#97 The Faux Tapes IV: Faux IV
#96 The Faux Tapes III: Chunnelfaust
#95 The Faux Tapes II: 71 Minutes
"WLFC's Faustian masterpiece."
- Uncut
"A creative explosion of sound, effects and ideas."
- Pitchfork
"Far more engaging and inventive than its namesake."
- Billboard
"An analog feast for needy ears lost in exile since the 70's."
- Smarter Than You Are Press
You are aware that you have to take everything we say with a grain of salt, right? The UK's MOJO Magazine actually wrote that about us... in print (that's true), but it's sound advice, regardless. Anyway, here's #95 The Faux Tapes II: 71 Minutes. Our follow-up to #80 The Faux Tapes. Believe it or not, there are actually 71 minutes on this one - providing evidence that we've probably stolen more than just a title. The 24-minute aural albatross, "The Epic Medley Piece," is broken down into sections below for your edification. There's more of this rot in the pipeline, so beware of being encouraging. You might already know that free 320's are found below, while those of you who need more can get FLAC, AIFF, WAV and other elevated file formats from our Bandcamp page (or players) for a lousy buck.
#94 Rank Cosmosis
soundsseven: The Virtually Imperceptible Science Of Being
#93 THE MANIPULATIONATORS III The New Psychedelia...Live In The Studio!
THE MANIPULATIONATORS BIO: Using a syncopated array of re-interpreted themes, pre-organized interruptions, subtly adjusted variations and unrelenting repetition, THE MANIPULATIONATORS re-configure a steady stream of obscure grooves, disguised DNA and questionable invention - meshed with random, magnetically impaled particles, technologically altered waveforms and a few resurrected past glories - into this undeniably trippy collection, boldly trying to establish itself as the spearhead of some rare new cultural movement suspiciously called The New Psychedelia.
3rd is a series, collect them all. As the title suggests, The New Psychedelia... Live In The Studio! is yet another attempt to attach ourselves to a potentially money-making trend that hasn't actually happened yet. It's called being ahead of the curve, which - despite the bragging rights - is really about as lucrative as being behind the curve. But, at least in this installment of the ongoing saga of THE MANIPULATIONATORS, there's an 18-minute plus tripping section, where drug abusers of every conceivable ilk are welcomed to bring their tape machines and capture the atmospherics and music they would probably miss in real time. We've done the preservation for you, here. 320's are below, while those with Special Forces Hearing Accreditation (SFHA) can get FLAC, AIFF, WAV and various other file formats from our Bandcamp page (or players) for a miserly buck.
#92 A Bucket Of Blood (Original Fictitious Soundtrack Recording)
A Coupla Hustlers At The Yellow Door (2:17)
Blood Queen Revisited (7:05)
The Interlopers (1:05)
A Bucket Of Blood (feat. Pedro on sax) (3:39)
Epilogue (2:23)
LP Version's Repeating Run-Out Groove (Bonus Track) (1:00)
#91 Richard Wright Dreams While Crashing On Nick Mason's Boat
Pt2 Richard Wright Dreams While Crashing On Nick Mason’s Boat (8:14)
Pt3 The Sea Abided (6:22)
Free 320
#90 Rank Hypnosis
In Anticipation Of The Whale Riders (5:28)
Rank Hypnosis (In Easter Hay) (8:28)
Free 320
#89 Concoctions For Stoners & Self-Inflictionists
Free 320
soundssix: Sounds In An Empty Theater
In keeping with tradition, soundssix comes with just a front and back cover, saving us the trouble of coming up with conceptual gibberish. Check out our reviews online. Just ignore the one about our music causing confusion and internal bleeding in lab rats... that charge is still under review, thankyouverymuch.
Thanks also to our mysteriously assembled cadre of odd followers & generous benefactors. As is our wont, 320's are below, while those that covet audio quality can get FLAC, AIFF, WAV and other file formats from our Bandcamp page (and/or players) for a mere buck.
