March 25, 2012 - NEW BATCH! Each item is $6 ppd in the US. Please email for international rates.
Special US rate for the entire batch = $22 ppd.
Reach us here: hardiman04 AT gmail
(TD51) Pummeler / The North Sea - split C52
This scorcher of a split tape has been sitting in the Tape Drift vaults for far too long, and it’s high time it sees proper release. If you’ve been following the world of underground sound the last few years, you’ll know these folks and know this tape is mandatory listening. Mikkel Dunkerly’s Pummeler project has released music on Stunned, Digitalis, Small Doses and more. His side here lives up to the name, delivering a dense, dark, and rich wall of sound that is highly addictive. Brad Rose, under his North Sea guise, should also need no introduction. All biases aside, the North Sea contribution here reigns supreme among his recorded works. Rose uses an arsenal of synth-based equipment to provide entry into a cavernous funnel of sound that is equally frightening, gorgeous, and mysterious.
(TD52) The Aleph - s/t C20
Killer mysterious one-off clandestine improvisation session from four LA-based scene veterans, three of whom are Tape Drift alums. Derek Rogers, Lee Noble, Alex Gray, and Charlotte Van Kemmel joined forces to bring to light that which is both misunderstood and vaguely familiar all at once. Looped and slowed field recordings, tranquil synth stabs, alien tape loops, phantom rogue female voices, drifting analog arpeggios – a lush hodgepodge of random sounds that interweave to create a joyous and rich aural tapestry. These four fearless denizens of the LA tape world have crafted a magical 20 minute jam that will be sure to receive endless repeat plays in your household.
(TD53) Noah Coward - "Surname Improvement" cdr
Rounding out the international team on Tape Drift comes this trio of master musicians from the Ukraine. Tape Drift is thrilled to be able to help document this fantastic group, featuring member of the Moglass, Riasni Drova Consort, and other assorted units. Skittering drums, guitars, and incredible vox add up to far more than the sum of their parts, as exemplified by their bold and visionary take on the classic “Sally Free and Easy”. Using song-based structures merely as a starting point, and veering heavily into free improvisation realms, the four tracks here are profound explorations into a dark and swirling organic form of psychedelia that could only have come from the deepest reaches of the Ukraine.
(TD54) Andy Futreal - "Before Knowing Remembers" cdr
UK-based solo artist Andy Futreal delivers his fifth release (see others on Sloow Tapes, Harha-askel & Object Tapes) and we couldn’t be happier about being the ones to put it out. A single piece of sound collage, incorporating beautiful acoustic guitar, shortwave radio, lapsteel, piano, assorted other instruments, and field recordings Andy has made during his extensive travels in Asia, the UK, and the US. The resulting mix is a fascinating and deeply compelling journey through time, space, and culture. Sit back, close your eyes and enjoy this unique auditory ride.
January 27, 2012 - A brand new release to announce! $6 ppd in the US. Please email for international rates.
Reach us here: hardiman04 AT gmail
TD 49 LOCATION ENSEMBLE - s/t
Debut release from this upstate NY guitar ensemble. Seven or eight
guitarists and a rhythm section thundering through a delicious set of
heavily Branca, Ranaldo, and Chatham-inspired pieces. Massed electric
guitars building to ecstatic peaks. No wave, drone, minimalism,
maximalism, it's all in there, but given fresh life. This release
captures one of the group's rare live sets, performing three original
works. Players were Matt Weston, Ray Hare, Thomas Lail, Holland Hopson,
Eric Hardiman, Patrick Weklar, Howard Glassman, Tara Fracalossi, and
Jason Martin.
October 1, 2011 - FIVE New Releases! The biggest batch yet, all in limited editions.
$6
each ppd in the US, email us for international prices. $27 for the
entire batch, ppd, US only. Email for batch rate to international
locations.
Reach us here: hardiman04 AT gmail.com
TD44 Sparkling Wide Pressure/Rambutan - split C52 (SOLD OUT)
Revisiting a superb pairing of like minds that started many years ago on the Small Doses label, Frank Baugh (Sparkling Wide Pressure) and Rambutan (Eric Hardiman) again share a release that is more than the sum of its parts. This time, the strategies are quite divergent, yet each arrives in a similar state of revery combined with patient sonic and emotional investigation. Baugh’s guitar work is at its peak here, and after following the SWP oeuvre very closely over the years, we can safely say this ranks as a shining and defining moment for his project. The two sides of this tape are psychedelic, cosmic, haunting, repetitive, and otherworldly in equal parts.
