese psych group. Would you have it any other way? Naw."I Throw a Stone Into the Endless Depths" (don't we all?) is a c90 featuring three big shiny tunes - two on side A and the other on side B. As you can see, that's a whole lot of muzak. First tune is "I Descend into the Oasis of Your Eyes" (my eyes?) and is an awesome, incredibly drawn-out post-Rallizes, post-Fushitsusha guitar-driven psych cinerator. The lead guitar (not sure if it's Kurenai or Kageo) sounds like the burning cosmos itself splashed with gentle droplets of percussion. The singer (again, either Kurenai or Kageo) has the distant, languid Mizutani vocal delivery down to a virtual artform. The lyrics, though sung in Japanese, are a real treat when read in English. Sloppy and overdramatic and foolishly heart-rending - maybe I'm just a sucker. The remaining ten-ish minutes are devoted to "Endless Descent", a syrupy haven of bluesy glances like deteriorating Quicksilver Messenger Service bootlegs played at the wrong speed. It's a luminescent out-rock space crawl, haunted and charming.Side two is "Everything Will Turn to Sand?" in all its thirty-plus minutes o' glory. The first little while sounds almost like Keiji Haino leading the Vibracathedral Orchestra with a heavy aura of guitar and effects congealing together to form a dizzying drone, soon to be pounded on by a flummoxing unrhythm via Harada. Kurenai or Kageo or both then start up with very Haino-esque pained yelping. The song starts to sound more and more like a free jazz grapple with the drumming resembling Ronald Shannon Jackson in Last Exit 'cept instead of locking horns with Sharrock's bludgeoning spikes it's wading against the thick atmospheric current churned out by the two guitarists. The track drifts off with a totally great Arkestral galaxy ride, delivering you and me directly unto La La Land where we build cloud castles in our underwear.What else is there to say? If you're a fan of latter-day Japanese psych a la PSF's "Tokyo Flashback" compilations, bands like LSD-March, Miminokoto, Up-Tight, Yura Yura Teikoku, Kousokuya, Aural Fit and even Ghost, you basically need to own this. You could argue that your money would be better off put towards finally buying the first Fushitsusha double live on PSF or that Rallizes "Deeper Than the Night" LP on eBay, but in twenty years time this'll be one of those documents then. So it's yer roll of the dice bub. Personally I recommend this tape and I recommend it a lot. Still not sold out at source either, thought you'd better hurry. It's almost painfully ironic how faast Sloow Tapes sell out. Git! (Outer Space Gamelan)

Suishou no Fune are a Tokyo based psych trio who have been throwing for a few years, and have toured in the U.S. at least once, with another trip scheduled for spring 2007 to promote a new CD-R Akatsuki (maybe I should stop mentioning that format in a tape-only column). A powerful act to see live, Pirako Kurenai and Kageo's reverb saturated guitars cut across the spectrum from melodic slow burn to full-on Fushitsusha type blowout. They are joined on this outing by Jun Harada, a high-energy but responsive young gunner who knows how to both fall back and burst into chaotic fits. The best cut on this one takes up the entire B side, Everything Will Turn to Sand? In the tradition of the epic Japanese psych jam, this one has a hundred flare-ups and breakdowns, howling feedback, HUGE drums. Gorgeous In between the most raging moments, Pirako or Kageo will launch into echoing existentialist poetry about darkness, light, raw, death, love, hatred (to quote from the Myspace page). This one is sold out from Sloow Tapes, but you might be able to snag one on the forthcoming tour, through mail-order, or you could go bug them at the health food cafe they run in Tokyo. I Throw a Stone includes an insert with English translations and super cool black and silver screened fold-out art. (Cassette Gods)

Sloow Tapes - Kerst tape

2006-12-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Orphan Fairytale
Twilight Time
Sloow Tapes – Kerst tape
One Sided CS 60

