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Search Result for Label SPECTRUM SPOOLS
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SP 027LP
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Ben Billington is a Chicago staple and multi-instrumentalist crucial to the metro area experimental landscape. He can morph his styles seamlessly and is fluent in many musical languages, whether he's playing in Moonrises, Circuit De Yeux (as a touring drummer), or in the legendary underground free-jazz unit Tiger Hatchery. Mayville is the sophomore LP following his Silver Balloons in Clusters LP on Under The Spire (while originally released as a cassette on Deception Island some time ago.) With Mayville Dream, it's all Billington and the results are outstanding. Taking from his knowledge of songcraft, Billington has crafted a well-varied album of instrumental suites that are as eclectic as they are eccentric. Being primarily trained as a drummer, various kinds of percussion appear throughout, with many rhythmic angles that accent the intricate melodies and structures to make them truly unique. The opener "The Many Roads to Mayville" opens with a concrete flutter before doing a complete 180 into a total color storm of melody and syncopated percussion. "Institute's Innards" flips the mood right away with its deep urgency and melodies that demand introspection. Tracks like "Bemus Has Wings to Fly" and "Closer to Towanda" display an ability to thickly layer pieces and parts to make a logical whole while displaying elements of early psychedelic rock and with the knowledge of early private sides in tow. Mayville Dream has a special impact because you hear Billington stretch himself out over every playing style he knows and beyond to create something that's all his own.
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SP 022LP
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Three Legged Race is the ongoing, ever-evolving project of Robert Beatty, a Lexington, Kentucky-based multi-media artist and founding member of noise band Hair Police. 2012 has been a busy year for Beatty, as he's provided his personal brand of visual art for countless excellent albums, and has also released new audio works (the outstanding Wrong Element 12" on Acoustic Division is essential). Persuasive Barrier is the debut full-length album from Three Legged Race, recorded over a period of five years. The album begins with "Traces of a Wet Crowd," creating a spacious and synthetic environment for the album to unfold upon with its rolling, cryptic vocal spray and high-frequency pulsing. "Traces" seamlessly collides with "Permethrin," a track which suspends the listener in juxtaposed clatter and wide open space. "Persuasive Barrier" plays like a lost Mort Garson theme accidentally found on Haruomi Hosono's soundtrack to the fictional film Cochin Moon. The lonely vocal passages and dream-like melody trails lead the listener down a very personal path, where the visual and audio aspects of Beatty's world leave the artist exposed for your examination. Listen carefully, these moments are woven together in a complex way that warrants repeat visits to this special stasis. The flip of Barrier starts with the warm "Butter Colored Hallway," which hovers over the stereo field like a hot cloud, slowly moving and dripping micro details as it floats into "Locked Eyes," which is another wonderful and melodic passage. The album heads for the abstract and jagged ("Budgeting Air") before arriving at a complex bed of rhythms ("Permethrin II") where the album comes full circle. Persuasive Barrier sees Beatty organize many of his musical ideas and themes old and new into a fluid, flowing and comprehensive debut. Mastered by James Plotkin.
