Laughing Gas
Edward Ka-Spel: synthesizers old & new, electric organ, percussion, found sounds, voice
All artwork on Dream Logik Part One & Part Two by Jesse Peper
Enjoy,
NØ
29 April 2009
28 April 2009
A Thing of Beauty for Ear & Eye
Nezhadaylet Twistyzharr Sing While You May
Edward Ka-Spel - Dream Logik Part Two, Beta-lactum Ring Records mt213, 2008.
cd sleeve
Under the Junction
Edward Ka-Spel: vocals, analogue & digital synthesizers, piano, organ, autoharp, broken things, technological wonders.
Ghosts: the bits in between
Enjoy,
NØ
22 April 2009
Ib, this one's for you
from Passport to Eternity, 1963:
"Track 12"
"Maxted stirred sluggishly. The lake of mercury in his stomach was as cold & bottomless as an oceanic trench, & his arms & legs had become enormous, like the bloated appendages of a drowned giant. He could just see Sheringham bobbing about in front of him, & hear the slow beating of the sea in the distance. Nearer now, it pounded with a dull insistent rhythm, the great waves ballooning & bursting like bubbles in a lava sea.
'I'll tell you, Maxted, it took me a year to get that recording,' Sheringham was saying. He straddled Maxted, gesturing with the siphon. 'A year. do you know how ugly a year can be?' For a moment he paused, then tore himself from the memory. 'Last Saturday, just after midnight, you & Susan were lying back in this same chair. you know, Maxted, there are audio-probes everywhere here. Slim as pencils, with a six-inch focus. i had four in that headrest alone.' He added, as a footnote: 'The wind is your own breathing, fairly heavy at the time, if I remember; your interlocked pulses produced the thunder effect.'
Maxted drifted in a wash of sound.
Some while later Sheringham's face filled his eyes, beard wagging, mouth working wildly.
'Maxted! You've only two more guesses, so for God's sake concentrate,' he shouted irritably, his voice almost lost among the thunder rolling from the sea. 'Come on, man, what is it? Maxted!' he bellowed. He leapt for the nearest loudspeaker & drove up the volume. the sound bounced out of the patio, reverberating into the night.
Maxted had almost gone now, his fading identity a small featureless island nearly eroded by the waves beating across it.
Sheringham knelt down & shouted into his ear.
'Maxted, can you hear the sea? Do you know where you're drowning?'
A succession of gigantic flaccid waves, each more lumbering & enveloping than the last, rode down upon them.
'In a kiss!' Sheringham screamed. 'A kiss.'
The island slipped & slid away into the molten shelf of the sea."
J.G.Ballard
19 April 2009
J.G.Ballard R.I.P.
from The Crystal World,1966:
"He awoke into brilliant sunshine in a street of temples, where rainbows spangled the gilded air with the blaze of colours. Shielding his eyes, he lay back & looked up at the roof-tops, their gold tiles inlaid with row upon row of coloured gems, like pavilions in the temple quarter of Bangkok.
A hand pulled at his shoulder. Trying to sit up, Sanders found that the semi-circle of clear pavement was vanished, & his body lay sprawled in a bed of sprouting needles. The growth had been most rapid in the entrance to the depository, & his right arm was encased in a mass of crystalline spurs, three or four inches long, that reached almost to his shoulders. Inside this frozen gauntlet, almost too heavy to lift, his fingers were outlined in a maze of rainbows.
Sanders dragged himself to his knees, tearing away some of the crystals. He found the bearded man in the white suit crouching behind him, his shot-gun in his hands.
'Ventress!' With a cry, Sanders raised his jewelled arm. In the sunlight the faint nodes of the gem-stones he had stuffed into his cuff shone in the tissues of his arm like inlaid stars. 'Ventress, for God's sake!'
His shout distracted Ventress from his scrutiny of the light-filled street. His small face with its bright eyes was transfigured by the strange colours that mottled his skin & drew out the pale blues & violets of his beard. His suit radiated a thousand bands of colour.
He knelt down beside Sanders, trying to replace the strip of crystals torn from his arm."
One of my all-time favorite authors. I will grieve his passing.
16 April 2009
The Return of the Legendary Pink Dots
UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 08/24/2013. Enjoy, NØ.