Looping casio keyboards inhaling magic dust and blowing it out into bright dancing psychbubbles. Lost star heaven of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Another magical cassette from Belgium's Orphan Fairytale, also a member of Frozen Corpse. Clanging drone-melodies wrung from casios, toy instruments and a whole load of pedals. Weird nursery rhymes from a warped imagination. Recommended. (Boa Melody Bar)

New tape from this Belgian art brut spirit with keyboards, loops, toys and helium dreams. (Volcanic Tongue)

orphan fairytale is belgian eva van deuren. she's also in frozen corpse and hardline elephants, both with carlo of audiobot fame. i think i can use fame there.i probably wouldn't even have heard of orphan fairytale if it wasn't for tinnitustimulus' post in my last.fm group about nff's '07 line-up. that prompted me to dig up some info resulting in my coming across an asinine review of eva on stylus: "On the one hand, a load of derivative pablum sees the light of day only because of its resemblance to another, better act. On the other, the common template injects some welcome familiarity into a genre characterized by the alien and other, while remaining versatile." i hate shit like this, what the fuck is that supposed to mean? you don't write for the new york post, keep it simple stupid. regardless, i soldiered on and tracked this release down.while my reading comprehension could probably use some work, i feel like my ear for good music is just fine, and this sounds great to me. eva's instrument of choice is the keyboard, which i tend to associate with a cheap sound. so very wrong of me, i wonder why i think that...anyhow, orphan fairytale overcame my initial hesitancy and won me over with a terrific tape of experimental sounds as well as plain ol' musical ones. as a matter of fact, the only part on twilight time that even sounded overtly keyboardish was one my favorites. go figure. twilight time's half hour length seems to be broken down into four compositions. the first piece is its most noise-based, i say that because it lacks the musical focus shown later on, not because it's difficult to listen to. it starts off slowly with some drones and nice feedback before some percussive noises come in a few minutes later, centralizing the sound a little. the next song that transitions in focuses around a loop of whimsical music box chimes. it's a memorable stretch of time that ushers in eva's more musical efforts. the third song is the keyboard one that i mentioned before and outside of a bit of vocals in the beginning, it's really just eva tickling the faux ivory and doing a great job of it. the final nine minutes of the tape has her in all out drone mode, aided by some vocal wailing in the background.i'm quite happy that i found this little gem. i was really impressed with not just the variation shown, but by how adept eva van deuren was at each foray into a new direction. her experimental/noise pieces were excellent, her ability to play actual music was great and she showed a clear knack for melody and being able to create something that really grabs you. well done. (Smooth Assailing)

Okay, so Twilight Time has also been sold out, from the source at least, for a while now. I still can't help but sing the praises of this and urge any prospective listeners to shell out some clams for anything that Eva Van Deuren (half of Frozen Corpse) touches. Like the strangest Folkways recording that never happened, this is pure European folk clanging in a haunted toyshop. Rickety contraptions and creaky floors abound. The first section (about 20 minutes out of a one-sided CS60) is so good that when Van Deuren moves aside the percussive elements for a long ambient closer it's kind of a letdown. Whatever, just rewind and start over. Great color scheme on the j-card, which is normal for Sloow Tapes. If Twilight Time is any indicator, Orphan Fairytale will be one of the many must-see performances if you show up to Brooklyn's No Fun Fest this year. (Cassette Gods)

