The Covid Situation

Spring is upon us, with great trepidation and much wind here in Nova Scotia. I’ve been away from the shop for about a year, a consequence of the pandemic. My family and I fled New England as the dual crises of Covid and Trump began to collide, and as I weed through a myriad of non-shop tasks, it seems a fine time to recommence my newsletter. These will go out as they did in days of old; once a season, generally with some photos of instruments and news about forthcoming releases, etc. All completed instruments are sold, so I’ve been busy with editing footage of a recording session, getting releases ready for digital distribution, doing some writing, practicing karate alone in my basement, and shooting film with my old, Nikon FM3A.

Below you’ll find information about said recordings, and links to where you can download the music or find a vinyl copy. The top three are available via iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, and other online streaming services, and the last remains vinyl-only for now.

Some of you may not have heard from me recently; I fell into the wondrous vortex of family, and held more balls aloft than I can count. If I accidentally put your name here, possible given my computer inadequacies, I apologize. If you would like to be removed, please click the unsubscribe button at the bottom. I really don’t want these going out to people who would rather not read them. I mean that. This one is longer than I predict in the future, as a bunch of older stuff is surfacing. With luck, a few new recordings will be available in coming months, video will be done, and I’ll be readying to get back into the shop with a few doses of vaccine in my arm. I sincerely hope that you, and loved ones, are all well considering. 

SHUMOTO + RAMBUTAN
The Migration to Warm Rivers
Lost Forest Records

Pitcher’s contribution sets the mood with deep and spacious guitar tones combined with hypnotic and meditative lyrics taken from a Ben Jahn poem. Hardiman’s three tracks on the Rambutan side continue his explorations mixing improvised guitar and electronics honed on numerous micro-releases for a range of labels. Taken together, the two sides form a whole that emphasizes abstraction, texture and mood while also offering intricate details for continued examination. The overall effect is deeply informed by each artist’s past work in the improv, experimental, indie rock, and psych realms, emerging on the other side with a gentle, introspective, probing and ultimately uplifting record. It is also a very personal record for each artist, representing a culmination of their shared obsession and joy with the wonders of sound and repetition.

~Tape Drift

Shumoto & The Byrde | The Sea Will Carry Me
Lost Forest Records

The final piece of this double album, "Mountain Above Sky", brings the proceedings back to how it began and is perhaps the most heartfelt tribute to the Oliveros. Sparse chords and sung duet vocals make for the focus, balancing the large and small sound dynamics perfectlyThe performance matches the mood in a sad, beautiful, and intimate way that, by its conclusion, features accordion in a final, appropriate tribute. Pauline Oliveros may not be associated with the guitar as an instrument, but Jefferson Pitcher and Austin Hatch have clearly taken on her methodology to sound and art and translated it to their respective instruments. Like her own works, Shumoto & The Byrde encourages deep listening and give the space for that to happen throughout this heartfelt, powerful record. The Sea Will Carry Meis the result, in the form of a loving, fitting tribute to Oliveros and her work that I am sure she would be extremely proud of in every possible way.

~Brainwashed

Christian Kiefer + Friends
What You Have Come for is Death
Jealous Butcher Records

The musicians who stepped forward to work with Kiefer on What You Have Come for Is Death, a soundtrack to Kiefer’s novel The Animals, are some of the greatest working today. Kiefer’s longtime collaborator, experimental guitarist and songwriter Jefferson Pitcher, is present here, as are Tetuzi Akiyama, Tom Carter (of Charalambides), and Kevin Corcoran, all of whom have worked with Kiefer on previous instrumental projects. A longtime fan of instrumental masters Boxhead Ensemble, Kiefer also enlisted Michael Krasser and Fred Lonberg-Holm. The result is a finely textured sonic experience, moving from thick drone-based pieces to country-tinged melodies rooted in rhythm. The listening experience is meant to resonate with the text itself, to be listened to separately or alongside.

~Jealous Butcher

Chen | Pitcher| Van Nort
One History of Troy
Attenuation Circuit Records

“Each composition carries a certain melancholic feel, but also a lot of sacral moments that were achieved by the astonishing sound of acoustic instruments. These moments are followed by improvisations and subtle dosages of field recordings. Chen, Pitcher And Van Nort are operating as a singular organism throughout the entire album, their sense for balance between instruments and intuitive abilities to implement all the right elements into the following segments are simply beyond comprehension. The entire album has been dedicated to the late Pauline Oliveros, with whom all three musicians collaborated during her lifetime. Released by German label Attenuation Circuit, it comes on a grey marbled vinyl and it’s been housed in a gloriously looking cardboard sleeve. It’s such a treat for all the fans of musique concrete, free improvisation, and ambient music, so don’t miss this one out.“

~Thoughts, Words, Actions