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SP 026LP
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"'Material Study 01 (Sand)' is a recording from a stereo hydrophone buried under the sand in a lake. Standing on top of the transducer, holding the MiniDisc recorder in my hand, and monitoring the feed with a pair of in-ear earphones, I slowly shifted my weight and the sand beneath my feet. My younger brother was on the shore throwing firecrackers into the water; this was an 'accidental' aspect of the recording. 'Material Study 02 (Cello and Jacket)' is made from a cello as it is dropped onto a carpeted floor with a contact microphone taped to its bridge. The moment of impact was 'frozen' with an infinite sustain effect pedal. Both the sustained tone and the live feed from the contact microphone were played into the room at high volume while the contact mic was still attached to the cello. This was recorded. Roughly one year later this 'cello drop' recording was amplitude modulated in a computer audio synthesis environment by a pair of stereo contact microphones taped to a wind breaker being blown by an air circulator as it hung from the ceiling by a string. 'Spatialisation Study 01 (One Freeze from Seven Positions in a House)' is made from four frozen tones generated from a file on my computer in a computer audio synthesis environment. The four tones were played back simultaneously in an arbitrary stereo spread at a high volume on a home entertainment system in the living room of a house with high ceilings. The stereo and computer were both left undisturbed for an afternoon, and their output was recorded to a portable SD card recorder via a matched pair of stereo omni-directional condenser microphones mounted on a homemade disk baffle (for accurate stereo imaging) from seven positions within the house (order of presentation: 01 in the dining room, 02 on the second floor landing, 03 in the middle of the upstairs hallway, 04 in the middle of the upstairs hallway close to the floor, 05 in the front room close to the floor, 06 in the living room facing the speakers close to the floor, 07 in the living room facing away from the speakers close to the floor). Using a DAW, two minutes from each recorded position in the house were combined into the eight minute track here; identical overlapping envelopes were superimposed on each two minute segment, fading in for one minute and then fading out for one minute, with the subsequent segment beginning to rise in amplitude as the previous begins to fall. 'Spatialisation Study 02 (Forty-Nine Tracks of Isolated and Overlayed Clicks Generated from the Material and Positions of the Previous Study)' is made from the convolution of randomly generated stereo 'clicks' with the seven two-minute segments (mentioned above) in a computer audio synthesis environment. Each of these seven tracks were individually convolved and played back into the house. The output was recorded to a portable SD card recorder via a matched pair of stereo omnidirectional condenser microphones mounted on a homemade baffle disk (for accurate stereo imaging). A recording was made from each of the seven source tracks in each of the seven positions (mentioned above), for a total of 49 recordings. Using a DAW, one second was excerpted from each of the forty-nine tracks, playing one click from each source-position pair; all forty-nine tracks then play simultaneously. 'A Pencil Rubbing for the Album Cover' is made from a pencil rubbing of the texture of a wall. A 7 1/2" x 11" piece of rice paper was taped onto a wall with stereo contact microphones taped to the wall along the top and bottom edges of the paper. A pencil was slowly rubbed against the paper in vertical lines from top to bottom (or L to R according to the stereo configuration of the microphones) and recorded direct to computer. The rubbing produced from this process was scanned into the computer and can be seen on the cover of the album." --Michael Pollard; Audio was mastered by Russell Haswell on October 2nd 2012 and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering on October 17th 2012. It is intended for playback in a room via loudspeakers.
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SP 023LP
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Repressed. "The seven pieces on this LP were developed over a period of about five years; 'Rain in Coffee' is built on a Hyperborean Trenchtown-era demo, while 'Pinq Drinq' -- sorrel, for the record, and neither guava nor antacid as certain wags have already ventured -- was reanimated directly from the cutting-room floor, 11th hour, 2012. As a whole, they should probably be considered the proper 'sequel' to Canzoni dal Laboratorio del Silenzio Cosmico, extending that record's preoccupation with the dream interiors of post-1965 Fellini and synthesizing (pun very much NOT intended) it with Elegy for Beach Friday's fascination with the lush and abject facets of advanced gastronomy and the embrace of the recursive, solipsistic, simultaneously expansive and claustrophobic universe of the sampler on Vaporware/Scanops. However, in direct contrast to each of those prior works, When We Were Eating Unripe Pears draws more deeply on formal ideas from the history of records than any Bee Mask release to date. Toward this end, most of its constituent tracks were hammered into their finished shapes 'on the road' throughout 2011 and 2012. Those of you who heard me on tour in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, and particularly at Voice of the Valley, the Bunker, and Labyrinth played a part in the process of shaping this material and so may well experience the shock of the familiar. When We Were Eating Unripe Pears was recorded in Cleveland and Philadelphia between 2007-2012. It was edited and mixed at Tranquility Base in Summer 2012, mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates and Mastering, and pressed by Pallas Group. The first 300 copies are on translucent green vinyl. Mark Price did the photography and layout. Special thanks are also owed to Jason Anderson, Katherine Brady, Matt Carlson, John Elliott, Lawrence English, Daniel Lopatin, and Alex Moskos, without whose perspectives this would be a very different and much lesser beast." --Chris Madak, Philadelphia, October 2012
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SP 024LP
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LP version. Off/On is an evolutionary act of fissure, the opening of a rift in Forma's sonic landscape. The second LP from the Brooklyn cosmic synth trio of Mark Dwinell, Sophie Lam, and George Bennett, Off/On's universe is darker, its terrain more enigmatic and aggressive than 2011's critically-acclaimed self-titled album. Recorded at the renowned Schoolhouse space in Bushwick, Off/On combines swirling arpeggios, gnarled sequences, and deconstructed motorik rhythms to conjure an atmosphere of entropic propulsion by unseen forces. Yet the emotional summits of Off/On are greater than those of its predecessor, its crystalline melodic peaks made more pronounced by the shadowed depths below. It is this synthesis that gives Off/On its singular vision; a sense of unity forged by its own inner tensions. Mark Dwinell and Sophie Lam: Moog LP, Moog Prodigy, Roland SH-1000, Roland RS-09, Oberheim SEM, Yamaha CS-15, Korg Lambda, Akai AX73, DSI Tetra, DSI Mopho, Crumar DS-2. George Bennett: Roland TR-707, Roland TR-606, Alesis HR-16B. Mastered by Andrew Veres. Cut at Dubplates and Mastering, Berlin.
