Akrotiri Poacher - Seminary

Suffocating, blindingly dense rituals from Akrotiri Poacher, with Seminary, on Prairie Fire Tapes. A howling haze of guitar, crushed in the weight of disgustingly bleak, minimally accessable low fidelity. As the surrounding whirlwind is swept aside, layers of gorgeous synth are revealed before surrendering to sparse, hypnotic machinery. The flip offers a similar echoing, heavily blanketed palate of tones, but tempers the experience with a startling emotive selection of massively reverberating, jaw droppingly gorgeous chanting. The entire piece resides in a space where by limiting the sonic range, the listener strains through a fog of mid range to seek elements just beyond their reach. Rarely do I find a drone tape with the savvy to draw the listener closer by providing so little initially, and yet offers so much depth upon studied interpretation. Anyway, I'm rambling and using more adjectives that even I usually do, but I'm trying to get across just how much of a religious experience this tapes is. I continue to hesitate offering the terms "highly recommended", or the more oft overused, "essential", but indeed this is that. Exceptional.

Rad art and signature ultra clean Prairie Fire aesthetic. Edition of just 40, I grabbed mine from Experimedia, but you can also find it direct from the label.

Konntinent - Closer Came The Light

Beautiful, complex, ambience from Konntinent with Closer Came The Light on Home Normal. Rich, precise, crystal clear and extremely melodic. A mixture of elements that travel far outside the assumed boundaries of similar ambient work. Unusual timbres, bits of guitar, and without the inclusion of a dominant percussive element, it somehow finds a way to feel up tempo and fast paced. Each track has a knack of finding melodic ground that seems accessible, and sorrowful, and twists it slightly to shade the edges with just a bit of strangeness. The final track, Sorority Syntax showcases everything this album has to offer, a touching simplistic synth riff that flies above the mix, then descends into a grinding noisy miasma, coming out the other side reformed as introspective drone. I spun this one back to back on nine hour drive and found not a single misstep. Masterfully produced and paced. (I also read that this album was largely improvised… which makes the quality even harder to comprehend.)

A staggeringly large edition of 1750, a portion of which contain a second 2 track bonus disc which is completely worthwhile. You can grab, as I did, on sale for $10 from Experimedia.

Oren Ambarchi - Audience of One

This AM in the Northeast brought with it icy squalls, covering everything in several inches of snow and providing the perfect juxtaposition to relax with the warm signature guitar tone of Oren Ambarchi.

Ambarchi can lay claim to one of the most expansive and genre traversing catalogues in the experimental scene. His work remains brilliant with his latest release from Touch, Audience of One, which offers an extremely diverse genre mix, from more traditional guitar fuzz and rumble, to softer sounds laced with pop arragemets. Like much of Ambarchi's work, Audience of One feels mechanically precise and yet somehow alive and unexpected. Track 2, "Knots" is a masterclass piece of progressional drone. An over 30 minute controlled chaotic blend of electronics and live instrumentation. Beginning in near minimalism, rising with a tide of mixed melodic guitar, and punctuating in a wave of live drumming before fading back into electronic debris. The entire disc is a complex, highly detailed composition.

I purchased from the exceptional Experimedia, and recommend their services wholeheartedly for your pursuit of auditory bliss.

Lawrence English - Incongruous Harmonies 7" (Freebie!)

2010 release on Touch by Lawrence English, originally part of their series of experimental 7" vinyl pieces. Side A is the standout for me, heavy low end, a bit of distortion and a heart wrenching melody all clouded together. My purchase came from Experimedia, and I encourage you to check them out, along with other releases in the excellent discography of Lawrence English.

I've enjoyed this one quite a bit over the past year, and now it's ready to be shared. If you have interest, email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com, and it's yours, for free, no catch on a "first come first serve" basis.

Gone to Brad from Queensland, Australia as of 1/31. Enjoy!