Month: September 2014 (Page 2 of 3)

_______________
HALLWAY TO HELL, $5,999.18
‘Moving wall system can be independently programmed to pitch left, yaw right, bounce, shutter, wave back and forth and collapse at will. Individual units are 10′ long, with a dedicated walkway width of 5′, when in its tallest position unit stands 9’. By putting two of these units together and programming theme differently, you create an incredibly dramatic 20′ Hallway that nicely replaces in both size and function the industries spinning tunnel effects, without the need for steps, ramps or handrails. Unlike spinning tunnels, this effect can be easily integrated within a variety of themes and it fits in seamlessly with the rest of your attraction. The unit sets up in minutes not hours. Modular panel design allows the unit to be quickly and easily setup and the pieces are small enough and light weight to allow them to go anywhere in your attraction without the need to de-construct your maze. Base units come unthemed so that you can ‘decorate it yourself and save” or you can buy the optional themeing packages below, allowing the unit to arrive completely ready to just plug in and go.’ — Haunted Propxs

________________
EVIL CHILD LUNGER, $2,366.00
‘Evil Child waits hidden behind clothes then child shoots out 5′ turning left to right while lifting arms. 4 independent movements. Comes with Character, pneumatics, programmed controller, motion sensor. (Plug & Play). Custom Sound, Digital Sound & Power Speaker Optional. Foot print for rig is 40″ d x 23″ w x 39″ h. Ships freight.’ NOTE: All Characters heads can be interchanged to any mechanism to suit your needs!’ — Poison Props

________________
Life-Sized Deadwood Haunted Tree, $299.99
‘Dimensions 72 inches Tall. Oversized? Yes. Includes Tree Prop. Includes UL Adapter. Includes Step Here Foot Pad. Battery Operated No. Indoor or Outdoor Use? Indoor &. Sheltered Outdoor Use. Ships Internationally? Yes. Shipping Availability Orders placed before 12pm PST usually ship within the same business day. Color Browns. Theme Standing Prop. Returnable Yes.’ — Trendyhalloween.com

_______________
Stumpy, $2,595.00
‘Everyone expects the killer to come back to life, but who would expect the decapitated body too?Our Stumpy animation features a decapitated body perched on a realistic bloody tree stump.When activated the body lifts at the waist and turns towards your viewers spewing blood (water) up to 10 FEET out of the neck stump. Animation includes life size victim, realistic blood covered tree stump, water blaster setup, all pneumatics and controller with infrared sensor.Decapitated human head, cannon blaster setup and audio player available for an additional charge. Please note clothing will vary. Approx. Size 48” x 22” x 24”. Requires 80-100 psi air compressor, not included.’ — DC Props

_______________
Haunted Shovel, nfs
‘Just a quick video showing my Haunted Shovel prop I built for the graveyard part of my Shady Acres Haunted House attraction. I built this with a motor from an old Christmas decoration, some L brackets and a hinge. Everything is attached to a board and painted flat black. I also did some sponge painting on the shovel and the handle. The board and motor will be covered up with leaves, so all you’ll see is the shovel rocking back and forth and the old lighted lantern sitting next to it.’ — Shady Acres

_______________
ZOMBIE HALLWAY 20 FOOT PACKAGE 10 PANELS, $20,350.77
‘An amazing 20’ long double sided Zombie Hallway featuring each of our ZombieHall Panels #1-10. Includes panels/characters…’ — Haunted Props

________________
SPIDER FOOD, $3,214.00
‘SPIDER FOOD Victim hangs by arms wrapped in chains with head down. Then when activated, head lifts, arms pull and struggle, legs jump and kick, while a giant spider comes down from above to attack victim and patrons thrusting forward as well as down. Comes with Characters, pneumatics, programmed controller, motion sensor. (Plug & Play). Custom Sound, Digital Sound Player & Power Speakers Included. Foot print for rig is 30″ d x 70″ w x 120″ h. Ships freight.’ — The Horror Dome

_________________
BREATHING GRAVE, $510.00
‘Something is moving… Grave pulses up and down randomly like something is trying to get out! 24″ x 45″ x 3 1/2″ height. Great addition for any graveyard. Comes with programmed controller, motion sensor or pressure mat. Tombstone not included. REQUIREMENTS: AC power. Electric only.’ — Poison Props

