Browse by Label: ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)

Artist:	MERZBOW
Title:	Door Open At 8 A.M.
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 017CD

"Introducing Masami Akita's homage to free-jazz. Door Open at 8am is one of the most adventurous outings made by Merzbow. Recorded during the same era as Aqua Necromancer, this new recording also incorporates the use of sampled sounds. However, this time Akita is paying homage to his love of free jazz, free-jazz drummers to be precise. It includes tracks such as Tony Williams 'Deathspace', 'Lyons Wake', 'Metro and Bus' and an unbelievable cover of John Coltrane's 'The Africa Brass Session, Vol 2'. Aside from the absolutely scorching Coltrane cover, the listener is treated to a variety of sounds never before captured on record. Aside from Masami's trademark blasts of noise, meticulously crafted into gorgeous sound collages, he introduces a much greater importance on the use of subtleties and breaks of silence. There is also a strong electro-acoustic quality surrounding Door Open at 8am, this was also displayed on his recent Tzadik release, 1930."

Artist:	LOPEZ, FRANCISCO
Title:	Untitled #104
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 020CD

Repressed. "Generally speaking Francisco Lopez falls into the school of sound being referred to as silent or quiet music. In fact up until this point Lopez could go head to head with the likes of Bernhard Günter for the crown of silence. Both artists participate in a genre that requires plenty of attention, ear phones and absolute silence in order to make sense of the nearly inaudible soundscapes. To the untrained ear many of their recordings wouldn't even register. We can assure you that this is not the case with Untitled # 104. This release has more resemblance to our releases by Masonna and Merzbow, not in terms of sound, but power."

Artist:	SHALABI EFFECT
Title:
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 022CD

"Originally slated for release as the flip side of a split CD/LP with Godspeed You Black Emperor entitled Aural Florida, this release just kept growing and growing. Now finally finished, the Shalabi Effect present their debut with a staggering 131 minutes psychedelic blow out. On this debut double CD somewhere in the vicinity of 40 instruments have made their way onto the recording. It is very difficult to describe Shalabi Effect, because the sound is varied and changing so frequently, but we can definitely trace influences of AMM, Organum, and Pink Floyd, and psychedelic music. In terms of psych, we are talking about the brand perfected by the likes of Acid Mothers Temple, No Neck Blues Band and Ghost, as well as more pioneering projects such as Amon Duul, Popul Vuh, and the Taj Mahal Travellers. Anthony Seck, Sam Shalabi, Alexandre St.Onge, and Will Eizlini are joined by various guests, including members of Godspeed You Black Emperor and Strawberry, filling in on violin, vocals, Tibetan bowls and sax. Together they blend middle eastern influenced folk with spacey electronics and really beautiful trippy guitars. The overall experience is incredible; sounds and styles change drastically and seamlessly, bringing you to a new place with each new movement."

Artist:	MIGONE, CHRISTOF
Title:	Quieting
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 025CD

"The fourth solo recording from conceptual sound artist Christof Migone. Quieting is a fine example of the artist's ability to pay attention to minute detail. The record runs just over 40 minutes and features 18 different tracks that play in and out of each other in a similar vein to Ryoji Ikeda's +/- CD. Sounds on the recording range from pulsing electro glitch popularized by the likes of Pan sonic, Rehberg & Bauer and Migone's own duo Undo with Alexandre St-Onge. It features field recordings and experimentation with periods of silence, reminiscent of projects by folks like Brandon LaBelle, Steve Roden, Achim Wollscheid and Tokyo's WrK collective of Minoru Sato, Atsushi Tominaga and Toshiya Tsunoda."

Artist:	BRUME AND ARTIFICIAL MEMORY TRACE
Title:	1st Encounter
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 026CD

"Finally we are able to bring to light an electroacoustic masterpiece which unites the talents of France's Christof Renou [Brume] and Belgium's Slavik Kwi [AMT]. Each artist has constructed and deconstructed the other's original material, and through this process they have created beautiful fluid collaborations. 1st Encounter was completed in 1996 and is part of an ongoing series of releases by Artificial Memory Trace. The sound on this particular installment is as one would expect given the backgrounds of the two artists: a mixture of electro-acoustic and concrète sounds."

Artist:	KRISTIAN, SHALABI, ST-ONGE
Title:	Trio Recordings (Self-titled)
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	ALIEN 028CD

"Alien8 Recordings is releasing the studio recordings from the trio of David Kristian on EMS VCS-3 synthesizer, Sam Shalabi on guitar and oud, and Alexandre St-Onge on upright bass. The sound of these three musicians is a mixture of electronics with bowed bass and prepared guitar and oud. The results are quite impressive. Many may consider it unlikely that such a combination of instruments could successfully blend into something interesting and enjoyable. However, a precedent may have been set by projects like Otomo Yoshihide's I.S.O. and his Cathode release, not to mention a number of Europeans who are blending electronics with their free jazz and avant-garde music, to an extent not yet seen here in North America. The trio presents a rather unique sound and the instruments blend beautifully together. At times it is reminiscent of Euro improvisers such as Polweschel [2]; a gentler Konk Pack or AMM come to mind." Limited stock, deleted item.