Sparkling Wide Pressure - Angelic Sweatsuit (excerpt) by rambutan
Rambutan - Scaling Mount Resignation (excerpt) by rambutan
TD45 code: suite 104 "gateway" C20
Debut release from this solo minimal electronics project
by Montreal’s Frank Hobo Cubes.
Mysterious in theme, this is an excellent side excursion into new realms
for Frank. Hovering tones, pulses, and glitches
reference classic electronic works, but each sound is imbued with a sense of
space and importance, creating a work that stands entirely on its own. Twenty minutes of perfection, and the brevity
is part of the appeal – nothing more is said than is absolutely essential. You’ll find yourself flipping the tape over
and over, eagerly wanting to spend more time in its cavernous sound.
TD46 Rust Worship "Deposits of Despondency" C40
A fascinating journey into sound, with touch points (suggested
or otherwise) in plunderphonics, hip-hop, musique concrete, and noise. The solo work of NYC denizen Paul Haney, Rust
Worship does not shy away from bold statement, and this tape is no
exception. With an intense focus, Haney achieves
maximum hypnosis in short order. Turntables, tape and electronics combine in
new and dizzying ways. Throughout the 40
minutes, Haney utilizes a dual sense of composition/narrative and noisy abandon
to pull the listener into his soundworld.
Recorded in Brooklyn by Tmm
Mulligan.
TD47 Jefferson Pitcher "To Light the Snow" cdr + essays
Second Tape Drift outing from this amazing guitarist, and
we could not be more thrilled with the results. A solo recording from the
depth of winter, isolated in rural Canada. Resulting from a
process-oriented project (improvising every Sunday for a set period of time,
coupled with a companion piece of writing for each track), this one goes deep
in its unique exploration of prepared guitar, tumbling overtones, chord
relationships, hushed ambience, and sheer beauty. All tracks were
improvised in one take, with no editing or overdubs. Pitcher’s full command of the instrument is
never at question, and his tone is instantly recognizable as his own. Yet
there’s no need to show off here – these thoughtful forays into particular
moods/themes are gorgeous, compelling, and highly addictive. Comes with Pitcher’s
original companion essays as a booklet. A fascinating and very intimate
window into the mind of one of today’s most essential improvising guitarist.
TD48 Parashi "Counterweight" cdr
Following a pair of highly praised releases on the sadly
defunct Stunned label, Parashi heads over to Tape Drift to offer this
incredible disc of restrained and yet highly intense minimal electronics. As always, Mike Griffin takes the listener to
unexplored territories, with sonic pieces that will shake your system. Implied drones create a sinister mood, while
crackling electronic rhythms suggest a pulsing system beneath the forces of
gravity. Each sound is careful and
thoughtfully placed, and the end result is a masterpiece of bleak and haunting
power.
TD40 soundBarn – “Valentine”
soundBarn has been mining the possibilities of extreme guitar for years, and Tape Drift is thrilled to present their debut recording. The single long-form track of Valentine finds the duo creating fields of sonic sprawl that defy easy definition. Recorded live in their performance space/ studio at a turn of the century, rural, Upstate New York orchard, soundBarn’s Thomas Lail and Patrick Weklar ply prepared and altered guitars, overprocess signals and pile loops of sound to orchestrate an arching instrumental tale of creation and destruction. Weklar and Lail have been collaborating for over twenty years and were founding members of Upstate New York’s long-ago post-punk band, The Fauves. This release of Valentine includes cover and a trifold insert images by artist Tara Fracalossi and soundBarn images by Mark Lunt, Larissa Tapler and Lail.
soundBarn - Valentine (excerpt)
TD41 Oddly Imploded – “Choke All Your Habits
Before It’s Too Late”
From Italy comes this fantastic disc of guitar/drums explorations and explosive sound creation. Something started to implode in summer 2008 but it was initially restrained by other expressions - like Strongly Imploded - until autumn 2010, when it finally, miraculously, happened. Francesco Gregoretti, drums, and Maurizio Argenziano, guitar, hailing from Napoli, Italy, gave life to Oddly Imploded. They come from different projects, mainly One Starving Day and A Spirale, and now also form the core of the already successful Strongly Imploded and of the next to come Grizzly Imploded. A firestorm of impassioned music making that burns with energy, innovation, and hyperkinetic magic. Cover art by Kieron Cropper.
