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7CD
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DC 718CD
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Released in 2018. "The CD box set called Rebajas is a seven-disc, six-hour and 42-minute second time around through the Bitchin Bajas catalog to date, including all 11 of their solo releases: eight albums and the Bajas sides of three split records! None of these records have previously been released on CD. The music on the Rebajas box represents the dawn and early pleastoric period of Bitchin Bajas. In the time of their conception, none of these releases were issued on anything other than vinyl. Now, there's finally enough material to make a really deep listening experience, all put together! The limitless vast that Bitchin Bajas music implies even in its smallest sampling is well-served by a multi-disc set. From the beginning, Bitchin Bajas have made music to enhance the moment they and you are sharing, and details above and beyond that have been relatively unimportant. In the time since then, they've gone from a one-person band to a duo, then a trio. That information, plus the recording and original release details, the additional personnel and the original jacket, label and insert artwork for all the releases is included here, along with a few schematic details, to provide a true overview into the parameters of their world. What's more, additional information can be heard in the material in its transferred-for-CD form, which has corrected inadequacies in several of the original pressings. Plus, all the Bitchin Bajas material can now be heard without any surface noise! So too ends the first Bajaian epoch -- when the band returns with new music, it will be moving away from even the most recent material on Rebajas, released earlier this year. Moving, always flowing -- but with Rebajas, the whole Bitchin Bajas thing to date is captured in the unending amber of digital sound."
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2LP
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DC 678LP
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2017 release. "Bajas Fresh is on the beach here in 2017, existing and thriving in the same wrecked world as you and me. How they finding it so chill and pretty? It's been over three years since the last proper Bitchin Bajas album -- a natural paradise of woodwinds, droning organs, analog synths, field recordings, and an ever-expanding sense of MORE (and LESS). In between then and now came a series of collaborative LPs, with Natural Information Society (Autoimaginary), filmmaker Olivia Wyatt (Sailing a Sinking Sea) and Bonny Prince Billy (Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties). Each time these varied external stimuli came into contact with the Bitchin Bajas' acroamatic process, it left the group with expanded perimeters to traverse. So 2017 -- what's new? Everything and nothing, probably! The pursuit is still the same: a perfect continuous flow. The means to attain it are in full, fluid transition; woven into the strands that unspool so peacefully (and with such potent enervation) are new elements -- like chord changes, for instance! The use of percussives is evident for the first time as well. Plus, a horn section, a cover song . . . but before you start thinking that this Bajas Fresh is some kind of whole-cloth change, recall to your mind that the nature of equilibrium around Bitchin Bajas is such that new properties tend to melt into the surrounding texture, providing vivid sonics without uprooting the mindset. And they do. While flowing towards a wholeness, the four sides of Bajas Fresh feature distinct approaches, approaching the ephemeral with subtle tweaks from new angles. Eschewing the grainy expansiveness of the self-titled album, this new one has an almost monolithic approach, whether spitting forth with Harmonia-styled data riffs, finding Denny-esque South Pacific exotica within a classic Sun Ra piece or teasing out almost imperceptible inflections inside the epochal fizz and whir with glassy-eyed, glacial patience. On Bajas Fresh, the cellular system of Bitchin Bajas continues to synthesize amid a growing ecosystem also of the Bajas' making, both morphing naturally together into a state perhaps not that far removed from its former incarnation, while also essaying refreshing new tones for new zones. Succulent half-speed mastering done at Abbey Road gives the LP pressing greater depth, extension and resonance than all previous Bajas incarnations, but the double cassette version of course holds its own unique experience..."
