Freebies!

Six tapes from six excellent labels offered up for grabs no strings attached on a first come first serve basis. A way to say thank you to everyone who spent a moment of their time this year reading about what I've listened to. I've broken them into groups of two to help maintain my sanity a bit.

If you have interest drop me an email at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and tell me which group you want. I'll try to update as quickly as I can which ones are gone. Feel free to list a few in order of preference if that's your jam. And for goodness sake, if you see/hear something awesome, use the links and go support these artists and labels.

Group #1 Gone to Devon from Sydney, Nova Scotia as of 8/17, Enjoy!
German Army Tassili Plateau - Field Hymns
Decimus Kemunculan - Sango Plasmo

Group #2 Gone to Matthew from Madison, WI as of 8/17, Enjoy!
Black Thread Contemplation/Incompleteness - Turmeric Magnitudes
Ø​+​yn & Uton Solid Geometry and the New Mental Order - Eiderdown Records

Group #3 Gone to Matt as of 8/17, Enjoy!
Hakobune / Sima Kim Split - Ginjoha
Cenote Glow Palmetto Rose - Worn Habit

Not A Top Ten List 2013 (Freebies!)

In lieu of the traditional Best Of/Year End/Top Ten list, (although I was happy to submit something to Tabs Out) here are ten excellent releases from ten excellent labels, all offered up for grabs no strings attached on a first come first serve basis. A way to say thank you to everyone who spent a moment of their time this year reading about what I've listened to. I've broken them into groups of two to help maintain my sanity a bit.

If you have interest drop me an email at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com. I'll try to update as quickly as I can which ones are gone. Feel free to list a few in order of preference if that's your jam. And for goodness sake, if you see/hear something awesome, use the links and go support these artists and labels.

Group #1 Gone to Joshua from Toronto, Canada as of 12/14. Enjoy!
Bear Bones/Lay Low - Smeltkop
Isaos Elixer - Rotifer

Group #2 Gone to Aaron from Rochester, NY as of 12/14. Enjoy!
John Thill Water Wars - Juniper Tree Songs
Golden Donna/Floating Gardens Split - Field Studies

Group #3 Gone to Collin from Chicago, IL as of 12/14. Enjoy!
Giant Claw Music For Film- Constellation Tatsu
Marie Davidson S/T- Holodeck

Group #4 Gone to Kevin from Chicago, IL as of 12/14. Enjoy!
The Revenant Sea S/T - Auditory Field Theory
Wizard Of Midnight/Never Die - Rocket Machine Tapes

Group #5 Gone to Dylan from Iowa City, IA as of 12/14. Enjoy!
Creation IV Akroamatikos - Cosmic Winnetou
Piper Spray/HCMJ Split - Singapore Sling Tapes

Aria Rostami - Decades/Peter (Freebies!)

So for the first time, I'm gonna do a two part (see below for the second) review and freebie, compliments of West Virginia based purveyors of diverse electronic psychadelica, Crash Symbols.

The first, Decades/Peter from Aria Rostami is essentially a single artist split release. The front half, Decades, delivers a wonderfully executed mix of dark, alien beat music. Seven tracks that swing like a pendulum from crisply produced and richly populated danceable percussion, to massive swaths of melodic mood music. What struck me as quite fantastic here is the assembleage of robust confident timbres and beefy production. Individual sounds twist and evolve into big, bold, complex synth brought right up front in the mix. On the flip, Peter, the production delves into lush pop tinged dreamlike dance tracks. Joyous vacationalia made challenging with glitchy percussion and echoing pitch shifted vocals. A single sample won't really give you the whole story of what makes this fun, it's the push pull balance from track to track. Every single one is a hit.

Edition of 100, produbbed with digital version included. If you have interest, email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and both this and Log Across The Washer are yours, no catch. First come first serve. Gone to Dave from St. Louis as of 11/15. Enjoy! Or, grab this stuff for yourself over at Crash Symbols.

Log Across The Washer - Pancakes (Freebies!)