ODDLY IMPLODED - It was well communicated, but what an effort for him
TD42 Thresholders II
The long-awaited second issue from Upstate NY-Texas collaborators Eric Hardiman and Derek Rogers. Continuing in the vein of their debut (also on Tape Drift), this disc finds the duo delving into new rhythmic zones while still building on core drones that equally mesmerize and fascinate with multiple layers and swirling dub-inspired tones. Tour-de-force opener “There is New Truth” suggests these two have spent a good many years listening obsessively to Dead C records, and who’s gonna argue with that as a pastime? As with their first disc, three long tracks are offered up. Proving the adage that geography is no barrier to creative collaboration, the Rogers-Hardiman axis has hit another one out of the park. Cover art by Nathaniel Brennan of Cruudeuces and the Ghetto Naturalist Series label.
THRESHOLDERS - Mistaken Identity
TD43 Rambutan – “The Temple of Echo”
An hour’s worth of new Rambutan material. Tracks include a range of brand new explorers, left-field basement experiments, droned out dreamscapes from the archives, and a couple of items being rescued from obscurity on micro-releases from other labels. Somehow all the tracks have congealed together in a logical manner and these represent some of the personal favorites here at Rambutan HQ. Cover art by Nathaniel Brennan of Cruudeuces and the Ghetto Naturalist Series label.
RAMBUTAN - Shoreline
************************************************************************************
Tape Drift is proud to announce its new batch of releases, a very special “trilogy” of discs. Our most cohesive and inspired batch to date, there’s a unifying element to these releases, both conceptually and sonically – a celebration of the guitar. In various ways, the three artists here demonstrate their unique connections to the instrument and share from their own deep wells of inspiration.
$6 each ppd in the US, email us for international prices.TD36 Fossils From the Sun "Forever Came Today"
An essential part of the ffts puzzle, this release shows yet another side to the multi-faceted body of work that Ray Hare (Century Plants, Burnt Hills, Twilight of the Century, etc) is carving out for us. The purity of intent, sharp focus, and mood are remarkable here as Ray delivers the goods on this stunning guitar-focused record. Hypnotic and haunting motifs fade in and out, the ghost of Spacemen 3 are summoned, feedback trails gently coaxed into existence, and the result is a deeply satisfying and addictive reminder of why the electric guitar remains a mainstay of modern music. This one harkens back to the Hare’s solo debut (TD06) in its relatively narrow palette – just electric guitar and effects. With his inimitable tone and sense of space, he takes the simplest of tools and uses them to sculpt incredibly gorgeous pieces of sound that will lodge in your memory. Cover collage art by Thomas Lail, with vellum inserts and inner photo by Mark Lunt.
Fossils From the Sun - Run On Confusion
TD37 Jefferson Pitcher "Now the Deer"
Long overdue for release, this sublime disc is perhaps the single most beautiful item in the TD catalog. Pitcher has a long history in music, playing with Christian Kiefer and many others over the years, but this is surely a landmark career high point. It’s certainly the kind of record others would dream about making, but never achieve. Aided with incredible subtlety and finesse by a handful of musicians (including Mike Bullock and Kiefer), Pitcher has created what can only be defined as a masterpiece. It’s that good. Inspired by a year spent living in Spain, this recording captures a magic that is both intangible and joyous in its beauty. Guitar is the central focus, but his partners lend so much to the overall sound and communicate so well that it feels like they’ve been playing together for decades. Never busy, Pitcher leaves room for every note to breathe, and weaves each unique thread in the record together as only a master can do. Words fail when trying to describe music this powerful. Each disc is housed in a heavy brown paper inside a vellum envelope and has a unique photograph taken by Pitcher while in Spain.