Artist:	SET FIRE TO FLAMES
Title:	Sings Reigns Rebuilder
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 030CD

"Set Fire to Flames are a collective of thirteen musicians from the musical community of Montreal (including multiple members of Exhaust, Fly Pan Am, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Hanged Up, HRSTA, undo and more). There is no doubt that Set Fire to Flames bears some resemblance to the projects of its contributing members, but the band is incredibly unique at the same time. Brooding and beautiful, haunted and haunting, Sings Reigns Rebuilder is so stunningly/lovingly played and skillfully assembled, infused throughout with a massive sense of slow-burning tension and periods of weighty, rousing release -- sweeping everything along with it. Packaged in beautiful full-colour gatefold heavy paper jacket, including 24 page booklet."

Artist:	LOPEZ, FRANCISCO
Title:	Untitled #123
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$12.50
Catalog #:	ALIEN 031CD

"This latest outing by Spain's most prolific experimental artist was prepared with sounds recorded in Grain Silo #5, in Montreal, Quebec. Last year the experimental duo known as [the user] began the Silophone project, transforming an abandoned grain silo into a gigantic instrument. Untitled #123 starts off with a minute of silence, forcing the listener to pay close attention, like on many of Lopez' recordings. Incredibly subtle changes and fluctuations in volume and body begin to take place. The piece begins to display the Silophone sounds more clearly at the 10-minute mark, dark metallic resonation that feels strangely gothic. This continues until sharp piercing slices of mechanical sounds cut in an out of the piece every few seconds (imagine being subjected to giant blasts of machinery). This continues until the 19-minute mark where all audible sounds dissolve and all that is left is some of the most demanding low-end ambiance one is likely to experience." Limited stock, deleted item.

Artist:	SHALABI EFFECT
Title:	The Trial Of St-Orange
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 032CD

"Shalabi Effect is made up of Sam Shalabi [Molasses, trio w/ David Kristian and St-Onge, Detention] on electronics, guitar, prepared guitar and oud, Anthony Seck on electronics, guitar and moog, Alexandre St-Onge [Et Sans, Undo] on electronics and upright bass and Will Eizlini on percussion. The sound on the Trial of Saint-Orange is incredibly rich in texture and boasts a very organic feel. This is psychedelic music done in a way that is incredibly rare these days; the band is more about creating lush texture than rocking out. A good comparison would be the more ethereal side of the Acid Mothers Temple, the La Novia recording in particular. There also seems to be influence drawn from the style of horror/drama soundtracks conducted by Ennio Morricone and much of the accompanying music to Argento's more memorable films. This is most notable in the recording's closing epic piece, which has a duration of over 20 minutes."

Artist:	TANAKH
Title:	Villa Claustrophobia
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 033CD

"Tanakh is a layering of sound and structure that combines songwriting sensibility and improvisational abstractions that are as thick and rich as they are minimalist. These two seemingly opposed forms fluidly combine to forge dark sweet lulling gypsy melodies dug from Middle Eastern sands that have been knuckled across Appalachian washboards that shadow the city in which they live. Villa Claustrophobia marks the debut of this new project and features an all-star ensemble including Mic Turner (Dirty Three), Jessica Billey (Lofty Pillars), David Lowery (Cracker), Ned Oldham (Palace) and Nirmal Bajekal (Ravi Shankar's band) amongst others. Between them they bring vocals, violin, viola, cello, bass, percussion, electric and acoustic guitars, flugel horn, trumpet, clarinet, and various ethnic and home made instruments to the recording."

Artist:	ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
Title:	Electric Heavy Land
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	ALIEN 034CD

"Electric Heavy Land is one of the most over top releases to come out of the Temple so far, and is perhaps Kawabata Makoto's heaviest groove-oriented material since the classic Mainliner debut Mellow Out. The recording is made of three tracks that at times will have listeners reminiscing over the likes of early Mudhoney and Monster Magnet'sSpine of God-era sound. It's the one of the catchiest records from the incredibly prolific psych unit in recent times and can be best compared to the heavier tracks on Absolutely Freak Out Zap Your Mind the bordering-on-metal sound the band often seems to take on in live situations."

Artist:	MENCHE, DANIEL
Title:	Beautiful Blood
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 036CD

"The sound on this recording is what one might expect -- insanely powerful drone based music composed of the richly layered sounds of different instruments and field recordings, allowing the listener to pick up on new sounds and subtleties with every listen. This is incredibly unusual music that takes influence from both ambient and noise circles and blends the two to fantastic results. The final product is a very unique style of drone music that has incredibly rich and powerful sound. This work can be compared to works and stylistic approaches taken by the likes of Francisco Lopez, Phil Niblock and Hermann Nitsch, in terms of their use of layering massive drones to create portions of their work."

Artist:	SHALABI, SAM
Title:	Osama
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 037CD

"...'protest music about Arabophobia in a Post 9-11 World'. Musically, Osama takes quite a leap from the territories occupied by Shalabi's last solo outing, Hashish, comprised of field recordings, tape music and improv sewn together to fantastic results. Osama features contributions from over thirty Montreal musicians and takes a straight-ahead hard rock, psyche and pop approach, but still utilizes many improv and experimental techniques. The recording's closing and golden moment is the incredibly beautiful seventeen minute epic, 'Guantanamo Bay', which begins with an eerie similarity to Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips. Once again the blissful pop elements fade and dissolve into layers of sound. This track builds into an incredible crescendo driven by static, brushes, crackles, noise and the distant sound of muffled epic soundtrack music."