The obscure concepts that form the basis for individual Pink Dots releases can be overwhelming at times on first listen. They often take repeated playings to fathom the great depths that is LPD. The Whispering Wall is an excellent entry point for anyone attempting to take on this behemoth of a band. The opening track on Dots' albums is usually a good indicator as to the thematic framework & musickal vein of that particular offering. The Whispering Wall begins with the strident, guitar driven "Soft Toy", a wonderful portent of things to come, the first of many surprises. Another highlight of the album, "For Sale," is one of the most polished Dots tunes ever, a great means of introduction for the uninitiated. If I haven't convinced you to check out this band, well, try starting here.
Traclkist -
Soft Toy
A Distant Summer
Dominic
In Sickness & In Health
For Sale
King of a Small World
The Region Beyond
06
Peek-a-Boo
The Divide
Sunken Pleasures - Rising Pleasure - No Walls, No Strings
Enjoy,
NØ
The obscure concepts that form the basis for individual Pink Dots releases can be overwhelming at times on first listen. They often take repeated playings to fathom the great depths that is LPD. The Whispering Wall is an excellent entry point for anyone attempting to take on this behemoth of a band. The opening track on Dots' albums is usually a good indicator as to the thematic framework & musickal vein of that particular offering. The Whispering Wall begins with the strident, guitar driven "Soft Toy", a wonderful portent of things to come, the first of many surprises. Another highlight of the album, "For Sale," is one of the most polished Dots tunes ever, a great means of introduction for the uninitiated. If I haven't convinced you to check out this band, well, try starting here.
Traclkist -
Soft Toy
A Distant Summer
Dominic
In Sickness & In Health
For Sale
King of a Small World
The Region Beyond
06
Peek-a-Boo
The Divide
Sunken Pleasures - Rising Pleasure - No Walls, No Strings
Enjoy,
NØ
11 April 2009
Goin' Digital
Zer0_II over at Digital Meltd0wn has gone insane. He's permitted me to guest post on his blog. Watch out.
...but seriously, I'm honored to be given the nod to post some musick on his great site. If you want to get some stuff from yours truly that doesn't exactly fit in over here for one reason or another (Pink Dots) then go check out the Meltd0wn. Check out all the other great musick there if you haven't already.
& leave a comment (unlike your usual habit here at NSS).
Enjoy,
NØ
...but seriously, I'm honored to be given the nod to post some musick on his great site. If you want to get some stuff from yours truly that doesn't exactly fit in over here for one reason or another (Pink Dots) then go check out the Meltd0wn. Check out all the other great musick there if you haven't already.
& leave a comment (unlike your usual habit here at NSS).
Enjoy,
NØ
09 April 2009
Dark Star
UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 08/22/2013. Enjoy, NØ.
I snuck into the house again just now. It's raining cats & dogs. I needed to dry off. No one is around right now so I'm gonna slap this one up quick.
Dark Star is a project from the German musician Wolfgang Reffert. It is post-industrial rock with a psychedelic twist that is slightly reminiscent of The Tear Garden. Travelogue I was originally recorded in 1992 to 1994. In its original format it contain 9 tracks instead of 11 as on Travelogue II. The final two tracks have been replaced by 4 new tracks. Travelogue II retains its early 90s vibe. It begins with "Eject!", a collision of dirty electronics & noisy guitars over a beat-box along with Edward Ka-Spel drones; he's unique & abstract, as usual. Travelogue II navigates genres: the gloomy "Opal" finds its inspiration in krautrock a la Chrome; heavy industrial rears its head on the distorted "Frantic Upstream", while "Don't Look 'til it's Gone" is a colossal industrial & psychedelic blend from Hell with Edward Ka-Spel drawling twisted lyrics in the grotesque darkness; "Come To" is perfect dark-pop. The bonus tracks "Solaris I" & "Solaris II" are minimal collages of tapes & samples with mellotron instrumentation. Travelogue II should strongly appeal to The Tear Garden or Edward Ka-Spel fans. A great piece of fuzzy, dirty experimentation of industrial psychedelia with a cool cover artwork by none other than French artist Métal Hurlant Moebius from the graphic novel The Airtight Garage Of Jerry Cornelius .