The second (see above for the first) in this two part freebie from Crash Symbols comes in the form of Pancakes, from Log Across The Washer. Generally speaking, something like this tends to be out of my wheelhouse, being just a bit over my own self imposed pop threshold. Admittedly after a few tracks this just about lost me (my fault). But, after a clattering smoke screen of horns and percussion cleared what I eventually found ended up being some exquisetly composed, and emotionally honest outsider pop. It's a rambling genre bending emotional mix. A massive 22 tracks, all over the map from complete weirdness to something that feels bluegrass and Americana, to my favorite track, I Like What For Feel, which is nothing short of a great time. Sounds like something too cool to care if it's cool. I need to stop being an elitist and have fun.

You can stream this, and all Crash Symbols releases over at the label Bandcamp. Or, if you're quick you email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com, and this and the Aria Rostami tape are your free, no catch. Gone to Dave from St. Louis as of 11/15. Enjoy!

Mystery Box(s) Freebie!

I love a good mystery. Up for grabs are two mystery boxes, each containing ten tapes a piece. Tons of awesome tunes from the best labels around, stuff I feature here regularly. Thanks to every person reading what I (attempt) to write, and for supporting the phenominal artists, labels, and distros putting so much effort and beauty into the world. Take a moment, scan the links on the right, go visit a label and buy a batch, visit a distro and order some tapes, go leave a message on a blog post. Support where you can, it's up to us to keep physical media in the world.

If you have interest in grabbing a mystery box, hit me with an email at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and it's yours, no catch, first come first serve. I'll update here as quickly as I can when these are gone. Both boxes gone as of 7/28 to Ian from Cheshire and Cir from Rome. Enjoy!

Wolf Fluorescence / Wet Eyes - Split (Freebie!)

Heads up on a killer new split release from two favorites here at GMLT, Wolf Fluorescence and Wet Eyes, from Wet Eyes Productions. The front half, from the WF moniker of Ross Devlin, interweaves a massive volume of experimental and ambient elements in a single side long transportive master blast. From sounds that feel ripped from the NES classic Captain Comic, to warbled raw piano, to looping melancholic synth, to hooting owls. About fifteen tracks worth of A level composition combined into a single piece that works really well. On the flip, Ross Auger delivers the most robust and fully developed ambient guitar work I've heard from his Wet Eyes project to date. Four tracks of reverb drenched guitar melt. Patient, deeply relaxing stuff, highlighted by the standout seventeen minute exploration, Flying Kites At Night. An absolutely incredible track that sounds like watching a sunrise and sunset at the same time.

Hand numbered and produced edition of just 40, stream in full and grab directly from the Wet Eyes Productions Bandcamp. Ross from WEP has been cool enough to send me two copies of this tape to pass along as freebies! Hit me up at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com, and one of them is yours, no catch, first come first serve. Gone to Bill and Mike as of 3/21! Enjoy!

Easy Feelings / Sagas (Freebies!)

Hey it's Friday and positive vibes abound. Up for grabs is a duo of incredible out of print tapes. Breezy psychedelica from Easy Feelings on Sic Sic Tapes, and two live cuts of guitar experimentation from Sagas with Permutations On The Infinite on Biological Radio. Great tapes, great labels. Both of these have been wonderful companions in my personal collection, and now it's time to pass them along to another to enjoy. Support and share great music!

If you have interest, email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and they're yours, no catch. First come first serve. Gone to Paul from Oakland, CA as of 3/9, Enjoy!

Not A Top Ten List

I've never been much for the tradition of "best of" and "year end" lists. But I'm all for the tradition of sharing and spreading the word on good music. Tape trading the way it used to be. So let's do something else.

Here are ten excellent releases from ten excellent labels, all offered up for grabs no strings attached on a first come first serve basis. A way to say thank you to everyone who spent a moment of their time this year reading about what I've listened to. I've broken them into groups of two to help maintain my sanity a bit. If you have interest drop me an email at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com. I'll try to update as quickly as I can which ones are gone. Feel free to list a few in order of preference. And for goodness sake, if you see/hear something awesome, use the links and go support these artists and labels.

Thanks to everyone who claimed a batch of freebies! Tapes will be in the mail tomorrow. Enjoy and best wishes.