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LP
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DC 851LP
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2023 repress. "A year after the cassette-only release of Switched On Ra, another format has fallen from whatever kind of rare ether Bitchin Bajas occupy when they're at home. The LP edition of Switched On Ra bears all the same riches (only richer of course) in its grooves, adding a lovely screen-printed rendering of the graphics to its larger-than-cassette-cosmos dimensions. Switched On Ra is the outcome of a typical Bajas exercise: pouring some out for the pioneers that came before (as they've done with Bitchitronics and their participation in the annual Chicago performance of 'In C' over the years) . . . Before long, they're playing with the inspirations twined, as they can only come from within. For Switched On Ra, this meant a deep delve into the song-book of one of their soul-predecessors, Sun Ra, whose music is literally written in the Bajas DNA. Digging into this music sounded wild on paper: the drone synth group taking on the Arkestra harmonies and Ra's loose grooves? The trick was to get that sense of rhythm to translate across the spectrum from Ra to Bajas, in a way that worked for them both. Their rearrangements of the tunes went good -- up and down the EQ band, they were finding the round sounds and jagged edges that brought Ra's music into their own thing. Then at the last minute, there was another twist -- why not pay tribute to the Queen herself, and think of the arrangements with a Wendy Carlos vibe? A little side homage? After all, Switched on Bach was visionary, bringing analog synths from the outside all the way into the mainstream in the late '60s -- and this take on Ra is meant to take him to new ears everywhere . . . Bitchin Bajas have been content to dominate in a microtonal world, usually without a single chord to be found anywhere. But here, they step up righteously, their vibe triangulated as they bring Ra's music forward with some Wendy C style, making an unexpected space for all to thrive. There's a real feeling of joy as these collected signals bounce off the platter and through the speakers into your space. To get this unique colloid exactly right, Bitchin Bajas used nineteen different keyboards. They abstained from deploying their arsenal of reed and woodwind instruments: everything had to be on the keys. This meant Yamahas, Rolands, Korgs, Casios, a MicroMoog and of course their trusty Ace Tone organ. They even broke out the Crumar DS-2, to have some of Ra's chosen tone in the mix. Then Jayve Montgomery added an EWI as a solo voice on a few tunes, just to get some air-blown signal (and a natural shout out to EWI master Marshall Allen) in there, after all..."
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2LP
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DC 781LP
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2023 repress. "And suddenly! With a tactile clunk, Bajascillators bubbles to the surface. 'Amorpha', a side-long shower of synthetic bells and bass, as patterns interlock and repeat and the beat within the barlines shifts constantly, forms a new, latest miniature of infinity. You flip it, and 'Geomancy' resets you, starting anew, with heavy drift and drone leading into a space of shorter broken lines and middle-eastern tonalities, that roll back into ether again -- new spaces, but mysteriously consonant with the vibe. And that's how it goes -- side by side, Bajascillators rolls four unique numbers that act on their own AND as extensions of each other, phases in perfect flow. Each time, as the needle cradles into the playout groove, you the listener are becalmed, in stasis, forever changed. Until you flip the side -- and forever changes again... The Bajas is back. Bajascillators arrives almost five years since their last official full-length, 2017's Bajas Fresh. In the eight years prior, from 2010 to Fresh, Bitchin Bajas issued seven albums, plus cassettes, EPs, singles . . . wave after wave of analogue synth tones and zones extending into a stratospheric arc. Each release its own headspace, shape and timbre, each one sliding naturally into their implacable, eternal gene pool. Following the flow, always, the Bajas went ever-deeper-and-higher on these records, whether making soundtracks or collaborating with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, using only fortune cookie fortunes as a libretto. Plus engagement, with a steady stream of shows and tours around the world; live re-airings and expansions of the space captured in their records as they continued to grow and flow -- all the way through, really, to the present moment. Plus, there have been releases since 2017 -- a split 12", a 7" single, digital track release and two 'Cuts' cassettes, plus the all-covers cassette release Switched On Ra. But the overall number of releases, plus the five years between long players, implies a potential distance between phases, a new line in the sand. The sound of Bajascillators bear this out. How couldn't it? Compared to 2017, this is a different world -- and, as has everlutionary been true, in case of new world, new Bajas! Bajascillators, then, necessarily reflects the experiences -- the changed and the changing -- in the life and times of Bitchin Bajas these last five years. Like all the new gear, for instance! Everything from keys to mic pres, and many other machines to make their home setup an increasingly real thing. These bits and pieces came in and needed time to grow into the setup organically. That was time. Then add in the changing circumstances as they jammed from week to week, hearing things differently all the time. Different energies manifested from the variety of new possibilities to explore -- all of that led to a massive buildup of material. That was time. Then reviewing everything they had, to find paths into the new record. More time! And yet, after all that, the unprecedented lightness of the space in Bajascillators belies the long gestation period, drawing and juxtaposing from all the moments that needed to be, and mixing them as one with immaculate balance. Mastered directly from half-inch analog tape, Bajascillators floats transparently from the speakers, its expansive grooves gathering resonance and building momentum over the four sides, from genesis to re-conclusion, cascading ecstatically. The elastic magic of time at its brightest! As the world keeps turning, so too do Bitchin Bajas, in the same unknowable way. You can't explain it -- just keep turning."