Artist:	MERZBOW
Title:	Animal Magnetism
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	ALIEN 038CD

"On this latest release Akita blends his passion for guitars and more rhythmic elements of progressive rock, metal and his love for animals, even bringing to life the sounds of his very own pet chickens to mind bending results. It is truly incredible when the chickens appear amidst dense layers of ambient noise and actually add the percussive elements to the piece. Aside from the title track, pieces like 'Super Sheep' continue with the animal theme and add a sense of humor to the music. While a lot of people have criticized Akita for not changing his sound and style, this charge is completely false. Over the last few years, since moving away from his custom-made instruments and concentrating much more on laptop as his main instrument, Akita has come up with some of his best recordings."

Artist:	SET FIRE TO FLAMES
Title:	Telegraphs In Negative/Mouths Trapped In Static
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 039CD

"A haunted, intense and highly diverse collection of material. Continuously shifting off at tangents, its slow sprawl creeps from heartbreaking guitar melodies to sparse string compositions; concrete flickerings and modified machine-crunch to tranced-out Kraut-ish rhythm-pieces; cyclical minimalism to awe-filled drone-spaces; free-flowing improvised skitter and spark to raw location/life recordings. Beautifully played and composed, and far more than merely a follow-up, Telegraphs... sees set fire to flames pushing beyond the gains made on that previous effort and forging an increasingly autonomous space for the group. The results achieved on this release are jaw dropping at times, putting this project on par with best of folks working within similar areas. Merely comparing this group to other instrumental, ambient projects would be unfair and dishonest. It goes far beyond the average meanderings of the post-rock genre, exhibiting great influence from the minimalist movement, contemporary classical and tape music."

Artist:	SOFT CANYON
Title:	Broken Spirit, I Will Mend Your Wings
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 040CD

"The band takes cues from across the music spectrum, but unlike many of the rock bands to achieve success recently they shape their sound into something fresh and personal. Soft Canyon borrows heavily from the Laurel Canyon sound that spawned the likes of producer, arranger and musician Jack Nietzsche as well as absurdist popster Van Dyke Parks, not to mention the great influence it had on Arthur Lee's Love and former Canadian Neil Young. This is most evident on the anthem-style track 'Hope's Great Divide,' a track that is extremely catchy and chock-full of studio trickery that will have the listener thinking it must be one of those lost gems from the 70s. Soft Canyon layers the sound of two or three guitars and keyboards with incredible depth in the vocal department and a drum sound that recalls the studio wizardry of Phil Spector. The band also blends heavy influences of Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother era with early Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers, but without falling into the trap of ripping off or rehashing the same old sounds. In this respect they are comparable to Royal Trux or Acid Mothers Temple in the sense that they are paying homage to their influences but still changing the face of rock at the same time."

Artist:	UNICORNS, THE
Title:	Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 041CD

"Having blossomed in Montreal, Quebec, the Unicorns have packed their things and are heading to all the roads in all the world for an unforeseeable amount of time, backing up their reputation as being Canada's most promising new band, and planet Earth's next big thing. FACT: The Unicorns have a gift for blending a morbid sense of humour with irresistible pop melodies caked with beautiful vocals employing thoughtful, near-sacred lyrics. FACT: The Unicorns don't push the envelope, these assholes sign, seal and deliver their work to the north, south, east and west, in limited edition holographic 3-D. Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? features thirteen tracks deeply rooted in careful songwriting and lo-fi pop experimentalism."

Artist:	SHALABI EFFECT
Title:	Pink Abyss
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 042CD

"Shalabi Effect refer their latest effort, Pink Abyss, as their 'pop record' -- an apt description in comparison to their two previous releases. While Pink Abyss retains elements of those efforts, there is decidedly more emphasis placed on melody on this release, with more use of vocals and more prominence given to the guitar. Without a doubt, it is Shalabi Effect's most rocking effort thus far, featuring impeccable musicianship and a brilliant and powerful recording quality that will blow away the band's loyal following. Some highlights on Pink Abyss include 'Bright Guilty World' (track 2), which features beautifully seductive vocal work of Elizabeth Anka Vajagic who will be releasing a long-awaited solo record on Constellation early next year. This piece moves along gently at a slow patter, with an unusual combination of cracked electronics, guitar and jazz-styled percussion giving it a very cinematic feel. The somber chanting on 'I Believe in Love' (track 5) lends a deep eeriness to the piece, also bearing a certain resemblance to the outsider folk that is booming in the United States of late. Another absolute gem is the über-poppy 'Blue Sunshine' (track 4), featuring a beautiful guest appearance from Charles Spearin of Broken Social Scene and Do Make Say Think on trumpet. This track recalls the over-the-top sensibility that seems to have informed many seventies TV show theme songs or the hits of Burt Bacharach. The closing piece, 'The Kinder Surprise,' has a very gentle, ambient feel and could blend in on a release from the Boards of Canada or Mogwai."

