HR100 - U.S.A. Volume 2 - C90 — 1989
Side A:
Undercurrent - Drowning Mike Shannon - Red Chamber City Of Worms - Architures Lewis Francis - Do You Think That's True? Crawling With Tarts - Bringing the Moon In Nomuzic - Men-Tall Orphans & Widows - Devils, part 2 Teen Lesbians & Animals - Nothing Iz Permitted Sterile Woman's Icy Majesty - Ewig |
Side B:
PBK - Nobody Hears This Dog's Cries Theatre Of Ice - A Cool Dark Place to Die Cancerous Growth - Can't Even Stand to Wear Pants Murray The Cop - Therapy Writhing Euphoria - Cum Off AMK - Montage #24 John Wiggins - Whirl Without End |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
The U.S.A. 2-tape compilation is the first in the 12-part Harsh Reality ‘Country’ series and features a stunning array of late 1980s homemade artists, both prolific veterans and artists who are new to me.
Undercurrent (Arizona) kicks off Volume 2. ‘Drowning’ is an intensely atmospheric piece, creating the feel of being trapped in a deep dark cavern during a storm.
Mike Shannon’s (San Francisco) ‘Red Chamber’ consists of beautiful guitar meditations against a minimal fluttering backdrop.
City of Worms is another Jeph Jerman project, originally formed with Steve Beckner and George Ericson. 'Architures' features grating guitar (I think its guitar) against waves of sound that are varying shades of soundscape and drone. Jangly percussion and what might be efx’d voices color the piece, creating a darkly atmospheric vibe.
Lewis Francis’ (Virginia) 'Do You Think That's True?' is an excellent slab of danceable, spacey electronica and experimental collage work.
Crawling With Tarts are the duo of Michael Gendreau and Suzanne Dycus-Gendreau and veterans of cassette culture underground. 'Bringing the Moon In' sounds like a guitar, piano, and strings combo, quietly but intensely dueling against a hauntingly efx’d backdrop. I love the droney, darkly frenzied yet mystical feel of the music. Lots of simultaneous emotions throughout the piece.
Nomuzic is the solo project of Carl Howard, who also ran the audiofile Tapes label. 'Men-Tall' is a spacey, gothic electro dance number with vocals. Great groove and catchy melody.
Orphans & Widows (Phoenix) contribute 'Devils, part 2’, which sounds like a live recording. It’s a vocal number that feels like an oddly Country inflected Industrial tune.
Teen Lesbians & Animals’ (Oklahoma) Blast From Me cassette album was released on Harsh Reality earlier as HR076. 'Nothing Iz Permitted' is propelled by a repetitive bass riff and electro percussion to create an ominously martial vibe. Narrative samples that sound like poetry are layers over the riffage, some of which sound like William Burroughs.
Sterile Woman's Icy Majesty’s (Houston) 'Ewig' is spacey/ghostly ambient with interesting minimal sound patterns. Imagine floating in some otherworldly limbo, serenaded by spectral howls and cosmic jawharp.
PBK is Phillip B Klingler, yet another cassette culture veteran who continues to creatively thrive today. 'Nobody Hears This Dog's Cries' is a 10 minute sound sculpture with an awkwardly steady rhythmic pulse and a spacey/noisy textural flow. As it progresses the music becomes more intensely atmospheric, like sirens wailing in some alter-dimension.
Theater Of Ice’s (Phoenix) Live-Beyond The Graves Of Utah cassette album was released on Harsh Reality earlier as HR080. 'A Cool Dark Place to Die' is a catchy, hip-shaking Goth rocker with menacing guitar chords offset by dreamily melodic licks.
Cancerous Growth are the duo of Michael Thomas Jackson and Chris Phinney. 'Can't Even Stand to Wear Pants' features a conversation between a doctor and patient, plus a droney, rhythmically varied palpitation and bloopy echoey synth notes. The voice samples seem to take on additional layers and get more garbled and chipmunk chattery. Guitar is added and combined with the synths creating a doomy space-drone-rock vibe to the music that all eventually gels into a menacing collage infused, claustrophobic ambient excursion with a tasty smattering of effects.
Murray The Cop’s (West Virginia) ‘Therapy’ is a grungy acid/sci-fi punk rocker with crunchy guitar, electro beats, demonic vocals, and various TV/movie voice samples. Love this one!
Writhing Euphoria (Oklahoma City) chime in with a quirky rocker titled 'Cum Off', which is the perfect title given the explicit voice sample.
