Christian Science Minotaur

Maps 4

ASR068

The sounds of weighty snow lead to enclosed feelings of tender. Eventually, distant howls of pet burial mix with porch banjo. Ends with the undead.

This is the fourth installment in a series of nine EPs. The first two were released by LFT Records and are out of print. The third was released on cassette by Peasant Magik.

Map 4 was originally written and performed for Pendu's 2009 Eye&Ear fest's drone room. This is a home recreation of that performance.


c66 edition of 100

Nervous Sex / Drums Like Machine Guns

ASR066

Philadelphia's Nervous Sex sets the stage with a violently brooding atmosphere that remains throughout the rest of the tape, including Drums Like Machine Guns' side. The song selection for this split was so spot on, that I forget they're two different bands sometimes. Ironically, the thing that sets them apart most is the use of drums on the Nervous Sex side. They know exactly how much to use though, without ever overdoing it. It's perfectly balanced, with vocals throughout.

The Drums side is grimey and sinister. Filthy sounds and murky vocals combine to create some of the strongest, nontraditional power electronics to ever come out of the northeast.


c22 edition of 100

Human Adult Band

La-Dee-Frickin-Da

ASR062

Another slice of heaven from the kings of New Brunswick, NJ. Every time I see Human Adult Band I am reminded of how brilliant they are. They hold the key to a parallel universe where everything really matters. Not just some condensed forms of vibrating energy bouncing off one another. Human Adult Band understands things we never will. They know the unknowable. Now, go out and seek the unseekable. Or at least settle for staying in and listening to this tape.


c29 edition of 100

Reverse Mouth

Of The Cloth

ASR061

Greek duo, Panagiotis and Sofia (of Phase!) lay down another legendary recording of earsplitting guitar noise. Dirty as hell, and scuzzy as fuck, these three tracks are something you would hear near the ends of the Earth. Truly desolate squalls of sound. Something your grandchildren will probably be into after they discover the joys of mind-altering substances and sex.


c33 edition of 100

Grasshopper/Twisty Cat

ASR060

Two New York based, wind-instrument-inspired duos team up for their most powerful work to date. Each side is blessed in it's own right, and will stand the test of time.

On their side of the tape, trumpet duo Grasshopper explores new territory by stepping back from their usual angular harsh noise, and instead creates more subdued melodic dronescapes, balancing mournful trumpet obbligatos with walls of crushing feedback inspired by classic zombie films.

Twisty Cat's side is a perfect compliment, matching Grasshopper's brass with woodwind instrumentation. These tracks nearly blend into one another, creating a slow moving vortex that gradually envelopes your psyche. Greg Fox (GDFX, Liturgy, Teeth Mountain) sits in on drums for the second track, and brings out the best in Twisty Cat's exquisite rhythms.


c58 edition of 100

Grasshopper

Twisty Cat

Time Life

Open To Both Sides

ASR055

In this live performance, recorded in Amsterdam during a 2008 monthlong tour of Germany and Greece, the duo of Heidi Diehl (of Vanishing Voice and Nautilus) and G. Lucas Crane (of Vanishing Voice and Nonhorse) showcase their road-dogged sound visions, approaching a dream synthesis both premeditated and unhinged. This album is beautifully dark and wondrous, terribly serene and introspective. For those of you who know and love Time Life, this album will not disappoint. If you have yet to hear them, this is a great place to start


c38 edition of 150

Saints

Umbanda

ASR022

Jarringly intense noise-with-a-purpose from this Californian duo. Hold onto your butts.

"Like pulling the sun with a beast drawn plow through a lush jewel field in wet-diamond South America with Macumban's mambo bassdrum looking for a T. Rex in the moonflood. Bend down low."

C31 edition of 100

Nonhorse

Xol Mic

ASR007

"Xol Mic is a double burning cry for help and cleansing. I was moving out of bad trauma and into good trauma after traveling the US and Canada and all was unmoored and wierd. I was scratching at something, and brooding over bad old tapes of long winded effected harp and reeds and good new tapes of pure house sounds at my new diggs, where the only thing i could focus on was wandering around vaguely with a tape recorder. The A side was recorded after a fateful exposure. My mother is a science teacher in Brooklyn where i myself went and was young, and in the thrash of moving boxes full of utter trash i stopped home.

"Xol Mic dissapeared two days ago" she said gravely when i walked in. Xol was one of my favorite of her classroom stories, as him and his brother 'Cruise Mic' had a massive intimadating mother who wore cornrows and team jerzies that matched her Timbalands and boasted of her massive wealth and propensity for violence to the other mothers at every turn. Poor Xol always looked pained and embarrassed. "we called his mothers cell and she's like, 'oh sorry yeah, we all had to go to LA to return a fur coat...i gotta go...' im worried about the kid." 'Torquque binder' was recorded that night.

The B side is for Tony Miller, who's room i moved into. The bass claranet is played by my pal Foxy Pink gloves. During the recording, a smoking brazer cracked in half and the coals fell into my sock drawer, setting it ablaze. Foxy kept playing as i put it out with beer, and we continued for 20 more minutes in the smoke filled room. Thanks Tony.... "
- G. Lucas Crane

C90 Edition of 300.