Artist:	TANAKH
Title:	Dieu Deuil
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 043CD

"Tanakh's newest record, Dieu Deuil, commands a nautical embrace of wet boots and November days filled with rain. It sings stories of loss, hope, and transcendence amidst the swirling cyclone of mundaneness. Dieu Deuil, which takes it name from the architecture of Daniel Libeskind, successfully integrates improvisation and song writing, and communicates an interior intimacy, which previously was only hinted at in the drifting exterior world of 'Villa Claustrophobia'. Dieu Deuil is a small warm café in the cavernous arcades of 'Villa Claustrophobia,' where the air is moist with smoky teas and steam hoarfrosts the windows. 'Dieu Deuil' maintains the outer-national feel of 'Villa Claustrophobia' but focuses less on a pneumatic exotica and more on a rich interior journey that communicates the warmth of human touch and the frigid burn that such contact can leave when it is taken away. Dieu Deuil captures a particular gentleness of the 70s-era folk psychedelia inspired by the likes of John Martyn, Tim Buckley, Fairport Convention and Pentangle, both in it's inventive orchestration and in it's vocally charged delivery."

Artist:	LES GEORGES LENINGRAD
Title:	Deux Hot Dogs Moutarde Chou
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 045CD

"The reissue of Deux Hot Dogs Moutarde Chou from Montreal's most notorious post punks, Les Georges Leningrad. Hailing from one of the most fertile scenes in North America, Les Georges Leningrad's completely over the top stage show and totally unique sound has made them one of the city's most beloved bands. The Alien8 edition of Deux Hot Dogs Moutarde Chou has been remastered & repackaged. Also exclusive to this release is a bonus track not included on the original release. The sound captured by this band is an indescribable mix of demented electro/noise/post/punk augmented by their own invented language."

Artist:	MOLASSES
Title:	Trouble At Jinx Hotel
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 046CD

"The fourth album from the sprawling Montréal ensemble, Molasses. This inspired example of the group's utterly original music displays the raw, world weary voice of old Americana, the freedom of improvisation and experiment, the spiritually charged atmosphere of church music, and the adventure of the avant-garde... all swirling around the musings of singer/songwriter Scott Chernoff, whose poetic confessionals have been compared to illustrious songwriters like Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Will Oldham. Molasses is music for guitars, strings, banjo, oud, percussion, piano, organ, harmonium, singing saws and voice. Trouble At Jinx Hotel is thirteen titles and ten tracks from some of North American underground music's brightest lights, featuring members of the Shalabi Effect, set fire to flames, GY!BE, Codeine, Come, Boxhead Ensemble and the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy band."

Artist:	HECKER, TIM
Title:	Mirages
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 047CD

"Tim Hecker's latest full length, Mirages, is a lesson of darkness, a midnight whisper revealing its true essence to the listener: an ambient-death-metal classic in waiting. Taking inspiration from Italian partigiani and the counter attack of the anti-Vichyists, Hecker has issued a salvo against all tourists of melancholy; from trustafarian pseudo-leftists to the Ikea nihilists of the boboist rive droite. While some artists seem eager to explore new age or 'organic' solutions to electronic music, Hecker solves the Rubik's cube and penetrates the liquid magma, revealing the truths of dirty sodium light pollution, love on the rocks, and tooth hunting in the garden of evil. With its motifs of eroticism and torture, militancy, and ecstatic pain, Mirages also points backwards towards the Viking penchant for fighting and feasting. Don't be mistaken by insufficient musical descriptors: it is also surprisingly tender, like the fresh skin of a new lover. Indeed, Hecker demonstrates a penchant for the romantic by drawing in a den of noteworthy interlocutors into this work, including fellow Montréalers le Fly Pan Am, Christof Migone, David Bryant, as well as his Australian compatriot Oren Ambarchi."

Artist:	TANAKH
Title:	Tanakh
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 048CD

"This marks Alien8's third release with American singer songwriter Jesse Poe's project Tanakh, currently based in Florence Italy. Unlike the first two recordings this latest offering strays from structured songs and resides much more in the regions of the avant garde. The recording itself is as mysterious as the grounds on which the music was created. Tanakh is comprised of long droning numbers with tremendous swells and divots, as different sounds and textures come in and out of the mix. This music provides a different digestion with every listen. Comparisons can be drawn to Double Leopards, Taj Mahal Travelers, Molasses, Paul Panhuysen, Pelt, and set fire to flames." 2CDs for the price of one.

Artist:	LES GEORGES LENINGRAD
Title:	Sur les traces de Black Eskimo
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 049CD

"After two years LGL break their silence with their latest recording: Sur les traces de Black Eskimo. Now operating as a trio, they are leaner and more dangerous than ever. This latest effort is without a doubt a catchier affair, boasting a number of potential crossover hits. ...Black Eskimo mixes elements of post punk and noisy improv to deliver a completely unique hybrid. Les Georges Leningrad is made up of front person Poney P. She has a jarring, yet captivating vocal delivery and a magnetic stage presence. Mingo L'Indien is responsible for the bulk of electronics, guitars, backing vocals and strange costumes. Bobo Boutin is the masked mad man who literally destroys his drum kit with his precise and unique style and also delivers amazing backing vocals."

Artist:	MECHA FIXES CLOCKS
Title:	Orbiting With Screwdivers
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 050CD

"Mecha Fixes Clock is the brainchild of its founder and principle artist, Michel F. Côté, and features an incredible ensemble carefully chosen from Quebec's vibrant Musique Actuelle scene. The sound and overall feel of this fantastic album might be referred to it as ambient improv, and it shares some characteristics with a number of projects on Norway's Rune Gramophone label. What makes this recording stand out is the fact that despite employing a wide variety of instrumentation there remains an overall cohesive element that brings the whole recording together; lending the listener the possibility of surgical composition. Often, it is too easy to describe music as cinematic but here it is indeed the case. References can also be made to indie-based projects like Rachels and Boxhead Ensemble and film composers such as Ennio Morricone and Edgar Varese."