Belgium’s underground is a fertile swamp. Centred around labels like Ultra Eczema, Veglia, Bread and Animals, Funeral Folk, Audiobot and Sloow Tapes they match their U.K. and U.S. brethren in sheer freaked out madness. They also have some great musical projects going. Like lo-fi fascist Ignatz, up and coming apocalyptic folk hero Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, satanic goat worshippers Silvester Anfang, cut up whatever whatever R.O.T.. And Orphan Fairytale, which is a girl named Eva van Deuren, also part of junk-fi drone pirates Frozen Corpse, together with Carlo Audiobot, limited to two corpses which come in cold Belgian skin with art by the Man himself.Orphan Fairytale’s main instrument of choice is the keyboard but she manages to make every sound a seemingly unique one. “Twilight Time”’s sixty minutes start with a rhythmic, industrial sounding drone piece, blocks of clanging beats that sound like they’re stuck together with cheap glue. Not the best opener to start this tape off with but it shows her range as far as the keyboard goes. The second piece has her toying with broken music box sounds that come off as totally twisted and somewhat crude, a weirdo sound world full of hiccuping loops and distorted vocal stardust underneath it all. All those sounds she cooks up have this somewhat dusty quality to them, as if they were sampled from a lost teenager Klaus Schulze demo. The last and longest track on “Twilight Time” is Orphan Fairytale at her most zoned out and convincing. A dense, brooding drone eclipses pretty much any sound she got going on as well and it keeps on like a damn key on her board got stuck or something. Slowly there are traces of vocals to be heard and the piece completely takes off after it’s one minute mark. Out of this world and so good to immerse yourself in. All these Sloow Tapes sell out like crazy but I’m sure some of your bookmarked mailorders still have a copy hanging around. It’s worth the hunt so check it out. 8/10 (Foxy Digitalis)

Sloow Tapes - Decembre

2006-12-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

Friday Group Universal Illumination Orchestra
Meat Science
Sloow Tapes – Decembre
CS 30

Extended late-night improvisations of passed-out fuzz, coughing, sneezing and the occasional slow motion drone. Line-up includes Tom Carter, Shawn McMillen, Brian Smith, Sandy Ewen, Glen Nuckolls, Stephanie Demopolus and Jonathan Home. Edition of 100.

Sold Out

Shadowy drones, based around an asthmatic chord organ, featuring an extended line-up including Sandy Ewan of Spiderwebs. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sounds pretty good to my tin-plated cloth-ears. Face front, Troo Believers!Tom Carter assembles a bunch of Merry Free-Form Trixtahs in the back yard and hands out toys, kitchen implements, guns etc. Someone puts their elbow on an organ, which pulses innnn-n-n-n-n an-nn-nd out of the mix. People talk, tell jokes, mutter into their soup somewhere in the distance. A cat gets stuck in a tree. Someone builds a small boat. Pixies visit. An old piece of furniture gets sanded down. The organ continues to play well on into the night.Bumps. Bangs, scratches, scrapes. The soup gets stirred. And drunk. An animal roar builds below the surface, slowly emerging until it dominates the mix. I close my eyes and see a large ball rotating slowly in space-time: there are flashes of sandpaper-textured surface, windsmear, animals fighting in slo-motion. The listener loses skin. Ghosts chase each other at impossible velocities. Malignant imp-voices ripping holes in the air. Spectres spinning and twisting past me like curtains flapping in a gale. And still the fucking organ plays.Ghastly church interiors: I can almost smell the pin-mould. Worshipers gossip in French while the organist finds a chord. No, wait, it's a French minstrel levitating over the altar; a solarised Parisian singer from the 60s trying to find his way back to the world of the living, his face horribly scalded by hot coffee. (Someone strums n picks at a guitar, then thinks better of it) The sun goes out and he glows in negative. People leave the church, complaining, and it's like an old TV program that I can't get out of my mind. Static drifts on a brittle breeze.A gang of horrible children, almost feral, follow us up to the corner-shop. We throw them scraps of food.A looped woman's voice repeats, mantra-like, over and over and over again: "A wobbly cunt...a wobbly cunt...a wobbly cunt..." Burial didn't invent hiss, y'know.Elsewhere, the chord-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d grows ever larger, yet it now sounds unaccountably furry. Animal hair on the keys, y'see. The unbearable crimson squawk of the living. It's like a bad dream. Layers of sound fall away, suddenly; aluminium blinds clatter on the floor. An ape-like creature scratches its claws on marble while the tape bends and bow and breathes.It ends as suddenly as it began. But in tears. (Kid Shirt)

Sloow Tapes – Novembre

2006-11-14T01:23:00.000-08:00

Antti Tolvi
S/T
Sloow Tapes – Novembre
One sided CS 60

Winds of tape-hiss moving deep into white plains of delicate sounds, blowing softly through quiet improvisations on all things small by Antti Tolvi (Lauhkeat Lampaat, Rauhan Orkestri, Taikuri Tali etc.). Natural edition of 100 copies with almost invisible silkscreened insert.

