Ben Vida – Part 8 (Shelter Press)
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Shelter Press doin a fuckin number on 2014, this new Ben Vida record just adding to the awesomeness, and while anything by Mr. Vida should be on your radar regardless, Slipping Control gets extra points for including Tyondai Braxton and Sara Magenheimer on vocals. What started out as the book Tztztztzt Î Í Í…, which was “composed to act as a score, a sound piece and as raw data for electronic control source” turned into this record of brainwarping levels of insanity, full blown electronic scatter glitch that ping pongs in your skull like misfiring neural synapses, laser sharp and reverbed wire snap, and then Ty & Sara come in with their wordless stuttering, either solo or with electronic accompaniment, and it’s just fucking brilliant, with fleeting rhythms that pull you in for sweet moments of focused repetition before being twisted, layered, and chopped into its alien bio-mechanics, these are sounds that come from an intentional randomness that transforms the way you hear the world around you, the hums and scratches in your life being re-imagined and given new life. This is, unsurprisingly, supremely excellent work from Vida. Wholly worth your time.
Jeremy Bible – co_7 (False)
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All hail Jeremy Bible, this dude knows what’s fuckin up. Most of yall probably know he runs the flawless Experimedia label/distro, but he’s also got some insane music makin chops as well, and Collisions is easily my favorite work of his. This is a total head fucker, melding sharp musique concrète, abstract field recordings, glitchy rhythms, and bizarro noise into something wholly cohesive & unique, this takes all of your attention while twisting synapses and making new neural pathways in your brain, making you question every fucking moment. Is there anything actually happening right now or is it actually silent? Are those frogs or synths? Is this doing permanent damage to my ears? Did I just shit myself? There are truly incredible moments on this record that feel like you’re staring a starving pack of dire wolves right in the eyes, unsettling organic gurgling & chirping, panning & pointed blasts of almost danceable static shred, high end drone like the hum of a distant generator. You’re never at ease, even when the music is peaceful, because early on you discover there’s an ever present sense of danger. This is just the fucking best. It was originally a live recording from June 2013 at the RCN Cave in Akron, Ohio that was released digitally shortly thereafter, but it’s been expanded & remastered for CD and tape release on False so now you can hold & cherish this sexy beast. The artwork above is for the digital version, the tapes & CDs come in silver stamped black boxes with cotton & card inserts and they look super fuckin slick.
