Dissonant Plane

First off, very local artist Demian Johnston dropped copies of his very limited (numbered edition of 30) cassette A Fortress At Terra Sea which comes packaged in a lovely vellum sleeve.  Unfortunately, we haven’t heard it yet, as we haven’t gotten a tape deck set up here yet.  Hopefully we can fix that before too long.  In addition, we got a nice selection of CD releases from Diophantine Discs by ‘kirchenkampf’, Brian Lavelle, Flue (a collaboration between Mason Jones of Trance and two member of William Rage’s old band Tekachi), The Oratory of Divine Love (with John Gore of ‘kirchenkampf’) and Stormhat.  We also got the latest releases from local field recording specialist and/OAR by Celer, Jason Kahn & Asher, Seth Nehil & Matt Marble, and Isobel Clouter & Rob Mullender.  Although all use field recording, the results, especially on the Celer and Kahn/Asher, are very nice droney ambiance.  The Clouter & Mullender is very unique as it features ”singing sand” and “booming sand” recorded in Japan and Mongolia as well as field recordings of a traditional Japanese Sawara Matsuri festival, a Suikinkutsu (underground water zither), Uguisubari (or Nightengale floor), Chion-in temple and Saiho-ji temple.

Eric’s favorite listening right now is the new CD by Giancarlo Toniutti entitled Q^walsamtimutk^w?Italuc’ik (And Now He Almost Did Make Himself Into Hemlock Needles, It Is Said).  Active since the early 1980’s, this is only Giancarlo’s third full length solo release - the first in 22 years!  He had a few collaborations over the years with notables like Andrew Chalk and Conrad Schnitzler, but his discography is painfully small considering the amount of time he has been at this and the quality of his work.   Put simply, Toniutti works very slowly, and meticulously, which means his releases are always something to look forward to.   This particular recording was made in 2001, and “treated & composed” in 2002.  Originally set to be released on the missing in action Edition … [yes, the ellipsis is part of the label’s name], the project was thankfully rescued by Alluvial Recordings in Colorado.  The disc is made of one hour long track of drifting ambiance made with what Toniutti calls a “rattle-harp”.  This is what makes the disc so unique.  The sound sources are acoustic in nature and rich with tiny details that make this stand out as a work of sublime beauty.  Essentially a large [approx. 5 foot by 3 foot] iron sheet with several feet of metal wire and various vibrating objects [bells, bone, wood].  Accompanying the disc is a 16 page booklet with gorgeous photographs from the Caneo natural reserve in Italy, as well as an essay on the sounds by Toniutti.  Definitely a noteworthy release!

Dissonant Plane is featured in the December 24, 2008 issue of the Ballard News-Tribune.  As you can see, there is a hilarious typo in the photo caption, but it is nice to get some local attention.

We got copies of the Serpent’s Temptation Fetish Calender 2009 today.  I imagine the name alone is explanation enough for those who are interested. 

Lots of things unpacked from the archives of Anomalous Records including:  

• Robert,Jocelyn 20 moments blancs lents
• Roberts,Dean & Dafeldecker,Werner Aluminium
• Roden,Steve Crop Circles
• Roden,Steve Four Possible Landscapes
• Roden,Steve invalidObject Series (for)
• Roden,Steve Resonant Cities 
• Roden,Steve Three Roots Carved To Look Like Stone
• Roden,Steve & LaBelle,Brandon Opening of The Field
• Rodrigues,Ernesto & Valente,Jorge Self eater and drinker
• Rose,Jon China Copy
• Rosenboom,David Invisible Gold
• Rosenboom,David &  Braxton,Anthony Two Lines
• Rosenfeld,Marina Sheer Frost Orchestra -Drop, Hop, Drone, Scratch, Slide & A For Anything
• Rousseau,Laurent Y’a de la Nonne
• Rowe,Keith A Dimension of Perfectly Ordinary Reality
• Rowe,Keith & Morgan,Jeffrey Dial: Log-Rhythm
• Rowe,Keith & Nakamura,Toshimaru Weather Sky
• Rühm,Gerhard Pencil Music
• Runes Order Winter
• Rüsenberg,Michael Cologne Bridges Symphony
• Rutgé,Patrick Eaux fortes
• Ruth PolaroÏd/Roman/Photo
• Rutman,Robert 1939
• Rutman,Robert Music to Sleep By
• Saariaho,Kaija Maa - Ballet Music in 7 Scenes 
• Saariaho,Kaija New Gates
• Sadja,Doron A Piece of String, A Sunset
• Sakada Undistilled
• Samartzis,Philip  /  Pimmon  /  Verhagen,Darrin  /  Brown,David Grain
• Santa Pod
• Satan Alfa Beel Atem Delicior Ribbon Pink Beel (Music of Death)
• Saunders,Rebecca Quartet • Into The Blue • Molly’s Song 3 • Dichroic seventeen
• Sawai,Kazue & Doneda,Michel & Saitoh,Tetsu Live at Hall Egg Farm
• Sawai,Kazue Koto Ensemble live at dacapo in Bremen ‘93
• Scelsi,Giacinto Chamber Works for Flute and Piano
• Scelsi,Giacinto Complete Works for Clarinet
• Scelsi,Giacinto Due Componimenti Impetuos
• Scelsi,Giacinto Natura Renovatur
• Scelsi,Giacinto Pranam  • Anagamin  •  Quattro pezzi  •  Quartetto n. 4  •  Okanagon  •  Quartetto n. 2
• Scelsi,Giacinto  /  Berio,Luciano  /  Nono,Luigi Sofferte Onde Serene
• Schaefer,Janek Black Immure
• Schams Erres
• Scheyder - Schwarz - Teruggi Transe
• Schlammpeitziger Spacerokkmountainrutschquatier
• Schleiermacher,Steffen Music at the Bauhaus
• Schliemann,Wolfgang Tre Pezzi per Percussione- spesso usate in maniera non convenzionale
• Schneider,Urs Peter Zeitgehöft / Sternstunde
• Scholz,Carter 8 Pieces
• Schrader,Barry E.A.M.
• Schreibman,Phillip Slow Peepers: Natural Meditation Music
• Schumacher,Michael J. Four Stills
• Schwarz,Jean Gamma plus
• Schwarz,Jean Quatre Saisons
• Schwarz,Jean Suite symphonique • Anticycle
• Schwarz,Jean & Caron,Elise Sea Maid’s Music
• Sciajno,Domenico & Prins,Gert-Jan d&b album featuring:  do shine’o  & prinsjan

