FORTHCOMING: The N.E.C., Last Point of Radiation, "Six" b/w "Popsicle

'SPECTIVE AUDIO ON VINYL!

Forthcoming Releases:
SPCTV LTD9 The N.E.C. "Six" b/w "Popsicle" 7"
SPCTV LP10 The N.E.C. Last Point of Radiation LP

The Natural Extension Concept, Atlanta’s psychedelic travelers, arrive at their destination this year. ‘Spective Audio is proud to announce its first vinyl releases, The N.E.C. Last Point of Radiation LP and “Six” b/w “Popsicle” single. Flexing their muscle with pummeling, layered rock and expansive desert explorations, The N.E.C. present an opportunity to feel the energy of their powerful live sound on wax.

The N.E.C. drove through the universe of psychedelic music over the course of their last two albums. From the rollicking acid punk of Is through the meandering power pop of Pineapple, the group exploited their strong, soulful rhythms with dreamy atmospherics and left-field excursions.

Last Point of Radiation presents another chapter in their ceaseless journey for mind manifestation with the group’s most direct, immediate statement to date. Beneath the shifts between their previous albums, the trio played blistering live shows that amplified their noise within the immediate constraints of their song structures. Each member of the trio enacts the spirit of that structured noise throughout Last Point of Radiation, maintaining intense, concise statements.

The trio’s dynamic focus is enhanced by the recording and delivery of these performances. Recorded on an Ampeg AG-440 A 1” 8-track once owned by Todd Rundgren, the N.E.C. delivered “Six,” “Dead Man,” Death Training Video,” and the title cut in one take. The remaining songs featured second-take performances, ensuring that Last Point of Radiation is a direct transfer of energy.

This is the mark of the best psychedelic records, as soulful rhythms and dynamic song structures lead effected insanity and explorative jams. “Six” perfectly captures this spirit with monolithic, riff-heavy exercises building to righteous release. The album follows its opening statement, with brilliant, expansive surprises and wicked, direct punches.

In the tradition of private press releases, this gem of subversive Americana features thematic screen printed inserts and deluxe album jackets. The LP pressing will be 300 (200 clear, 100 black), and 100 copies of the single will be pressed. Screenprinted inserts, 7" artwork, and LP labels will carry a visual theme. Together, both pieces will form complete visual and musical themes, offering each listener a special artifact for their mind’s consumption.

Specific Release Dates Forthcoming (springtime hopeful!). Contact [spectiveaudio] at [gmail] dot [com] for details and special, limited offers.

Sawi Lieu / I\D CDr

I first had the chance to hear this split CDr between Indonesian artist Sawi Lieu and Singapore's I\D while reviewing the disc through Foxy Digitalis. The extreme filters, synthetic layering, improvization, and joyful experimentation immediately captured me. I think there's definitely an audience for this type of experimental music in America, and I\D was kind enough to send some copies to me.

Sawi Lieu's contribution to the disc is an extended synthetic loop or series of layers, which are extremely filtered. Completely unpredictable filter sweeps interrupt the signal at points, invoking the feeling of joyously recording at home and mashing all he effects one can find. However, this isn't simply filter mashing; Sawi Lieu effectively builds synthetic layers by introduced new parts atop his repetitions, ultimately creating the image of a blissful, endless sonic blast.

I\D contrast Sawi Lieu's synthetic layers with series of live drum propulsions and wild, unrestrained guitar work. There are other synthetic elements and unclassifiable noises throughout the two parts of I\D's suite -- "Four Horesemen of the Apocalypse," and the electronic elements are as extreme as the filters on the wah-wah guitar. As the second part enters, the ensemble insanity cools, and I\D present hypnotic, cleaner guitar sequences. I\D present a distorted, interrupted version of completely free improvisation that nevertheless portrays a clear vision through their interaction.

CDr: Sawi Lieu / I\D split (self-released) $7 ppd US / $10 ppd world

Thanks to Ujikaji Records!

I\D back catalog

I recently received copies for distribution of the Sawi Lieu and I\D split CDr, to showcase the collaboration between noisemakers from Indonesia and Singapore. I also received a few copies of two previous releases from experimental group I\D.

Midnight Hot and Elite, Kvlt, Irrevocably Tr00 showcase I\D's penchant for unrestrained experimentation between noise and completely free jazz. As a result, the group present tracks that are percussive and intense along some surprising displays of space, loose arrangements, and disconcerting stops.

At their very best, I\D play a type of acid-fusion, building their abstract elements into tense crescendos and structured jams driven by drums and guitar. Overall, the development of their noise is blissful, experimental, and completely free -- there is a willful feeling of exploration and creation. Yet, it's not simply outsider jazz or unfocused wanking; the driving, start-and-stop explorations display willful explosion of genre expectations while establishing their own parameters through their instrumental interaction.

I\D produce personal, challenging improvizational and structured explorations of noise, free jazz, and electronic/synthetic manipulation.

CD: I\D, Midnight Hot (2009, self-released, 32 minutes), $10 ppd US / $15 ppd world

CD: I\D, Elite, Kvlt, Irrevocably Tr00 (2007, self-released, +60 minutes), $10 ppd US / $15 ppd world

Thanks to Ujikaji Records!

CURRENT STATUS

Coming Soon...

New projects coming soon!

SPCTV CS7: Emporium, Vision Tape (Home)

Finally mastered! A personal set from 'Spective proprietor Nicholas Zettel, featuring a culmination of summertime drone exercises and tape manipulation. Opening with ethereal atmosphere, this set of four songs meanders through two-channel follow-and-response folk, followed by reverb circuitry manipulation and backwards tape exercises. In order to amplify extreme echo patterns and manipulate decay time, these tracks were recorded in the red and mastered loud. Two-channel interactions showcase disparate stories and opposing sounds, invoking conversation/silence, soul/body, surreality/reality.