Dark Star is Wolfgang Reffert - electronics & guitar with guests: Edward Ka-Spel - vocals, keyboards, & lyrics; The Silverman - sampler; Ryan Moore - bass; Gøtz Adler - guitar, bass, keyboard & drum program; Reece Kyó! - electronics & rhuthm reconstruction; Fredbo - Sampler; G-Frex - guitar & bass; Yorgos DK - vocals & lyrics; Rodrigo Gonzalez - sampler; Kurt Maninouk - tapes; Wolfgang Bauer - editing & drum program; & Volkmar Miedlke - mellotron.
Tracklist:
Eject!
Opal
Frantic Upstream
The Slice of Life
Don't Look 'til its Gone
Go Beyond, but...
Come To
Masterpiece
Solaris I
Belvedere
Solaris II
Stay dry if you can - stay wet if you can - CanCan if you can,
NØ
UPDATE: I am adding Headtrip as requested.
Tracklist:
Ixtlan
Sparker
The Phoenix Asteroids
Cactus Dance
33/4
Curse
P2C2E
The Shadow Warriors
Desaster Area
Headtrip
Enjoy & thanks for the heads-up Anon & Zanate,
NØ
I snuck into the house again just now. It's raining cats & dogs. I needed to dry off. No one is around right now so I'm gonna slap this one up quick.
Dark Star is a project from the German musician Wolfgang Reffert. It is post-industrial rock with a psychedelic twist that is slightly reminiscent of The Tear Garden. Travelogue I was originally recorded in 1992 to 1994. In its original format it contain 9 tracks instead of 11 as on Travelogue II. The final two tracks have been replaced by 4 new tracks. Travelogue II retains its early 90s vibe. It begins with "Eject!", a collision of dirty electronics & noisy guitars over a beat-box along with Edward Ka-Spel drones; he's unique & abstract, as usual. Travelogue II navigates genres: the gloomy "Opal" finds its inspiration in krautrock a la Chrome; heavy industrial rears its head on the distorted "Frantic Upstream", while "Don't Look 'til it's Gone" is a colossal industrial & psychedelic blend from Hell with Edward Ka-Spel drawling twisted lyrics in the grotesque darkness; "Come To" is perfect dark-pop. The bonus tracks "Solaris I" & "Solaris II" are minimal collages of tapes & samples with mellotron instrumentation. Travelogue II should strongly appeal to The Tear Garden or Edward Ka-Spel fans. A great piece of fuzzy, dirty experimentation of industrial psychedelia with a cool cover artwork by none other than French artist Métal Hurlant Moebius from the graphic novel The Airtight Garage Of Jerry Cornelius .
Dark Star is Wolfgang Reffert - electronics & guitar with guests: Edward Ka-Spel - vocals, keyboards, & lyrics; The Silverman - sampler; Ryan Moore - bass; Gøtz Adler - guitar, bass, keyboard & drum program; Reece Kyó! - electronics & rhuthm reconstruction; Fredbo - Sampler; G-Frex - guitar & bass; Yorgos DK - vocals & lyrics; Rodrigo Gonzalez - sampler; Kurt Maninouk - tapes; Wolfgang Bauer - editing & drum program; & Volkmar Miedlke - mellotron.
Tracklist:
Eject!
Opal
Frantic Upstream
The Slice of Life
Don't Look 'til its Gone
Go Beyond, but...
Come To
Masterpiece
Solaris I
Belvedere
Solaris II
Stay dry if you can - stay wet if you can - CanCan if you can,
NØ
UPDATE: I am adding Headtrip as requested.
Tracklist:
Ixtlan
Sparker
The Phoenix Asteroids
Cactus Dance
33/4
Curse
P2C2E
The Shadow Warriors
Desaster Area
Headtrip
Enjoy & thanks for the heads-up Anon & Zanate,
NØ
More News from KILL YOUR GODZ
Have you been to KILL YOUR GODZ. lately? Well, YOUR GODZ might as well be DEAD! Head over there today to hear a special gift from Black Ark Psychedelick Soul & Jazz Revue - Volume One/The Archive Series.
Black Ark Psychedelick Soul & Jazz Revue is a post dada/fluxus art movement committed to reinterpreting the codes & messages left from as far back as the late 50s - early 60s beat/pop/surreal/psychedelic scenes & all those left in it’s wake.
Then head back again tomorrow 10 April 2009 to hear Stpocold to get their release What Happened Outside.
Originating out of the Russian Federation, Stpocold is the experimental project of Swill Klitch and Ips Klitch. They are hoping to have their second full length cd out in 2009.
A Heathen Harvest review of their first cd What Happened Outside described them as;
While you're there, don't be a leech. Leave a comment.
