Altars Altars - Colour Loops II

There is something fascinating and pleasant about Colour Loops II. I have listened to this cassette over ten times now, and have been thinking about how to describe that "something". On low or high volume, while doing work or relaxing, the sound has not only complimented my state of being, but made it better. So within this ambient sound scape is a positiveness, making you feel good while listening.

There is so much ambient/drone music ready to be heard with minimal exploration. Sorting through this and enjoying the sounds really depends upon your disposition at the time. The polar extremes of styles can create moods ranging from foreboding to uplifting. To make this process easier, i would categorize ambient/drone music. There are three labels i would use. These would be dark, neutral and bright. Much like Stag Hare, Altars Altars creates an inspirational sound and could be a standard for the "bright" sound of this genre.

This cassette is available on the Altars Altars bandcamp page. The copy i have is number 28 of 50.
With some correspondence with the man behind Altars Altars, i have experienced how nice a person he is. This quality is reflected in the characteristics of his music. You can also stream the first Colour Loops from early 2011 on the bandcamp page. This offering has a similar tone, but a little more organic with it's composition.

 I have really enjoyed listening to Colour Loops II and am sure you will as well.

Links
Altars Altars on bandcamp, on facebook, on soundcloud, on tumblr

Jean-Sébastien Truchy - Neither

Neither is a poem by Samuel Beckett and was shaped into an anti-opera by Morton Feldman around 1977. Release number 81 on SicSic Tapes is an even more modernistic recreation of the anti-opera, newly composed by Jean-Sébastien Truchy.

This offering by Jean-Sébastien is a totally dynamic sound composition. From it's industrial drone like beginning to the tormented operatic voice, there is very little safe haven for the listener. The sonic output pushes farther, pleasantly contrasting with the few quieter moments of simple static and computer generated voice.  The first side includes a reading of Neither by what sounds like an aging female voice. On the second side the male counterpart argues against the victimization of man by civilization. The thesis is correct in my opinion. Why should our lives need to be legitimized? Love and kindness only require a person capable of sharing these abilities. We need nothing more.

So it is nice to listen to music full of emotion, giving rise to thought and contemplation. This relatively short cassette has unique properties finding their way deep into your head. Neither by  Jean-Sébastien is solid sound, with theatrics reminding me of the awesome Test Dept. album "A Good Night Out". Even though they are completely different contributions, there is a similar tone. The creativeness of this homage to the past is beautiful articulation of thought applied to sound.  

This release is in the most recent batch from SicSic Tapes. Routinely releasing some of the most sought after cassettes and the coolest music. So with that said, this tape is already sold out at the label. I looked on Tomentosa and they have copies still available as a write this.

Links
Jean-Sébastien Truchy website
SicSic Tapes website
Tomentosa - SicSic inventory

Bonding Tapes - Quality Time Volume 1

Quality Time Volume 1 has thrown me far from the spectrum of snug sounds. Each track is like a short vignette giving way to copious talent by a plethora of artists. Amazingly, the amount of diversity 18 different artists contributes does not fracture this release. Instead, the music stays in a tight orbit, blending most seamlessly, and blurring the fact this is even a various artist cassette.

I have listened to the tape countless times. Being completely honest, i have been afraid to write. This is the most difficult description i have had to put together. Compilations are always challenging and this music is otherworldly from the start to finish. There are moments when i feel like i understand, then those occasions deteriorate. Question marks mixed with fascinating sounds fill my head. Seconds ago i had something to say, now just bewildered by the subtle complexity.

When listening to the tape in the truck with my son, i was told this was the opposite of music. "The vocals are in the back and the beat is in the front". I think this was on the Sonic D track titled "Aqua". We were having quality time listening to music (pretty cool using that eh). There are no favorites for me on this cassette. Each track interacts with the environment while you are listening at that juncture. Every artist has the potential to create the coolest mini soundtrack for some point in your day.

Bonding Tapes has released an incredible first release. There are links to each artists on their bandcamp page for further investigation. The cassette purchase includes a sticker, pin and poster. Do not miss out on this because there is a good certainty this label is going to gain traction. The first release with all of the goodies will be a nice way to remember you were with Bonding Tapes on the ground floor.

Links
Bonding Tapes website
Quality Time Volume 1 on bandcamp