The insanely detailed macro photo of my wife's hand that graces the cover of Merciless was included in Redefine Magazine's album art of the year list.
While inclusion in musical lists is always appreciated, this nod for the artwork is even more so. Three years of work went into finalizing every last detail of Sufferers and Merciless and I'm honored to see other aspects of the album(s) - they will always be a linked pair in my mind - get some attention.
With more and more people are getting their music digitally, I realize liner notes aren't always making the trip with the audio. With that in mind, I'd like share the credits for The Choir, The Army and ensure these gentlemen (myself excluded for these purposes) are recognized for their awesome contributions to the album:
Excellent hearing Richard’s guitar palette expanded to two
discs worth sprawling howls and moans.
11. Aaron Dilloway & Lescalleet – Grapes and Snakes
Though both released critically acclaimed solo offerings
this year, I found their collaborative effort the most rewarding of their
output.
10. Joe Colley – The Lonely Microphone
Vintage Colley (2002, not too far removed from the Crawl
Unit moniker) with a 30-minute offering split into two excellent side-long
tracks.
09. Ruez – Brise Soleil
Surprise of the year. I found myself captivated by an Eric
Laska performance this fall and equally impressed with the cassette I picked up
afterward.
08.Killer Mike
– R.A.P. Music
Love the hypermodern throwback reconstructions El-P came up
with to compliment Mike’s voice and flow. His lyrics are conscious but the delivery is HAM and avoids the petty/preachy trappings that often come when venturing into that territory.
07. Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
I can’t get enough of Stott’s swoon-inducing filter flux.
The vocals seemed odd at first, but I’m all about them now. Leaving could be my
favorite track of the year.
06. Locrian & Mammifer – Bless Them That Curse You
As beautiful as it is dark, the world created when these two
gristled entities joined forces is really something to behold; simultaneously engaging and befuddling, lush and dreadful.
05. Sylvain Chauveau &
Stephan Mathieu – Palimpsest
Extended, drone covers of highlights from
the Smog catalog? I did not need much convincing to pick this one up.
04. Mika Vainio – Fe3O4 – Magnetite
I previously wrote that this album’s tone
could be described as cosmic horror, an audio version of, say, the Alien
trilogy. It is the perfect response to the blissfully psychedelic offerings so
rampant these days.
03. Swans – The Seer
What a pummeling tour de force! Two hours of
onslaught that feels more like a hazing than a beating. You are a different
person on the other side.
02. Black to Comm – Earth
This album is so easy to unlike and dances so freely between loathsome and enchanting that I can't help but absolutely love it. It’s one of the rare album
that actually challenges those who like ‘challenging’ music.
01. Mt. Eerie – Clear Moon
Phi Elverum took his production and songwriting to new
levels with his two full-length offerings this year. I wouldn’t have minded seeing
them as a double album, but I appreciate the distinctions between the two.
Clear Moon wins out as favorite by a slight margin.
And three others I wish I'd had just a bit more time with to fully analyze:
If you listen to music via streaming service, here are a few links where you can find (and listen to, if you are so inclined) The Choir, The Army on such:
I am not exceptionally familiar with any of these, but figured I'd offer up the links to anyone who does use them. Of the three, I am pretty sure Grooveshark is the only one that doesn't require a subscription of any sort.
And if you like what you hear, please consider picking up the new LP. Copies will be available stateside this week from both myself and the good folks at Experimedia.
A year and a half since I posted the last mixtape? Three LPs and a dozen other releases later, I guess I should get around to posting some more free tracks. The majority of the mix is material from my 2012 output, the rest is a collection of layered hard drive errata. (Some of those contain elements of larger works recontextualized, others are composed of unreleased odds and ends.) A couple collaborative efforts round everything out. Enjoy.
Tracklist:
01. Omicron Meditation
02. Omicron Serenade
03. [fragments]
04. Baby, It's Cold Outside
05. [fragments]
06. [fragments]
07. Stalemate (collaboration with Daniel Menche)
08. Live Collage
09. [fragments]
10. [fragments]
11. Bedside (Coda)
12. Live Duo with Jeff Chenault
13. Bummer
14. Omicron Meditation
