microphones in the trees: hooker vision
Showing posts with label hooker vision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hooker vision. Show all posts

Thursday, November 22, 2012

the kevin costner suicide pact / crippling


"The Kevin Costner Suicide Pact is a four-piece from Denver, Colorado who turn a massive pile of communally manipulated pedals into a delicate wash of sound. despite (or because of) the number of members, this crew is known for it’s subtlety. And despite the subtlety, the songs on this tape have a presence that only a group so tight-knit could create." hooker vision
  
"a contemplative drone wafts from the collective's floorcore alchemy for guitars that blossoms into a dissonant crescendo of wintery noise sounding like a lo-fi version of Tim Hecker or Lawrence English. on the second half the Pact eschews the guitars for a freak-folk amalgam of bells and Finnish-inspired clatter that morphs into a balefully cinematic conclusion to the tape with deeply resonant loops that speaks to the expansive land in which these gentlemen live, as some sort of cracked, lugubrious reinterpretation of Arthur Honegger's early 20th Century symphonic ode to railroads and trains in Pacific 231. another great find from Hooker Vision." aquarius


sold out ~ try ~ listen ~ download


"Fleeting Talisman was recorded using only the grimiest records and crudest equipment available in west Georgia thrift stores." hooker vision

"the title alone made me curious. and my curiosity was immediately overwhelmed with abstract, sonic beauty. the sound of Crippling is opaque, murky, always threatening to disintegrate; yet it is concurrently beautiful, fascinating and consoling. in the process, the sounds ascend, descend, and throb; however, hope manifests throughout. the first part emits a vibe from a Miles Davis fusion era live show, when the sound of his trumpet would descend among the backdrop of Jarrett and Corea. even then, the intermingled sounds of the band would produce an uplifting sound, a feeling of hope. that feeling is eerily present throughout the rest of the tape: dense, tangled sounds follow the introduction, existing under the hiss before breaking through, descending and reappearing. side B finishes the trip properly as flailing loops and broken sounds imbue the environment, refusing to depart as the mood vacillates." honest bag

sold out ~ try ~ listen ~ download

por las nubes... en Crippling, Grant Evans explora nuevos territorios con la ayuda de poco más que 'el equipo más básico y los vinilos más viejos y desgastados que pudo encontrar en las tiendas de segunda mano de Georgia." precisamente los dos elementos que dan cuerpo y alma a las tres canciones de 'fleeting talisman', un campo lleno distorsiones, astros fugaces, ruido, efectos, zumbidos, pero también melodía y romanticismo. inevitable acordarme de The Caretaker y sus imágenes recurrentes: orquestas de bailes de salón impregnadas de humeantes atmósferas de jazz, salones vacíos, años cincuenta, el crepitar de la aguja sobre el vinilo, el resplandor, cosas bonitas de verdad. 'fleeting talisman' es como el reverso melancólico e introspectivo de 'tactical gamelan', capaz de inventar bandas sonoras que saben emocionar y envolver a fuerza de añadir capas y hacer enrevesadas las estructuras. pequeñito pero apabullante.

the kevin costner suicide me enamoran desde su enigmática portada (un hurra a los diseños de hooker vision, por fin tengo en mis manos 'many moons' de former selves y no puede ser más bonita) y un título cinematográfico, muy muy sugerente: mi mano agarrando una fotografía de la misma imagen. devoción, fe, conexión astral... ¿quienes son estos enigmáticos personajes? vienen de la mano de Grant y Rachel y eso sólo puede ser bueno. cuatro canciones: 'and', que abre el disco, sensual como un baño de espuma, ('good morning, i'm sorry'...), la mínima y acuosa 'minimal water damage', 'man the dam', un encuentro imaginario entre Burial y Sylvia Monnier y 'left out in left field',  posible demostración de que si estuviésemos hablando de cine, la mano que agarra la fotografía sería una peli de culto, llena de misterio y emoción verdadera.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

former selves / quiet evenings

 