SOLD OUT

Lovingly-packaged tape (silk-screened insert & hand-made paper sleeve) featuring Antti Tolvi of Rauhan Orkesteri, Lauhkeat Lampaat & Taikuri Tali. This sounds like midnight in the woods with the wind making eerie tones in the night silence and strange indeterminate scrapings and crawlings. Spooky stuff. (Boa Melody Bar)

Solo work from Tolvi of Finnish free jazz wildmen Rauhan Orkesteri, Lauhkeat Lampaat et al. Luminous, still, post-midnight improvisations beamed through a fog of dusk sounds using lots of small instruments to create huge fields of singing insect tones and firefly orchestras. Natural edition of 100 copies with almost invisible silkscreened insert. (Volcanic Tongue)

Antti Tolvi's self-titled tape on the awesome Sloow Tapes imprint. This tape is full of minimal sonic squeaking and free-form organic jams from this member of Rauhan Orkesteri, Lauhkeat Lampaat, Taikuri Tali, etc (and the newly christened Lauluva Laama). Sometimes it seems as though there's not much happening, but that just adds to the importance of each sound, each note. Great stuff. Extra-sweet packaging in handmade paper - nice! (Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis)

Sloow Tapes – Novembre

2006-11-14T01:21:00.000-08:00

Lanterns
Blue Beads
Sloow Tapes – Novembre
CS 30

Meandering drones resonating in eerie Taj Mahal-like mushrooms stuffed with chimes, ebowed strings, subtle electronics and other shimmering nightly meditation tools. Edition of 70.

SOLD OUT

New Sloow tape from Glasgow-based droners. Acres of guitar based drones, some rudimentary electronics and loads of Skaters-esque vocal wow. (Boa Melody Bar)

Incatenati alla Rupe Tarpea d'un suono che è già di per se stesso una condanna a morte esibita, i Lanterns procedono nella musica ambientale “modulata” senza mai cedere nei loro propositi oltranzisti. Card Whote, Sju Sjosjuka Sjuksystrar, Fuzzing Sculpt e I Touch You ricordano da vicino la prassi amatoriale di certi Double Leopards. When The Sky Begins To Bruise è però un gioiello come questi ultimi raramente hanno messo su disco. Un piano che spruzza le note a grappoli, sognanti, un continuo trillio di campanellini giocondi ed un harmonium che pacioso e bradipesco improvvisa frasi modali, sono l'equivalente sonoro d'una fiaba per bambini girata come film muto e musicata come film dell'orrore (quello vero, psicologico innanzitutto). (Sentireascoltare)

Integralismo e fastidio, emergenze dalla collera irrequieta che motivano le proprie motivazioni di destinazioni lungamente paradossali, rarefatte verità poco lusinghiere di una emarginazione di fondo, essenzialista reazione di chi non dovutamente riesce a percepire l'altrui risonanza perpetua, minimizzando le idee mistiche di una musica lontana, di un suono generazionale persuaso dall'immaginazione emergente. (Poppers Magazine)

Sloow Tapes - Ottobre

2006-10-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

Samara Lubelski
Quartet
Sloow Tapes – Ottobre
One Sided CS 60

Meditative violin drones dissolving time into wide open space of home recorded cosmic ambience. A universal consciousness of hypnotizing star gazing sounds that melts right into the centre of the mind’s eye. Artwork by Samara. Reflecting edition of 148 copies.

