Browse by Artist: NORTH SEA, THE

Artist:	NORTH SEA, THE
Title:	Exquisite Idols
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 021CD

This is the first official solo full-length release from Tulsa's The North Sea (Brad Rose). Rose is easily one of the free-folk movement's busiest exponents, splitting his time between running the Digitalis and Foxglove labels, the Foxy Digitalis webzine and writing his own music under a variety of different monikers with a host of collaborators. Somehow, he has found the time to craft Exquisite Idols, which elegantly follows a hugely acclaimed collaboration with UK's Rameses III, Night of the Ankou. However, whereas Night of the Ankou explored both acts' occasional leanings towards ambience and drone, Exquisite Idols shows Rose digging deep into the dusty vaults of his American heritage and drumming up an album dripping with blues, folk and free experimentation. This is folk music as played from a snow-drift in Tulsa, in a Midwest wasteland or a forgotten forest drenched in moonlight. It is personal, secluded and almost lonely, but Rose never allows the melancholy to take over. From the jubilant opening crackles of "Eternal Birds" right up until the rockin' stomp of "Feather-Cloaked Silver Priestess," there is the distinct feeling that although this might be labeled free folk, there's a barn somewhere full of like-minded drunkards waiting eagerly to get dancing on them there hay-bales. Just flip to the rip-roaring folk stomp of "Take It From Me Brother Moses," take a swig of moonshine and let your feet do the talking. Exquisite Idols is an album steeped in tradition, yet its greatness comes from Rose's ability to absorb other cultures so easily -- there are traces of Indian traditional music, Greek music and more, all hidden within the cacophony of banjo, guitar and clanging percussion. This is what sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes his music so absorbing.

Artist:	NORTH SEA, THE
Title:	Bloodlines
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	TYPE 065CD

Brad Rose is an artist who is notoriously hard to pigeonhole. He might spend his days running the esteemed Digitalis imprint (sidelining the wonderful Foxy Digitalis webzine) but his nights are wiled away chiseling at the petrified corpse of experimental music. Donating sounds to Ajilvsga, Altar Eagle, Sea Zombies and Ossining (among many, many others), he has somehow found time to fashion a new solo work for Type, and it could hardly be further removed from his last outing. Bloodlines is an album rooted in synthesis -- the kind of busted power electronics that emerged in the early 80s with Ramleh, Throbbing Gristle and Whitehouse. This is not, however, simply a noise album -- Brad has anchored his sound in this explorative mode, but uses his expertise to take it far beyond murk, grit and fractured teeth. With the help of Zelienople drummer Mike Weis (who accompanies the entire record on percussion) the record is a gloriously spacious excursion, with the fizzing Radiophonic blips, drones and tones set against gongs, scrapes and clanks. The sounds are dark and often punishing -- torturous and occasionally frightening, but Brad somehow manages to offset it with an occasional flourish of beauty or calm. The record is cut into two distinct acts and each "song" blends into the next, giving a true album experience. Bloodlines is not a simple collection of pieces, but a distinct narrative from beginning to end. As it tumbles from '50s sci-fi synth tones into haunting off-world terror, there is a sense of purpose and most of all, place. Brad has created a record that might not be an easy listening experience, but is one which grows on every successive play. It is truly deep and intensely troubling music.

Artist:	NORTH SEA, THE
Title:	Bloodlines
Label:	TYPE (UK)
Format:	LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	TYPE 065LP

LP version. Brad Rose is an artist who is notoriously hard to pigeonhole. He might spend his days running the esteemed Digitalis imprint (sidelining the wonderful Foxy Digitalis webzine) but his nights are wiled away chiseling at the petrified corpse of experimental music. Donating sounds to Ajilvsga, Altar Eagle, Sea Zombies and Ossining (among many, many others), he has somehow found time to fashion a new solo work for Type, and it could hardly be further removed from his last outing. Bloodlines is an album rooted in synthesis -- the kind of busted power electronics that emerged in the early 80s with Ramleh, Throbbing Gristle and Whitehouse. This is not, however, simply a noise album -- Brad has anchored his sound in this explorative mode, but uses his expertise to take it far beyond murk, grit and fractured teeth. With the help of Zelienople drummer Mike Weis (who accompanies the entire record on percussion) the record is a gloriously spacious excursion, with the fizzing Radiophonic blips, drones and tones set against gongs, scrapes and clanks. The sounds are dark and often punishing -- torturous and occasionally frightening, but Brad somehow manages to offset it with an occasional flourish of beauty or calm. The record is cut into two distinct acts (split lovingly for vinyl listening) and each "song" blends into the next, giving a true album experience. Bloodlines is not a simple collection of pieces, but a distinct narrative from beginning to end. As it tumbles from '50s sci-fi synth tones into haunting off-world terror, there is a sense of purpose and most of all, place. Brad has created a record that might not be an easy listening experience, but is one which grows on every successive play. It is truly deep and intensely troubling music.

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