Jefferson Pitcher - The Invisibility of AnimalsTD38 Harold Biffen "The Wormhole and the Hymn"
After thirty years of guitar and nearly as many as an improviser, Harold Biffen releases his first-ever recording, a collection of fully realized steel string pieces that straddle the boundary between improvisation and composition. Whether drawing on his classical training or years spent with abstract electronics, Biffen uses the bare physicality of the guitar, his two hands, and a pick to create unstable harmonic structures that cluster, morph, collapse, and reassemble again—though with a lyricism and rhythmic vitality that will drop as many jaws as it does raise eyebrows. There are no preparations, effects, or standard cliches here, just formally inventive constructions that range from the gorgeously elegiac to the mischievous to the austere and back again. At times tender, brash, soaring, and proudly lo-fi, The Wormhole and the Hymn signals the arrival of a major new voice in the cosmos of post-everything guitar.
Harold Biffen - 13.7 (in medias res)Locrian / Century Plants - "Dissolvers" LP
Tape Drift’s first excursion into vinyl presents this massive split LP from two duos, one from Chicago, one upstate New York. These groups have been honing their unique and personal brands of sound for years, and both approach the task in similar ways, drawing equally from noise, drone, psych, kraut, minimalism, and metal influences. Each band offers up their best recorded work yet here, raising the stakes another huge notch. The Locrian side demonstrates their phenomenal range, and beautifully adds to their well established oeuvre with new and complex elements. Century Plants make their first appearance on wax, and show how far they’ve progressed in a few short years, bringing two subtly dark tracks that build in intensity. A slow burner, this LP is the rare split that sounds like a unified whole, and the pairing makes perfect sense. Intense building waves of sound, dense drones, feedback, power electronics, noise, psychedelic guitars, swirling synths and vox are all in the mix in ways only these two bands could pull off. A dark, dense, and ominous record, Dissolvers is also deeply cloaked in mystery and spaciousness. Mastered by James Plotkin for maximum heavy spectral sound, this is a must own record for noise, drone, psych, and metal heads alike. With design by Terence Hannum of Locrian, and art by Scott Treleaven, the LP is packaged in a black jacket with silkscreened silver leaf ink, and a special double-sided color insert.
$15 USA postpaid
email hardiman04@gmail.com for international rates.
Locrian - Omega Vapors (excerpt)
Century Plants - Fading Out (excerpt)
Tape and cdr releases $6ea. ppd in the US. Email for international rates. If you'd like to buy anything, email first to hardiman04@gmail.com. THANKS!
(TD34) Inhibitionists - "Lithium Salt Mines" cdr
Solo project from Christian Kann, from Copenhagen, and brains behind the amazing Beard of Snails record label. Ostensibly a "noise" record, this is so much more. It's simply a phenomenal collection of tracks that cohere and make aural sense in a way that most music never will. Every sound is perfectly placed, the timing is impeccable, and the music consistently inspires. Somehow Christian has managed to create a set of mysterious sounds that balance multiple worlds and serve as a lightning rod to the cosmos. Easily one of the best and most welcoming noise records we've heard, but it sacrifices absolutely nothing for its accessibility. Next level indeed.(TD35) Millions - "Goldmouth" C30
Dave Suss, from NYC, delivers the goods on this tape, using minimalist means to construct two towering sides of stunningly heavy drone. Majestic and beautiful in scope, these are reminiscent of the best of Campbell Kneale's BCM work, and astound with their multiple layers and levels of nuance. Suss is a master of his trade, and time suspends itself over and over again while his tapes are in the deck. Blurry and noisy soundscapes that traffic in razor sharp detail. This is his best yet, and it's a massive winner.
(TD27) Jeremy Kelly - "Facing Space" C52
(TD28) Lee Noble - "Infinity Bore" C45
(TD29) Family Treasures - Altars of Ashes" C45
(TD31) Cruudeuces - "Exile Digs" C30
(TD32) Book of Shadows - "Twelve Degree Chandelier" cdr
TD 22 thenumber46 - “bleach and ammonia” C52
Fearlessly exploring new worlds of sound, thenumber46 push and coax feedback systems, physically and psychologically, into ultimate audible terrains, extracting sonic extremes from their instruments and themselves. Consisting of Suzanne Thorpe on flute and electronics and Philip White on electronic feedback, the duo improvise on the precipice of unpredictable sounds, exploiting the volatile and explosive in their music. Thorpe was a founding member of Mercury Rev, plays in The Wounded Knees, and can be heard from time-to-time with J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., all three of whom she played with at 2009's ATP in England. White’s performances center on a non-linear feedback system with mixer and several homemade circuits. Edition of 100 pro-dubbed yellow cassettes.