_________________
Left for Dead, $2,590.00
‘Our new, advanced for 2014 Left for Dead animation is a brutal prop that features a bound victim gag’d by a double barrel shotgun in his mouth.When activated the victim trashes his upper torso and legs violently in attempt to free himself before both barrels go off creating a loud bang and expelling brain matter (water) out of the back of his head.Animation features a unique mechanism and mounting platform that allows the animation to move in multiple organic ways to simulate a realistic struggle. Prop includes life size victim, replica shotgun, blaster setup, burlap hood, all pneumatics and controller with audio player and infrared sensor. Approx. size 42″ x 20″ x 34″.’ — DC Props

______________
APPARITION, $3,795.00
‘Hanging Screaming Ghost Animation. This Amazing Halloween Decoration Has A Foam Filled Latex Body With Metal Armature.’ — Back from the Grave

________________
AUTOPSY TABLE FLAILER, $1,448.00
‘Lays on table, then legs & torso flail up and down violently. Comes with Character, Chains around hands (not shown), pneumatics, programmed controller, motion sensor. REQUIREMENTS: AC power and Air 100 psi. Custom Sound, Digital Sound player & Powered Speaker Optional. NOTE: All Characters heads can be interchanged to any mechanism to suit your needs!’ — Poison Props

_____________
DRILLER, $6000
‘Our animations are designed by a professional engineer to function efficiently and use the least volume of air possible. We also only use true industrial grade components (flange bearings, pillow blocks, and grade 8 bolts). Driller spins, comes forward up to 4′ and goes side to side.’ — Gore Galore

________________
Chain Drop Grabber, $2,798.00
‘Ghoul waits above standing holding a chain with one arm, then chain breaks away and ghoul falls forward leaning over edge of wall. Arm and torso move and grab at patrons. A Great element of surprise. Comes with Character, pneumatics, programmed controller, motion sensor. (Plug & Play). Custom Sound, Digital Sound & Power Speakers Optional. Foot print for rig is 32″ d x 32″ w x 75″ h. Rig mounts on top of your maze walls. Ships freight. NOTE: All Characters can be interchanged to any mechanism to suit your theme!’ — Poison Props

______________
PEEK-A-BOO, $399.99
’28 ” Animatronic Doll Prop on Woodbase with spinner. Electric Plug and play no air needed.. comes with audio CD’. — Creepy Collection

________________
ARMLESS MAN, $3500
‘Creepy Animatronic Armless man. waist, neck movement. sliding body forward and back on track, turning left to right, up and down movement, audio, and water mist. Comes with audio. Add 200 watt Powered Speaker for $300 including cable. Shipping to be determined.’ — Gore Galore

_________________
DECAPITATED TABLE, $2,095.00
‘Victim lays slumped over table with head cut off, then when activated LEAPS up swinging cleaver up and over the front of the table while spitting blood (water) out of neck stump. (Optional!) Comes with Character, Table, Chair, Pneumatics, Programed controller and Motion sensor. Custom Sound, Digital Sound & Powered Speaker Optional. REQUIREMENTS: AC power and Air 100 psi. Ships Freight! NOTE: All Characters heads can be interchanged to any mechanism to suit your needs!’ — Poison Props

________________
SECOND THOUGHTS, $2,616.00
‘SECOND THOUGHTS Hangs from a noose while standing on a stool. Then stool slides out from underneath feet, man panics, legs kick and flail, head goes up and down while in full panic mode. Comes with Character, programmed controller, motion sensor or pressure mat. Custom Choking and gaging Sound, Digital Sound Player and Powered Speaker Included. REQUIREMENTS: AC power and Air 100 psi. NOTE: GALLOW NOT INCLUDED. Optional metal base and gallow.’ — The Horror Dome

________________
DR. FRANKENSTEIN (INTERLUDE), $10,546
‘This interlude featuring Dr. Frankenstein and his creations has been one of our most popular. The calamitous results of Dr. Frank’s experiments will catch your guests off-guard. The good doctor and the bride each have moving heads, mouth’s and arms allowing for great banter, and the monster features an array of movements that have to be seen to be believed (check out the video). Give us a call and let us customize this set-up for your haunt!’ — All Scare

_______________
TWISTED TEASER BOY, $139.99
‘This taunting tyke will make your head spin – and his! Sitting 25″ tall, the Twisted Teaser is a hand-painted foam-filled latex prop with synthetic hair, featuring a light/shadow/motion sensitive sensor that triggers the battery-operated yellow light-up eyes, taunting sounds (” I bet you can’t do this- watch me) 360 degree spinning head. Requires 3 AA batteries (not included).’ — The Horror Dome