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SP 025LP
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2013 repress. Providence, RI's (recently relocated from Nashville, TN) Container returns with another slab of alternate universe bent techno. Schofield's take on that over-used genre is not only unique but utterly compelling, forming a modern and exciting new sound. While the classic Container sound is still in tact, this album offers a look into a previously closed door in the Container sound world. LP, like its predecessor LP, is recorded in mono and it cuts right down the middle of your skull, and doesn't float around in an imaginary room. These new tracks are immediate and heavy. Kicking off the delayed trip of "Dripping," a rhythmic bone akin to a rusty swing in a ghetto playground, morphs seamlessly into the complex maze that is "Paralyzed." Closing the side is a real stomper/head-cleaner of a track, the mighty "Acclimator." Side B opens with "Perforate," a bass line straight from Mute-era D.A.F., which mutates into an elastic acid line, building into a full rhythm 'n' noise spectacle. The disc closes proper with the mad rush for the bar that is the epic "Refract." LP is a rough and raw ride, adding very much-needed gristle to the pale faces of the stagnant minimal scene. Recorded Labor Day Weekend 2012, in Providence, RI.
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SP 024CD
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Off/On is an evolutionary act of fissure, the opening of a rift in Forma's sonic landscape. The second LP from the Brooklyn cosmic synth trio of Mark Dwinell, Sophie Lam, and George Bennett, Off/On's universe is darker, its terrain more enigmatic and aggressive than 2011's critically-acclaimed self-titled album. Recorded at the renowned Schoolhouse space in Bushwick, Off/On combines swirling arpeggios, gnarled sequences, and deconstructed motorik rhythms to conjure an atmosphere of entropic propulsion by unseen forces. Yet the emotional summits of Off/On are greater than those of its predecessor, its crystalline melodic peaks made more pronounced by the shadowed depths below. It is this synthesis that gives Off/On its singular vision; a sense of unity forged by its own inner tensions. Mark Dwinell and Sophie Lam: Moog LP, Moog Prodigy, Roland SH-1000, Roland RS-09, Oberheim SEM, Yamaha CS-15, Korg Lambda, Akai AX73, DSI Tetra, DSI Mopho, Crumar DS-2. George Bennett: Roland TR-707, Roland TR-606, Alesis HR-16B. Mastered by Andrew Veres. Cut at Dubplates and Mastering, Berlin.