AMK is Anthony Michael King (Fremont, CA). His 'Montage #24' is a voice samples and tape manipulation piece that is barely over a minute long.
John Wiggins is yet another cassette culture veteran. His ‘Whirl Without End’ is a blend of tinkling dreamland, whimsical effects, what sounds like a blend of washboard and old cash register, percussive clatter, and other sundry sound fun.
The U.S.A. 2-tape compilation is the first in the 12-part Harsh Reality ‘Country’ series and features a stunning array of late 1980s homemade artists, both prolific veterans and artists who are new to me.
Undercurrent (Arizona) kicks off Volume 2. ‘Drowning’ is an intensely atmospheric piece, creating the feel of being trapped in a deep dark cavern during a storm.
Mike Shannon’s (San Francisco) ‘Red Chamber’ consists of beautiful guitar meditations against a minimal fluttering backdrop.
City of Worms is another Jeph Jerman project, originally formed with Steve Beckner and George Ericson. 'Architures' features grating guitar (I think its guitar) against waves of sound that are varying shades of soundscape and drone. Jangly percussion and what might be efx’d voices color the piece, creating a darkly atmospheric vibe.
Lewis Francis’ (Virginia) 'Do You Think That's True?' is an excellent slab of danceable, spacey electronica and experimental collage work.
Crawling With Tarts are the duo of Michael Gendreau and Suzanne Dycus-Gendreau and veterans of cassette culture underground. 'Bringing the Moon In' sounds like a guitar, piano, and strings combo, quietly but intensely dueling against a hauntingly efx’d backdrop. I love the droney, darkly frenzied yet mystical feel of the music. Lots of simultaneous emotions throughout the piece.
Nomuzic is the solo project of Carl Howard, who also ran the audiofile Tapes label. 'Men-Tall' is a spacey, gothic electro dance number with vocals. Great groove and catchy melody.
Orphans & Widows (Phoenix) contribute 'Devils, part 2’, which sounds like a live recording. It’s a vocal number that feels like an oddly Country inflected Industrial tune.
Teen Lesbians & Animals’ (Oklahoma) Blast From Me cassette album was released on Harsh Reality earlier as HR076. 'Nothing Iz Permitted' is propelled by a repetitive bass riff and electro percussion to create an ominously martial vibe. Narrative samples that sound like poetry are layers over the riffage, some of which sound like William Burroughs.
Sterile Woman's Icy Majesty’s (Houston) 'Ewig' is spacey/ghostly ambient with interesting minimal sound patterns. Imagine floating in some otherworldly limbo, serenaded by spectral howls and cosmic jawharp.
PBK is Phillip B Klingler, yet another cassette culture veteran who continues to creatively thrive today. 'Nobody Hears This Dog's Cries' is a 10 minute sound sculpture with an awkwardly steady rhythmic pulse and a spacey/noisy textural flow. As it progresses the music becomes more intensely atmospheric, like sirens wailing in some alter-dimension.
Theater Of Ice’s (Phoenix) Live-Beyond The Graves Of Utah cassette album was released on Harsh Reality earlier as HR080. 'A Cool Dark Place to Die' is a catchy, hip-shaking Goth rocker with menacing guitar chords offset by dreamily melodic licks.
Cancerous Growth are the duo of Michael Thomas Jackson and Chris Phinney. 'Can't Even Stand to Wear Pants' features a conversation between a doctor and patient, plus a droney, rhythmically varied palpitation and bloopy echoey synth notes. The voice samples seem to take on additional layers and get more garbled and chipmunk chattery. Guitar is added and combined with the synths creating a doomy space-drone-rock vibe to the music that all eventually gels into a menacing collage infused, claustrophobic ambient excursion with a tasty smattering of effects.
Murray The Cop’s (West Virginia) ‘Therapy’ is a grungy acid/sci-fi punk rocker with crunchy guitar, electro beats, demonic vocals, and various TV/movie voice samples. Love this one!
Writhing Euphoria (Oklahoma City) chime in with a quirky rocker titled 'Cum Off', which is the perfect title given the explicit voice sample.
AMK is Anthony Michael King (Fremont, CA). His 'Montage #24' is a voice samples and tape manipulation piece that is barely over a minute long.
John Wiggins is yet another cassette culture veteran. His ‘Whirl Without End’ is a blend of tinkling dreamland, whimsical effects, what sounds like a blend of washboard and old cash register, percussive clatter, and other sundry sound fun.