"For those only familiar with Paul Skomsvold's hazy tapes of blissful drone, this disc may come as something of a surprise. Recorded prior to Many Moons, Build is the missing link between Paul's early experiments in lo-fi rock and his more recent excursions into pure sound. A perfect soundtrack for the final days of summer."


sold out ~ listen ~ free download


"Descend into the deeply personal sound of Quiet Evenings and experience music in both time and space. Gradually resurface on the sustained, perfumed bubble of Former Selves’ soporific harmonies" costellation tatsu




"slow motion nostalgia from Former Selves...soundtracks to lost love scenes, blurry 8mm film montages of carousel rides, memories of a beach sunset. highly accessible, emotive synth movements, that seem impossible to resist. the soundscape is thick, and full, but never crowded or overbearing. a beautiful confluence of warm layers and clean, crisp delicate sounds. there is an elegant simplicity in the four track c20. peaceful, honest compositions, absolutely meant to be enjoyed, and effortlessly successful. stunning physical product. retro futurist art, pro printed, pro dubbed limited to sixty copies. grab directly from Rotifer." guide me little tape

siempre es motivo de alegría cualquier cosa que salga de los dedos mágicos de rachel y grant, hooker vision, rotifer y el recién llegado costellation tatsu (hakobune, cankun), pero former selves, el mago de la nostalgia por excelencia, es una debilidad personal... qué bonita 'future nostalgia', el perfecto equilibrio entre sensibilidad y ciencia, una de esas melodías que dejan huella de verdad. las imágenes que lleva dentro y que desencadenan un estado de ánimo de melancolía y emoción son pura ciencia ficción musical, la demostración empírica de que existen otros planetas ambient. y están aquí. porque el cambio a partir del minuto cinco me deja sin respiración, capas y capas de teclados entrelazándose con una tímida percusión que avanza dulce y delicada, conscientemente anacrónica y triste. sólo un deseo, que siga el estado de gracia de paul skomsvold (al que pronto tendremos de gira por españa y también en portugal, porto) y que siga haciéndonos levitar por mucho tiempo

Sunday, September 16, 2012

hobo cubes / komodo haunts


"The Hobo man is back again on Hooker Vision to put his fractured take on dub music. Spin this at the club and you’re bound to get your freaky ass thrown out. On the B side, British newcomer, Komodo Haunts, delivers a gentle set of cool, reflective beach zones. The comedown yin to Hobo Cubes’ yang party" hooker vision

sabía antes de escucharlo que ésta sería mi colaboración favorita en lo que va de año, la magia de ver tan sólo los nombres, los títulos y el sello. hobo cubes más acuáticos, relajantes y de corazón que nunca (lazy in heaven!), un bálsamo de dub, drones e incluso un poquito de jazz. komodo haunts tan orgánicos y húmedos y tropicales como en el disco de la palmera editado no hace mucho en sangoplasmo y con el que había experimentado un flechazo tan especial, los dos juntos nos llevan de paseo por la isla de la foto. me despierto con jungle apparition y las flautillas lejanas de streams through thick air y, con permiso de lieven moana, pienso que si hablamos de clima y de bucles no hay nada que me transporte como lo hace la música, dulce y diminuta, del astronauta ollie tuttie. cuanto más lo escucho, más me gusta. todo fluye como si estuvieras en un sueño... hooker vision que estás en los cielos


