1. Hymn for the reconciled
2. Song of conflict
BFS1 is not an experiment, but a meditation on inspiration, process, spiritualism and transcendence. Some listeners might classify this as free jazz. Yet, while freedom is a central principle and jazz is clearly an influence, the music of BFS1 is born not of an intellectual approach, rather it is created through a ritual of praise.
In their own words embedded within these files reads the following:
"Produced at the Granary sometime in the Future
Music cannot be owned.
EVERYTHING IS FREE."
The players are as follows:
BFS1 (horns), OM (strings), TFR (percussion)
The idea of Alpha Numeric pseudonyms is nothing new. Personally I'm reminded of Hovercraft as a group that executed a similar aesthetic. However there is a purpose behind this approach to creating an identity. Invoking a spiritual name that reflects the utilitarian nature of our technologically obsessed society whilst we strive to traverse the veiled planes of consciousness through music signifies not just our point of departure, but precisely that part of ourselves we are willing to sacrifice in the quest for enlightenment.
BFS1 launches toward uncharted regions and what is left behind as a recorded artifact is an impression only of that part of their beings unnecessary for the realms which they traverse.
February 26, 2010
BFS1 - Bryan From Saturn (2525)
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January 12, 2010
Chrismix 2009: The Oughts are Naught!
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Well, I know Christmas has passed, but having a 10 month old over the holidays seems to take precedence over all else. Some of you who read this blog may have already received the physical version of this year's Chrismix. However, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of such generosity, I have decided to post it as a download for family and friends that read this blog.
I feel that it is only appropriate that I give a little background on the Chrismix. The first one was is in 2006 and was a mostly 80s retrospective. Chrismix 2007 was similar. Chrismix 2008 was mostly a best of for records released that year (except for a track that I heard on the Southland Tales soundtrack that was totally awesome and that movie was released--FINALLY--in 2008).
Chrismix 2009 seems to be a bit of a somber affair. It is the first with a title, "The Oughts are Naught!" True enough, but there has always been something reflective and a bit melancholy about the passing of a decade. I've felt this same way for the past three (don't remember '79 specifically, but I'm willing to bet I had the same intuitive sense). Our friend Jack Harney wrote in his christmas card to us, "if ever there was a year that symbolized 'the future writ large' it is 2010."
So what of the future... seems pretty much like Blade Runner to me. A dystopic reality where the idyllic promises of technology have betrayed our intentions for a brave new world.
This sentiment, in my view, is widespread and is best exemplified by the popularity of the film Avatar. Millions of us flock to the film again and again not just for the experience of escapism, but to experience a simplified reality where our intuitive feelings of interconnectedness with one another and the entire world are real. Some of us don't need any more convincing than belief in this feeling. Others need the slow crawl of science to realize ancient wisdom in order to be convinced. The beginning fo this crawl was Lovelock's Gaia theory. There is a strong influence of Gaia theory in Avatar.
The film realizes Gaia by portraying Pandora as an interconnected nervous system; biologically and scientifically measurable. This type of portrayal is what our scientifically exaltating society requires to enthusiastically embrace such a story (my least favorite dialog, "we are not talking pagan mumbo jumbo here, but real measurable connections.") Too bad we lack the faith necessary to realize such a world here on Earth. We seek the truth by parsing the universe into its smallest pieces without out considering the totality, the true meaning of the whole.
So Chrismix 2009 is a celebration of meaning... our love is not insignificant when we give it to one another freely. We change the world most directly by shifting our own attitudes and prejudices to be more accepting not only of others, but of our own, fallible selves.
So what's in store for the tunage on Chrismix 2009?
I'll keep the included tracks a nice surprise for you. Think of it as a celebration of mystery!
As usual just drop into iTunes and enjoy!
DOWNLOAD
Well, I know Christmas has passed, but having a 10 month old over the holidays seems to take precedence over all else. Some of you who read this blog may have already received the physical version of this year's Chrismix. However, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of such generosity, I have decided to post it as a download for family and friends that read this blog.I feel that it is only appropriate that I give a little background on the Chrismix. The first one was is in 2006 and was a mostly 80s retrospective. Chrismix 2007 was similar. Chrismix 2008 was mostly a best of for records released that year (except for a track that I heard on the Southland Tales soundtrack that was totally awesome and that movie was released--FINALLY--in 2008).
Chrismix 2009 seems to be a bit of a somber affair. It is the first with a title, "The Oughts are Naught!" True enough, but there has always been something reflective and a bit melancholy about the passing of a decade. I've felt this same way for the past three (don't remember '79 specifically, but I'm willing to bet I had the same intuitive sense). Our friend Jack Harney wrote in his christmas card to us, "if ever there was a year that symbolized 'the future writ large' it is 2010."