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Cassette
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DC 781CS
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Cassette version. "And suddenly! With a tactile clunk, Bajascillators bubbles to the surface. 'Amorpha', a side-long shower of synthetic bells and bass, as patterns interlock and repeat and the beat within the barlines shifts constantly, forms a new, latest miniature of infinity. You flip it, and 'Geomancy' resets you, starting anew, with heavy drift and drone leading into a space of shorter broken lines and middle-eastern tonalities, that roll back into ether again -- new spaces, but mysteriously consonant with the vibe. And that's how it goes -- side by side, Bajascillators rolls four unique numbers that act on their own AND as extensions of each other, phases in perfect flow. Each time, as the needle cradles into the playout groove, you the listener are becalmed, in stasis, forever changed. Until you flip the side -- and forever changes again... The Bajas is back. Bajascillators arrives almost five years since their last official full-length, 2017's Bajas Fresh. In the eight years prior, from 2010 to Fresh, Bitchin Bajas issued seven albums, plus cassettes, EPs, singles . . . wave after wave of analogue synth tones and zones extending into a stratospheric arc. Each release its own headspace, shape and timbre, each one sliding naturally into their implacable, eternal gene pool. Following the flow, always, the Bajas went ever-deeper-and-higher on these records, whether making soundtracks or collaborating with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, using only fortune cookie fortunes as a libretto. Plus engagement, with a steady stream of shows and tours around the world; live re-airings and expansions of the space captured in their records as they continued to grow and flow -- all the way through, really, to the present moment. Plus, there have been releases since 2017 -- a split 12", a 7" single, digital track release and two 'Cuts' cassettes, plus the all-covers cassette release Switched On Ra. But the overall number of releases, plus the five years between long players, implies a potential distance between phases, a new line in the sand. The sound of Bajascillators bear this out. How couldn't it? Compared to 2017, this is a different world -- and, as has everlutionary been true, in case of new world, new Bajas! Bajascillators, then, necessarily reflects the experiences -- the changed and the changing -- in the life and times of Bitchin Bajas these last five years. Like all the new gear, for instance! Everything from keys to mic pres, and many other machines to make their home setup an increasingly real thing. These bits and pieces came in and needed time to grow into the setup organically. That was time. Then add in the changing circumstances as they jammed from week to week, hearing things differently all the time. Different energies manifested from the variety of new possibilities to explore -- all of that led to a massive buildup of material. That was time. Then reviewing everything they had, to find paths into the new record. More time! And yet, after all that, the unprecedented lightness of the space in Bajascillators belies the long gestation period, drawing and juxtaposing from all the moments that needed to be, and mixing them as one with immaculate balance. Mastered directly from half-inch analog tape, Bajascillators floats transparently from the speakers, its expansive grooves gathering resonance and building momentum over the four sides, from genesis to re-conclusion, cascading ecstatically. The elastic magic of time at its brightest! As the world keeps turning, so too do Bitchin Bajas, in the same unknowable way. You can't explain it -- just keep turning."