Group #1 Gone to Adam from Santa Fe, NM as of 12/12, Enjoy!
Venn Rain - Bioharmonics - House of Alchemy
Crystal Palace - Spirit Quest - Rotifer Cassettes

Group #2 Gone to Matt from Madison, WI as of 12/12, Enjoy!
Lebeha Men - Garifuna Field Recordings - No Kings
Hammer of Hathor - Vroom Psycho - Field Hymns

Group #3 Gone to Jared from San Jose, CA as of 12/12, Enjoy!
Je Suis Le Petit Chevalier - A Guide To The Sun - Sic Sic
M Geddes Gengras - Beyond The Curtain - Holodeck Records

Group #4 Gone to Devon from Nova Scotia as of 12/12, Enjoy!
Reedbeds - Heirloom Rust Garden - Old Frontiers
HCMJ - Honeybee - Orange Milk Records

Group #5 Gone to Max from Richmond, VA as of 12/12, Enjoy!
Hakobune - The Cowboy Across The River - Constellation Tatsu
White Prism/Wether - Split - Goldtimers Tapes

Raajmahal / Cenote Glow (Freebies!)

Guitar and vocal smeared across your dreaming subconscious by Raajmahal, with Celandine on Digitalis. Heady meditation vibes and mountain sunrise from Cenote Glow with Anza-Borrego on Fadeaway Tapes. Great tapes, great labels. I've thoroughly enjoyed them both, and now it's time to pass them along to another. If you have interest, email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and they're yours, no catch. First come first serve.

Gone to Chris from San Francisco as of 9/10. Enjoy!

Pete Swanson - High Time/Trees (Freebie!)

Up for grabs is a copy of the Pete Swanson 7" High Time/Trees from the Alone Together series on Emerald Cocoon. 2 tracks showcasing fuzzed out vocal and guitar in a distorted fusion of blissful grit.

Originally purchased from Discriminate where you can find a ton of other awesome Swanson stuff. I've enjoyed, and now it's time to pass along to another. If you have interest, contact me a guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and it's yours, no strings attached. And as always, support awesome music in the physical form.

Gone to Kevin from Boise, ID as of 6/16. Enjoy!

Richard Youngs - Core to the Brave (Freebie!)

Also up for grabs, 7 track LP from the incredible Richard Youngs, Core to the Brave, on Root Strata. Incredible vocals from Youngs over a mix of driving mid tempo experimentation. Unrelenting, high tension stuff and a truly unique voice.

Purchased originally from the wonderful Discriminate, and now ready to be enjoyed by another. Email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com if you have interest, and it's yours for free, no catch, just generosity and good vibes in return.

Gone to Matthew from Norwich, UK as of 6/16. Enjoy!

905, Sacred Phrases, Jozik (Freebies!)

A set of three freebies from three of my absolute favorite tape labels. Spectrum Tickets on 905 Tapes, Christopher Merritt on Sacred Phrases, and an Ous Mal / Punktieren / Coaxil split from Jozik Records. Sounds on these tapes run the spectrum from noisy, to glitched out, and downright melodic. Killer artists, killer labels.

If you have interest, simply email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com. The set will be given out on a first contact basis. No catch, just check out these labels and support these artists!

Gone to Martin from Pennsylvania as of 4/4. Thanks and enjoy!

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!

Hobo Cubes / J Hanson - Split (Freebie!)

Really nice split tape from Digitalis LTD, featuring Hobo Cubes and J Hanson. Cool metallic pulses and other assorted mind melting sound waves. I've enjoyed this tape and now it's ready to be shared. If you have interest, simply email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com and I'll drop it in the mail. No catch. Links to several other unclaimed freebies on right as well. Cheers! Gone to Tanner from Vancouver as of 1/5. Enjoy!

Oxykitten - Toucht (Freebie!)

Toucht by Oxykitten is a batch of twisted videogame beats and retro synth work on Field Hymns Recordings. Sounds like a jam session between Prince and Koji Kondo after a night of watching horror movies together. I purchased my copy directly from Field Hyms If you're interested in this tape, email me at guidemelittletape at gmail dot com. This item will be given away on a first contact basis. Gone to Bennett from DC as of 1/5. Enjoy! FH005 Oxykitten - Infinite Posse by Field Hymns Records