Friday, August 24, 2012

panabrite


 Panabrite: la paciencia, la calma, el bucle... sería tan bonito vivir en el mundo de Norm Chambers. poco a poco me ha ido ganando el corazón hasta el punto de que un día sin Panabrite, al menos una canción, no es un día completo. presente, pasado, futuro. Norm juega en la liga del minimalismo, la delicadeza y la inspiración infinita. no es fácil transmitir en palabras la cantidad de imágenes y sensaciones que sugiere su música, siempre entrañable, de superficie melancólica y esencia melódica, contemplativa, próxima a la perfección, relacionada con un pasado que es futuro, el mar, el universo, programas de ciencia ficción de los setenta, teclados vintage comestibles, guitarras acústicas que asoman cristalinas y muy de vez en cuando (sobre todo en 'Soft Terminal'), documentales del mundo submarino,... la música que ilustraría la melancolía retrofuturista de las viñetas de 'Lupus' de Frederik Peeters y 'El Caminante' de Taniguchi. eso es precisamente lo que más me gusta y a la vez me desconcierta, como Leyland Kirby (The Caretaker), esa sensación evocadora y difusa, constante, la capacidad de sugerir mil imágenes y no ser capaz de ubicarlas en el tiempo y lugar exactos.

decían en mnml ssgs (para quienes hizo este mixtape), que Panabrite trasciende el peligro de sonar simplemente 'bonito' porque su música está llena de matices y texturas y por encima de todo refleja un cariño especial a los géneros con los que trabaja, gracias en parte a un profundo conocimiento de la biblioteca musical de sintetizadores, kraut, new age, ambient, etc de los 60, 70, 80, tan prolífica. para muestra un botón: 'Lunar Atrium', un blog repleto de pequeñas joyas que 'dirige' el propio Norm.


suena 'reflections' y me parece la canción más bonita del mundo, como si Norm Chambers volara hasta el cielo y se desintegrara en el viaje de vuelta. o 'rainbows in the catacombs', 'turqoise veil', 'cirrus' y 'crystal colosseum'... no existen canciones que determinen mejor qué es el ambient acuático y espacial, que expliquen por qué un loop puede ser cambiante y seguir siendo un loop, que suenen frías y calientes, que tengan alma, groove, a pesar de ser eminentemente electrónicas. o ese breve momento de infinita belleza llamado 'garden interlude' que da paso a 'octopus in your dreams', que además de ser preciosa tiene un título de cine fantástico de serie B de los cincuenta que me vuelve loca. pero entonces asoman las primeras notas de 'glass corridor', despegando por encima de lo terrenal, alzándose hacia el cielo. así que, mientras esperamos con ansia y curiosidad su próximo disco, qué mejor que compartirlas en un recopilatorio dedicado sólo a la ensoñadora discografía de Panabrite. bon apétit!


01. garden interlude | "blue grotto" ~ love all day, 2012
02. beau vallon | "seychelles" ~ field studies, 2012
03. cirrus | "illumination" ~ under the spire, 2012
04. octopus in your dreams | "sub~aquatic meditation" ~ aguirre, 2012
05. anemone | "neptune visions" ~ cylindrical habitat modules, 2010
06. citadel in the sky | "omni center" ~ sturmundrugs, 2011
07. clean lines | "infinite pulsation" ~ digitalis ltd., 2011
08. atoll | "sub~aquatic meditation" ~ aguirre, 2012
09. sound softy | "soft terminal" ~ digitalis, 2012
10. databank meditation | "infinite pulsation" ~ digitalis ltd., 2011
11. humid zones | "seychelles" ~ field studies, 2012
12. glass corridor | "blue grotto" ~ love all day, 2012
13. infinite passage | "the baroque atrium" ~ preservation, 2012
14. the gate | "omni center" ~ sturmundrugs, 2011
15. whirlpool | "sub~aquatic meditation" ~ aguirre, 2012
16. vortex | "wind rider" ~ tranquility tapes, 2011
17. siphonophore "neptune visions" ~ cylindrical habitat modules, 2010
18. crystal colosseum | "cloud prism"/split with the away team ~ hooker vision, 2011
19. atlantic pulsation 2 | "infinite pulsation" ~ digitalis ltd., 2011
20. glass palace | "soft terminal" ~ digitalis, 2012
21. nocturnal | "wizard chimes" ~ gift tapes, 2010
22. capraia | "the baroque atrium" ~ preservation, 2012

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

peyote cristal / euglossine


"ong-awaited collaboration between Adam of Sacred Phrases/Dry Valleys and Grant Evans (Quiet Evenings, Nova Scotian Arms, Crippling). twisted channels straight to/from subconscious networks employing a myriad of mysterious and organic elements conjure a streaming dark/vivid/nostalgic and, of course, psychedelic state of mind."