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SP 020CD
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It's been nearly two years since we've heard new music from Gary War and Spectrum Spools are excited to announce the release of his inevitable breakthrough Jared's Lot. Through the years we have heard the developments from the D.I.Y. psychedelia of New Raytheonport to the more current electronic acid-prog tracks we heard from Horribles Parade and the most recent Police Water EP. Jared's Lot brings the years of laboring and hard work full circle, with every facet of the project dialed into perfection. These tight and intelligently arranged pieces are the most concise and mind-blowing set of songs presented yet and we're sure you'll have a hard time taking this off your turntable. The album kicks off with the incredibly anthemic "Thousand Yard Stare," which asserts immediately that the album is very different than previous efforts, crafted with hindsight in mind and glowing with ambition. We can hear the melancholy voice of a man lost in the cosmos with nothing to lose going for broke, it's all or nothing. Tracks like "Superlifer" and "Pleading for Annihilation" contain such a powerful energy and pack such a wallop, that you won't possibly be able to stand still. There is a great juxtaposition however, with songs like "Advancements in Disgust" and "World After" experimenting with new styles of pop/rock structure and incorporation of odd rhythm and melody. Gary has a masterful control of his machines, and you can tell that countless hours were spent making sure that the vision came direct and absolutely pure, from his mind to the record you will hold in your hands. Even though we have a more synthetic-based set of tracks, it's apparent that these transmissions are messages that are based in our reality, evoking a boundless range of emotions throughout. The hectic fidelity of Gary War's previous recordings has morphed into a unique production style which rewards with its rich tone and multi-layered tiers of sound and melody. We are witnessing a huge leap forward in both sound and vision, respectively. Meanwhile, the alienated code hardly discernible to the listener and clever pop structure remains, and in top form, making this album a warmly received gift to the Spectrum Spools catalog. "Fear that man who has nothing to lose." Mastered by James Plotkin and cut at Dubplates and Mastering.
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SP 020LP
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LP version. It's been nearly two years since we've heard new music from Gary War and Spectrum Spools are excited to announce the release of his inevitable breakthrough Jared's Lot. Through the years we have heard the developments from the D.I.Y. psychedelia of New Raytheonport to the more current electronic acid-prog tracks we heard from Horribles Parade and the most recent Police Water EP. Jared's Lot brings the years of laboring and hard work full circle, with every facet of the project dialed into perfection. These tight and intelligently arranged pieces are the most concise and mind-blowing set of songs presented yet and we're sure you'll have a hard time taking this off your turntable. The album kicks off with the incredibly anthemic "Thousand Yard Stare," which asserts immediately that the album is very different than previous efforts, crafted with hindsight in mind and glowing with ambition. We can hear the melancholy voice of a man lost in the cosmos with nothing to lose going for broke, it's all or nothing. Tracks like "Superlifer" and "Pleading for Annihilation" contain such a powerful energy and pack such a wallop, that you won't possibly be able to stand still. There is a great juxtaposition however, with songs like "Advancements in Disgust" and "World After" experimenting with new styles of pop/rock structure and incorporation of odd rhythm and melody. Gary has a masterful control of his machines, and you can tell that countless hours were spent making sure that the vision came direct and absolutely pure, from his mind to the record you will hold in your hands. Even though we have a more synthetic-based set of tracks, it's apparent that these transmissions are messages that are based in our reality, evoking a boundless range of emotions throughout. The hectic fidelity of Gary War's previous recordings has morphed into a unique production style which rewards with its rich tone and multi-layered tiers of sound and melody. We are witnessing a huge leap forward in both sound and vision, respectively. Meanwhile, the alienated code hardly discernible to the listener and clever pop structure remains, and in top form, making this album a warmly received gift to the Spectrum Spools catalog. "Fear that man who has nothing to lose." Mastered by James Plotkin and cut at Dubplates and Mastering.
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SP 019LP
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Outer Space is a rapidly-evolving sound entity headed by John Elliott and joined by a constantly rotating cast of Midwestern U.S. electronic figures. Akashic Record sees the project grow in many different directions from the self-titled Arbor album created throughout 2008 and 2009 while retaining similar aesthetics of synthesizer experimentation and its esoteric relations. Recorded over the course of a year with close engineering assistance and compositional contributions from Andrew Veres in home and studio situations, a fresh array of fidelities and ideas previously unexplored have been mined and documented. New contributions from the elusive Philip Whiteside (of Wavehead) and Drew McDowall (past Coil/current Mirror Eye member) expand, stretch and challenge previous working methods. In the tradition of many other past releases, Jeff Hatfield (of Cleveland, Ohio's Fragments) makes his essential appearance as well. Akashic Record sees the project move on from the stripped-down, primitive nature of the old into a more urgent, fractured and aggressive set of reality-based compositions. The work was created based on the events of others in mind; those doomed to circumstances beyond predictability or imagination. Cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin.
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