SOLD OUT

New release from Samara of Hall Of Fame/Tower Recordings et al, with those beautifully luminous violin drones that dominated her great COM CD-R/Eclipse LP extended into further expanses of primitively articulated drone joy. Edition of 148 copies with art on reflective paper by Samara herself. Recommended. (Volcanic Tongue)

Fantastic circles of violin tone and drone, similar to the work on her "In The Valley" album. (Boa Melody Bar)

Beautifully packaged as always, and highly recommended sounds from our favorite avant psych chick! (Time-Lag)

I'm also unsure about the membership of this "Quartet" referenced in the title of Samara Lubelski's cassette (another one-sided 60). The juciest tidbit I could dig up about this recording is that there's four violins involved. Maybe they're all played by Samara and it's an overdubbing job? I doubt it. One day I'll crack the mystery. Anyway it's a good thing I found out beforehand that there were guitars involved because I never really would've guessed it from listening alone, which is probably the ultimate Invisible Jukebox failure on my part. I went in there expecting Tony Conrad's layers and layers and sharp, stringy sheen...or even C. Spencer Yeh's recent works for the violin: dense and noisy. What I got was different but no less engrossing. Samara's served uo a thick, woozy undercurrent of "home recorded cosmic ambience" (according to the Sloow bloog) underneath these beautiful, stretching violin strokes that are almost too ghostly and wispy to be imagined as even coming from a known instrument. Have you ever heard of the glass armonica? Benjamin Franklin is generally credited for inventing it in the 1700's. I won't get into the whole schematics of how it works (you can read up on it here) but the noises Samara (and co.?) draw out from their Strads is almost exactly like what I'd imagine the armonica to sound like. Pure, pristine, glistening and sun-spotted. Except...you know...without all the death and mental illness associated with the maligned armonica. Read the Wikipedia, buy the tape, and see for yourself! Very highly recommended and not yet sold out at source! Run, don't walk!As is the custom with Sloow Tapes, both these babies are beautifully rendered artistically. The Frozen Corpse tape is sprayed blue and features very apropos insect-themed art, not a single space wasted. Samara Lubelski's tape is particularly eye-catching because it juxtaposes a transparent mylar insert (with artwork courtesy Samara) against a reflective insert, with a tape and cassette box sprayed orange. What this means, of course, is that the tape doubles for a pocket mirror...so you can tote around heavy jams in case of emergency or just use it to powder your nose. Sprechen sie sassy? (Outer Space Gamelan)

Musica monocorde e monouso. E questo, di per sé, non è affatto un commento critico. Al massimo la costatazione che la musica per droni ha conquistato anche Samara Lubelski, una volta con i Sonora Pine, oggi (non si sa quanto) felicemente avviatasi ad una carriera in proprio. L'armamentario adatto c'è tutto, ed è saldato a vivo su un blocco solo di suono e cemento di 21 minuti: reiterazioni soffuse ed ambientali, le intense variazioni estatiche ed aeree dei Tangerine Dream di Zeit come fossero eseguite da Charlemagne Palestine ed un candore a bassa fedeltà in cui tutto riluce e risplende come in un focolare primordiale: materia ed antimateria sonora a sgonfiarsi l'una nell'altra senza mai concedersi troppo all'ascolto triviale.
Abbastanza conscia della propria asfitticità, questa è una musica che si rende perfettamente conto, per eccesso di consapevolezza (auto)critica, di essersi ripresa abbastanza per non riprendersi mai abbastanza. (Sentireascoltare)

Sloow Tapes - Gaat Hard

2006-10-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

Frozen Corpse
Dance Of The Insects
Sloow Tapes – Gaat Hard
One-sided CS 60

Homegrown insect smoke and far out grooves by Orphan Fairytale and Audiobot labelhead duo. Totally grim. 60 stoned copies.