________________
Corridor of Corpses II, $15,388.77
‘The sequel to our incredibly popular Corridor of Corpses features a total of (8) 48″ x 96″ skeletal skull/torso wall panels. Each panel features a different animated character with new and more compelling movements affixed and blended into it. This new model also features (5) different skeletal figures attached to dropping support beams in the ceiling that adds an overhead attack. For a total of (4) electrical articulating characters, (4) pneumatic reaching characters, and (5) dropping characters. Hallway measures 16′ long and is 60″ wide.’ — Haunted Props

_______________
TORSO TABLE, $2,535.40
‘Tortured girl lays on table with her guts hanging out. Then torso tears away from body and flies up at 45 degrees while arms raise up and down. Comes with Character, Table, Pneumatics, controller and motion sensor. PLUG & PLAY! Custom Sound, Digital Sound & Power Speaker Included. REQUIREMENTS: AC power and Air 100 psi. Ships Freight!’ — The Horror Dome

________________
Atomic Vomit Man, Bad Bat Box, RatCan, nfs
‘Video shows how some of my props were built for the Season. Atomic Vomit Man , Bad Bat Box , and RatCan. All are there but my Atomic Bar-B-Q and the Grim Leaper.’ — dtelect

_______________
Rising Creeper Demonic Doll, $299.99
‘This Rising Creeper Demonic Doll Animated Prop features a soft PVC head with a moving mouth and light-up eyes, and a tattered robe with gauze details. Plug in the prop into any standard UL outlet, and watch as the prop goes from a 40 inch height, with its head looking down and its arms folded into its chest, into a demonic doll that lifts its head up, lights up its eyes, and open its arms wide, reaching a height of 58 inches. This prop is perfect for Halloween, haunted houses, and any party that you want to turn into a spooky event. This Halloween Decoration includes a standard UL adapter that allows it to be plugged into any standard outlet and is activated via Steady-On, Infrared Sensor, or Step-Here Pad activation options. The Infrared Sensor has a range of up to 2 meters and can work in all lighting conditions.’ — Trendy Halloween

______________
Tipsy, $1,400.00
‘Our Tipsy animation is a highly detailed skeletal animation that sits atop an antiqued obelisk guzzling a bottle of wine. In a drunken stupor, tipsy sways randomly forward, back and to each side in a very organic intoxicated motion. This simple motor driven animation is 100% plug and play and includes skeleton, motor platform, antiqued obelisk, wine bottle and power cord. Available with other custom finishes, custom bases (crate, toy box, etc.), animated illuminated liquid pour mechanism, and lighting effects for an additional charge. Contact us for more information on these options. Approx. Size 24” x 30” x 80”’. — DC Props

_______________
BUTCHER ELECTROCUTION, $4,429.00
‘FULL PACKAGE! Butcher stands with cattle prod, then when activated lowers arm to shock victim. Sparks fly as victim flails on table, then butcher turns and lunges forward with cattle prod trying to shock patrons. Great shocker! Comes with 2 Characters, Pneumatics, Table, Wires, Overhead light, Rack stand for overhead light, 2 Strobe lights, Controller, Motion sensor, Powered Speakers and MP3 Player. PLUG & PLAY! REQUIREMENTS: AC power and Air 100 psi. Ships Freight!’ — Poison Props

_______________
Zombie Swarm Doors, $8,655.77
‘Twelve infected Zombies breakdown a set of double doors, reaching through to eat your brains. Multiple hand, head, arm and body movements make this a must have.’ — Haunted Props