So what of the future... seems pretty much like Blade Runner to me. A dystopic reality where the idyllic promises of technology have betrayed our intentions for a brave new world.
This sentiment, in my view, is widespread and is best exemplified by the popularity of the film Avatar. Millions of us flock to the film again and again not just for the experience of escapism, but to experience a simplified reality where our intuitive feelings of interconnectedness with one another and the entire world are real. Some of us don't need any more convincing than belief in this feeling. Others need the slow crawl of science to realize ancient wisdom in order to be convinced. The beginning fo this crawl was Lovelock's Gaia theory. There is a strong influence of Gaia theory in Avatar.
The film realizes Gaia by portraying Pandora as an interconnected nervous system; biologically and scientifically measurable. This type of portrayal is what our scientifically exaltating society requires to enthusiastically embrace such a story (my least favorite dialog, "we are not talking pagan mumbo jumbo here, but real measurable connections.") Too bad we lack the faith necessary to realize such a world here on Earth. We seek the truth by parsing the universe into its smallest pieces without out considering the totality, the true meaning of the whole.
So Chrismix 2009 is a celebration of meaning... our love is not insignificant when we give it to one another freely. We change the world most directly by shifting our own attitudes and prejudices to be more accepting not only of others, but of our own, fallible selves.
So what's in store for the tunage on Chrismix 2009?
I'll keep the included tracks a nice surprise for you. Think of it as a celebration of mystery!
As usual just drop into iTunes and enjoy!
DOWNLOAD
January 2, 2010
Process by Jarred Alterman
A still shot from "Process" by Jarred Alterman©2010 FlyAwayFilmsnyc/ L.A. Bruell Inc
What lies ahead in 2010... many things I hope!
I know six months is a long time even outside the blogosphere, but I figured I better post now lest people think this is dead. HIR is not dead... just slow. I've got plenty of ideas for posts and plenty of material. Just a lack of time.However, this may be changing... we will see by how often I get things up!
So, to get the new year started off on the right foot, here is a short movie by Jarred Alterman. It features music by Resonator. It is a great piece about the art work of Jesse Vasquez.
Watch it here and enjoy! http://www.vimeo.com/8475831
July 31, 2009
Ota Benga - A Prayer to the God of Rock and Roll [2008]
A prayer to the God of Rock and Roll could only be made from a dark, dank basement. And so it was. I wanted to record these guys and still might, but for Jay-0, Bryce and Tom the nature of their surroundings certainly made this recording what it is–a contemporary piece of music in the spirit of classic garage rock from the 60s. I'm not talking pebbles or nuggets here–I'm talking Detroit motor city, MC5, dirty FTW style rock music made with complete abandon. I'm immediately reminded of the Stooges, albeit without Iggy. Let's say the Stooges if they had decided to be an instrumental band and just have Iggy be the recording engineer.
This is not for vanity or style, this is blood letting and soul searching without regard for fashionable sounds. And so you don't get the impression that this is some free form avant-garde extravaganza ala the SY artiste minions: these guys are fuzzed out, tight, and heavy; albeit in a lo-fi, redlined stereo recording, surrounded by concrete walls. Don't let the truth scare you though... this album sounds great.
This is no White Stripes/Black Keys bologna (or baloney if you will). No mechanically processed product for mass consumption here. This is raw red meat served as an offering to the Rock God–and really could there be any other ritual but blood ritual to satisfy the God of Rock and Roll? The problem with all this throwback music is that it emulates what was done in the past adding some kitschy twist to sell records to kids. Where's the rock in that? Answer: Prudential rock (because it's the capitalist pigs footing the bill for all that hipster hooey). Ota Benga are real. They are tapping into something that I believe has been obliterated by the proliferation of corporate-minded indie labels (rock, metal, doom, punk, or otherwise): the underground. Ota Benga are broadcasting from beneath the city, truly underground in physicality and musicality. Their sound is not genre, but the sound of a movement that is everywhere in this country and nowhere at the same time.
Ota Benga has been a bit silent as of late, which is really a shame... The God of Rock and Roll is thirsty for more.
May 15, 2009
Priests of Leisure - Self Titled [2009]
There is a strange analogue between the Priests of Leisure and the 1973 Pontiac Firebird. It is not a direct analogy, but the symbolism of this muscle car, it’s shape, it raised intake manifold, the jacked suspension, the well defined but spare interior, and above all the phoenix adorning it’s hood; all these attributes speak to the intensity and strength of the music created by the Priests of Leisure. Today the Firebird may be a symbol for the nostalgia of a different era, but when it was created it was a vision of what the future of automobiles, as well as the American spirit, might become. The Priests of Leisure have realized this vision.
