Dead Sea Apes – The Free Territory
Cardinal Fuzz (UK) and Feeding Tube Records (USA)
Following the dub-inspired ‘Sixth Side Of The Pentagon’, retrospective ‘Recondite’ and Adam Stone collaboration ‘Warheads’, the new album by Dead Sea Apes is their darkest, moodiest work to date, their characteristic unfolding instrumentals now cast in lonesome drones and haunted atmospherics.
Taking shape in the shadows over the past several years, The Free Territory brings Dead Sea Apes’ more experimental and introspective aspects to light. Dysmorphic loops, evolving textures and improvisations are suffused with the hiss of old tape decks and analogue effects, and adherence to the default guitar/bass/drums setup is strictly optional. It also represents a transitional phase for the group, having been partly recorded with departing bassist Nick Harris. More recently, Nik Rayne of The Myrrors dropped in on a winter sojourn to the UK, not only guesting on two tracks but also creating the beautifully detailed copier collage sleeve art.
Never ones to retrace their steps or be steered by voguish reference points, Dead Sea Apes here find themselves at unfamiliar co-ordinates with only their instincts for guidance. The Free Territory is both spatial and claustrophobic, massive yet weightless, grounded yet in constant motion; timeless yet reflecting and resonating with the age.
Dreamtime – Tidal Mind
Cardinal Fuzz (Europe), Little Cloud Records (USA) and TYM Records (Australia) are proud to bring to you the long awaited fourth full length LP from Brisbane Astral Travelers – Dreamtime.
The wave has crashed, producing a million waves of sound, each breaking on the shores of your own TIDAL MIND. DREAMTIME have gazed deeply into the infinite depths of our earthly ocean bringing you their new opus: TIDAL MIND.
Studying the interactions of liquids, plants and creatures of sea, DREAMTIME have listened carefully to the deep sounds of dark depths. From this sweet salty symphony, they have used their instruments not to play mere chords but to ride within these waves of sound letting our human ears drink deeply from the vast waters.
Channelling distant echoes of krautrock masters into not only the sounds created but their approach towards recording spontaneous thoughts, feelings and jams; Kosmic music runs deeply in the veins of these five musicians. TIDAL MIND falls into perfect sequence in the progression of this band that feels no ties to conventional musical impressions cast down upon the masses by the mainstream. The band makes its own channel through the embrace of natural patterns creating unique DREAMscapes permanently altering ones perception of the world that surrounds us.
Harnessing the perfection of analogue equipment while utilising modern techniques the band entered the studio and successfully laid down some ritual shit. The album sees DREAMTIME not content to reproduce previous sounds but press ever forward into the deep Kosmic unknown. TIDAL MIND sees the band return to the studio with Darek Mudge setting the controls for the heart of the ocean. Unheard sounds of unfathomable depths have been recorded/mixed and mastered so you can place the needle in the groove and enjoy them in the comforts of your own home.
The Myrrors – Curved Entrances
Cardinal Fuzz are proud to bring ‘Curved Entrances’, a dip into the archives with those shamans from Tucson, The Myrrors.
Two tracks totalling over 30 minutes recorded back in the Winter months of 2014 at the first rehearsal with Guitar Wizard Conner Gallaher on board (joining Nik Rayne on 12 String and Grant Beychau on Drums). Whatever spiritual incantations were placed before this rehearsal no-one can no longer remember but these two recordings stand as a testament that something very special was happening that night. This is psychedelia of the cosmic/koummune vibe as the trio strike up from an earthy hypnotic opening refrain until they hit a shamanistic ecstatic state that is both spellbinding and enrapturing. A band playing in their own space and caught under their own spell of improvisation that takes both band and the listener on a sonic nirvana as The Myrrors open your mind via the power of amplification and elevation. So please open up your mind and let everything come through – The Myrrors may just have found the key to the kingdom of heaven.
Birth – Live In Tucson
Cardinal Fuzz are proud to present to you Birth – Live In Tucson. Birth is the project of Grant Beyachau and Nik Rayne from The Myrrors who performed as Birth for this live improvisational performance in Tucson (USA). The performance was captured onto a handheld recorder (you can hear instrument leads buzz and cut out for a second here and there as things start up) as Birth, seated on the floor, journey towards a state of transcendence in front of a small but appreciative audience.
Taking cues from Terry Riley, LaMonte Young as well as Spacemen 3 (Dreamweapon) – minimalist artists who offer no concessions to the listener except to surrender yourself to the drone. Grant creates swirling cyclic passages via analogue synthesizer and tape machine loops as Nik conjures subliminal notes via guitar and space echo. Over 25 minutes they create an experience of devotional music influenced by Middle Eastern and Sufism cultures – as notes bleed and swirl together in a lysergic haze. Its fluidity is its greatest strength as the piece offers no navigation points – all they ask is that through a mixture of drone, repetition and simple melodies that you surrender yourself to the trance-like and hallucinatory delirium created. It is captivating.