"Tristan Whitehill represents/maintains a unique facet of Gainesville, FL sound. following up his debut solo release on Rotifer, 'Floridian Abstract' digs deep into new fidelities. complexities never outweigh aesthetic charm and restraint but the abstract and articulate muscles flex hard. much heart, much sweat. warm and welcoming vignettes all around."


fotos: kevin hsia

Monday, July 16, 2012

calypso borealis /carter mullin / banana pill / bandicoot trail


"Calypso Borealis provides some more mysterious synth/field recording mixes that provide a further enhancing to the projects small yet encapsulating discography that includes stellar offerings on Housecraft, and Cloud Valley. Carter Mullin (Reedbeds, Calypso Hum) handed me some beautifully thoughtful and personal recordings in Parotia Mold. a glimpse of Carter's warm guitar tone float that strengthens his young, fresh ideas in the ever-flowing self released underground ocean." house of sun


sold out ~ download


"long-distance collaboration between scott johnson (thoughts on air, organ of species) and carter mullin (reedbeds). the details emerge as the controls of the audio filtration system are set to “submerge.” pro-printed, pro-duplicated, edition of 60." fadeaway tapes




"Banana Pill’s compositions may seem fragile but in fact each is a fortress of calm. this is herbal music. for everyone looking for the sweetest drones and peaceful vibes here’s the self-titled statement from the duo. made of toys, guitar, synths, violin and voice. float easy." full of nothing


Monday, April 16, 2012

moss swarm


"grant evans (nova scotian arms) uncovers hidden psychic terrain through shamanic dirges and spiritual strains of tribal feedback set against the hum of agriculture. bowed veins scratch forests of moss and statues of the deceased dance under the pagan moon. wine and hexagonal tranquilizers on the altar of the hive are consumed blindly by the righteous many below howling winds of witch instrumentals." hooker vision


"psych-folk drone-zone work from grant evans. more twining branches and curling smoke than the other, more new age-y stuff of his I had heard, and this is a good thing, adding quite a bit of grit and substance. again, two tracks, succinct and to the point. nice variety of sounds and textures, all in all a jewelled antler, last visible dog vibe done pleasantly if unassumingly." eggy records

Thursday, April 12, 2012

bedroom bear | wind in willows


"Russia’s Bedroom Bear and Wind in Willows team up for a mysterious split displaying two unique, individual visions. Bedroom Bear gets things going with a folky, lo-fi slow burner, tape hiss like washes of waves on the beach. Wind in Willows follows suit with a miniature symphony of sparkling synths and skittering beats." hooker vision

Saturday, March 31, 2012

quiet evenings | seziki tetrasheaf


"Quiet Evenings are back with a reissue of a tape that was previously released in a hand-numbered edition of 12 for the Foogmess festival in Asheville. two sprawling sides of minimal electronic bliss." hooker vision

 
 
"in celebration of Rotifer's 50th and Hooker Vision's 100th releases, the two labels have teamed up to offer a commemorative split lp between the labels' flagship bands, Seziki Tetrasheaf and Quiet Evenings.
the a side begins with Seziki's lost and found shuffle of mildewed grooves. hazy recollections. deep humidity. on the flip, Quiet Evenings cool things down a bit with a bubbling hymn to the ocean and her mysteries. lost in waves. floating."

