We dare not grouse, in the House of Mouse. With ken we douse, guided by Gauss. To rouse the spouse, a louse in the blouse. In the end, dollhouse or madhouse?
Featuring electric guitar and bass, drum kit, synthesizers, effects, and bird tweets.
This this this is this is this is you this is you this is you hearing this is you hearing this is you this is you this is this is this this.
Featuring overdubbed clarinet and vintage tape delay (emulation of the Echoplex EP3).
A hallowed place, a special space – where secret codes adjure, conjuring delectable sustenance. Beware tipping your hand prematurely, lest the beast strike!
Featuring choir, snare and tom drums, orchestral strings, french horn, flute, oboe, organ, affected piano, and low woodwinds.
Featuring shakers, strings, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bass clarinet, synths, voice, electric guitar, electric bass, drum kit, and granular oboe, flute, and cello.
Light Prospector is a Rehearsal album, that is by the Maravines. It is recorded during the day time , on Saturday, January 30th, 2017, at Prospector Studios, in Nutley, New Jersey. With Chris Lee on the acoustic guitar, and vocals, and Evan Pope on the light electric guitar, the short rehearsal has songs that are on their studio albums Pearl, Bruce, Belmar, and Bradley. It is exclusively uploaded to the Internet Archive’s public domain on Friday afternoon, September 1st, 2023.
The length of the album is 13 minutes, and 26 seconds. The size for it, in M. P. E. G. 1, Audio Layer III, at 320, 000 bytes per second is 32, 280, 576 bytes. The acoustic guitar that is being played is a Yamaha AC3R, and the electric guitar is a Fender Stratocaster, on an Orange crush amplifier. The Microphones for recording are a Blue Bluebird, and a Shure. The mixing, and the mastering for the album is by Chris Lee, with Acoustica Mixcraft Version 5.
“We welcome back long time contributor John Beers aka Luciftias with a new album of subtle droning ambient, featuring contributions of his cousin and collaborator Caleb Beers. Like most of their work, Staring Into Oblivion is based on guitar sounds, often heavily treated but more recognizable on some tracks here – always hypnotic.”
Fields Ohio – Don’t Stare at the Sun When Your Hands are on Fire
Bien que moins souvent à l’honneur dans nos pages que d’autres projets du New-Yorkais Eddie Palmer (citons Cloudwarmer, Aries Death Cult ou feu The Fucked Up Beat en plus de ses albums solo), ce duo plus acoustique et psyché qui l’associe à la multi-instrumentiste et vocaliste Christine Annarino fait preuve d’une belle constance depuis une dizaine d’années d’existence, avec une quinzaine de sorties au compteur, pour l’essentiel en long format.
Déjà auteurs cette année de l’excellent “Valkyrie”, typique de l’univers des Américains entre trip-hop mystique aux accents world music, downtempo-patchouli densément arrangé et touches electro hédonistes, on imaginait les Fields Ohio persister et signer dans leur admirable pré carré Ninja-Tunesque (de la belle époque) avec cette suite. Loin s’en faut ! Si “Don’t Stare at the Sun When Your Hands are on Fire” se décline au gré de la double-hélice d’un ADN désormais bien connu, il donne également l’occasion aux deux musiciens de se réinventer avec subtilité. Les rythmiques ici sont souvent plus feutrées, les textures plus oniriques et gorgées de reverb au diapason des nappes de synthés scintillantes d’Eddie, les lignes acoustiques et vocales de Christine fondues dans l’ensemble avec une homogénéité toute particulière, les mélodies presque serpentines et d’une fluidité qui évoque l’eau, élément omniprésent sur le disque.
