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viewing 1 To 7 of 7 items
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2LP
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WAT 009LP
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Double LP version. Black Jacket is a love letter between two bands separated by continents but united by mutual admiration. Contriva, of Berlin, and Chessie of Washington, DC, first came together in 2001 when sharing a stage, sparking a deep connection over their respective takes on textural, emotive, and mostly instrumental music that merges post-rock, ambient, and experimental elements into unique visions. Fast forward two decades and many trips to their respective studios and now comes Black Jacket, a double LP of musical alchemy that builds upon the expressionistic, idiosyncratic sounds of these two groups. A new classic that proves far greater than the sum of its parts. Begun in the mid 1990's, Washington DC's Chessie is Stephen Gardner (also of noisy shoegaze pioneers, Lorelei) and Ben Bailes, whose various LP's for Slumberland's Dropbeat imprint and Plug Research pair abstract electronics and melancholy post-rock in search of the sounds and feelings of railways and train travel. Berlin's Contriva, (Monika Enterprises, Lok Musik, and Morr Music) features Masha Qrella (known for her solo works for Morr Music), Max Punktezahl (also of Munich indie legends the Notwist and Berlin's Jersey and Saroos), Hannes Lehmann and Rike Schuberty. For over a decade beginning in the mid-1990s, Contriva crafted compelling instrumentals, grafting experimental textures onto beautiful and complex indie songs. Together, the six of them have created Black Jacket.
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CD
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WAT 009CD
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Black Jacket is a love letter between two bands separated by continents but united by mutual admiration. Contriva, of Berlin, and Chessie of Washington, DC, first came together in 2001 when sharing a stage, sparking a deep connection over their respective takes on textural, emotive, and mostly instrumental music that merges post-rock, ambient, and experimental elements into unique visions. Fast forward two decades and many trips to their respective studios and now comes Black Jacket, a double LP of musical alchemy that builds upon the expressionistic, idiosyncratic sounds of these two groups. A new classic that proves far greater than the sum of its parts. Begun in the mid 1990's, Washington DC's Chessie is Stephen Gardner (also of noisy shoegaze pioneers, Lorelei) and Ben Bailes, whose various LP's for Slumberland's Dropbeat imprint and Plug Research pair abstract electronics and melancholy post-rock in search of the sounds and feelings of railways and train travel. Berlin's Contriva, (Monika Enterprises, Lok Musik, and Morr Music) features Masha Qrella (known for her solo works for Morr Music), Max Punktezahl (also of Munich indie legends the Notwist and Berlin's Jersey and Saroos), Hannes Lehmann and Rike Schuberty. For over a decade beginning in the mid-1990s, Contriva crafted compelling instrumentals, grafting experimental textures onto beautiful and complex indie songs. Together, the six of them have created Black Jacket.
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LP
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WAT 008LP
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Rosy Parlane is a musician from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. His work combines piano, guitar, electronics, and field recordings to create music that sits somewhere between composition and environment -- less about performance, more about presence. Parlane first became known in the early 1990s as part of Thela, a trio whose exploratory sound bridged noise, improvisation, and minimal rock forms. Later, as one half of Parmentier with Dion Workman, he explored digital minimalism and abstract rhythm before turning his attention fully to solo work. His solo albums Getxo (Sigma Editions 2001), Iris (TO 058CD, 2004), and Jessamine (TO 068CD, 2006) established a distinct approach built on patience, restraint, and the careful layering of tone and texture -- less about melody or structure than about how sound behaves in time and space. Array gathers recordings made between 2006 and 2022, originally issued on compilations and the Willow 7" single. Heard together, they offer a quiet through-line in Parlane's work -- small pieces connected by a shared attention to detail and the art of listening. Written and recorded in Aotearoa New Zealand 2006-2022. Mastered by Lawrence English at Negative Space. Photography and design by Jon Wozencroft.