SOLD OUT

Punk grooves, amateur horror theatrics, electro-dunt brain donation and drug-fixated lo-fi tape murk from a European super group featuring Orphan Fairytale and Carlo from Audiobot. Edition of 60 copies. "Totally grim". (Volcanic Tongue)

The Frozen Corpse tape is a one-sided c60 so you get about a half hour's worth of whatever kind of brew they're stirring in the cauldron...totally tough to get a grip on who's doing what. I know that Orphan Fairytale does a lot of stuff with keyboards, synthesizers and organs but I'm majorly ignorant as to Carlo's weapons of choice. Whatever's around, maybe? The sounds on "Dance of the Insects" don't offer up many clues at all...sounds like junky sub-aquatic percussion clatter, pretty reminiscent of the recent No-Neck Blues Band collab with Embryo albeit wayyy more lo-fi and abused tape mannerismed. Sometimes the rhythms the duo blurt out lock in sync (it almost seems accidental) and sometimes they don't. It's kinda like playing in one of those huge ball pits you see at McDonald's or what have you only filled with billions of marbles instead, and you've stuck your head under. A whole load of droney kerplunking sounds to get caught in your earwebbing. There's a small cut-off and the direction changes slightly as the two meddle in some kind of crumbling drone sounds akin to a construction site somewhere off in the distance. It's got a way New Zealander vibe for some reason, making me think of early Birchville Cat Motel as well as the Dead C/Xpressway form-annihilating quasi-rock gestures with disintegrating melodies being forced out of heavily damaged equipmentry. Nice. Confusing, but nice. (Outer Space Gamelan)

Also on Sloow Tapes is an excellent tape from Frozen Corpse, the duo of Audiobot honch Carlo Steegan and Orphan Fairytale. Doomsday drones galore! This is heady shit steeped in bongwater and rolled-up all nice and tight. There's so much crazy shit going on (keyboards and synthesizers, haunted, blitzed grooves, and a whole slew of theatrics) that you'll get trampled and left for dead. Yeah, just the way they like it... the duo also have a really good tape out on Bread & Animals (the new label from Imvated's freak-general Lieven Martens). (Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis)

Sloow Tapes - Puik

2006-10-14T03:12:00.000-07:00

Frozen Corpse
Fueled By Asteroids/Dance Of The Insects
Sloow Tapes/Puik co-release

Special limited edition for the freaks at Hard Gaan fest. Packaged in silkscreened artwork by Jelle Crama. 10 copies.

SOLD OUT

Sloow Tapes – Settembre

2006-09-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Cahier
Che Me Ne Importa?
Sloow Tapes – Settembre
One sided CS 60

A new collection of haunting abstract songs by one of Tampere’s best kept secrets, combining a wide variety of instruments into carefully crafted other-dimensional miniature worlds. Dreamlike magic carpets of colourful sounds drifting across the dark deep blue hues of shimmering skies, floating on dizzying winds of ever-changing psychedelic disorientation. Long edition of 70 copies.

SOLD OUT

Numbered edition of 70 copies documenting some primitive Finnish folk/psych moves that sound almost impossible to date in their clanky/beautiful execution. Stoned string dirges and reflective piano pools that are almost Go Hirano-esque in their limp beauty. Comes with a full-colour fold-out art. (Volcanic Tongue)

Delicate constructions from string and electronics and eerie Radiophonic-esque symphonies. (Melody Bar)

Self-Released - Sloow Tapes

2006-09-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Slow Bart Sloow
Drawings
Book
Self-Released - Sloow Tapes

Full-colour collection of 12 pages filled with drawings by Bart De Sloow Head Paepe. Retro edition of 20 copies.

SOLD OUT

I think I scored one just in time, as it looks like it's sold out. It's 12 pages long and very small and simple, but also oddly beautiful...when it arrived in the post a couple days back, it made me smile when I opened it and I find it's still making me smile every time I look at it. There's something oddly calming about his pictures that seems to lift the stress right out of my body... (Kid Shirt)

Nice stuff. Grab one quick dudes (Time-Lag)

Sloow Tapes – Agosto

2006-08-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hildegard
Masterik
Sloow Tapes – Agosto
CS 50

Two sweating side-long jams along the itching lines of fellow mind-travellers Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Astral Blessing and Dredd Foole. Recorded smack in the middle of bible belt country, inspired by the wicked deeds of psyched Master Rick and his friends who used to be giving voluntary castrations in their own private creepy SM dungeon. Personnel: Daniel Presnell (pedal steel guitar, voice, drums), Jenni Pace (organ, flute, vocals, harmonica), Ed Yazijian (fiddle, drums), Bert Bacchus (guitar, drums), Wyatt Nicholson (bass, manipulation), Patrick Mulcahy (drums). Edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

