It’s rare with records or tapes when I really get into the artwork, and start making up narratives that go with it. With Clouding Indefinitely, the latest from Colin Blanton’s Ant’lrd project, I can’t stop thinking about this cover. Is the person in jeans becoming one with the mountains and nature, or is the natural world consuming them?!? That’s the beauty of collage, TMTers, you can bring anything to the table and get all English Lit 101 and BS your way to an interpretation. And now you’re like the kid in said English 101 class, sitting near the corner and listening to this drivel, thinking, “What are you TALKING ABOUT!?!?!?!” Point well taken….
Clouding Indefinitely is, front to back, a low key, foggy, Northwest-y sounding tape that doesn’t disappoint. Part found sound nature hike, part scrappy, crunchy granola noise outing, Ant’lrd’s gone and made a little something for everybody with this. If you’re familiar with Inner Islands, the Oakland based label that has a knack for curating these kinds of tapes, you know you’re in good hands. My highlight is album closer “Root Structure,” a nine minute venture that sounds like what I imagine a noise show in the middle of the woods, in the middle of the night, to be: a little hazy, drone-y, and very crisp. As I write this out I’m watching Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary and getting into that schmaltzy Americana, and maybe this tape is starting to synch up to all those photo close-ups, or maybe I’m going out of my damn mind? Maybe Ken Burns is Ant’lrd???
Unfortunately, the Clouding Indefinitely tapes are sold out, but we’re in the digital age, baby! Tiny Mix Tapes has that sweet, steady stream for you, but throw a few bones to Inner Islands and Ant’lrd, won’t you? We want to make sure more quality tapes like this keep on coming :)