May 16, 2008

Tiny Mix Tapes

EUREKA!

Eureka is our attempt to reflect a sensibility that is not so common in the music world, one that emphasizes looking at ruptures in music, finding disjunctions while locating traditions, pointing to new forms and ways of receiving music. While many of these musics can potentially function as a reflection of personal mood, as pure entertainment, or as a sort of escapism (depending on the listener), others outwardly defy these conventional ways of receiving music and test the boundaries of what exactly discerns music from noise. Avant-garde, experimental, creative — call it what you want. We’re not here to mark boundaries, and we’re certainly not trying to polarize the underground music world. It’s not one versus the other; it’s one with the other. Yet at the same time, it’s music appreciation for sounds that are not already bloated with cultural meaning. Because of this semiotic ambiguity, these albums may require more ’effort’ on your part to find any personal worth. There has been a rich history of experimentation, and these newest albums either compliment or continue the tradition, in the most general, far-reaching sense of the word. Due to the vastness of this realm of music, the following list is very much specific to our tastes, and in no way should it be understood as a one-stop shop for ’experimental’ or ’avant-garde’ music. Enjoy!

Birchville Cat Motel
Gunpowder Temple of Heaven
by Mangoon
OOOO/

Angel
Kalmukia OOOOx

Graham Lambkin / Jason Lescalleet
The Breadwinner
by Mr P
OOOO/

Evangelista
Hello, Voyager OOOOx

Prurient
And Still, Wanting
by Mangoon
OOOOO

Gavin Bryars / Philip Jeck / Alter Ego
The Sinking of the Titanic OOOOO

Chris Schlarb
Twilight and Ghost Stories
by P Funk
OOOOx

Ultralyd
Conditions for a Piece of Music
by Mangoon
OOOOx

Warmer Milks
Let Your Friends In OOOO/