Artist:	LESBIANS ON ECSTASY
Title:	Lesbians On Ecstasy
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 051CD

"L.O.E. hijack the back catalog of popular lesbian anthems, dragging them kicking and screaming out of the folk festivals and onto the drugged up revelry of the dance floor. They pillage shamelessly from the likes of Tracy Chapman and Melissa Etheridge, juxtaposing them against Tribe8 or Team Dresch, not forgetting the lesbian standards of the Indigo Girls and others. Lesbians On Ecstasy don't sample these artists, but cheekily reference their themes and lyrics, creating booty shaking dance hits that maintain the politically infused edge of these sapphic songstresses. The musical landscape covered on this debut is vast. Styles range from electro punk to hard techno and straight up pop."

Artist:	ET SANS
Title:	Par Noussss Touss Les Trous De Vos Cranes
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 052CD

"The quintet seamlessly intermingle experimental based psychedelic pop with vintage minimal post industrial dance music with nods towards classic kraut rock of the '70s. Each of the four tracks on Par Noussss... is a trip around the world. First up is a very gentle piece blending whispered vocals and various spliced tape samples backed with simple electronic background. The second track has the group sounding quite a bit like NYC legends Suicide if they were lost in a sea of electronic Xenakis. It is not as though they are deliberately trying to sound like the famed no wavers, but they utilize similar primitive electronic sounds and screamed vocals. The third track sounds like it could be a long lost gem discovered on an obscure film soundtrack; it doesn't resemble anything else out there, or even the other tracks on the recording. The recording's closing number is an absolutely stunning track that would not have been out of place on Le Fly Pan Am's recent release, N'Écoutez Pas. Drummer Morel is in fine form here grounding the piece while St−Onge, Tellier−Craig and De Oliveira lace the track with spliced vocals and splintered electronics." Features members from: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Le Fly Pan Am, Set Fire To Flames, Shalabi Effect, Silver Mt. Zion, Klaxon Gueule.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Blank Field
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 053CD

"Blank Field is a program of experimental music that was curated by Francisco López for the event 'Cité des Ondes' organized by Champ Libre in Montreal from September 16 to 23, 2002. We are pleased to share this documentation of that event. This collection of excerpts features live segments from Oren Ambarchi, Daniel Menche, Merzbow, Shunichiro Okada, Manon Anne Gillis and Michael Northam. The live material has been mixed, edited and mastered by Francisco López. This compilation offers many highlights. There is stunning live action from Merzbow in which Masami Akita sounds as fresh and exciting as ever with a blend of rhythmic noise and low-end rumble. Daniel Menché's live set is done justice here on record without the aid of his totally cathartic stage presence. Shinichiro Okada's contributes a brutal piece of totally raw digital sound. Oren Ambarchi presents a beautiful set of plucked strings over a genswashes of vintage electronics."

Artist:	LOPEZ, FRANCISCO
Title:	Live in Montreal
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 054CD

"This release documents an especially memorable performance from 2002. Live in Montreal commences very quietly as a barely audible hiss, which proceeds to build in intensity until the sixteen minute mark, then falls back into silence for a few seconds before advancing into the next movement of the piece. At this point the performance takes on a scarier and more sinister shape. Sounds seem to move in all directions. It is absolutely mind blowing what Francisco Lopez is able to achieve using equalization and a quadraphonic speaker set up. There are percussive elements to this piece that are fresh and unusual that last for about five minutes from the 20- to 25-minute mark. They eventually fade out giving way to an increasingly powerful drone that is classic Lopez. The sounds during this portion of the recording are incredibly rich and dense. At times you think you can detect elements of a string quartet in the distance or tape stretching of a vocal choir. At the 32-minute mark the recording starts to fade out the same way it began and while it is a long piece, it certainly has the feel of a complete work."

Artist:	NADJA
Title:	Truth Becomes Death
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 058CD

"Finally a full-fledged metal release on Alien8 Recordings. Alright, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration but the music of Nadja comes pretty damn close. Nadja is an ambient doom metal monster fronted by multi-talented Toronto musician and writer Aidan Baker. The music of Nadja will certainly be name-checked with current rulers of the genre Sunn O))) and with good reason. Having said this, Nadja is different than the bulk of bands operating in the outsider metal movement these days as they employ a much heavier use of ambient aesthetics and influences that help forge their sound."

Artist:	HOOKER/HALL/RANALDO
Title:	Oasis of Whispers
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 059CD

"A journey in free improv performed by a trio comprised of Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) on guitar, audio collages and effects, free jazz legend William Hooker on drums, and multi-instrumentalist Glen Hall on tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, piccolo, bass flute, bass clarinet, and percussion. The set was performed live at the Tralfamadore in Buffalo, NY in September of 2001 and represents the first recorded document by this formidable unit. The 9 tracks cover a wide variety of styles ranging from more traditional bop to full-on psychedelic freak-outs. Their fine take on the Sonny Rollins classic 'Blue Seven' is one of many highlights. Glen Hall lays down some tasteful yet challenging tenor riffs that slink through the barbed wire and broken glass of Lee Ranaldo's guitar textures. Hooker hijacks Max Roach's original blueprint and goes on an interstellar journey of new time signatures along the way."