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LP
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WAT 006LP
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Originally released on Ben Chasny's own Pavilion imprint in 2011. "I was invited by the Incubate Festival and the city of Tilburg to participate in an artist residency where I would explore the region's unique chapels built for the Virgin Mary. After writing the music for about six months by drawing on memories of the encounters with the chapels and using techniques inspired by Gaston Bachelard's Poetics Of Reverie, I flew back to Tilburg to perform the music at the Incubate Festival. We recorded the evening and I released the result on my Pavilion label. Each cover was hand painted white on white in the old Pavilion style. I created a stencil and used graphite powder to make the design that is inspired by the sun imagery in Athanasius Kircher diagrams. In 2010 I was approached by the organization of the Incubate Festival in the North Brabant town of Tilburg. Their request was for me to lead the American composer and guitarist Ben Chasny around a number of chapels in the province devoted to Mary. He had been invited to North Brabant to write some new compositions. Ben Chasny then chose to be inspired by these chapels and that's how we met. I was especially curious how an American would react to something as specific and small as a roadside chapel in North Brabant, since we tend to think here of (people in) America in terms of 'big-bigger-biggest'. Would an inhabitant of this enormous country with this prevailing culture be able to grasp and respect the identity of some 2.5 million people in North Brabant with their chapels? The answer to this question lies hidden in the compositions he made and that can be listened to on this album. Yes, Ben Chasny has been able to convert the phenomenon of a simple chapel devoted to Mary into music. The physical and the spiritual have found each other. What a beautiful world -- just listen!" --Paul Spapens
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LP
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WAT 003LP
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William Tyler is a Nashville guitarist and composer. He spent years woodshedding and touring with Nashville groups like Lambchop and Silver Jews before breaking away to focus on his own version of instrumental guitar music. In the summer of 2022, he was fortunate to have an artist residency at Epicenter in Green River, Utah, a tiny high desert town three hours from anything. One of the other non-profit friends of Epicenter was The Tank in Rangely, Colorado. The Tank itself is a giant and tall disused water tower from the high days of train travel and used to store water to cool train engines and such. Empty for decades, it is now an internationally recognized destination for sound art and almost unparalleled echo/acoustics. William Tyler decided to book recording time there and chose to re-interpret all of the songs of his 2019 album Goes West in a sparse yet cavernous solo acoustic setting: "Something about the frailty and space I wanted the songs to imply was lost in the over-production of the studio record, This felt like a reclamation of the songs and also a symbolic tribute to the stunning, haunted and vast possibilities of the American West, especially at the twilight of American Empire."
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LP
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WAT 004LP
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Bursting forth from the darkness of this pre-apocalyptic winter comes The Cabanists, the first release of an improvisational project of the same name, comprising three members of the UK's seminal avant-rock band, Nøught. Garnering a cult following since their initial self-titled debut, Nøught became known in the London experimental underground for their tightly orchestrated yet highly complex compositions, ranging from heavy atonal riffage to mesmerizing and hypnotic meditations. The Cabanists builds on Nøught's musical language and are a boundary-pushing trio fusing intricate guitar riffs, dynamic keyboard textures and explosive percussion into a sound that defies convention. Featuring James Sedwards on guitar (most recently known for his involvement with the Thurston Moore Group and This Is Not This Heat), Luke Barlow on keyboards (who co-runs Copepod Records with musician Alex Ward) and Bo Mapper on drums, the band recorded their groundbreaking material during an extended session at London's Lonely Man Studio, marking a defining moment in their musical journey. With influences spanning progressive rock, experimental jazz and post-punk energy, The Cabanists weave a sonic tapestry that is as cerebral as it is visceral. They challenge standard rock and jazz norms while crafting deeply resonant soundscapes, inviting listeners into a thrilling journey of sound and intense emotion. Prepare to lose yourself in the intricate chaos and undeniable groove of The Cabanists -- where every note is a revelation.
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LP
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WAT 005LP
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Brigid Mae Power's latest release, Songs for You, is a heartfelt collection of cover songs dedicated to her father. This album features her unique interpretations of tracks written by legendary artists like Roy Orbison, Tom Verlaine, Neil Young, and Cass McCombs, among others. With a minimalist yet emotionally resonant sound, Songs for You offers a fresh take on these timeless songs while remaining deeply personal. Brigid Mae Power's ethereal vocals and atmospheric arrangements bring a sense of nostalgia, reflection, and heartfelt tribute, making this album a powerful bridge between memory and music. While many of the songs are performed solo, Brigid is joined by Ryan Jewell on drums and Shahzad Ismaily on bass, with Brigid herself playing vocals, guitar, electric guitar, organ, and accordion. Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 were recorded at Analogue Catalogue by Julie McLarnon, while tracks 2, 5, 6, and 9 were recorded at home. The album was expertly mixed by Sean McErlaine and mastered by Brian Pyle.
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