Any listener familiar with 70s rock will hear elements of Foghat, Yes, Rush, Hawkwind and perhaps some more obscure prog-rock acts. However, POL is not a nostalgia act and manages to channel an alternate modern era where the 1980s never occurred. No new wave, no no wave, no LA glam, just a seemless continuity from 1973 where somehow Vietnam didn’t end, the Cold War wasn’t won, and somehow the world is more akin to the landscapes and atmospheres of the first Mad Max.
Trevor Cole plays guitar on twin Ampeg heads to get the classic sound, and drummer Travis Luther is simply classic due to his hair cut. “Wicked” POL fan Jimmy Dolan describes their sound as “music you would hear in a beer commercial if the commercial was actually good.” Funny enough, POL has an unnatural fascination with Budweiser and the first track is actually recorded using bottles of Budweiser’s American Ale (yet another aspect of this artistic statement that speaks to the past but is distinctly created of the contemporary).
This self titled album was recorded in the Fall of 2008 at the Granary. Below is a slide show of the recording session set to the track “Electric Horse Bite.” I promise you’ll burn your thumbs brown listening to this one.
May 9, 2009
Drone Divinity Clone - Question [2002]
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM
Question was self-released in 2002. As far as I know, it is the most recent DDC album. It is interesting to note that this is the first DDC to be released on CD. All of his previous releases were on cassette. As one might imagine, this release is a bit more hi-fi than previous releases, but it does not take away from the aesthetic of Drone Divinity Clone's music. While the strength of the earlier releases was the creation of high quality electronica in the lo-fi format typical of DIY indie rock, Question has a different appeal. It reflects the transition that many people face today as they move from their rural home to dense urban environs backgrounded by the face of modernity. It makes me wonder what types of soundscapes will be created when the cycle comes around again to a "back to the land" ethos.
There are many strong songs on the album, but the real highlight is "Twins." Compiled from the many broadcasts during the World Trade Center disaster, I have always felt that it was the best musical commentary on 9-11 I have ever heard. It is honest, reflective, and harrowing. Twins suggests that perhaps there is ambiguity to such an event–that the question should not be why or how, but something more amorphous, something deeper and undefinable.
I will be posting some of the earlier DDC releases later on–and they will include tape hiss!
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM
Drone Divinity Clone is the moniker used by Nate Derr for his solo work. Nate was the guitarist for the band Hobnail during the 90s. DDC is a departure from the heavier fare of Hobnail. Utilizing primarily keyboards, drum machines, and samplers, Nate creates excursions into hazy late night atmospheres that evoke a sense of solitude and contemplation.
Question was self-released in 2002. As far as I know, it is the most recent DDC album. It is interesting to note that this is the first DDC to be released on CD. All of his previous releases were on cassette. As one might imagine, this release is a bit more hi-fi than previous releases, but it does not take away from the aesthetic of Drone Divinity Clone's music. While the strength of the earlier releases was the creation of high quality electronica in the lo-fi format typical of DIY indie rock, Question has a different appeal. It reflects the transition that many people face today as they move from their rural home to dense urban environs backgrounded by the face of modernity. It makes me wonder what types of soundscapes will be created when the cycle comes around again to a "back to the land" ethos.
There are many strong songs on the album, but the real highlight is "Twins." Compiled from the many broadcasts during the World Trade Center disaster, I have always felt that it was the best musical commentary on 9-11 I have ever heard. It is honest, reflective, and harrowing. Twins suggests that perhaps there is ambiguity to such an event–that the question should not be why or how, but something more amorphous, something deeper and undefinable.
I will be posting some of the earlier DDC releases later on–and they will include tape hiss!
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM
Glitter of Cohoes - Take my hand... [2000-2006]
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM
Tracklist for Take my hand and lead me to the flaming pussy of your heart:
1. Confuscious Say
2. Ham Radio
3. Bright, Angel Risen
4. Bright Reprise
5. Medusa Maitai
6. Interstellar Overdrive
7. Most of them will wear ties
8. Super Rock
9. Albatross
10. Kamchatka (Russian Winter)
11. I Am Our Workhorse
12. Goodnight Kings (intro)
13. Goodnight Kings
14. Goodnight Platts
From the ashes of hard working yet little known Lack of... emerged the Glitter of Cohoes. Named after the not-so-chic area of Albany in which they lived at the time, Matt Heuston and Sue Dunkel regrouped after the demise of Lack of... with number one fan and roadie Dave Welch. Also on board was drummer John Dudely and in the later incarnation Jeff (aka Jeffe).