TD24 Zanzibar Snails – “Vitiligo” cdr
March 09 recordings from this phenomenal and mysterious Texas group with the ability to hypnotize listeners and create a swirling vortex of magical sound. Occupying some nether territory between collective improv, grainy atmosphere building, and structured chaos, Zanzibar Snails follow in the tradition of the great Texas psych dreamers in their quest for exploration. Vitiligo is the disease than turns the black man white (the most famous case being the macabre Michael Jackson), and the word accentuates the close relationship between darkness and light, luminescence and void, order and entropy. The first Zanzibar full-length to feature vocalist/sound sculptress Sarah Alexander. Amazing silkscreened gatefold sleeves (designed and screened by Nevada Hill) in stamped vellum envelopes.
TD26 Thresholders – “Protective Instincts” cdr
Noise, drone, psych, pop, doom, and lo-fi crunch collide in this first collaborative effort between Derek Rogers and Eric Hardiman (Rambutan, Century Plants, Burnt Hills). After releasing a searing split tape on the always excellent Existential Cloth Recordings, new frontiers of sonic strategies and challenges laid the framework for this successful long-distance collaboration. Layered sounds that build and decay, walls of dissonance, and waves of texture crash against each other only to collapse under their own weight: forty-five minutes of heavy and intensely zoned-out sounds. Expect 2010 to be the year Thresholders storm the barn and burn it to the ground.
TD 30 Padna – “There are so many fish in heaven, Pt. IV” cdr
After being blown away by Padna releases on the Stunned label this past year, we had no choice but to get in touch with Nat Hawks and beg for a Tape Drift release. Nat was more than happy to offer up this amazing project, part of a series of performance pieces in which he uses intentionally scratched cds as the primary sound source. The trademark Padna attention to detail is on sharp display, and like everything else he’s done, the end result is personal, warm, and immediate. Sound floats in and out of the airspace, glitches and skips become musical phrases, and before long you’ll begin to discover the internal logic of this new language. Hawks has a direct line to some cosmic source, and this masterful composition will allow you to tap in to its power. We’re mighty proud to be releasing this one. Includes liner note insert by Padna.
(TD 21) M. Geddes Gengras - "Aural Mimesis" C60. You may know him as half of the Antique Brothers, a quarter of Pocahaunted, or a third of Robedoor, but however you slice things up, they're always better when Ged's involved. Following great releases on Stunned and Digitalis, this tape is the heaviest and most fully realized piece of music Ged has made yet. Topping all expectations by a few thousand miles, We have yet to hear a better record this year. Ged works an alchemical magic here, using modular synth and more traditional instruments to carry us to dizzying new levels of bliss. Undeniably heavy and dark, but also subtle, melodic, and sonically rich. Two complex 30-minute pieces designed for maximum hypnosis that will have you addicted in no time flat. Essential in every sense. Edition of 100, pro-dubbed on purple cassettes.
(TD 23) Andreas Brandal - "Jernvognen" cdr. Established sound artist and drone/noise musician Andreas Brandal graces us with this release from deep in the heart of Norway. Dark and ominous, with deep doom-laden bass tones, powerful drones, and beautiful hints of noise lurking in every corner. Inspired by an old Norwegian crime/ghost story (translated to the "The Iron Wagon"), Brandal's command here is staggering, displaying a control over each sound, and wrapping it all up with an organic feel and sustained attention to compositional dynamics throughout. The immersive sounds are at turns soothing, frightening and probing, suggesting a journey into the abyss, but guided by the confident hands of a sheer master.
(TD 25) Hunting Rituals / Rambutan - "Spirit Wok" split cdr. Canada meets the US in this split pairing from Ontario's Scott Cloud (Hunting Rituals) and upstate New York's Eric Hardiman (Rambutan). Hunting Rituals have demonstrated over the last few years a creative and aesthetic consistency near unmatched in the underground noise/psych/diy scene. Each release Cloud drops into the aether is a gift from some warped and beautiful planet outside of our solar system, and the HR track here is a prime example. Rambutan follows up on recent releases on Digitalis and Stunned with 3 tracks inspired by Cloud's example. Taken together as one dose of aural medicine, the two sides of this split add up to a massive, spacious, and blurry juggernaut of sound that will both heal and transport.