*

p.s. Hey. Longer term readers of this blog probably know that my attraction to Halloween is such that as soon as mid-September happens, I can wait no longer, and my anticipation starts being played out in slightly more than occasional, thusly themed posts, of which this is the first, and that’s the story.   ** Hyemin K, Hi. Oh, sorry, one post, thank you, my eyes got greedy there for a second, I think. Your thoughts re: MB vs. RB, whatever their source, are exciting. You working on you own is by far the most important thing, definitely. I’m just happy for the visits here that you generously find time for. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. Oh, I remember that ‘Hannibal’ death. Who couldn’t, I imagine. That might have been the last thing by Ridley Scott that I actually liked. ** Lee, Hi, Lee! Yeah, you know, I don’t think I’ve ever watched ‘Sesame Street’. I think, age-wise, I’m just post-. I know the characters ‘cos it’s sort of impossible not to, but they have no context. They’re like weird eruptions from some volcanic innocent something or other. It’s weird. Oh, man, that Milan gig sounds fun. Do you like Milan? I’m not sure if I do. The first time I went, I didn’t. Or I couldn’t figure it out. The second time I kind of got it. Anyway, it seems like a good place to make and show something. I can definitely imagine it as a context for something else, whatever that sounds like it means. I’m not sure myself. Do please send pictures. The idea makes me feel grabby. Sure, let’s touch base whenever you like. I’m around, and my base would be totally enhanced by yours. Great weekend! ** _Black_Acrylic, Hey, Ben. Thanks, man, about the novella. I’m into it. Yeah, the magical ingredient is for Zac. I don’t know if it’s detectable to anyone but him or not. I’m not even sure if it’s detectable to him, but that’s one way magic works maybe. Whoa, yeah, the pro-‘No’ propaganda is out of control. Even reading that shit from afar makes me want to backlash against it. I so wish I could be at the zine fair. Do report on the highlights and about any especially awesome zines you come across. ** Thomas Moronic, Oh, thank you a lot about the new novella! I think most people are whatever about the gif novellas, but I’m taking the form kind of really seriously. I’m tricking myself into thinking the gif novella is a new off-literary form and trying to see how much complexity the juxtapositions and imposition of narrative can create. I think that, just rhythmically, there’s the possibility of doing something kind of unique that crosshatches what certain kinds of music can do (think Autechre and on and on), using the rhythm of the gifs as colliding/collaborating drums or keypad points something, with a kind of clunky experimental film affect mixed with narrative flights/tricks and other stuff. Not that the ones I’ve made are so great or anything, but I’m really interested in trying to be a mad scientist/artist/writer behind their controls. As soon as I get full-on back into the novel, I’ll probably need to make a scrapbook page. That’s how it has worked so far. Glad you’re de-wiped. Yay for your kids! Bubble tea, wow, such a tempting, weird, refined but somehow crude concoction. Mm, there might be some fun in the weekend. I can see that possibility. You have a productive and fun one. ** Kier, Hi, K. I missed you yesterday! Thanks on behalf of peterbd and about the novella. Your yesterday sounds really beautiful. I felt like I could hear the forest twigs crunching under your … boots? I’m sorry about your co-worker friend leaving. Wwoofing, huh, I’ll read about that. Nice word. Me? I don’t remember the day before yesterday. Must have been quiet. Yesterday during the day I just worked mostly and stuff, and then Zac came by and we bought liquids and plates/cups for our post-film party and ordered pizzas from this great pizza place, Pink Flamingoes, and then people started arriving. It was super great to see a lot of our film’s cast again. They’re such a hugely wonderful bunch of people, and we’ve missed them, and we all just sat around and caught up and talked and ate and smoked and drank and stuff ’til kind of late. It was really, really nice. Then I slept. That description wasn’t so exciting, but it was very cool. Now you have a whole weekend to do stuff and tell me about it, and vice versa or ditto or me too. Have fun! ** Sypha, Puns are an interesting form of humor. It’s hard to make a pun that makes people actually laugh rather than just contemplate and hopefully chuckle, I think. I like that about them, even if most puns are kind of dumb ass on purpose, I guess. When I met you, I thought you had a really good sense of humor. I distinctly remember that. ** Steevee, Most likely just adjustment stuff, yeah. Sounds familiarly so to me, at least. The Dardenne brothers interview would be really cool, of course. They probably would be into that site, it’s the publicists who get all picky and elitist about that kind of stuff, in my experience. ** Kyler, Hi. Thanks! No, only Zac gets and gets to know the magical ingredient. Sorry. It wouldn’t work on anyone but him anyway. Cool that Murakami has pulled you in. Such a nice feeling, yeah. ** Misanthrope, Big M. Or big G. Or big MG. I disagree with you about your wit, but what do I know? Only everything in the world, ha ha. Oh, okay, let me read your joke and see what happens. I see what you mean. The faux-accusatory punchline is complex. It strikes and then it splinters into at least a few possible motivations, and then the listener is forced to choose one and think about why they chose it. Yeah, the complexity is nice. But, yeah, people rear up at being accused. So much so that the joke context gets erased for a moment. Or the joke’s motivation becomes something you have to figure out. Yeah, interesting. I don’t get the last joke, but I’m not completely coffeed-up yet. Am I supposed to know what or who Aerial is? Explain. Did you know that yesterday was Barry White’s birthday when you talked about him? I wondered that when I found out later yesterday that it was his birthday. ** Bill, Hi, Thrusting, cool,  I’ll take that, thank you. You saw Aki! That’s cool, I love Aki. I love his music, and he’s the coolest, nicest guy. Anything else in the festival strike your considerable fancy? ** Rewritedept, Hey. Fucking blogpost, dude, tell me about it, except you just did. Paris is nice to live in. Organizing the footage is a kind of awful job, truth be told. And whoever does it will get a whole unpleasantly lot more than a sneak peak. Just for one of the scenes, which will likely end up being around 15 minutes long, we have 24 hours of footage to go through, for instance. My day was nice. I told Kier about it. What did I think? What … oh, about your email thing. Mm, I’m pretty hesitant to unravel ‘TMS”s secrets. What can I say? I can say (1) excellent eye you have there, and (2) it is not the major key but, having found it, it is a clue to a now more visible sequence of clues that, if discovered and combined, can unlock a major secret. Hope your weekend is rad too! ** Okay. Halloween animated props are one of the minor treasures of the world, if you ask my opinion, which I know you didn’t. There they are. Shop wisely, window-shop less wisely. See you on Monday.