Enjoy,
NØ
Black Ark Psychedelick Soul & Jazz Revue is a post dada/fluxus art movement committed to reinterpreting the codes & messages left from as far back as the late 50s - early 60s beat/pop/surreal/psychedelic scenes & all those left in it’s wake.
Then head back again tomorrow 10 April 2009 to hear Stpocold to get their release What Happened Outside.
Originating out of the Russian Federation, Stpocold is the experimental project of Swill Klitch and Ips Klitch. They are hoping to have their second full length cd out in 2009.
A Heathen Harvest review of their first cd What Happened Outside described them as;
"…experimental: noise with a human touch, an attempt to combine music & anti-music, sometimes followed by adding rhythmic structures (& turning in – rhythmically - minimal but multilayered, violent, abrasive rhythmic industrial music), consisting not only from the “drum sound” of different kinds like pulsating synthetic beats, scratches & noises, but also looped samples, all this flavored with female voice (which on the second track sounded as if it was going to sing as women in Indian movies do) & male declamations."
While you're there, don't be a leech. Leave a comment.
Enjoy,
NØ
07 April 2009
Creepy Crawl Part 1
This post has been re-uploaded 11/04/2017.
I snuck back in to the house when no one was home. They had been using my stereo & playing records. There were albums galore. With Radio KLPD still ruling the airwaves, they had apparently indulged in an orgy of vinyl. I requisitioned a bottle of maple syrup for the lemonade I'm living on, from the lemons I pick off the tree in the field where I'm staying. I slunk back to my tent. I'm a Taurus & I'm stubborn as hell, so I'm not giving in this easy. This is what I found on the turntable. (Ferry's no Ka-Spel, but "A Song for Europe"...)
Jeté de ma propre maison,
NØ
I snuck back in to the house when no one was home. They had been using my stereo & playing records. There were albums galore. With Radio KLPD still ruling the airwaves, they had apparently indulged in an orgy of vinyl. I requisitioned a bottle of maple syrup for the lemonade I'm living on, from the lemons I pick off the tree in the field where I'm staying. I slunk back to my tent. I'm a Taurus & I'm stubborn as hell, so I'm not giving in this easy. This is what I found on the turntable. (Ferry's no Ka-Spel, but "A Song for Europe"...)
Roxy Music - Greatest Hits, ATCO Records SD 38-103, 1972.
Jeté de ma propre maison,
NØ
01 April 2009
The New Revolution
Just a note to let all the visitors here know that great things are going on over at Because God Told Me To Do It.
TheeBradMiller has started
THE NEW REVOLUTION!
He has begun a new blog called Kill Your Godz where bands can become members & post their own music for all to enjoy directly from the artists themselves.
Here's what TBM sez,
"KILL YOUR GODZ will be a new home for artists who need to be heard. Preferably unsigned artists. Contact me & let me act as the CLEARING HOUSE OF THE GODZ! (theebradmiler@yahoo.com)
It is time for a revolution. Are you on board. Sure, the Industrial Godfathers are entertaining... but wouldn't you want to be a GOD? Don't you think YOU should be a GOD?
April 1st through the 4th will show all the talent that it is out there. On the four Because God Told Me To Do It FREE DOWNLOAD releases you will hear the beginning of a REVOLUTION.
April first through 4th will see the releases begin to flow. I don't know the exact number of tracks, but it's around 50 something....
If you are interested in doing this again, then here is your opportunity. But there is a catch... & of course this catch could crash & burn the whole idea, but I am willing to give it a go. This time it won't be a free for all. This time it will be SLEEPCHAMBER cover tunes. It has to be a cover of a SLEEPCHAMBER song... any SLEEPCHAMBER song. For now I will make the deadline June 1st, with the release to follow a week after.
Have fun."
Well the first part, called Formulation, is available for FREE DOWNLOAD today & it is a great thing to hear (cover pictured above). Many of the artists are unsigned & perhaps unknown to most. They all deserve a listen. Also included is the awesome Phallus Dei, whose drummer / multi-instrumentalist RICHARD VAN KRUYSDIJK works with Niels van Hoorn (see previous post) in STRANGE ATTRACTOR so there is even a Pink Dots connection to satisfy my own mania.
As TBM sez, 'Have fun' & as Nathan Nothin' sez,
Enjoy,
NØ