Souvent inspiré par la contemplation de la rivière Hudson que surplombe son appartement new-yorkais ou par ses sorties au bord de l’océan, Eddie Palmer y trouve en effet matière à se concentrer sur le présent, autre thème central de l’album. “Don’t Stare at the Sun When Your Hands are on Fire” sonne ainsi comme un rappel à l’ordre que l’on se fait, dans ces moments de chaos que la vie nous réserve : affronter les problèmes un à un, un jour après l’autre, sans se préoccuper de trop d’un futur encore lointain et abstrait. Autant de sensations – ligne d’horizon, impermanence et abstraction – qui président à cette superbe collection d’instrumentaux au groove impressionniste et hypnotique.
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ENGLISH VERSION
Although not featured in our website’s columns as often as other projects by New Yorker Eddie Palmer (including Cloudwarmer, Aries Death Cult or the late great The Fucked Up Beat, in addition to his solo albums), this more acoustic and psychedelic duo associating him with multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Christine Annarino has shown great consistency over the span of its ten years of existence, with about fifteen releases so far.
After dropping earlier this year the excellent “Valkyrie”, representative of the band’s signature sound somewhere between mystical trip-hop with “world music” elements, densely arranged downtempo psychedelics and hedonistic electronic touches, we imagined that Fields Ohio would go on with that “great Ninja Tune era” trademark with its follow-up. Not exactly though ! Even if “Don’t Stare at the Sun When Your Hands are on Fire” remains consistent with that henceforth well-known DNA, it also gives the two musicians the opportunity to subtly reinvent themselves. The beats here are often more subdued, the textures more dreamlike and bursting with reverb in tune with Eddie’s scintillating synth pads, Christine’s acoustic and vocal lines melt into the whole with more homogeneity, and the melodies’ fluidity evoke water, an omnipresent element on the record.
The contemplation of the Hudson River from his New York apartment or his outings by the ocean indeed help Eddie Palmer to focus on the present, another central theme of the album. “Don’t Stare at the Sun When Your Hands are on Fire” thus sounds like a reminder, in these moments of chaos that life has in store for us: facing the problems one by one, one day after another, without worrying too much about a still distant and abstract future. So many sensations – the horizon, impermanence and abstraction – which preside over the impressionistic and hypnotic groove of this impressive new collection of instrumentals.
Are birds always prepared? Some may be, but the Add Hawk most likely isn’t. Great speed equals much distance over little time – crossing such stretches so swiftly leaves little time for precautions.
Featuring synth (including Sega Genesis and Gameboy), orchestra, piano, and hawk.
Smoother than ice, and twice as nice – desired by mice, a vice to entice. Despite the device, an imprecise vise – a tasty slice, spice at any price.
Featuring synthesizers, orchestral strings, brushed drums, fretless bass, tubular bells, and effects.
Tick, tock, goes the clock – chimes are on, then they’re not. Sometimes we observe a pause, yet it lacks a likely cause. Onwards too we tick ourselves, and someday tock right off the shelf.
Featuring orchestral strings, woodwinds, female choir, drum kit, synthesizer, upright bass, acoustic guitar, tenor saxophone, and piano.
Travel occurs for many reasons, yet a true journey implies discovery. Inherently uncertain, ambiguity can cause fear – but also excitement. What is discovered when one goes beyond the realms of prior exploration?
Featuring orchestral brass, strings, woodwinds, snare drum, piano, synth, choir, and upright bass.
Sometimes, something is sent – with intent to arrive at a particular place. Yet this intent, inattentively attended, is not attained. Instead, its receipt is actualized in an unexpected locale.
Featuring clarinet.
Beliefs keep us grounded – contrariwise, they imply possession of the opposing disbelief. But there are times where we should suspend both extremes, and allow ourselves to float in between belief and disbelief. Like sand in a shaker, our temporary defiance of ideational gravity can enable us to express things beyond our conscious imaginings.
Featuring orchestral strings, choir, piano, shakers, synthesizers, brushed drums, flute, and bass.
All songs written by Rebecca Smit & Eli Wallis except where noted.
“Is It Really Too Much To Ask (for this?)” and “Mummified Mammoth” written by Rebecca Smit.