Full disclosure: I was the pain in the ass guitarist that precipitated the said demise of Lack of... Knowing this the reader might gain a better insight into my reflections on what feelings I gain from GOC. The first feeling is that things happen for a reason. Lack of... was great, and I'll be posting an anthology of our scattered attempts at a release, but the Glitter realized a more genuine artistic vision (in my opinion).
Free from the restrictions of a domineering drummer and guitarist, the GOC captured the feeling and experience of a time and place. Wearing ties by day, or a certain workplace face; at night in the moonlight–in the glow of the city scape, the Glitter of Cohoes electrified a shitty downtown Albany practice space with the emotional release that comes from music as necessity–as therapy, as a soulful need rather than a vain posture. It is an emotion that music as a fashionable form or genre cannot express.
The first time I heard this whole release I was riding my bike. I was resisting modernity and embracing the speed of another age. Somehow this feels like the future and the Glitter of Cohoes make a suitable soundtrack for the times ahead. Enjoy the fall.
In their own words:
The initial idea behind Glitter of Cohoes was to let whatever happened while jamming in the practice room determine what kind of music we would write. Somewhat divergent backgrounds, punk and metal, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Rush, and Beethoven, as well as Trans Am and Polvo, all contributed to what eventually became songs, but with the exception of a cover of Floyd's “Interstellar Overdrive,” the band never committed to sounding like something else.
In the early days, there were minimal vocals; there’s some breathy chanting on “Bright, Risen Angels,” and the song “Last Time” had actual lyrics, but was never very successfully committed to tape. The chemistry of the band was evident in the fact that minimal miking and recording with a 4-track, in shitty little practice spaces, resulted in relatively high quality and enjoyable recordings.
Says bassist Dave Welch, "This is one of the few bands I've been in that when I went home at night after practicing, I would lay awake in bed completely excited about what the band was doing.”
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM
Tracklist for Take my hand and lead me to the flaming pussy of your heart:
1. Confuscious Say
2. Ham Radio
3. Bright, Angel Risen
4. Bright Reprise
5. Medusa Maitai
6. Interstellar Overdrive
7. Most of them will wear ties
8. Super Rock
9. Albatross
10. Kamchatka (Russian Winter)
11. I Am Our Workhorse
12. Goodnight Kings (intro)
13. Goodnight Kings
14. Goodnight Platts
From the ashes of hard working yet little known Lack of... emerged the Glitter of Cohoes. Named after the not-so-chic area of Albany in which they lived at the time, Matt Heuston and Sue Dunkel regrouped after the demise of Lack of... with number one fan and roadie Dave Welch. Also on board was drummer John Dudely and in the later incarnation Jeff (aka Jeffe).
Full disclosure: I was the pain in the ass guitarist that precipitated the said demise of Lack of... Knowing this the reader might gain a better insight into my reflections on what feelings I gain from GOC. The first feeling is that things happen for a reason. Lack of... was great, and I'll be posting an anthology of our scattered attempts at a release, but the Glitter realized a more genuine artistic vision (in my opinion).
Free from the restrictions of a domineering drummer and guitarist, the GOC captured the feeling and experience of a time and place. Wearing ties by day, or a certain workplace face; at night in the moonlight–in the glow of the city scape, the Glitter of Cohoes electrified a shitty downtown Albany practice space with the emotional release that comes from music as necessity–as therapy, as a soulful need rather than a vain posture. It is an emotion that music as a fashionable form or genre cannot express.
The first time I heard this whole release I was riding my bike. I was resisting modernity and embracing the speed of another age. Somehow this feels like the future and the Glitter of Cohoes make a suitable soundtrack for the times ahead. Enjoy the fall.
In their own words:
The initial idea behind Glitter of Cohoes was to let whatever happened while jamming in the practice room determine what kind of music we would write. Somewhat divergent backgrounds, punk and metal, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Rush, and Beethoven, as well as Trans Am and Polvo, all contributed to what eventually became songs, but with the exception of a cover of Floyd's “Interstellar Overdrive,” the band never committed to sounding like something else.
In the early days, there were minimal vocals; there’s some breathy chanting on “Bright, Risen Angels,” and the song “Last Time” had actual lyrics, but was never very successfully committed to tape. The chemistry of the band was evident in the fact that minimal miking and recording with a 4-track, in shitty little practice spaces, resulted in relatively high quality and enjoyable recordings.
Says bassist Dave Welch, "This is one of the few bands I've been in that when I went home at night after practicing, I would lay awake in bed completely excited about what the band was doing.”
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM
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