(TD17) Fossils From the Sun/Rambutan - "Vertical" split C30
Two different solo sides of the Century Plants puzzle, split across the sides of one joyous tape. Eric Hardiman (Rambutan) and Ray Hare (Fossils From the Sun) take divergent paths here toward the goal of maximum zen brain warp. Drones, tones, blasts of noise, and radio interference from external zones all play a role here, and the end result should verticalize your head just fine. This one is on endless loop in another world we all oughtta visit.
(TD18) Derek Rogers - "Petit Chapeau" C30
Bursting out of Austin TX with more zoned out guitar action than that town can possibly hold, Derek's got the touch of gold with his axe. He's put out a slew of fantastic tapes recently on labels far and wide, and here he offers a glimpse into what makes his work so unique. Cavernous solo guitar that obliterates categories and defies the logic of time. Trippy, hypnotic and ambient at times, scorching and searching at others. A mighty compelling tape that has easily become a personal fave of 2009 here in Tape Drift land.
(TD19) Chapels - "Shadows" C30
Fantastic and utterly inimitable creeper style madness from Adam Richards, king of the House of Alchemy label, and best dude ever. We have no idea where he coaxes these sounds from or what he's doing, but this is a magical tape. Restrained, dark, powerful, ghostly and all-knowing, it's near impossible to deny the mastery that Richards has on display here. The roll call of amazing Chapels releases this year is massive, and this one can sit comfortably high atop the pack. You won't be able to describe this music or pigeonhole it, but that's exactly the way we like it. Essential now sounds.
(TD20) The Old Rig - "Space Crawl" cdr
Duo action from Frank Baugh (Sparkling Wide Pressure) and Patrick Singleton. Representing the deep south (Tennessee), these two could easily be crawling aliens sending us transmissions from a distant spaced out planet. The sonic message they've sent here is awesome in every way. Heavy, industrial grind mixed with hypnotic loops and lurching rhythms, all delivered with a sense of timing and patience that is excellent.
Simon Wickham-Smith - "A Seventh Persimmon" cdr (TD12) Words are tough when it comes to describing music this astoundingly beautiful. A leading figure in the worldwide experimental music community since the early 90s, Simon Wickham-Smith adds to his sizable body of work with this masterpiece. Three tracks clocking in at almost 60 minutes, Simon’s new work is the result of years spent honing his craft. His influences are drawn from sources far and wide, but the music that results is uniquely his own. Transcending genre altogether but most clearly informed by minimalism, this release is hypnotic, mysterious, and gorgeous. If you’ve followed the arc of his career, you’ll be pleased to see how mature and powerfully focused his musical vision has become. If you’re new to his world, it’s an excellent introduction. To say that it’s an honor for us to be releasing his music would be a massive understatement. A true classic.
Our Love Will Destroy the World - "Broken Spine Fantasia" C30 (TD16) Following an initial LP and a few singles on other labels, we present two thrilling live sides documenting recent shows in Australia and New Zealand from Campbell Kneale's new project post-Birchville Cat Motel. Kneale's been a massive personal favorite here at Tape Drift since he first hit the scene in 1997. Reborn in this new guise, he's taking no prisoners and leaving audiences stunned by the majestic power of his noisy epics. It's hard to imagine Campbell topping the peaks of his vast BCM catalog, but these two tracks are a dream come true and suggest he may just have done it. Massively brutal sound here - perhaps one of his noisiest yet, but of course it's got all the hidden melodic elements and attention to detail that you've come to know and love. A psychedelic noise master work that works amazingly well with the oxide of tape.
Enfer Boreal - "The Way of the Masks" cdr (TD15)
Following releases on Ikuisuus, Cut Hands, and Housecraft, France's Maxime Primault provides a massive headlong dive into the deep psych-laden abyss here. Patient ambient sounds, foreboding static drones, seismic sonic shifts, blasts of feedback, haunting melodic passages, and warped electronics all make appearances, tied together with care. When played loud, maximum escape velocity is reached in no time at all. His best work yet.