Artist:	BOOKS ON TAPE
Title:	Dinosaur Dinosaur
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 060CD

"Dinosaur Dinosaur is the latest release by Los Angeles based Books On Tape, Todd Drootin's project dedicated to the style he terms 'beatpunk.' The tag is definitely apt as Drootin has gained a reputation for fusing hip hop and electronic beats with the energy and mayhem of punk rock. Dinosaur Dinosaur further cements this style by incorporating more of the rock spirit of his animated live performances. Listening to Dinosaur Dinosaur one may be reminded of other renowned sonic manipulators such as Kid 606, Venetian Snares, DJ Rupture, and 1 Speed Bike. Within 14 cuts Drootin incorporates a myriad of stylistic shifts over a foundation of unorthodox grooves."

Artist:	SHALABI EFFECT
Title:	Unfortunately
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 061CD

"Shalabi Effect is the most difficult band to characterize in Montreal's vibrant music scene. Since their inception in the late '90s, the band, consisting of Sam Shalabi, Alexandre St. Onge, Anthony Seck and Will Eizlini, has managed to keep their sound fresh and exciting. They rarely play previously released material and they never repeat themselves live, giving each performance an unpredictable edge. This fourth and latest offering was recorded over three consecutive evenings during the band's recent residency at the Montreal Arts Interculturels institute in Montreal, Quebec. The band practiced throughout the day and recorded each evening's performance in front of a live audience. They then harvested a selection of the best material to create an album of unbelievable improv. The result is a record that truly represents the band's appetite for experimentation and their desire to keep things interesting for their loyal following as well as for themselves."

Artist:	ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
Title:	Starless and Bible Black Sabbath
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 062CD

"While this album is certainly a tribute record it doesn't consist of straight-up Sabbath worship in the simple sense of covers. The band sounds as if they are simultaneously paying respect to other Sabbath-influenced projects such as Melvins or Zeni Geva, the later being the former home of Tabata, one of the Temple's latest recruits. Starless and Bible Black Sabbath consists of two tracks, the first being an epic thirty four minute blowout titled 'Lady from Hell.' The opening cut begins in a similar fashion to Black Sabbath's eponymous open albeit much less dramatic. The second track relates more to the band's obsession with Kraut rock, sounding like the more pop-oriented period of Hawkwind."

Artist:	TANAKH
Title:	Ardent Fevers
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 063CD

"Tanakh's Ardent Fevers marks the band's fourth release for Alien8 Recordings and finds Jesse Poe and company continuing to delve deeper into the world of psychedelic pop music. While this most recent work bares some resemblance to the band's debut Villa Claustrophobia, and their sophomore Dieu Deuil, it treads more in the sounds of '70s rock, resulting in an album less precious, and closer to Tanakh's live sound. Listening to Ardent Fevers one is treated to a beautiful array of lush compositions that capture the listener with memorable choruses and well thought out orchestration. Stellar tracks include the opening 'Drink to Sher,' which recalls Beck from his Sea Change period or Tim Buckley. 'Greybreathes' is an unforgettable piece of music that has you humming the chorus for hours. Just like most of the music of Tanakh, the focal point of this cut is the wonderful vocal style of Jesse Poe. 'Still Trying to Find You Home' starts off as Leonard Cohenesque folk dirge but builds momentum until it takes on the feel of Neil Young's Crazy Horse and comes close to 'freakout' thanks to some pretty serious soloing on guitar. The band then switches to the far lighter 'Restless Hands,' which recalls sixties era British folk-pop."

Artist:	LOPEZ, FRANCISCO
Title:	Untitled #180
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 064CD

May, 2006 release. "Untitled #180 is perhaps López's most playful and humorous release. While it features his trademark swells, bursts of pure sound and extended periods of silence, a unique element captured on this release is the predominant electroacoustic feel to the sound. This has a lot to do with the sound sources, short samples borrowed from blockbuster motion pictures. As a result many of the clichés of both the world of academic electroacoustic music and film sound effects are beautifully exploited on this recording. Listening to Untitled #180 with adequate volume is quite a mind-bending experience. With its juxtaposition of silence and extremely dense sound one is left with an impression similar to the works of composers such as Carl Stalling and Raymond Scott's works for cartoons or perhaps the music of Pierre Henry, but with the undeniably powerful touch of López. Untitled #180 is perhaps a reaction to how brutal the sound effects utilized in the film industry have become, with THX and surround sound and associated technologies the sound of car crashes, creatures, explosions or just sounds of every day life have become incredibly loud in the cinema setting. It is very easy to get a feel for this listening to segments of Untitled #180. There are moments on this recording that are absolutely over the top and the different sounds inspire so much mental imagery that is mind-boggling trying to follow the piece. In this respect, the near-silent passages are well earned."

Artist:	THINK ABOUT LIFE
Title:	Think About Life
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 065CD

"Announcing the self-titled debut from Montreal's Think About Life. Think About Life have been causing panic on dance floors and concert halls alike since the word began to spread quicker than avian flu following their first couple of shows. Think About Life bring the party like no other band currently operating in the Montreal area. This recording, much like their live show, consists largely of party anthems from start to finish. The trio keeps things short and sweet with 34 minutes of high-energy action and no filler."