“Three Days’ Leave” written by Eli Wallis.
released 18. Juli 2023
Wriggle, squiggle – perhaps giggle. Wiggle, jiggle – down a big hill. Many a worm has many times squirmed, a term to confirms a firm worm that affirms.
Featuring bodhran, Irish flute and whistle, bouzouki, concertina, harp, fiddle, bagpipes, and acoustic guitar.
Per Wikipedia – “400 (four hundred) is the natural number following 399 and preceding 401. 400 is the square of 20. 400 is the sum of the powers of 7 from 0 to 3, thus making it a repdigit in base 7 (1111).”
400 is also the name and number of this track – the 400th release of Jazzaria.
Featuring clarinet.
His issues are nothing, however, to what she brings to the band. Quinnissa, who was 13 when First Aid Kit was recorded has skills. “She’s a total ringer and a complete pro in a live setting,” Mulkerin acknowldges. “She’s a lot more reliable than her grumpy parents.” Indeed, Quinnisa’s voice has developed into an astonishing powerhouse of force. While she has been contributing to Big Blood records almost since birth, First Aid Kit solidifies her clear talent. All her lyrics are improvised in the moment while recording, a real shock to realize considering how insightful and perfectly suited to the song they are. “Never Ending Nightmare” candidly and perfectly describes the anxieties of being a teenager today: “The quiet growing inside me is louder/I should have known not to trust another stranger.” Or the heartache of “1000 Times”: “I think about you at least 1000 times a day/I can’t even say hi/What’s wrong, what’s wrong, what’s wrong with me?” What more, her natural ability to perform amazes her parents. “She’ll be slopping around all practice, and you are convinced she doesn’t have it,” Kinsella says. “Then we record and she nails the guitar and vocals, even does something better. She’s in control.”
Teenage impulses fit right in with the band’s intent, which is making music that’s honest, inclusive and flawed. Inventiveness in the moment wins out over belabored, repeated takes, as the group is in a constant state of creation. Songs sound fully built and realized, but they actually rise out of improvisation. Big Blood channel the moment and let go once they finish. “I think about Ursula Le Guinn and how she talks about everything she takes in becoming compost,” Kinsella says. “It mixes together, and when it comes out there’s all that stuff in it, sometimes it’s direct and sometimes not.” Mulkerin’s descriptions of different songs on the record run like faint recalled dreams. “I don’t remember much other than it flowed from the three of us absurdly quick,” he says of opener “In My Head”. “Haunted” has intriguing lyrics like “I’m haunted by your pictures/That faded like a memory” but, as Mulkerin says, “Colleen is not one to try for things in any sort of premeditated way, it just flows and evolves.” Many songs touch on the fear and horrors outside a safe home space, fitting for a record made during COVID. They sing about their feelings in the moment, so lyrics are often topical. “Makes Me Wonder” is about Ma’kihia Bryant, a 16 year-old black girl shot by police (“Be still the mess you make/The life you squeeze, you take,” and later in the song…”She should be alive today.”)
While any fan of the band will tell you that no two albums sound very much alike, First Aid Kit displaying for the first time their affinity for the emotional effects of bands like The Cure, Bauhaus and The Clean, there’s a clear thread throughout all their records. First, there’s Kinsella’s voice, which pivots from upbeat fun to pure dread, presumably based on how she was feeling that day she recorded. Secondly, Mulkerin’s production preserves layers of could-have-beens by keeping the ghostly presence of past takes alive in the background of tracks like subliminal thoughts. Their songs achieve the double satisfaction of being immediate, catchy and memorable, while also revealing inner depths at repeated listens. Some of the best experimental music is cloaked as mundane.
First Aid Kit was recorded entirely at the family’s home onto 1” eight-track tape. It achieves the magic of capturing a moment and making a lasting impression. There aren’t many family bands, and there’s definitely no other band like this.
-Ben Goldberg