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

nuojuva


"Olli Aarni, the young Finnish mastermind behind the Ous Mal project has shed his former skin and settled comfortably into the Nuojuva moniker. his pastoral loops are further enhanced with vocals from Anya Kuts (Love Cult) and Rachel Evans (Motion Sickness of Time Travel)." hooker vision

cómo describir dos canciones como 'punapuola kankahalla' o 'ikina'. es hooker vision, el astronauta olli aarni (todo lo que hace es bonito, no importa el estilo), rachel evans y anya kuts en las voces. como acercarse a leyland kirby a través de jonna karanka, sala~arhimo o los delfines del futuro. envolvente, cinemático, ensoñador,...y muchísimoss adjetivos atmosféricos más

foto: laura kiernan

Monday, March 26, 2012

former selves


"following a recent string of cassettes and dvds, california audio/video artist Paul Skomsvold delivers the goods with some of his finest work to date. meditative synth compositions for total relaxation and contemplation." hooker vision

"Many Moons is another example for Former Selves’s impressing comprehension of the correlation of our visual and aural senses. made with a technique called “video feedback”, the muffled, warm synth meanderings blend smoothly into the faintly psychedelic frames that are almost exclusively held in soothing pastel shades. truly mesmerizing." no fear of pop



la preciosa portada diseñada por grant y rachel evans lo dice todo. sé que la lista es inmensa y que hay muchos discos mejores del año pero ahora mismo los primeros acordes de 'earth rotation/terranova' son, junto 'otavaiset otsakkaha' de nuojuva, también en hooker vision (sello favorindo junto a inner islands, cabin floor esoterica y l'animaux tryst) lo más bonito y emocionante del mundo. o ese tramo que empieza a partir del minuto ocho, capas y burbujas de sintetizadores que invitan a cerrar los ojos y viajar flotando hasta la luna

Sunday, March 25, 2012

aloonaluna


"gorgeous and damaged outsider pop from this former Florida noisemaker now residing in California. for the first Aloonaluna cassette, Lynn Fister offers us an intimate set of slowly enchanting dream pop lullabies in the southern gothic tradition." hooker vision




"Aloonaluna marries delicate singer-songwriter folk and pop with improvisatory elements. they have been compared to the freeform explorations of No-Neck Blues Band and the nebulous folk meanderings of Islaja. drawing from influences that range from folk, drone, krautrock, pop, and especially from the fonal records oeuvre, each member contributes a wide range of instruments. this includes harp, guitars, banjo, avian field recordings, percussion, organ, toy synth and distorted bass."


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

mpala garoo | kon tiki gemini | golden dwarves


"Mpala Garoo is Ivan from Moscow who also plays in a duo Kon Tiki Gemini and Sunbells Fennimore. Golden Dwarves is one of the moniker of Gary Reuben Morris. Ship I left by like wondering deities who ate those august landscapes glimpse blossom jungle wounds me to not mayanic membership tune statue moves like a three thousand foliage mantra overbay beach crawls to reach assembled peak Arjuna lagoon with foggy shjrines and miscellaneous mines of dub asparagus do entire magnetic lips whisper aloof you painter shake your rococo coconuts just push Rimbaud chocolate air to European nomads of best who killed their..." steak au zoo

collage: beth hoeckel


"late night escapades to the mountain to watch the sun rise. create a unique musical zone where time stands still and makes you want to float forever. Total gripper for you smooth cats and night crawlers...Kon Tiki Gemini jam some mellow atmospherics for those late night escapades to the mountain to watch the sun rise. Ivan & Sergei (mpala garoo & bedroom bear) create a unique musical zone where time stands still and makes you want to float forever. Total gripper for you smooth cats and night crawlers..."

collage: beth hoeckel


"ivan karib is one of the main culprits using multiple monikers and corralling multiple collaborations alike. for me, his top guise is mpala garoo (though his work with kon tiki gemini is quite good too) and over the course of these 25 minutes you can hear the tropics invade russia and clatter to the floor. ghost guitars ring hollow, looping around endlessly searching for synthetic embrase. kourbakov laces a beat or two here and there but always keeps an eye on wrapping melodies around it all." digitalis

