Crank Sturgeon & Hal McGee – a statistician`s intramural crush (CD)

This is a micro-cassette tape collage collaboration             Featuring two seasoned veterans of the hometaping, experimental noise scene (the almighty Crank Sturgeon and mister more than two hundred releases Hal McGee).  A bizarre album done with: field recordings, words, minimalist instrumentations, improvisational textures, stream of consciousness mind glop (huh?) and lo-fi gloriosity. This recording consists of two long tracks: entitle an echo to progress (24.53 min) and bumps and numbers, in code (28.01 min). words, sentences, lo-fi ramblings collide altogether. Lots of incoherent ramblings + what the hell & where the hell sound sources = I heard something like this before. But where? Now I remember last time I went to a dive. It was after last call, around 3.30 a.m  and all I could remember hearing is tons of drunkards ramblings, mumblings. This album is not an all around harsh noise attack. It`s more like an experimental , electroacoustic at times aural sonic assault. It`s crazy, it`s weird, it`s strange. I like it, I like it!   

Hal McGee, 

4230 SW 20th Lane APT. F, 

Gainesville, 

FL, 

32607, 

USA.

Lots of free downloads here:

 www.haltapes.com

Crank`s website:

http://cranksturgeon.com

Nice Hair Wulfgar - NHW-07-16-11 Sessions- The Wadsworth Project (mp3)

This is an ongoing project featuring Kris Gruda ( bass guitar, objects, vocals, loops, cassette tape, electronics, and keyboard), and Dan Reaves  of Trotsky`s Watercooler ( using thing, electronics, synthesizer, samples, percussion, and various objects). I always find it hard describing experimental noise (harsh stuff is easy, just think of Merzbow, The Haters, MSBR, etc, etc). It`s easier to do a small description of each tracks, here goes:

1- Meditation- Before and After: meditative ambient noise with electroacoustic undertones.

2- I Am Calling: low-fi, rhythmic noisecore.

3- Slow Movement Does Not Lessen the Merciless Onslaught: more rhythmic noise, good stuff.

4- A Message From Wulfgar: voice recorded backwards + synth + various unidentifiable noisy objects = a creepy, paranoid, outer worldly experience.

5-  May Solitude Become Shapeshifting Chaos: ambient noise \ electroacoustic  experimentations .

6- Wulfgar Can And Will Dance: nearly song oriented noise with lots of amazing percussive elements.

7- Transformative Wall of Death: synth lines + low-fi frequencies (the best way to end this).Get it here:

http://trotskyswatercooler.bandcamp.com/album/nhw-07-16-11-sessions-the-wadsworth-project

Ironing & Hal McGee – For The Sake Of Sound (CD-R)

This was recorded at Hal;`s place on Saturday, march 13<sup>th</sup>, 2013. on a old school 4-track cassette recorder. This is nine songs, rather long (61.49 minutes) album. They used a shitload of stuff: turntabalism, radios, minimal synth, microcassettes & cell phone, voice, vinyl scratchiness, field recordings, and groovy lock loops.  There`s a good variety of stuff at work here. They explore different styles too: weird out of control almost jazzy material ( squeeze between the knees, blue shirted boys, breakin`concrete), psychotic, schizoid improvisation  with voice and various trimmings (color theory), minimal electronics going into ambient noise territory ( yes or not?), low-fi experimental noise dirges (shapeshift), spoken word + experimental noise (for the sake of sound), blues cutups \ turntabalism + weird noise bytes (a jaunty jig) and more voice cutups + experimental noise (good & heavy). This is a difficult listen, not recommended to pop music fans. If you`re into bizarre, weird, strange improvised sessions, than this baby`s for you indeed. 

Hal McGee, 

4230 SW 20th Lane APT. F, 

Gainesville, 

FL, 

32607, 

USA.

Lots of free downloads here: 

www.haltapes.com

Neal Wilgus

The other day I got a small parcel from Neal Wilgus. Inside there was some poems, some collages, a brief bio and a letter. Here's some of his amazing poetry/collage mix.Enjoy the show!!!

C.A.N.S. and Trotsky - Operation Teapot & Lafayette's Swindle (mp3)

I said it before and I`ll say it again, I like Dan Reaves various noise \ musical projects. This time around it`s a short (nearly 14 minutes long) two songs mini album. I was expecting experimental noise and \ or harsh stuff, but man, was I wrong here. This is a collaboration between senior Reaves and Dana Young. Let`s start with:

1- operation teapot: beats + lil noise bytes \ bursts + synth + various samples + tight sequencing = near techno dirges with a spacey (space-out) atmosphere. I love this shit!!!

