stephen molyneux

 stephen molyneux ~ called to leave (no kings, 2013)

"this world traveler, professional gardener, poet, amateur ethnomusicologist, and No Kings co-founder has, at long last, collected his best song pieces (which move in and out of traditional American folk motifs) into a heart-shaking and catchy album. from murder ballad to chord organ interlude, themes of water and work, these atmospheric one-mic recordings of Stephen’s magnetic voice vibrating the floorboards of his Nashville home overflow with emotion and will have you hitting that rewind button over and over. the best." no kings

sold out ~ see ~ listen/buy

 stephen molyneux ~ the shape of clouds to come (la station radar, 2014)

"recorded in 2014 in an old church turned into a studio in Nashville, "The shape of clouds to come" is a mesmerizing Ep full of sad tones announcing the colour of his folk songs. In only five tracks, accompanied by his friends on violin, organ, piano and drum, with his voice like a tightrope walker on a thread, the music of Stephen Molyneux arouses at the same time a deep sadness and a healing hope." la station radar

  Stephen Molyneux: vocals, electric guitar, piano 

Alice Buchanan: violin 
Lee Noble: pump organ, SK-1, piano 

Caleb Steelman: drums

cover photo by Stephen Molyneux, Surat Thani, Thailand, 2009.

buy 12 inch/tape ~ listen/buy

últimamente no dejan de aparecer nuevas y preciosas melodías de folk singers de toda la vida: 'by now' de Little Wings y '(something') de Mount Eerie. pero nadie como Matthew Himes (Shep and Me) y Stephen Molyneux (jardinero profesional, poeta, etnomusicólogo) me devuelven la fe en que todavía se pueden hacer discos cálidos, honestos y emotivos como 'aren't you ashamed?' de Cap'n jack. duendes que parecen venidos de otra época con voces atemporales, melancólicas y un sonido desnudo y acogedor. que saben hablarle al micro, alargar una sílaba, llenar de significado un silencio, susurrar una frase. todo en su sitio. donde toca y cuando toca. de estos dos discos de Stephen Molyneux me quedo con 'called to leave' precisamente por eso. la 'cara b', (seis canciones en trece minutos) es tan perfecta. canciones que hablan de 'fantasmas, minas de oro, personajes de leyenda y viajes infructuosos'. atrás quedan los días de Camboya pero no se echan de menos...porque melodías de la pradera como las de 'the sight' son tan bonitas que no puedo dejar de preguntarme si de verdad nos la merecemos. la magia estará, siempre, en la producción bajo mínimos, en el menos es más: un sólo micro, a veces un órgano y un violín, una guitarra. no puedo evitar pensar que el folk debería ser siempre así.

trabajo / madrugapha

trabajo / madrugapha ~ split (no kings, 2013)

"straight outta Ridgewood, Queens comes this futuristic world music outfit (on side A) TJ Richards and Yuchen Lin as Trabajo ~ sampling the sounds of gamelan music and weaving it into their brand of synthy dance meditation. effervescent keyboard riffs float above traditional drums and sub-bass pulses caked in delay during slowly unfolding passages reminiscent of 80s anime soundtracks. Trabajo is a sensation to see live, and these slower tracks belong in the candle-lit prayer room as offerings, before they go play some basement banger. more meditation waves are offered up on side B, where Buenos Aires’ Madrugapha spins lo-fi mellow psychedelia with delayed mbira, loops, fuzzed-out guitar, keyboards, and damaged vocals, following in the floating footsteps of Sparkling Wide Pressure. edition of 100 pro-dubbed, imprinted tapes with risograph art on assorted paper, inspired by bejeweled saints buried in the catacombs of Europe." no kings

muy poco tiempo y demasiadas cintas y discos esperando a ser recomendados, pero no quiero olvidarme de este split bonito y especial donde los haya. olé por No Kings y su amor por lo exótico y la idea de juntar a Trabajo y Madrugapha. suena 'very religious family' de Trabajo y pienso que cuánta razón tienen Lee Noble y Stephen Molyneux. verlos en directo es, debe de ser, toda una experiencia. un torbellino de ritmo y bongos y flautillas, trompetas y éxtasis que capturan toda la magia del sonido gamelán. en la cara a, cinco minicápsulas tribales que se pegan desde títulos comestibles como 'pi pa lu'... pienso por esas asociaciones extrañas y personales en una mezcla imposible de Las Malas Amistades, Corum y el lado más dulce, etéreo y lo-fi de Congotronics. y claro, en aquella colaboración de Lebeha Drummers y el propio Stephen Molyneux en No Kings. aunque 'very religious family', tan danzarina, es puro High Wolf. y en la cara b, nuevas postales desde el universo Salvador, nombre que lleva implícita una rendición incondicional. Salvador nos regala tres efluvios, que no canciones, que podrían esconderse sin que lo notes en alguno de los pliegues de sus grabaciones como M. M. Peres. sutiles murmullos sintetizados y la kalimba inundándolo todo. un universo que suena siempre parecido, pero no del todo: ese toque ingrávido, como si las canciones afloraran en un sueño, que ayuda a reconocer su música al instante. new jungle age o folk destartalado y algodonoso, no sabría cómo definirlo, natural como silbar y que parece inimitable. además, en 'purpel swamp' me recuerda a... sí mismo. iba a decir que muy lejanamente a Tuluum Shimmering y Rod Hamilton, pero en realidad, todas las esencias del predicador Salvador se condensan en esta delirante tonadilla. perfecta para flotar en una nube.

