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Espvall/Jakobsons/Szelag: Improvisations for Strings and Electronics
CD. 5 tracks / 43:13 mins. Multi-layered handmade transparent outer-sleeve, lino-block printed envelope. Limited edition of 100.

BUY NOW! North America: $10 CAD + $2 CAD shipping

BUY NOW! Rest of World: $10 CAD $4 CAD shipping

On the aptly titled Improvisations for Strings and Electronics, Marielle Jakobsons and Agnes Szelag (Myrmyr) team up with cellist Helena Espvall (of Espers) on a series of, you guessed it, improvisations for strings and electronics. Recorded in Oakland, CA, Jakobsons and Szelag created graphic scores for the occasion.

Ethereal and rapturous beauty tempered with sinister, creeping danger looming ominously in the shadows.

“To make references to pieces by Arvo Part of Henryk Gorecki is easy, but also to the point. But then less composed and all improvised. Music that is dealing with long form, sustaining but also bending of tones, making this both melodic yet also abstract, gentle and majestic, moody and atmospheric. Somewhere in between modern classical music and improvised music, this is an excellent release. ” ~  Vital Weekly

“It’s particularly affecting during its mournful nachtmusik passages, such as during the opener, “Black Frost,” where the strings etch serpentine pathways as they coil seductively around one another, and “Arctic Rains,” where the playing is at times so restrained it almost retreats altogether into silence … bluesy explorations and a lovely plaintive coda so lovely it verges on hymnal … “Ice Age,” for example, offers a dense and brittle treatment that renders its sound-world rather daunting and disturbing, while the skeletal “Lunar Horizon” exudes an appropriately ethereal character.” ~  Textura

Track #2: Fissure

BABEL: Limbus. Limited edition of 25. 13 track CD in hand-stencilled cloth bags and tins. Comes with full colour “posterette” insert .
59 mins. $9 CAD worldwide.

Inspired by the lifecycle of a tree—from seed to recycled paper—the Limbus suite sprawls skyward while rooting itself deep in the rocky murk. Drawing parallels between the root systems of plants and our own limbic system, harsh, bowed guitar drives over delicate, leafy arpeggios backed by percussion textures ranging from sparse to pummelling.

“Limbus IX” More samples here: soundcloud.com/babel_ensemble

Also available in a deluxe stencilled jewel case version.

Limited edition of 25. 13 track CD in hand-stencilled cloth bags (same as above) and spray-stencilled jewel cases. Comes with full colour “posterette” insert .
59 mins. $9 CAD worldwide (includes shipping).

Andy Futreal / Babel (C-46) 2011. Deluxe cloth bag edition of 50 w/two full colour inserts. Free digital download link included. Loosely based around “Tectonic Disasters in Asia”, this is the first themed release in the split tape series.

$7.00 CAD (includes shipping)

Side 7: Andy Futreal — Night Train to Xi’an / For Wenchuan

A vivid soundscape travelogue collaged from field-recordings and performances recorded in China during. 2008-2010. Andy has created vivid journey out of everything from a metal dishrack to the ambient sounds of Zhengzhou train station and the overnight train from to Xi’an. A piano score is derived from Sichuan Wenchuan earthquake gravity wave traces mixed with edited VOA broadcast. A haunting tribute to a harrowing disaster. (www.myspace.com/andyfutreal)

For Wenchaun

Side 8: Babel – Morpheum (1-4) / 4 Bowls / 4 Japan

Falling somewhere between the 20^th century minimalists and the no-wave noise composers of the 1980s, Morpheum explores the tranquility and violence of dream states though a suite of duets and quartets for piano, mallet instruments, electric guitar and Taiko-inspired percussion. Languid, evolving melody lines sleepily weave through each other before cascading arpeggios awaken like a tsunami crashing through a nuclear reactor. Subtle and epic, peaceful and cacophonous, safe and perilous as an ocean or a dream.

Morpheum No. 1

Theo Angell / Moonwood (C-80) 2011. Deluxe cloth bag edition of 50 w/full colour insert and sticker. Free digital download link included.

$7.00 CAD (includes shipping)

Side 5: Theo Angell – Live @ Secret Project Robot 4-17-11

Mightily impressed by his Auraplinth and Dearly Beloved albums, we’re pretty excited to present this 40 minute live set by Theo Angell (JOMF, Hall of Fame) accompanied by one Hamish Kilgour (The Clean) recorded at Secret Project Robot in March. Arcane Eastern ragas and spooky Appalachian rags; ethereal whispers and raging acoustic freak-outs; jaunty alpine whistles and deep desert ceremonies. This here is bare bones psyche-folk wedding the weird and the beautiful to make babies with odd numbers of limbs and psychic eyes.

Side 6: Moonwood – The Path

Recorded by Moonwood during the same sessions as the mostly instrumental River Ghosts material, these nine vocal songs are vaguely woven together by Taoist mysticism and modern day beards. Southwestern reverb, droning psychedelic fuzz, Eastern percussion and plucked acoustic instruments mix with ritual chants and soft-spoken tales about death and small woodland animals.

