Bronze Horse - s/t LP (oakhill 2010)

"this is a self-released debut vinyl record made up of music for 4 and 6 steel-stringed guitars and one piece for piano. no vocals… but if you listen close… recorded in ohio, new mexico and montana between 2007-2009." time~lag

"When we first heard a preview of this album a few months back, everyone was floored. It came out of nowhere, the work of one Zachary Hay. The atmosphere was immediately striking. It spoke of empty rooms and secret lives, of the backroads of America, as eloquently as the first cd-r's from Ilyas Ahmed or Jandek’s acoustic recordings. Some of the music could be vaguely described as American Primitive but it was reflected through an odd, almost Corwood-style aesthetic. The solo piano piece is especially poignant, the perfectly simple technique of Vikki Jackman or Christina Carter put to the service of a lonely winter hymnal. Really, this is a magical record, with an atmosphere that would stop time. If you’re a fan of the real American Primitive, a tradition that includes Jandek, Charalambides, Matt Valentine, the Tommy Roundtree/Arian Sample axis and Loren Connors as much as Jack Rose and John Fahey, then this is the perfect postcard from oblivion...A classic out of nowhere underground side."volcanic tongue

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Peter Broderick - Three Film Score Intakes (Schedios Records 2010)

This was released two weeks ago on Schedios Records (a newish label founded and run by Clem Leek). Released on a 3" CD in an edition of 200, some of which appear to be available from Experimedia (link below). The music is taken from a short film by Matt Clark titled 'Passenger'.

"the three tracks on display here combine piano, strings and field recordings. A signature of the Broderick classical sound is his ability to take a minimalist approach to composing and through his blending of pre-recorded sounds or looping his own instruments he adds significant complexity to his music. So, for example, “Part 1” in essence a fairly simplistic, but nonetheless beautiful piano composition is supported by undertones of violin and given a distinctly gritty edge through the recorded sound of a train passing by. “Part 2” which seamlessly integrates from the first track, gives the strings a more prominent role and the resulting sound is an emotionally charged, melancholic one. “Part 3,” reverting to a greater piano focus again, is the most melodic of the three tracks yet Broderick again through his ambient intuition, ensure there is not an overriding burden of romance to the composition." (Fluid Radio)

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Julian Lynch - Mare (olde english spelling bee 2010)

The last time we wrote about Julian Lynch we ended up going on this weird mind journey about leathery old dudes playing shitty guitars in front of lakes. This time, Lynch turns down the brain-frying, sunburned solos and gets pastoral. He’s layering hypnotic guitar and soft drone loops in a way that makes us want to chill in a big sweater and watch a horse eat grass for like five hours at once. It’s like a mini-vacation in our headphones. * the fader

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Pan A Sonic - Osasto EP(1996) & Aaltopiiri (2000)

Claiming influences from Suicide, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubautenor even Pierre Henry, Pan Sonic don’t deal in classic electronica or digital sound processing. Instead, they extract sounds from their machines with caution, carefully placing them in each song.

To celebrate their newest release "Gravitoni" here are two of my favourite releases by these outstanding sound-artists.

First there is my first encounter to them from 1996. It's their EP"Osasto" and it consists of 4 tracks. Hard, distorted beats overlaid with abrasive textures and minimal modular noodlings over the top. Very hypnotic, trippy, though very fast in parts. This got me totally addicted and I never wanted to be cured from that.

And then there is "Aaltopiiri" from 2000. It is more intimate than its predecessors, but also more accessible in many ways. Though far from being easy to listen to the duo’s more mature approach to their work gives this album an organic feel. Using improvisation as a basis for their work, they let their inspiration take over, inserting beat patterns only when necessary, allowing space and time in each track.

Get them here:
Panasonic - "Osasto EP" (256Kbps)
Pan Sonic - "Aaltopiiri" (320Kbps)
And enjoy !

PS: After some legal problems with the corporation of the same name they dropped the A in the middle. Just to name their next album exactly that: "A" !

PPS: Get their collaboration with Keiji Haino down here !

Polypus Sapiens - Sleeper In The Valley (full of nothing 2010)

Debut tape from Southern Russia Polypus Sapiens. One man from a rural city records lovely bedroom folkish psychedelia with the simplest means. Gentle and thoughtful 30+ minute work filled with pure bliss. Pro-dubbed tapes wrapped in A3 posters. 75 copies. full of nothing

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MV & EE - Sweetheart Of The Nascar 7'' (electric temple 2010)

The always prolific Matt Valentine & Erika Elder are back at it with the debut 7-inch on Electric Temple Records, Sweetheart of the Nascar. Rising from the depths of the grass-roots, free-riding psychedelic underground, MV&EE provide the nighttime companion over two midnight-oil burning tracks to their recent masterwork for Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label, Barn Nova. The A-Side title-track, “Sweetheart of the Nascar” is perhaps one of the duo’s heaviest tracks to date, pushing the threshold of Rust Never Sleeps-era Neil Young into sludge metal meets Mark Hollis ambience. The b-side, “Crow Jane Variations” is a slow-burner featuring Erika Elder’s reverb-drenched echoes behind a wash of lap-steel guitar and minor-key rustic psychedelic vibes. The inventive technique is highlighted on “Sweetheart of the Nascar” with two drummers playing – one in the left channel, one in the right, spread across a gorgeous stereo-pan. *electric temple

*Download links removed by request

Various Artists - Excavated Shellac, Strings (Parlortone 2010)

14 outstanding compositions from the four corners of the world played on stringed instruments and recorded and released 78rpm records circa 1920-1950. Featuring fiddles, shamisen, charango, Paraguyan harp, Indian vina, Lebanese oud, Persian violin, Vietnamese moon guitar, and more. All previously unreleased, carefully transferred and mastered and presented with detailed liner notes. Pressed on high quality vinyl, full color cover featuring 78rpm record sleeve graphics, with an insert of extensive liner notes and photos. *Piccadilly Records

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