It’s funny that one of the best labels distributing Folk, experimental, drone, Japanese alternative, avant garde and general ‘noise’ stuff is Blackest Rainbow records, here in Sheffield. not only that but they are specialists in physical media such as Lp and caught on very early to the resurgence in Cassettes. Of course, you can still download this music, and some of it is available on cd.
In the run up to Christmas they have a couple of albums out on pre-order now, hence it seemed a good time to give them a special plug. First up is Ben Nash – The mineral Victim. Ben Nash is a Cornish experimental musician, now residing in London, who creates almost soundscapes, based largely on drones with more than a little psych sound going on and a lot of outside ‘world’ influences playing a part as well. The whole thing is totally intoxicating and enthralling, to the point that at the end you find yourself taking in a big, deep breath.
Ben Nash – From 80 Fathoms
You need to be quick. Only 250 copies are pressed (on lovely virgin vinyl) with 100 of those available to mail order customers on clear blue with a white and grey splatter. I can only imagine how fantastic that looks. Comes with download, all for £12 plus postage.
The other album on download is Live at Namba Bears by Kawabata Makoto & Anla Courtis. Again, droney-psychedilia is the order of the day between Acid Mothers Temple Makoto and Argentinian guitarist Again, unsettling the listener with effect-laiden endless seeming sound, with trashy guitar sounds interweaving to provide a horror soundtrack sort of ambience, the weird vocal sound Courtis provides only adding to this. the fact its a live album shows the incredible originality of these musicians. Is it maybe improvisational post-psych sort of thing. I don’t know, but I do enjoy inventing my own categories of music to describe thing by.
Again, speed is a priority with only 300 copies of this, with the special mail order treat of 100 coming with yellow splatter. Again, all this for £12 plus p&p. Listen to examples of the album here on the bandcamp page, or check out a bit of a solo performance by Kawabata Makoto to get in the mood.
There’s one more album I’m going to mention in this posting, released back in September, but every time I hear it I want it. and its this….
There are currently as I write 8 copies of Expo ’70 – Beguiled Entropy on LP left online in the bandcamp store. This, the solo project of american Justin Wright. filthy psychedelic guitars match with electronic, almost analogue sounding keys, and everything has this repetitive, improvisational quality about it. It sounds like space rock brought into the 2010’s. And it’s not just me that likes it. I happened (as I spend much of my life there, so no great surprise) to be in record collector in Sheffield, when none other than snooker legend (and record collector) Steve Davis heard it and snaffled one for himself. I really like it, but you’ll have to drop lucky to get hold of one of these.
The opening visual is by Jake Blanchard, and is a print called blackest rainbow, available from the website.
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