____________
Nisennenmondai B2
‘Nisennenmondai are an instrumental trio from Tokyo, with a raw and danceable sound influenced in equal measure by post-punk, no wave, krautrock, free jazz and disco. The group is formed by Masako Takada on guitar, Yuri Zaikawa on bass and Sayaka Hime on drums and first began in 1999 taking their name from the Japanese translation of the then dreaded Y2K bug. Their visceral and unique on stage performances have won over many touring Western groups, like those of Lightning Bolt, Battles and No Age. Their dynamic live shows are 100 % human, in which the band slowly constructs their tracks with slight variations and loops. The result is crazy, so perfectly repetitive that it in many cases it can sound like techno. John Stanier (the authoritative Battles drummer) said that after seeing them perform, he felt that his own group were reduced to a bunch of idiots.’ — Sonar

_______________
Signor Benedick the Moor Lecherous, Senseless, Debauchery
‘Signor Benedick the Moor has created an album that is cinematic in scope yet personal in feel. It’s rich, dense, political, introspective, humorous, and profound. Musically, El Negro refuses to sit still and be pigeonholed. It takes you into its world, letting you believe you are heading one way before a disorientating switch in direction leaves you disorientated yet ecstatic. Signor leads you down the rabbit hole into his warped yet magical Wonderland, always encouraging you to peep around corners and explore paths that fill you with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. Lyrically, El Negro is sheer brilliance. Never falling into cliché, Signor displays an extreme intelligence, contemplating religion, modern philosophy, and modern day slavery (this is all just on the staggeringly brilliant Existential Humanitarianism as a Fashion Choice). El Negro is is another leap forward sonically and lyrically in Hip-Hop following in the illustrious shoes of Fear of A Black Planet, The 36 Chambers, and Operation Doomsday.’ — Louder than War

_________________
Marcus Schmickler & Julian Rohrhuber Aleph 0
‘Following an hypothesis according to which “Music and Economics share a fundamental object: number”, Schmickler and Rohrhuber’s project POLITIKEN DER FREQUENZ circles around the acoustic rendering of number concepts. Inspired by Alain Badiou’s Le Nombre et les Nombres and accompanied by mixed choir, the piece attempts to question the apparent immediacy of number that allows calculation to govern today’s economy, social sciences and everyday life. “Change, flexibility, and movement are considered desirable today, while the static, rigid, and unchanging tends to be met with reservation or is implicitly opposed. Movement, perhaps even chaotic movement, or some form of change of the change of the change, appears promising: it suggests the invention of the new, rather than the discovery of the already-there, it is taken as the core of the revolutionary, or at least of the progressive. The unchanging, then, is only a brittle ladder to be used and then thrown away, a dead tool that merely points to life, or even a conservative prison of standardization. By consequence, what seems to exist in movement and nothing more, indeed appears in a favorable light: sound.’ — Editions Mego