New cassette album from this great American/gothic free rock/drone group led by Daniel Presnell of Astral Blessing/Feed & Seed et al and now featuring Ed Yazijian (of Dredd Foole & The Din, Cul de Sac et al) on violin and drums. Waves of pedal steel and vocals from Presnell, Jenni Pace on organ, flute, vocals and harmonica, Bert Bacchus on guitars and drums, Wyatt Nicholson on bass and 'manipulation' and Patrick Mulcahy on drums. The overall feel is centred around the moment where hardcore tripped over into progressively extended jam-forms and improvised guitar blow-out, with aspects of Burmah, Boston basement bombs like The Din and The Girls and bass lines straight out of early Sonic Youth (circa "The Burning Spear"). Along with wildcard influences from Faust and Sunburned Hand Of The Man, it all makes for a beautiful parallel approach to free music that's more solidly grounded in alternative American rock traditions than many of their peers and all the more singular for it. Edition of 100 copies in full colour sleeves. Totally great. (Volcanic Tongue)

Great dirge rituals from this band based around Daniel Presnell (who runs the Feed & Seed label). The growling bass and street-preacher rants make you expect some scouring guitar to join it but the flute and scraping violin takes this into totally unexpected territory. (Boa Melody Bar)

All right! I finally got ahold of some Sloow Tapes! I can die happy now. Although all it took was me emailing the Belgium label's big cheese Bart and asking if I could just buy some...for some reason it seemed a whole lot more difficult than that. Maybe it's because all the tapes look so beautiful and are so limited (about 60-80 copies each) and the label has such a great rep (releases by Graveyards, My Cat is an Alien, Family Underground, Number None, Keijo, Larkin Grimm & more). So now every month I gotta check back for another one lest I miss out - look, there's a brand new one already! Actually, don't look. Because then you might buy it. Let me get mine first, OK? Hildegard's "Masterik" is August's Sloow Tape, a c50 and still available as of this writing. Features some lovely artwork, a green spraypainted tape, and even better sounds on the inside. I've never heard of them before but I guess Hildegard is a kind of regular unit featuring members of Astral Blessing, Dredd Foole & the Din and Cul de Sac. Side A cracks a very Vibracathedral Orchestra-type feel. Marching, militant percussion, violin acoutrements, flute spawns and a low dull bass throb. After awhile there's some muffled shouts and the appearance of some semi-regular vocals, at least for this side. Well they're more like shouts than vocals, and I can't really make any of the words out. One of the reviews posted on the Sloow Tapes blog says street preacher rants which is exactly what this sounds like but I don't know if that's the straight dope or just a homage. Anyway it reminds me a whole heck of a lot of Ya Ho Wa 13 (which is nuthin' but good news) but these vocals are a lot more obscured and not nearly as upfront as the Good Father's...which is also good news if you ever heard a Yod album and said "well, I like it, buuuut....". Maybe a better comparison would be Elisa from the Magik Markers and her bizarro stream of conscious mumbled ravings, albeit set against a decidedly more gnarly and psychedelic stoned jamming backdrop. The other side is thankfully more of the same but much more percussion based, a sturdier tribal drum beat with some bells for awhile and then a dual flute thing going on with some pretty malevolent church organ pipe vibes. The group locks into some seriously kraut grooves as showcased via Trad Grad Och Stenar, Necronomicon, Amon Duul, and all your favorites. I guess the preacher takes a breather on this one because it's all instrumental as far as I can hear. I realize everybody's in a New Weird band these days but when it's done so well like this, it just gets me right there...and if I was telling you this face-to-face you'd see that I'm actually pointing at my groin. (Matt McKeogh, Outer Space Gamelan)

Sloow Tapes - Luglio

2006-07-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

Death Chants
I Have Seen a Thousand Swim Through Darker Skies than These
Sloow Tapes - Luglio
One Sided CS 60

Follow-up to their self-titled cd-r which appeared on Time-Lag earlier this year. Closed eyes and minds getting lost into more of those sweet twirling folk/psych jams drifting away in late-night bedroom psychedelic atmospheres. Sleepscapes of haunting melancholic blue melodies. Comes with wonderful cover art by Paul Grimes. Numbered edition of 100 copies.