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2LP
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DC 592LP
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2023 repress. "...and at the heart of Bitchin Bajas, there is pure peace. Bitchin Bajas have been around the world in five years; chasing sonics through space and time and coming up with a lot of conclusions along their discographical path. Always, they push forward, recklessly consuming processes in order to realize their own works -- but the sound and the music regularly emerges with tranquil essence, bringing them and their listeners into a shared experience. Bitchin Bajas' output has been remarkably diverse in search of this singular goal, which makes for great listening across multiple albums etc. -- and with the release of this new double-LP, they have mapped and traversed their own ecosystem as they journey in search of the aural epiphany, the true unknowing. With plenty of room stretched over four sides, Bitchin Bajas use their many methods to attain perfect flow throughout the 76 minutes of this self-titled record. Self-titled because this is who they are at their core; these are the flares and oscillations of their soul. They will be other things again, horizons will continue to rise and fade away in their path as they continue forward and upward -- but this self-titled record is a pure vision at the heart of Bitchin Bajas. Acoustic is the beginning. Eastern tonalities relocate Bitchin Bajas farther inside the source, finding the timeless time from long ago and slowly sliding via fader until then is now, until acoustic goes analog. Something pure and natural is happening -- within the sound, within the songs; in the album and in you. The shifts that come makes changes in your moods and your body temperature. Something delicate yet definite, gradually washing over your consciousness. Electricity just comes, it doesn't even begin. Bitchin Bajas is climate-controlled comprehension -- on one hand, an ultimate album, and on the other, barely even an album at all. What began in randomness, pitch-shifting and tape manipulation emerged in the cutting as a single direction, a journey in scales, divided by the format perfectly into four stages, eight discreet parts. Bitchin Bajas reach high and low in their consciousness as expressed through equalization to see (hear) what affect it will have on them -- and what it does to them, reaches through to you. The space found on Bitchin Bajas was located with organ, synthesizer, winds, xylophone and autoharp, employing a 1" 8-track tape machine to the fullest extent. Additional contributions from strings, keys, guitar and field recordings helped make Bitchin Bajas everything that it is."
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2xCassette
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DC 592CS
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"The trip through Bitchin Bajas took in all kinds of sonic terrain. When it was done, an additional mix was made, omitting the intense peaks of the album to create a Relaxation Version. This mix has been added to the cassette version only, making a 2xCS."
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Cassette
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DC 560CS
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LP
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DC 560LP
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2022 restock. "Bitchitronics, is ready with the quickness we expect from the Chi-based duo -- which is funny, since their area of expertise and mastery is in the area of synthetic ephemeral sonic languid-ity known more instinctively, inclusively (and let's face it, irresponsibly) as drone music. They make slow music at a fast pace is what we're saying. Now these guys are paying attention to this on the micro-level because that's where their fun is, so how will you react when we tell you that the sound of Bitchitronics was a change so extreme they considered changing their name? Ha. Yeah, us too. They were revamping a bit on this one though, it isn't just about turning on the keyboard and getting cozy. This time, the concept was: use tape techniques to create and then solve problems -- but mainly, loops and edits were there to make things fun and the music great in the style of experimental tape pioneers upon whose shoulders the Bajas play. In keeping with the (unspoken, unacknowledged by the band) concept of catching air with tape, Bitchitronics is the first Bitchin Bajas record made as a trio, blending the blowing of flute into the mix of electric keys and posthuman tones and loops of tape atop other loops of tape, with the final result coming to us with all the ebbing and flowing of a breeze -- wind on wind, even! A veritable index of gases! Let the power of Bitchitronics fall over you; another green world of music made Baja fresh by the wandering ears and care-filled creations and re-creations of Bitchin Bajas."
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LP
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IMPREC 306LP
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"Bitchin Bajas is the solo project of Cave's Cooper Crane. Cooper's skillful use of melody within his elastic electronic tones is matched by his ability to mix it all (much like he does with Cave) so that there's a lot of sound but even more space and separation between the sounds. Tones/Zones was pressed in an edition of 500 copies. Through some sort of cosmic serendipity, Important is releasing Tones/Zones at the same time as J.D. Emmanuel's classic Wizards LP from 1981. There are some interesting parallels between Tones/Zones and Wizards. Both artists have a firm grasp of sound without wading too deeply into the blissful waters of new age melody. Both used an organ and a similar assortment of analog synths and both used the same Tascam reel-to-reel tape machine for their recordings. Though nearly 30 years separate, they're both generously offering you the opportunity to dive deeply into their own private tones & zones. Enjoy."
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