"wondrous spaced-out electronics that floats somewhere between Monopoly Child and Moondog"


"Like a cool breeze from a summer lake or a plume of purple incense smoke, Russia's Kon Tiki Gemini waft across the room like spectral shivers, leaving in their wake a chilled ripple." hooker vision

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

# rewind 2011 ~ part I & II

 
01. missing you less ~ Margaret Dygas | "st", perlon
02. new ground ~ Andy Stott | "passed me by", modern love
03. tick of the clock ~ The Chromatics | "ost drive", lakeshore
04. under your spell ~ Desire | "ost drive", lakeshore
05. animal dreams ~ Sapphire Slows | "true breath ep", not not fun
06. like dunes ~ Motion Sickness of Time Travel | "luminaries and synastry", digitalis
07. your fingers the snake ~ Cankun | "ethiopian dreams", hands in the dark
08. graphics bloom ~ Nova Scotian Arms | "slow architecture", sweat lodge guru
09. all the sun that shines ~ Peaking Lights | "936", not not fun
10. the 5 ~ FWY! | "ca 80's ca 90's", brave mysteries
11. slim ~ James Ferraro | "far side virtual", hippos in tanks
12. modern through movement ~ The Advisory Circle | "as the crow flies", ghostbox
13. like glass ~ Charlatan | "split w/ Spare Death Icon", stunned
14. heiress to the throne ~ Silver Antlers | "pulling diamonds from dirt", self-released
15. wälzer ~ Kaboom Karavan | "barra barra", miasmah
16. fuji descent ~ High Wolf | "atlas nation", holy mountain
17. friends ~ Meg Baird | "seasons on earth", drag city
18. telepathy ~ Motion Sickness of Time Travel | "seeping through the veil of the unconscious", digitalis
19. nebula ~ Pulse Emitter | "spiritual vistas", expansive & cylindrical habitat modules 
20. i'm willing to stagger ~ Mind Over Mirrors | "high & upon", gift tapes
21. el bosque de los huizaches ~ Smokey Feather | "árbore en la cresta", luzzzalig / microphones in the trees
hace tiempo que no hacemos listas con lo mejor del año, cosas de la edad y la pereza supongo. el caso es que este año nos apetecía hacer algo, así que ahí va este recopilatorio con las canciones que ahora mismo más me llaman la atención ya que el oráculo del buen gusto, es decir, ana, está más perezosa que yo. aunque en cine estará de acuerdo en proclamar "melancholia" como la mejor peli, de "breaking bad" dirá que es la mejor serie y el universo lartigue como el mayor descubrimiento fotográfico supongo.
y sí, tenéis toda la razón del mundo, es verdad, faltan un montón de canciones, de discos, de artistas, de sellos. pero muchos de ellos ya han aparecido en el blog a lo largo y ancho de este 2011, en el que por ejemplo para mí el mejor disco es "the magic place" de julianna barwick y ni siquiera lo hemos reseñado, tampoco la sopresa más agradable del año; el sello hooker vision con un arsenal de discos devastador; reedbeds, mohave triangles, nova scotian arms, motion sickness of time travel, quite evenings, kon tiki gemini, etc... pensemos en este puñado de canciones como la postdata musical de un año tremendamente fértil. esperemos que el 2012 se porte por lo menos igual de bien. ahora ya os toca a vosotros y vosotras inundar los comentarios con los olvidados y olvidadas. opinen, opinen!
*feliz año*

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

reedbeds


"Longtime fans of Reedbeds’ particular brand of hazy good vibes will instantly recognize this subtle masterpiece as a perfect wintry addition to an already extensive discography. New listeners will be equally rewarded as they sit back and allow the soft washes of guitar to smooth out any worries of the day." hooker vision

(thanks to static encounters & weed temple for the rip, the upload and the discography)