_____________
Locust Just Want You
‘Mark Van Hoen’s compulsively hypnotic beats and abstracted pop vocals have been hallmarks of his collected work since 1993, manipulating a global variety of samples in Celemony’s Melodyne software to weave a unique sonic tapestry, as inviting as it is intricate. Paired with Louis Sherman’s evocative synth improvisations — an immediately visceral element new to Locust — these collaborators have crafted a shattered landscape that bridges two persectives of progressive movement in electronic music under a single name. Sherman, an American from Baltimore, comes to the band armed with a vast knowledge of the history of electronic music. This, combined with Londoner Mark Van Hoen’s known musical pedigree maps the complete topography of a landscpape—its shadow and light, depth and height, mesmerizing complexity and ethereal simplicity—with a break-beating heart and alchemical ear.’ — collaged

___________
Gezan 癲癇する大脳たち
‘Across years of incendiary live performances, the Japanese noise lords/ bar band from hell/ death squad has amassed a cult following, and count Ruins mastermind Tatsuya Yoshida, Melt Banana shred god Ichirou Agata, and Acid Mothers Temple honcho Kawabata Makoto among their vocal advocates. The press copy for their upcoming album It Was Once Said To Be A Song, due March 25 from the ever-next-level Important Records, features a quote from Merzbow: “Gezan is awesome.” Uhhhhh ‘nuff said?’ — Tiny Mix Tapes

__________
Sarah Angliss Hugo
‘A composer, performer and sound historian, Sarah Angliss taps into her obsessions with scientific oddities, obsolete machines, faded variety acts and the darkest European folk tales to create her work. Sarah’s music mixes her own software patches (using Max/MSP, Supercollider, PRAAT and other tools) with her samples, field recordings and live performance on theremin, saw, recorder, waterphone, keyboard, handbells and other instruments. On stage, she’s often accompanied by musical automata – machines she’s been devising and building since 2005 as she’s been seeking a more theatrical alternative to the laptop, sampler and loop pedal.’ — sarahangliss.com

_________
Rustie Velcro
‘Russell Whyte’s debut album Glass Swords was all about maximalism—big melodies, high production values and sprawling, prog rock-inspired compositions. But then came “Slasherr,” which compressed that symphonic scale into a few well-timed drops. It took a page out of the mainstream EDM playbook, and it rocks dance floors of all kinds even two years after its release. That’s more or less how the Glaswegian operates on Green Language. All that chest-beating guitar excess is squished into explosive blasts of powerful pop and rap, held together by cinematic interludes. Compared to its predecessor, Green Language is a compact record, but it still finds a way to show every side of Whyte—some EDM pyrotechnics here, a bit of hip-hop there and some hints at the old days for good measure.’ — Resident Advisor

___________
Gut Und Irmler Früh
‘500mm is a nine-track collaborative LP from Krautrock legend Joachim Irmler and Gundrun Gut. Irmler a founder member of legend krautrock band Faust and a few years ago he sayed ““For more than a decade, I have been following a concept that merges electronics and percussion, and most of the collaborations were solely among men” and “I wanted to break with that and asked Gudrun if she would like to complement my organ improvisations”. And now duo recorded the album Faust’s studio in Scheer and they have released “Früh” track of new album 500mm and the video made by Gudrun herself.’ — Brainwashed

_____________
Bardo Pond Without a Doubt
‘We’re all in the fine art installation field. We’re kinda installation technicians. We work at museums. John [Gibbons] has got a full-time job at a museum in Delaware. I’m working at a museum in Philadelphia as an installer and Clint [Takeda] does the same thing. He has a gig at the airport actually ‘cos they have a bunch of public art so he’s got a position over there. Isobel is also an artist and is doing this kind of work. Jason [Kourkonis] is as well. So we’re all involved in the art world. Most of us had art backgrounds and stayed in it and we found that niche and strangely enough we all ended up doing that as a day job and it’s turned into our regular jobs. It’s just reality, y’know, it’s just reality.’ — Bardo Pond

______________
Shxcxchcxsh Entering The S-Cloud
‘SHXCXCHCXSH’s early releases fell on the more experimental end of functional techno and a typically opaque image, but as time has worn on, it has been the music itself that separated them from the pack, more so than their rare robed public appearances and insistence on shrouding their identities. Being the most experimental producers on the Avian label is itself no small feat, and their debut album Strgths separated them from the label’s other output and even from their own previous 12″s by shifting the focus towards evolving, thickly layered sounds rather than the blackened pounding the imprint made its name with. Even compared to their debut LP, Linear S Decoded is a marked change in direction and the furthest the artist or label has ever come from the gloomy basement atmosphere that still defines much of its output. The new album still has plenty of murk and shadowy atmospheres throughout, but it is tempered with some of the first melodies ever seen on any Avian record and frequent moments of respite and beauty, again rare both on the label and the artists’ back catalogue. If the duo had previously applied their detailed grasp of layers and composition to darkly narrative tracks, here they allow the first signs of brightness in with startling results.’ — collaged