It’s just past 3 PM on Saturday the 20th, and the storm seems to have hit Ballard with the snow picking up.  It’s been a relatively slow day anyhow, so we are closing up early and heading home to be on the safe side.

Evidence of Seattle blossoming noise scene is appearing here.  We just got copies of the Penetration Camp  /  Page 27 split 7″ from Drug Front Productions released in a hand numbered edition of 343 copies.  Also, we’ve still got copies of the Sparkle Girl / Slicing Grandpa split 7″ on Soccer Mom Ebonics, who also have us a very limited split live CDR of Microscopic Suffering / Goly Grim.  Support your local weirdos!

Forgot to mention the good news that Eric’s vehicle was recovered in the wee hours of Wednesday and amazing has no damage.  Even the Rafael Toral promo CD was still in there.  Kind of weird…..

Also, we have copies of a cool free CDR demo from Drakul - come by and pick one up while supplies last.  

• Well, people have been asking a lot of vinyl and we got a ton in today by The Boredoms, DNA, Hototogisu, Scorces, Raccoo-oo-oon, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Z’EV, Whitehouse, Eternal Tapestry, Secret Abuse, Erkin Koray, Cem Karaca, Guru Guru, Death in June, Jean-Pierre Massiera, Hugo Filho, Limbus 4, Delia Derbyshire, Baris Manco, Hans Krusi, J. Spaceman, Sun City Girls, Ursula Bogner, Xhol, Cilibrinas Do Éden (with Rita Lee of Os Mutantes), Ex-Cocaine, Yellow Swans, Magic Lantern, Sun Araw, No Neck Blues Band, Red Favorite, Ya Ho Wha 13, LSD March, and Jack Rose.
• Of course lots of great CDs including the “Oz Days Live” double CD with Taj Mahal Travellers and Les Rallizes Denudes, “Jewelled Antler Library” box set, Boredoms “77 Boa Drum” 2 CD and DVD set in a lavish book, new Final and RST discs on Utech, Zeitkratzer/Keiji Haino collaboration, long awaited collection of archival electronic music by Pauline Oliveros on Sub Rosa, not to mention awesome metal by Behexen, Blood of the Black Owl, Horna, Impaled Nazarene, Summoning, Stalaggh, and one of the first Chinese metal bands Tang Dynasty, and the crazy grind of Sikfuk.
• Plus we got the new Buddha Box, as well as the first one.  In case you don’t know, these are little hand held electronics from China that play 9 different ambient loops.  Very fun little items.
• So brave the snow (as several people did getting here today) and come on down.  We’ll be open until around 9 PM tonight, and plan to keep regular hours throughout the weekend.Oh, and mark your calender for January 16th for our grand opening with live performances by Eric Lanzillotta and Forest of Grey.

Eric + Tanith

Sara Lanzillotta of Devout Dolls brought us a nice pair of mischievous doll dioramas for sale a bargain prices (especially considering these are unique hand made piece with great hand drawn faces).  Come check them out in the second glass case.

• The store is pretty much done!  Robert Zverina did an excellent job and all we need to do now is paint the vinyl rack (any one got any black paint they don’t need?) and put some strips on the wall to display records.
• The bad news is that Eric’s truck was stolen from the parking lot south of the building last Thursday.  Eric had driven in that morning in order to drive Rob’s tools and spare lumber home that night, but found the parking lot empty at 7 PM.  Still no sign of it yet, so if anyone sees a black Nissan Pathfinder with license plates 460 UHJ abandoned somewhere, give us a call!
• Last Friday, Nick of Forest of Grey was attacked a party and bloody up badly.  He seems to be recovering fine, but he was messed up enough that F.o.G. cancelled their Saturday night show at Josephine.  They hope to reschedule the show.

In the mean time, we’ve been busy selling records and getting more things in….

• We got in a shipment from Polish label Impulsy Stetoskopu today with CDRs in interesting packaging by Noise-Maker’s Fifes (sealed in foil package), Knurl (packed between two metal plates), Bjerga/Iverson and Jeph Jerman’s old project City of Worms (reissue of a tape from 1988 with hand made paper cover).  Sadly, the nice looking Artificial Memory Trace in glass didn’t survive the trip from Poland….  All are limited editions of 100 to 120 copies, so grab them while you can.
• Chad from Josephine dropped by some nice tapes this morning by Hellgrammitt and Wind Swept Planes.  Really limited quantities on these ones and already sold one before I could write this up.
• Got the three LPs on Hisham Mayet’s Assophon label by local heroes Factums, Spider Trio and Sea Donkeys.  If you don’t know the skinny on these already, check out the article in the last issue of Bixobal (which we are selling through pretty fast).
• Plans are afoot for a grand opening event in January.  It will be our introduction event, so music will be by Eric Lanzillotta and Forest of Grey.  We need to coordinate the date with Resolution Audio downstairs, but should have that settled shortly.