 Moonwood: River Ghosts (LP)

$11.25 CAD + Shipping (North America $1o / World $17). Edition of 200 blue vinyl w/download.

Airmail Can/Expedited USA /Mexico

AIRMAIL Europe / Overseas

Note: Slower/cheaper “GROUND MAIL” shipping to Europe/Overseas is available, please use “North America” for correct price but please INDICATE YOUR SHIPPING PREFERENCE IN THE PAYPAL NOTE.

We’re pleased to announce our first vinyl release is from resident psyche-folker, Moonwood. Subtitled Music For Water Borne Disease, the album’s 10 instrumental tracks wind like a river through far eastern modes and southwestern reverb. Multi-instrumentalist Jakob Rehlinger layers bowed strings, Romanian lap harp and gourd flute over fuzzy psyche-guitar and ethnic percussion, bells and gongs.

Includes free digital download (via Moonwood’s Bandcamp site) plus an exclusive download of Ghost Aberrations, a 70-minute album of out-takes of rarities from the Coal Aberrations and River Ghosts sessions.

“Earlybird” edition: The first 60 copies include a hand-printed, signed and numbered lino-block print by Jakob.

Ecconomically priced digital version available at Moonwood’s Bandcamp site (does not include Ghost Aberrations album).

3/4 : Healthy Animal / Summer Amp (split cassette)

40 mins (total). Edition of 34. 2-sided full-colour poster insert. Cloth bag. Free mp3 download links.

1 COPY LEFT!

$7.00 CAD

Side 3: Healthy Animal – 7X Untitled. Seven nameless compositions from the East Coast of the USA. Rhythmic and fuzzed-out, Healthy Animal’s music is as much a part of the No Wave and Krautrock traditions as it is the new schools of Chillwave and Shitgaze. But who cares about labels? HA bury pummeling rhythms under waves of blissed-out white-static psych haziness. Sounds kind of like a possible score to Charles Burns’ graphic novel Black Hole as performed by aliens who only know earth music from hearing Brian Eno on a poorly tuned radio-station.

Side 4: Summer Amp – Danger Zone. Five pro-wrestling inspired psych/noise jams from the West Coast of Canada. Features members of New Yaki and The Madonna Bangers. The vibe might be described as the sunburned hand of Tully Blanchard. Or tribal/industrial folk music for life at the end of the universe when there’s no electricity to play your Can and VxPxC records.

BABEL : zahlreiche

Hand-stamped cloth bags and discs. Full colour inserts. Edition of 25.
$7.00 CAD

A new album from Jakob of Moonwood‘s percussion side-project, BABEL. Ten numerically composed pieces written for hammered guitar, kitchen utensils and various metal objects. Informed by Branca, Chatham and Neubauten, the music falls at the intersection of Cage‘s Three Constructions, traditional Japanese folk music and a jet turbine factory.

12: Gown / RobRobRob (split cassette)
2010. Cassette. Deluxe cloth bag edition  w/fold-out (limited run of 50). Free digital download link included.

$6.00 CAD world (incl. ship)

Side 1: GOWN - Jake’s Strut (Live in Sackville, 2009 w/Omon Ra)
(20 mins)

Side 2: RobRobRob - Water / Garden at Night / Pocket Thesaurus / Untitled / Sun on curtains (20 mins)

Moonwood : Coal Aberrations

2010. Lino block cover, hand stamped discs. $8.99 (CAD). Limited edition of 25 copies.

Sold out!

Download for free at moonwood.bandcamp.com

Collaborations with New Yaki cohorts Stephen (Partli Cloudi/Summer Amp) and Andrew (Gown/the Bark Haze) as well as a host of others including Healthy Animal and robrobrob.

Moonwood : Aubade (CD/DVD)

2009. Hand-stamped lino-cut cover. $7.99 CAD

SOLD OUT

Digital download available at Moonwood’s Bandcamp site (see below).

“… invokes elements of Ry Cooderian Western slide , the intimacy and rootedness of Lau Nau and the psychedelic influences of a drone band congealed into a meandering crystalline rivulet of moonlit notes. Handclaps, piano, dilatory drumming and subdued synths furnish a flamboyant and delicate backdrop to the acoustic guitar; the guitar is invariably central and imperious on Aubade. Hints of vocalisation add a touch of mystery or discomfiture to the work. Nice job. “  — robrobrob

“Though it has a decidedly improvised feel at times, Aubade comes across as a remarkably focused and exceedingly mellow album that could be the soundtrack for nearly anything—a long daylight walk, a harsh chemical comedown, new love, or even a heavy-hearted morning separation.” — The Georgia Straight

Moonwood – Forest Ghosts (Edition One)

2009. Hand-stamped lino-cut cover. $5.99 CAD

SOLD OUT

Digital download of Edition Two available at Moonwood’s Bandcamp Site.

Various improvisations recorded between 2007-2009. Only a few remaining copies of “Edition One” left, “Edition Two” will feature a slightly different track-listing.