Spirit Death by Nicholas Zettel

Each tape will be home-dubbed onto commercial tape for now; between $3.50 US PPD and $5 US PPD donation recommended for American orders. International shipping negotiable. Please contact [spectiveaudio] at [gmail] dot [com] if interested.

Thanksgiving Update

Happy up-coming Thanksgiving everyone! I am thrilled about how this year turned out for personal and musical reasons alike. I'll say it's a great sign for the number of quality records released that I continually trade back my old music and find ways to get as many new LPs as possible. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

'Spective Audio News
(1) If you're interested, I am releasing a set of semi-improvised tape manipulation/reverb-circuitry manipulation recordings on limited, hand-dubbed (commercial grade) tape. These recordings were compiled on my nearly-dead Tascam and featured intensely textured experiments with infinite decay and infinite echo, along with lots of backwards droning. These will be $5 PPD US (international shipping negotiable), or other offer. As always, email spectiveaudio [at] gmail [dot] com.

I will be more than happy to negotiate shipping, prices, and trades.

(2) The N.E.C. have been busy with dates and their new LP, Pineapple, available from Pretty Ambitious and fine record stores. This one showcases the band's power pop sensibilities as much as their ability to dive into exceptional droning textures, and at their best, they combine both. The N.E.C. place yet another notch in their psych belts, but the driving backbone and soul sensibilities are never far from the group's strangest excursions.

Copies of the group's B-Sides cassette remain available, featuring oddities and rarities recorded over a several-year span from Million Minks and Is. The tape is full of extended wild, noisy breakdowns, short rockers, and surprising ambient segments -- it spans the full spectrum of N.E.C. sounds, and you'll hear a lot of the band's current elements in utereo. C45, translucent red tape, artwork by Cyrus Shahmir, $5 PPD US (international negotiable).

(3) The Vital-Sound groups have amazing music out this year (or on the way).

As mentioned, The N.E.C. just released Pineapple, and the Great Society Mind Destroyers' Spirit Smoke received its rightful vinyl incarnation. Soft Opening produced a mind-bending instrumental journey.

Killer Moon's Tunnel Vision is on the way, and Rabble Rabble followed up Bangover with their ripper, "Why Not" b/w "Long Hook." Implodes' much-anticipated Black Earth also saw the light this year, following the group's visionary cassette from a few years back.

All The Saints' next LP Intro to Fractions will be released in January 2012, following their life-changing Fire on Corridor X (that LP probably opened the door to more than half of my psych obsessions).

Brainworlds continue to release cassettes at a furious pace, and The Sunny Muffdivers introduced their tape All Half Evil, also on 'Spectivehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif.

Copies of Vital-Sound are available for a suggested donation of $7 PPD US (international negohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftiable).

(4) Cinchel has a handful of copies of drone.dump remaining, as do Milwaukee Ave. Reckless, Permanent, and Discogs.

Cinchel also has many other recordings available, including his Feedback Loop release Ritual Habitat.

(5) The Leavitt Ours are now officially in Cleveland and New Orleans, after many individual journeys across the United States this year. Travis Bird toured with Evan Lindorff-Ellery and Jaap Pieters, and also put together ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif solo tour earlier in the summer. Dense Reduction, the pastoral, textured noise duo of Travis and Evan, come highly recommended, for obvious personal and musical reasons, and so does their label, Notice Recordings.

Copies of Return by The Leavitt Ours are available for $7 US PPD suggested donation (which includes the tape, artwork by Evan, and individually sewn, handmade cases by Kelley Crawford).

Thank you for an amazing year, everyone -- bands, friends, and everyone who ordered tapes and sold them at stores. I never dreamed that these tapes would be across Europe, Canada, and the United States -- but it still feels like a close-knit group of people who like psych, outsider, experimental music.



Recent Obsessions
(1) Notice's Ben Own tape, Birds and Water, 1, totally kicked my ass. There are some serious depths of frequency captured on this cassette. One of my year-end favorites for sure.

(2) Bad Drugs produce some of the best heavy music I've heard this side of Cacaw. Rotted Tooth have had an amazing year of releases, bhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifut Raw Powder is blowing my mind continuously with shifting structures and brutal noise.

(3) Thee Oh Sees are going to make me go broke. Obviously everybody loves Carrion Crawler/The Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif, and so do I. Exceptional acid rock; I feel like Thee Oh Sees are rewriting chapter after chapter of the Sonics/Nuggets/freak folk tradition in American rock.

(4) Sloow Tapes blew my mind this year, from The Great Society Mind Destroyers tape, to their compilation of Belgian psych, to their recent batch of traditional folk/psych tapes. Those tapes really took a lot of time away from the "Phono" setting, but when my belt and needle work beyond their expected life, I'll have these tapes to thank.

(5) As for Foxy Digitalis material, I've been re-listening to a bulk of material I reviewed earlier this year, and there are a lot of standout releases this year. Jasper TX Black Sun Transmissions and Phaedra The Sea remain among my favorites. Recent material I've heard by Food Pyramid, Cut Hands, Moonwood, Muscle Drum, and Blue Sausage Infant is going to make end of year lists nearly impossible.

(6) Old music obsessions: Echo and The Bunnymen, Ocean Rain, The Beatles Yesterday and Today, The United States of America, The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man, Tegan and Sara Sainthood, U.S. Maple, etc., etc.

Thank you for reading! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving...let everyone who needs peace have peace, and let's continue to share music for the rest of this year and all of the coming ones.