SOLD OUT

Even more blissful and spaced than their two self-released tapes with clarinet echoing from afar and drones drifting like sea mist, this is pastoral cosmic folk at its best. (Boa Melody Bar)

Sloow Tapes - Verjaardagstape

2006-07-02T02:22:00.000-07:00

V/A
Graag Traag
Sloow Tapes - Verjaardagstape
CS 50

Yellow birthday release with contributions by a couple Belgian bands. Featuring psych casio drones by Orphan Fairytale, Gart & Seekatze’s rooster minimalism, cool guitar cactuses by Ignatz, Silvester Anfang’s evil improv, happy toy rhythms by Buffle, Shattered Minds’ radioactive guitarnoise, vocal acid weirdness by Hardline Elephants and Benjamin Franklin’s genius. Edition of 80 copies with very sloow drawings by Eva Van Deuren.

SOLD OUT

New compilation cassette from Sloow Tapes bundles a run of international provocateurs including the always-amazing Orphan Fairytale, Silvester Anfang (two tracks), Benjamin Franklin (two tracks), Ignatz (two tracks), Buffle, Shattered Minds, Hardline Elephants and Gart & Seekatze. Where's Punky? Colour cover art with insert and sprayed tapes in an edition of 80 copies. (Volcanic Tongue)

The "Graag Traag" compilation seems to have no real theme except for something I might call "bands I've never heard of who rule". Actually that's not entirely true as I remember Ignatz and one of their albums getting lots of good reviews last year and the name Silvester Anfang strokes a gong for me too. Also included are Orphan Fairytale, Benjamin Franklin, Buffle, Shattered Minds, Hardline Elephants and Gart & Seekatze, with a few of the acts pulling double duty. All these tracks are instrumental and a lot of them sound spiritually linked. Silvester Anfang's two tracks of minimal keyboards, rubber band strummed jams, lo-fi flutes and recorders buddy up almost perfectiously with Benjamin Franklin's show-stealing two tracks of playful guitar runs, epic synth swoops and other unnameable toys and gizmos. Ignatz also contribute a nice pair, the first one is a great melancholic ghost-buzz with some legitimately weird loner "vocals" (?), total outsider madness. Their other track is a similarly minimal affair but this time with various duck calls and hippie percussion played under a foggy swirl (at least I think it's their track, I started to lose track of everything by the second side). As for the band's making lone contributions, Orphan Fairytale do this one cut of of Conrad-checking flute loops and spacey UFO synths which is totally boss; Buffle and Shattered Minds dabble in the same turf of noisy, fucked up guitar skrawl like a rusty bike in a woodchipper; Hardline Elephants do a pretty lengthy tape-chopping excursion featuring a compilation of found sounds, field recordings, ribbits, whistles, regurgitations and whatever else they could get their hands on; Gart & Seekatze bow out with tremendously minimal acoustic pickings and maybe a violin too, makes for a nice duet with the ensuing tape hiss. These tracks all have names but you'll have to discover those for yourself (after you find a way to obtain this tape that is).I already had Sloow Tapes pegged as one of those must-have can't-miss labels just from viewing the artist names, artwork, and descriptions...and these tapes proved me totally right. It's unfortunate they're not more widely produced/distributed because this is a level everybody should be heavily into. If you make just one impulse purchase this week, stroll on over to Bart's blog and see what he's got in store for you because I guarantee you'll be knocked flat. And if you don't like them I'll buy them off you. It's a can't-lose situation! (Matt McKeogh, Outer Space Gamelan)