final instalment of the great subscription series… ghq’s “requiem for bhopal” this brooklyn all-star duo of marcia bassett (zaimph, hototogisu, double leopards, zaika) and steve gunn (check the solo digitalis cd sundowner) have been killing it on releases on time-lag, three-lobed, not not fun and others since their debut in 2005. the extended-playing 45 (six minutes on each side) finds ghq hitting that bliss-drift stride, with droned-out atmospheres of guitar layers soothing your headspace into a fully-conscious trance. occasional vocals just barely peak through the blanket, and there’s definitely enough noise to remind you this ain’t just about good vibes. black 7″ vinyl record is held in a black art paper sleeve, with gold-ink offset printing on the back and a paste-on full-color cover. limited edition hand-numbered to 300; embossed for authenticity… vollmar’s “new best friend b/w flood punch & holy blessing” justin vollmar’s recordings often sound wonderfully and pleasantly small-scale; they begin with gentle strums like a feathered wing brushing a rusted-out six-string, soon joined by the fragile voice of a reluctant singer who’s got only one person’s ear in mind. occasionally calling to mind lo-fi songwriters like oldham and elverum, vollmar’s songs are focused on the intimate and intricate, and recently his presentation has become fleshed out with full-band-type arrangements – modest drums, mini-synths and warm electric guitars in service to the songs. this 7″ single presents alternate, more pared-down versions of three songs from his upcoming tell the dirt lp. black 7″ record held in a tri-fold chipboard sleeve, in-house screenprinted on front and back, with full-color paste-on photo on front and a hand-written note on the third fold. limited edition, hand-numbered to 300, with embossed dust sleeves…. elephant micah’s “in midnight b/w ocean floor”as consistently great a songwriter as we’ve had this decade, elephant micah’s joe o’connell is always affecting and almost unbelievably right-on, with a subtle vocal delivery, modest home-tracked recording fidelity, and slight country-western touches. which is what makes this 7″ release so intriguing – this is elephant micah interpreting two songs written by friends of his (time and temperature & microwave background), and they are his most recently-recorded works. as expected, elephant micah truly makes these songs his own through no subtle re-interpretation. synth tones, backwards noise guitar, and even a trumpet solo set these songs apart from both their original versions and elephant micah’s past work, and yet joe’s voice and vision comes through as accurate as always. befitting the “recycling” theme of the songs, this black 7″ record comes packaged in discarded 12″ LP sleeves, which have been cut down to 7″ jacket size, and then in-house screenprinted over with the release info. limited edition, hand-numbered to 300… beautifully done & highly recommended!
ELEPHANT MICAH / GHQ / VOLLMAR ~ TRYST HAUNT SERIES #4 ~ 3x7inch bundle (l'animaux tryst (field) recordings
ELEPHANT MICAH / GHQ / VOLLMAR ~ TRYST HAUNT SERIES #4 ~ 3x7inch bundle (l'animaux tryst (field) recordings
final instalment of the great subscription series… ghq’s “requiem for bhopal” this brooklyn all-star duo of marcia bassett (zaimph, hototogisu, double leopards, zaika) and steve gunn (check the solo digitalis cd sundowner) have been killing it on releases on time-lag, three-lobed, not not fun and others since their debut in 2005. the extended-playing 45 (six minutes on each side) finds ghq hitting that bliss-drift stride, with droned-out atmospheres of guitar layers soothing your headspace into a fully-conscious trance. occasional vocals just barely peak through the blanket, and there’s definitely enough noise to remind you this ain’t just about good vibes. black 7″ vinyl record is held in a black art paper sleeve, with gold-ink offset printing on the back and a paste-on full-color cover. limited edition hand-numbered to 300; embossed for authenticity… vollmar’s “new best friend b/w flood punch & holy blessing” justin vollmar’s recordings often sound wonderfully and pleasantly small-scale; they begin with gentle strums like a feathered wing brushing a rusted-out six-string, soon joined by the fragile voice of a reluctant singer who’s got only one person’s ear in mind. occasionally calling to mind lo-fi songwriters like oldham and elverum, vollmar’s songs are focused on the intimate and intricate, and recently his presentation has become fleshed out with full-band-type arrangements – modest drums, mini-synths and warm electric guitars in service to the songs. this 7″ single presents alternate, more pared-down versions of three songs from his upcoming tell the dirt lp. black 7″ record held in a tri-fold chipboard sleeve, in-house screenprinted on front and back, with full-color paste-on photo on front and a hand-written note on the third fold. limited edition, hand-numbered to 300, with embossed dust sleeves…. elephant micah’s “in midnight b/w ocean floor”as consistently great a songwriter as we’ve had this decade, elephant micah’s joe o’connell is always affecting and almost unbelievably right-on, with a subtle vocal delivery, modest home-tracked recording fidelity, and slight country-western touches. which is what makes this 7″ release so intriguing – this is elephant micah interpreting two songs written by friends of his (time and temperature & microwave background), and they are his most recently-recorded works. as expected, elephant micah truly makes these songs his own through no subtle re-interpretation. synth tones, backwards noise guitar, and even a trumpet solo set these songs apart from both their original versions and elephant micah’s past work, and yet joe’s voice and vision comes through as accurate as always. befitting the “recycling” theme of the songs, this black 7″ record comes packaged in discarded 12″ LP sleeves, which have been cut down to 7″ jacket size, and then in-house screenprinted over with the release info. limited edition, hand-numbered to 300… beautifully done & highly recommended!