 

trabajo ~ madrugapha ~ buy

secret birds

secret birds • in hex [no kings 2012]

"Damon Black of Australia recorded this audio cryptogram of interlocking loops, riffs, and textures when he was living in Tokyo in 2011. Moment to moment, this record is hitting many touchstones, part Kraut / psychedelic / drone, but always expansive, outward, and visual. Shapes and forms: waves, hexagons, prisms, serpentines, pyramids. A druggy wah in the distance buried over with fuzzy ether. Edition of 80 pro-dubbed tapes with risograph artwork." no kings

listen | buy

fotola: jordan carmignani

lebeha men

lebeha men ~ garifuna field recordings (no kings, 2012)

"in 2010, No Kings co-founder Stephen Molyneux traveled to Cambodia and made some bewitching field recordings. this year he took a month long sabbatical to Central America, his first and last stop was in coastal Hopkins, Belize where Stephen crafted this follow-up of sorts with locals, the LeBeha Drummers. Garifuna Field Recordings is the group’s second physical release and was made directly onto cassette in single takes by Stephen, and focuses on a performance of two core group members Warren Martinez, Clayton Williams, and their teacher Jabbar Lambey, so they’ve retitled themselves for this release as LeBeha Men, which translates to “The End Men” in Garifuna." no kings

aire pisca! que diría pipo... vuelve stephen molyneux con más grabaciones de campo, cambiando esta vez la humedad camboyana por los ritmos caribeños de belize, un pequeño país de américa central. no os perdáis los vídeos de leBeha drummers

foto via onyx earth

buy | listen

talk west

talk west ~ freights & fields (no kings, 2011)

"Tulsa, Oklahoma multi-instrumentalist and scissortail records guy Dylan Golden Aycock delivers this stunning batch of drone-folk meditations fashioned with a truly refreshing mix of synths, loops, air organ, and expressive pedal steel. These sunken timber hymns harken back to the roots of American experimentalism but stand in their own new space, lonesome bedroom ballads tinged with universal nostalgia. Edition of 70 pro-dubbed/imprinted tapes with letterpressed and risographed artwork." no kings

no kings (cambodian field recordings de stephen molyneux, disco de la vida) es el sello de lee noble, que a su vez es el autor de la portada original de freights & fields. además, dylan golden aycock (the doldrums) tiene su propio sello, scissortail records, que a su vez ha publicado el preciosísimo workers lament de golden pawn. y además son de oklahoma.

foto via sara gossett

 

listen | buy

je suis le petit chevalier

je suis le petit chevalier ~ discovering mathematics 2 (no kings 2011)

"This prolific triple-threat talent (artist, writer and musician) from Belgium has graciously allowed No Kings to handle 42 minutes of her chance operation / intuitive sound collage work, after a myriad of releases on such underground institutions as Digitalis, Stunned, and Kaugummi. “Discovering Mathematics II” is warm, spacious, and immersive, and is treated with the same emphasis on process, openness and relationships between elements as her visual art..." no kings

"Je Suis le Petit Chevalier a.k.a. Félicia Atkinson is in your dreams. Her latest output lies peaceably at rest, with long willowy swathes of synth feedback, barely discernable utterances, saturated synth strings, pan-fried electric guitar treatments, diaphonous kitchen sink clatter--all flooding the long hall of consciousness with a tank of vicks vabor rub and a barrel of absinthe. Be at peace and try not to move too much and you may just start to float up into the ether yourself." impose magazine

buy / download

stephen molyneux

stephen molyneux ~ cambodian field recordings (no kings 2011)

"...last year Stephen Molyneux (Horsehair Everywhere) was living in Thailand. Riding around on motorbikes, running through the jungle, playing noise shows at Bangkok art spaces, going on visa-renewing border-crossing adventures, all while the Red Shirts were stirring up more and more intense political unrest. On one of his excursions through Battambang & Siem Reap provinces in Cambodia, Molyneux made these field recordings on cassette. Expect “distant ancient rites of dawn, village sounds recorded from bicycle baskets, ensemble street performances,and wedding party music echoing through the ballroom of an abandoned mansion”. Edition of 40 pro-dubbed / imprinted red tapes with a cover photo taken in Bospo Village, Battambang by the artist." no kings

buy / bandcamp