______________
Kevin Drumm and Jason Lescalleet Anger Alert
‘Each of Kevin Drumm and Jason Lescalleet’s respective discographies are so varied that this record could’ve gone many of a couple dozen different ways, but rather than forming an opinion beforehand on which direction you’d like it to take, let them guide you through The Abyss as Virgil led Dante through the Inferno. Sounds of birds in the wild. Harsh noise walls. Organs and warped tape loops. Dark, blood-stained field recordings and spine-stabbing sine tones. Glitch fests. Haunting vocals and sustained Nurse With Wound-evoking pedal effects. Barely audible bass drones. A bleakness that however subtle is gorgeous in its synthy simplicity. The harsh tearing sounds of gaff tape about to be wrapped around your head. A curious anomaly: a warped rock song appears at the threshold of hearing, then disappears, reappears, and ultimately ceases to exist forever. I wonder if everyone hears a different song. Maybe this is an echo of your own personal past. Will we ever really know?’ — ad hoc

________________
The Shitty Listener Walk on with Her
‘For those new to the Shitty Listener, it’s not really a band, instead it is one man, Jason Honea, from from the Jewelled Antler outfits The Child Readers and the Franciscan Hobbies, as well as the Chord Fort, the Knit Separates and Teenage Panzercorps. The sound is incredibly intimate and low fidelity. Mostly recorded on micro cassettes or handheld tape recorders, Honea incorporates tape hiss and whatever ambient sound happens to occur in the background, whether it’s a plane flying by, a dog barking, the sound of crickets, it all just becomes part of the sound. And just like old Sebadoh tapes, the ch-chunk sound of the record or stop buttons being pushed, as well as weird warbles in the tape, become as much a part of the song as the song itself. Lilting melancholy piano, gentle acoustic guitar strum, and not much else support Honea’s warbly falsetto, plaintive and emotive, always way down in the mix, a sort of drifty fuzzy dreamy melody within each song. But that’s more than enough.’ — persephassa.com

_________
Vessel Red Sex
‘On Punish, Honey, Seb Gainsborough aka Vessel has realised this desire for tactility. His approach to the album’s production resembles that of a Foley artist, with most of the album’s sounds created with a number of handmade instruments. But equally, the album seems to be a deconstruction of that approach. On the opening track ‘Febrile’, the first crash of cymbal comes after 12 seconds of silence: jolting and mocking us like a rimshot punctuating a joke at our expense. As the percussion comes to a crescendo, both muscle and metal are worked to their limits. In much the same way, the screeching and harsh string sounds – apparently created from handmade “harmonic guitars” – on tracks like ‘Drowned In Water And Light’ and ‘Kin To Coal’ give an immediate sense of the tension and force being applied to them. Gainsborough seems to be testing not only what his crude instrumentation can withstand, but also his listeners. For all the physical exertion though, the album sounds surprisingly sexless and apathetic at times. The suggestively titled ‘Red Sex’ turns out to be something of misnomer, the undulating pitch of its synth line rather more nauseating and sickly than carnal.’ — The Quietus

____________
Mister Lies Flood You
‘Mister Lies is the operational alias for producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nick Zanca. It was also the product of dorm-room insomnia, developing an odd family of friends in a city of strangers, and homesickness for places where one only feels homesick. Born in 1992 and raised by wolves in the suburban jungles of Connecticut, he learned to hunt his prey by means of basement shows and prolonged caffeine binges. Shortly after Zanca relocated to Chicago to attend school, he formed an pack with several other lone wolves aiming to create something greater. In the harshest parts of February winter in the Windy City; equipped with a laptop, several controllers and whatever instruments were lying around his congested dorm-room; he released his first EP anonymously before eventually revealing his identity making rounds across the blog circuit. In May 2014, Zanca announced via his Twitter that Brooklyn-based label Orchid Tapes would release his second album, tentatively titled Shadow, in early fall.’ — collaged