2- Lafayette`s swindle: beats + percussive elements + synth + light noise bursts (which goes into smoother moments, feels like ambient territory) = sounds like Tetsuo The Iron Man doing some type of digital hardcore raving, damn straight boys and girls!!!. Get it here: http://trotskyswatercooler.bandcamp.com/album/operation-teapot-lafayettes-swindle

Hiroshima Yeah! # 100 (june 2013) (zine + The Sound Oh Hiroshima Yeah! (CD-R)

HY is a 8.5 by 11 inches black and white, cut and paste, seven pages zine. HY comes out every month, pretty amazing, eh. This time around it came out with an international compilation CD-R for celebrating it`s 100<sup>th</sup> issue. There`s lots of amazing reading material , starting out with Mark`s unique , raw, in da flesh short poems. My favorite one this time around is:

Hot And Sad

The `hot` girl

Wanting everyone to look at her,

Yet being ignored,

Is one of the saddest things

I have ever seen.

Let me take a swig from me beer so I can hide the small tear coming from me left eye. Next, there`s Gary Simmons `1.5 years behind bars` (I always enjoy is unique writing style),  a lot of music, concert, (the Fall & Julie Doiron),  DVD (Loui`s first season + i`m now the story of Mudhoney), and zine reviews. There`s a short (but weird) story (the brotherhood of the tree) and a small hand written Julie Doiron interview. Next the compilation. I consists of thirteen bands \ artists with different musical styles. There`s some weird experimental noise (Derelict mosquito Spontaneity, Bagman, Cold Boiled Dog), pissed-off garage rock \punk \ blues (Ceramic Hobs), drony \ throbbing ambient noise (Midwich), melancholic but dreamy pop (Paul Doucet, Shy Rights Movement, Valenstar), low-fi minimalism (Breadwinter), strange electronic experimentations (Minimal Frank), rock & roll (John Brown), synth pop \ electro pop i.e. we owe Kraftwerk everything department (Staline Plays Theremin), and a short (22 seconds) untitled spoken word piece.. Feel free to write HY! : 

Mark Ritchie, 

94 Main Street, 

Forth, 

Lanark, 

ML11 8AB, 

UK.   

Trotsky & Otolathe - 111111 Sessions, Pt.1 & Pt.2 (mp3)

After reviewing Trosky`s Watercooler- gas money Cd, , I  was impressed . So  I did some searching and found a lot of cool freebies on the internet (I will review more of Dan Reaves material in the near future). Those are two long jam sessions featuring Otolathe and Dan Reaves.

111111 Sessions, Pt. 1 : low-fi frequencies becoming louder and louder + samples + some percussive elements + various distortion (synth maybe) effects + creepy unidentifiable sound sources = looks like a non-stop Forbidden Planet soundtrack on acid (26.13 minutes). Get it here:  http://trotskyswatercooler.bandcamp.com/track/111111-sessions-pt-1

111111 Sessions, Pt.2: softcore distortion + programmed percussions + noisy rhythmic loops \ patterns + lots of vibrating \ throbbing frequencies = an apocalyptic chill-out noisy nightmare indeed ( 12.59 minutes). Get it here:

http://trotskyswatercooler.bandcamp.com/track/111111-sessions-pt-2

If you want some more, check out Otolathe`s page, with more goodies here:

www.soundcloud.com/otolathe

And of course Trotsky`s page :

www.soundcloud.com/trotskys-watercooler

The `Hey, Judah` sessions – Reaves, McGee, Gruba, McGee (CD-R)

This album was recorded in Orlando, FL at Hoboerotica Studios using one microphone, august 18, 2012. Lots of instruments were used \ abused in there: percussion, gongs, cymbals, electronics, dog wrangling, objects, voice & screams, tapes, loops and bass guitar. And what about the end results ? Well, some folks would say that those two tracks are pieces of improvised wankings, like a sausage fest foursome (since there`s no women involved).  I like this album it almost sounds like free form electro acoustic music with lots of banging  i.e  percussions. It sounds like organized \ improvised chaos with intrinsic values. There`s some noisy parts mixed with percussive elements which gives this album a tribal feeling, modern primitives perhaps with some definite meditative elements thrown in for good measure. Good background music ( I was doing the dishes while listening to this), plus it`s a free download (you can`t go wrong). Get it here: 

http://trotskyswatercooler.bandcamp.com/album/the-hey-judah-sessions

Hal Mcgee, 

4230 SW 20th Lane APT. F, 

Gainesville, 

FL, 

32607, 

USA.