Artist:	HECKER, TIM
Title:	Radio Amor
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 066CD

2007 reissue of this album, originally released by Mille Plateaux. "Misplaced nautical charts, trade winds, shortwave miscommunication, midnight whispers, amorxxx. Alien8 Recordings is reissuing Radio Amor, originally released on Mille Plateaux in 2002, in order to maintain the availability of the works of one of our label's most important artists. The recording has been out of print for two years now, out of grasp of Hecker's growing legions of admirers. Hecker is still basking in the universally glowing reception of this year's Harmony in Ultraviolet on Kranky (Score 8.7 / Best New Music on Pitchfork), the follow-up to 2004's Mirages on Alien8 Recordings. Radio Amor is a key release in Hecker's discography, bridging his output between our Haunt Me (2001) and My Love is Rotten to the Core (EP, 2002) releases and 2004's Mirages. Radio Amor is a brilliant soundtrack for daydreaming, and Tim Hecker's effective variations on a few central ideas once again show a gifted composer at work."

Artist:	NADJA
Title:	Touched
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 067CD

March 2007 release. "Our second release by the up and coming ambient doom band Nadja. Nadja is made of Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff. Baker, the project's founder is an insanely prolific musician under his own name under which he releases solo works for such prestigious labels as Germany's Die Stadt, as well countless CD and CD-R releases all over the world. He is also an accomplished poet and visual artist. Buckareff rounds out the band on bass guitar and backing vocals. While credit is owed to likes of such pioneering legends Earth, current king pins SUNN((O))) and Boris for defining the genre, Nadja take more inspiration from artists hailing from the dark ambient and electronica fields. Passages on this latest release can be compared to saturated wall of ambient noise perfected by the likes of Tim Hecker and Fennesz or Justin K. Broadrick's Jesu project. Like the sound of our earlier Truth Becomes Death release, Touched is ambient music being pushed to its breaking point, yet the overall feel is a slightly more gentle. Parts of the album feature the use of clean undistorted vocals, something rather unique in the genre, hinting at the sounds of such bands as Codeine, Swans or Joe Preston's Thrones project."

Artist:	FRANK & SAM SHALABI, ADAM
Title:	Overpass! A Melodrama
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 068CD

May 2007 release. "An audio meditation on the strangeness of Vancouver. A mix of dialogue, interviews, documentary material, and composed music, Overpass! presents the story of Antonia, a new arrival who finds herself mystified by the city. In seven vignettes Antonia orients herself through encounters with real and fictional locals. She investigates the city's peculiarities, including its preoccupation with nature, failed freeway projects, and attempts at urban planning. Weirdly drawn to the Keefer Street pedestrian overpass and its history, Antonia finds a way to understand Vancouver's particular response to modernization. The CD is the product of a three-year collaboration between Adam Frank, who teaches poetry at the University of British Columbia, and Sam Shalabi, a Montréal-based composer and musician. Sam Shalabi has been a longtime member of the Alien8 Recordings family, with two solo releases, Osama and On Hashish, his trio recording with David Kristian and Alexandre St-Onge as well as four recordings with his psychedelic improv ensemble Shalabi Effect. Overpass! is a melodrama in the late eighteenth-century sense: dialogue that is spoken (not sung) with musical accompaniment to set or introduce the moods and ideas. It takes as subject a minor, ugly cement structure called the Keefer Street pedestrian overpass."

Artist:	LESBIANS ON ECSTASY
Title:	We Know You Know
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 069CD

April 2007 release. "LOE have retaliated with a collection of songs that hearken back to activist hope -- seems like wishful thinking in this day and age. We Know You Know touches on similar themes to the band's debut but delves deeper into some of the clichés and tropes of iconic lesbian music. This time around they blend much more melodic elements and hooks that might remind the listener of campfire sing-alongs at some mythical womyn's event in the 70's, with several tracks featuring a chorus backing. However at the same time they have also managed to maintain the heavy beat aspect of their debut. The result is a danceable album that is at moments uplifting and at other moments very dark, but all with the sense of humor and fun that makes Lesbians On Ecstasy unique. Lesbians On Ecstasy are a sound force that bridges the gap between electro/techno with punk rock and occasional flirtations with the clamor and thud of industrial music."

Artist:	ST-ONGE, ALEXANDRE
Title:	Mon Animal Est Possible
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 070CD

"Mon Animal Est Possible is a collection of electronic love songs written and conceived by Alexandre St-Onge, whose purpose behind the recordings was to try to communicate with monsters and exorcise/exercise his own monstrosity through them, thus making possible his own animal. A collection of eight pieces of just under 40 minutes, Mon Animal Est Possible reveals St-Onge at his most melodious and sensuous thus far. The album is largely centered on vocals, both those of St-Onge and his partner Fanny. This is the polar opposite of his debut solo effort released by Alien8 back in 1999; St-Onge has traded in massive passages of near silence for lush ballads and love songs filled with vocals and cinematic backgrounds. It is rather difficult to draw contemporary comparisons to this recording, although one may be reminded of the recently reissued classic L'enfant Assassin des Mouches by Jean Claude Vannier. In terms of more recently released music similarities could be drawn to the experimental passages from vocalists like Scott Walker and Robert Wyatt."