6Magik9 - "Solid Space" cdr (TD14) A lovely, meandering psychedelic record from mysterious Aussie collective headed by Michael Donnelly of the Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood. Grounded in the blues, but as filtered through a totally weirded out shamanistic sensibility, this one is a grower and a keeper. If you allow yourself into its world, it will work a magical sort of hypnotism, and unlock multiple secrets of the universe.
Ophibre/Katchmare - "Divided Transmissions" C40 (TD13) A perfectly matched split tape. First side is Ophibre from Boston. Usually known for his buzzing drone masterpieces, this one delves more into the electroacoustic vein, and finds rich treasures there. A live performance entitled "rowboat for laptop", it's a very very compelling listen, accumulating power as it goes along to its final conclusion. Second side is Katchmare, solo project of Nick Hoffman from Normal, Illinois. Anything but normal, this is a beautiful set of ghostly tones, haunted space, and electroacoustic invention. Very minimal yet very addictive.
Magnetic North Duo - "Static Fields Forever" cdr (TD11) Debut release from Norwegian unit comprised of Sindre Bjerga on bass, electronics, tapes, and Nils Rostad on guitar. A zoned and droned out blast of a journey into other worlds yet unexplored. True mastery over sound is the goal here and these two have a stellar set of techniques helping them rise to the challenge. A mesmerizing and very rich sounding sculpture of auditory bliss. From a live set recorded in Norway, this is a project we are incredibly proud to be releasing.
Century Plants - "Circular Spaces, Vol. 1" cdr (TD10) The tenth release on Tape Drift brings us back to the first, with a brand new offering from Century Plants. The first in a multiple volume series, “Circular Spaces, Vol. 1” finds Hardiman and hare in particularly fine form, showing how far they’ve come since their debut. This one splits the difference between their melodic and noisy extremes, with two beautifully intense guitar workouts and a long excursion into the depths of sonic abstraction unlike anything else they’ve committed to tape yet. Debut LP out soon on Music Fellowship!
Rambutan - "Rusted Prayers Converge" cdr(TD09) CDR Debut solo release from Eric Hardiman of Century Plants and Burnt Hills. From ghostly noisescapes to swirling organic drone plateaus to pure guitar improvisations, Hardiman floats in and out of various sound worlds on this one, yet always ties things together with a thoughtful and compelling sonic thread. Four tracks recorded basement style deep in the night, and it shows. Dig in, yet another surprise from the Century Plants camp.
Sunburned Hand of the Man - "Acid-X" C38(TD08) “Acid-X’ captures the mighty Sunburned in transplendent full live show format from a very special night in Saar Louis Germany in August 2008. Killer lineup featuring Moloney, O’Shea, Schneiderman, LaBrecque, and Thomas. This tape displays Sunburned at the height of their collective powers, magically conjuring clouds of spaced out, hypnotic beauty, leading us through cathartic workouts, and finally building to a kraut-inspired jam of epic proportions. Easily one of their best yet, and you know that’s saying something.
Stone Baby - "Vir Heroicus Subliminus" C40(TD07) The first Tape Drift appearance by Rochester NY-based Stone Baby, and we hope it won’t be the last. We’d seen em live and knew what to expect, but this exceeded all hopes by a long shot. This is perhaps Stone Baby’s heaviest exploration yet, with dense pillows of crystalline sound morphing into quasi-melodic motifs only to be obliterated by the next hypnotic swirl of noise. Like the best records, this one has both conceptual and sonic continuity and hangs together like a perfect work of art. Somehow this duo have honed their skills so well that sculpting a masterpiece such as this seems like second nature. Let’s just be thankful we can all benefit. Tapes come in special cloth-covered boxes, wrapped in audiotape and designed by Cory E. Card.
Fossils From the Sun - "From Another Sun" cdr (TD06) Monster solo debut from Ray Hare of Century Plants andBurnt Hills. Ranging from meditative guitar mantras to blissed out noise to hazy melodic riffage, and covering most of the points in between, this release has fast become a favorite here at Tape Drift headquarters. A very tight and driven set, this has the conceptual purity that only a debut can have, as it represents years and years of preparation and inspiration. Get on the train early - there's much more to come and you won't want tohave missed out on the beginnings.