__________
Iceage Forever
‘Iceage used to sound like a band unloading a dump truck’s worth of sonic sludge, with Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s sulky moan presaging the apocalypse. But their newest album, Plowing Into the Field of Love, features something completely different: They’ve traded vodka for whiskey and embraced the joy of country twang, a better backdrop for Rønnenfelt to channel his inner Nick Cave against. “I always had the sense that I was split in two” is the Cave-ian opening lyric of “Forever”, which begin with a slow, swaggering progression that quickly perorates toward a barroom brawl, Rønnenfelt’s voice growling in tortured ecstasy. “If I could dive into the other, I would lose myself forever” goes the chorus, and the tension as the band starts and stops and starts again before exploding into cacophony reminds you they’re still oh-so close to the edge.’ — Jeremy Gordon

*

p.s. Hey. ** David Ehrenstein, Thanks! Oh, that comparison with ‘One from the Heart’ is really good. Cool Bill story. Everyone, writer and many other things including Mr. E’s main squeeze Bill Reed writes a bit about the legendary Dorothy Dean right here. ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T. Cool, yes, agreed, of course. I don’t know if you ever saw that ltd. ed. zine that Gisele, Stephen, and I made a few years back about our ill-fated (so far) maze piece, but it was kind of all about the murder castle as role model. ** Kier, Hi, K. You sound a lot better today. I’m so happy to see that! Your co-worker returned?! Well, assuming she has been suitably shamed, maybe facing that shame day-to-day is the best lesson she could get? Anyway, your her co-workers’ support is really great, and I guess learning that they support you is the silver lining in that terrible incident hopefully. Sheep get hiccups? Wow, but, yeah, why wouldn’t they? Walking shoes are the best shoes. All my shoes are walking shoes whatever their designers had in mind for them. My day was pretty good. Uh, let’s see … oh, Larry Clark was doing this event thing here, which I guess he’s done in other cities, where he puts out a huge pile of every photo he has ever taken or something, and anyone can buy one of them for 100 Euros. He did it here in Paris yesterday at David Lynch’s club Silencio. Zac and Rico, who was here from Berlin to play “the singer” in the club scene we just shot, and I went to that event. First we ate burritos at Chipotle. Anyway, the line to get into Silencio was insanely long, and we met up with Kiddiepunk and Oscar B. there and waited for, like, an hour and a half with the line barely moving. And we realized that we’d be in line for four hours before we got in, so we decided, fuck this, and left. Then we all had coffee. Then K&O; went home, and Zac and Rico and I wandered around and got macarons and stuff. Then we all went home. I worked on stuff, set up a post-shooting Skype meeting with our producer and did research on Zac’s my Iceland trip. Then Rico and I wandered around and ate Thai food, and that was the day’s end. Yeah, celebration-wise, we’re going to gather all the performers who were in the film and who are around and have a big dinner next week. But, technically, we’re only halfway through making the film ‘cos the editing is going to take months, so it feels like the end but it’s only an end, I guess. Have a great weekend, Kier, and tell me all about it, please. ** Hyemin Kim, Hi. Oh, you moved! That’s exciting, isn’t it? Although your new roommate doesn’t sound like much fun at all. Hopefully she’s quiet and private, at least. Your Barthes work sounds beautiful, or at least it was beautifully described. How was the departmental party? Wind chimes! Wonderful, wow, thank you! Have a lovely weekend. ** Steevee, Hi. Oh, shit, dehydration is awful. Hopefully you’re all juiced up again now. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. Yeah, the murder castle post’s proximity to the ‘TMS’ construction was no accident. YnY! Nice to see that name again, and cool about the zine fair. There are few things nicer than a good zine fair. ** Rewritedept, Hi. Were there a lot of comedies on your list? I must have been spaced. Never liked Joan Rivers but, you know, RIP. Yeah, curious about the new Shellac. Even more curious about the new Aphex Twin and Iceage and Locust. The editing will be a taxing thing, but, at the same time, very exciting, and, hey, what can you do? You really are going to take your boss to court? Wow, that sounds like the opposite of fun. But yeah. Dude sounds like he deserves it. I’m going to Stateside for the ‘Kindertotenlieder’ shows at least, and maybe otherwise, I’m not sure yet. You have a fine weekend! ** Bill, Hi, B. Sneak peek as soon as the okay happens. Awesome about the gig! Any video or audio forthcoming? ** Right. I’m filling your weekend time here with a gig. As always, there’s great stuff in there that I highly recommend to you. Have weekends of note both here and elsewhere. See you on Monday.