Artist:	TORNGAT
Title:	You Could Be
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 071CD

"Torngat is a formidable trio hailing from the fertile and diverse musical community of Montreal. Up until now the band has enjoyed success in a few key cities, but with You Could Be things are about change. This is the band's third recording and a follow up to 2005's stellar La Rouge EP. Torngat is an instrumental trio made up of primarily drums, keyboards and French horn, although it is the multi-instrumentalism of all three players that really give Torngat that spark of something special. Julien Poissant is the band's drummer but also plays a variety of instruments on the album; in a live setting he can be found playing extra keys with the left hand, bass drum with the right foot, high hat with the left foot and trumpet with the right hand. Wurlitzer and analog synth are Mathieu Charboneau's primary tools, but he is also known to juggle duties with xylophones, percussion, trumpet, melodicas additional keyboards and live electronic effects. French horn player Pietro Amato seasoned his chops performing with Belle Orchestre and has toured and recorded with Arcade Fire. Amato also contributes a host of other acoustic and electronic instrumentation as well as some vocals to the album. Torngat perform music that could be construed as post rock; like much of the genre they exude a strong cinematic quality. Like their sister band Belle Orchestre, the music of Torngat is less dark and melancholic than post rock. Instead of doom and gloom the band delivers uplifting melodies and fantasy inspired passages, yet still manage to infuse their songs a certain emotional weight unnoticed in the bubblier tunes of the former project."

Artist:	NADJA
Title:	Radiance of Shadows
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 072CD

"The Canadian ambient doom band Nadja returns with the follow-up to their critically acclaimed Touched release. Radiance of Shadows is a mammoth monster of a record, spanning well over an hour with three tracks that are more epic and heavier than ever. Nadja's constantly increasing fan base will not be disappointed with this outing; it's classic Nadja. Radiance of Shadows has the feel of the super-saturated and dense recordings favoured by the likes of Fennesz and Tim Hecker but with the bite of metal. Radiance of Shadows opens rather gently taking its time to give birth to an amazing Isis-like riff which becomes completely washed out with Nadja's trademark wall of ambient noise. Just when you think it cannot get any louder or more saturated it begins to subside into another more subdued section of ambience and occasional riffing. This eventually gives way to a brutal tandem of guitar and drums that recalls early Swans. Nadja has an unique ability to make their long recordings seem like they are a few tracks blending into one as oppose to the grandiose epics that they are."

Artist:	CPC GANGBANGS
Title:	Mutilation Nation
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	LP
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 073LP

"Announcing the vinyl edition of CPC Gangbangs' killer debut Mutilation Nation! CPC Gangbangs rise from ashes of garage punk architects Les Sexareenos, Daylight Lovers and Spaceshits and create a new drug, punk, weirdo, hate trip that spews from the Franco-Anglo Petri dish of Montreal. With already 5 vinyl only EP's under their belt CPC Gangbangs have solidified their status in the subterranean abyss that is the new punk underground railroad. Although their sound is celebratory and consuming it is often evil as well and full of the promise of self-destruction boosted by copious amounts of cocaine, LSD and Canadian Maple Whiskey. This sound is part Warsaw, part 13th Floor Elevators, part Flamin' Groovies, part Turkish psychedelic rock and all while their feet are deeply rooted in the unrestrained attack of primal punk deconstruction. Guitars are broken, amps are on fire, drums avalanche off the stage and someone gets hurt."

Artist:	SHALABI, SAM
Title:	Eid
Label:	ALIEN8 RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	ALIEN 074CD

"Sam Shalabi's third solo outing for Alien8, Eid, was written and conceived in Cairo, Egypt in 2006 while Shalabi was living there and further realized in Montreal and Vancouver during the first half of 2007. The album is a result of two separate ideas that slowly coalesced over a couple of years. The first was Shalabi's idea of composing songs for singers he knew and enjoyed. The second idea was that of creating a 'modern Arabic pop' record. It was during the time that Shalabi was living in Cairo that he came to the realization that Arabic pop music was much more wild, wide and weird than he had imagined and this also had a huge influence on this recording. Over time Shalabi became less interested in trying to make pop songs and more interested in allowing the material to take its own shape. Upon listening to Eid, it becomes clear how Shalabi was influenced by the wide breadth of Arabic pop music: each piece is stylistically its own and allowed to take its own shape. The recording opens with a beautifully played piece of Shalabi's solo oud playing that gives one the impression they are in store for a gentle acoustic journey. Gears shift drastically with the follow-up track 'Jessica Simpson,' which can also be considered one of the recording's most interesting and unusual selections. Guest vocalist Radwon Moumneh does an excellent job delivering his vocals over repetitious percussion; then a totally unexpected Guitar Hero-style solo slips in out of nowhere. Sam Shalabi enlists the help of far too many guests to list here, although among the standout contributions is that of singer/songwriter Lhasa de Sela who has a thriving solo career and has collaborated with the likes of the Tindersticks and Nick Cave. Constellation Records recording artist Elizabeth Anka Vajajick sings on 'Billy The Kid' and Katie Moore is absolutely stunning on 'Billy The Kid Pt. II.' This will mark our ninth release with Shalabi, not including his efforts in various projects as a guest or studio musician."