Burnt Soil - s/t cdr (TD05) Burnt Hills meets Soil Sing Through Me for a ravaging psych blowout. Features members of Sunburned Hand of the Man, Aethr Myth'd, Century Plants, Feathers, Wovoka, and more! Hot thick summer air pervades this one, it's an absolutely RAW and ripping 62 minute joyride. A battalion of blazing psych guitars chasing each others' tails, pounding tribal drums, hypnotic bass grooves, a twinkling xylophone, beautifully twisted vocals, and even some magic oboe work from our Danish pal Troels make this a very unique document. Meetings this intense don't happen often, and there's a reason!
Slow Listener - "Desolation Sound" cdr (TD04) Following amazing releases on labels all over the globe (Ruralfaune, Peasant Magik, Celebrate Psi Phenomenon) comes another masterpiece from the genius mind of Robin Dickinson, out of Brighton, UK. A hymn to pure sonic beauty, this release is unparalleled in its focus and singular nature. Self-described as his "heaviest work yet", the sounds herein are simply gorgeous in their ability to transport to other planetary realms. Under thick layers of fractal tones, distorted hues, and sonic grime lays the beautiful melodic framework that undergirds all of Slow Listener's material.
Burnt Hills "Cloud Nine" cdr (TD03) The latest missive from our intrepid heroes from the wilds of Albany, NY. Easily their loudest and most PURE assault on the senses yet. Wild, wooly, and singular-minded in its pursuit of psychedelic Krautrock-inspired oblivion. We can't say it any better than the good folks at Aquarius: "Another glorious blast of blown out bong smoke free rock dope jams the way only these Burnt Hills cats can do it... Burnt Hills, on this particular evening in May of 2007 consisted of NINE members, seven guitars, five drummers, one bass, folks obviously swapping back and forth, and it sounds like it. A super fluid, chaotic confluence of sound. Like some lost subterranean Crash Worship Drum jam wrapped in thick sheets of Haino-like guitar skree, everything enveloped in thick clouds of smoky FX, like some musical opium den. The bass and the guitars are thick and slippery, swooping amidst the relentless percussion, and the wild squalls of psychedelic freakout. At times it almost sounds like some DJ rocking multiple turntables, playing several different No Neck and Sunburned Hand records as the same time, a blurry, drugged out free folk tribal mash up... Awesome." Boa Melody Bar says "Bruising 4 drummer / 7 guitars outsider rock that prowls with malevolent intent and gathering hurricane-like intensity." Volcanic Tongue says "Heavy Dead C/Trapdoor feel to the latest album by this cultic American guitar army". Read more full reviews of this essential slab on Auxiliary Out and Foxy Digitalis.
(VxPxC) "Lizard in the Spring" cdr (TD02) Representing the west coast contingent here on Tape Drift, (VxPxC) set the standard for beautiful and varied improv psychedelia. This one's a stunner - a stoned, hazy bliss of sound that wraps the listener up in its soundworld and then zooms right in for total mind-melt. Los Angeles has never sounded murkier and more mysterious than this and we love it. Perfect for the start of summer. Noiseweek says "...these songs tend to creep up on you. They're patient and even relaxed on the surface, but burning and grinding down below, with an impressively pointed aggression that really digs into your cranium like a bug laying eggs in your ear while you sleep...(VxPxC) constructs a vertigo-inducing stretch of aural imbalance and disorientation that must be what nausea would sound like if it felt good." Read the full reviews on Noiseweek and Auxiliary Out.
Century Plants "Sound System Sound" cdr TD01) A massive set of windswept noise, hidden melodies, amp rumble, scraping, and utterly beautiful droned out bliss. Starts off spooky and sparse and by the end of the journey, it's a full-blown noise/dronefest full of ecstatic freedom. Featuring a duo lineup with a pedigree ranging from the current psychedelic guitar mangling of Burnt Hills all the way back to first wave harDCore. Boa Melody Bar says "Two long improvised visceral guitar pieces, full of amp noise and stinging distortion." Hawaiian Winter says "an hour long onslaught of distorted guitar that starts with a bluesy tinge and continues on with a plethora of musical ideas that seem to appear and disappear through a thick haze of distortion and fuzz that pays as much tribute to the elemental as to the industrial. The music contained herein contains both fuzz-drenched melodic improvisation and blistering atonal squall, blending themselves to create a musical behemoth that is both intimidating and accessible..." Read full-length reviews on Foxy Digitalis and Auxiliary Out.