#88 THE MANIPULATIONATORS II Birth Of The New Psychedelia
Don't believe it for a minute. Although... it's true, we DO have a new release, THE MANIPULATIONATORS II Birth Of The New Psychedelia, and we ARE positing that this is the stuff that inspired a "new psychedelic movement." It's what we do. Spread the word. It's shelf-life is highly questionable. Dubious? Audacious? Call it what you will. We'll ask our tax guy to draw something official up. We humbly appreciate all you supportive types, and we apologize for the unsolicited emails and public shaming that comes with it. As is often the case, 320's are below, while the sonically picky among you can get FLAC, AIFF, WAV and various other file formats from our Bandcamp page (and/or players) for a mere buck.
Listen:
Side 1
Birth Of The New Psychedelia (5:56)
The Complex Complex (1:58)
El Pictorials (2:24)
Stitches (3:21)
Side 2
Vincent & Angie Conversing At A French Cafe: The Beginning (4:56)
Vincent & Angie Conversing At A French Cafe: The End (1:21)
THE OCTET OF ANGER Plays The Buddy Rich Songbook (9:08)
Free 320
LOSSLESS
#87 The Seasonal Care And Feeding Of Tony Conrad's Surviving Cats
What's in a name? Is this psychedelia masquerading as something else altogether? Some might call it a slow-drip water torture. But, whatever you do, don't call it Krautrock... it upsets the cats. Is this piece loosely based on courtroom documentation, officially filed legal paperwork and long established care and feeding principles? How should we know? We're just paid here to play.
Listen:
The Seasonal Care And Feeding Of Tony Conrad's Surviving Cats
...(As Set Forth Herein...) (14:38)
The Nautically Themed FF Champion (7:06)
Free 320
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#86 Side 3 & Side 4
Is this phase two of Hold On A Second, I Gotta Take A Piss? More raw, live, on-the-fly sessions that tend to be short on brevity. Voted #1 by the "Headphone Abusers" Facebook Support Group. Over 35 minutes that can't be duplicated by one of those random noise generators, for better or worse. It might be psychedelic, but to be sure, you should probably consult your dictionary. Think of this as material that didn't fit on our last one (for acronym enthusiasts, #85HOASIGTAP:DAGRT&TGOFZ). As usual, 320's are below, but you high-maintenance types can get FLAC, AIFF, WAV and various other file formats from our Bandcamp page (and/or players) for a mere buck. Along with our cherished supporters & commenters, some thanks are in order - but, so as not to sully any reputations, we'll keep mum for the moment.
Listen:
SIDE 3
Sounds For Detuned Ensemble
...(w/ The Occasional Psychedelic Suggestion) (7:22)
"Is This Phase 2...?" (Moon Mix) (11:04)
SIDE 4
How Bizarre (5:58)
The Thumb Drum Variations (12:04)
Free 320
LOSSLESS
#85 Hold On A Second, I Gotta Take A Piss: Drum Auditions, Guerrilla Recording Techniques & The Ghost Of Frank Zappa
Listen:
Side One
200 Motel Room Keys (1:27)
Reptilian Manner (3:25)
Dark Prunes (Edgard's Apocalypto Mix) (2:32)
The Audition/The Curly Howard Tuning Method (3:30)
Nine Types Of Industrial Copyright Theft (5:34)
Glenn Miller's Luggage Is Missing, Too (Remix) (5:34)
Musique Concrète Mixer Pt. 3/Parenthetically Speaking
... (Live At Royal Albert Hall) (4:40)
#84 THE AVANT GUARD White Noise System
Therapeutically speaking, the WHITE NOISE SYSTEM might be precisely what you need to cure your numerous ills and ailments. Played LOW, this 55-minute gestation of pure, uncut, pre-street, white noise will mask bedtime sounds to give you a good night's sleep. But, it can even be used for sharpening your senses. Played LOUD, your faculties will reel at the imagination’s unlimited absurdity. As the static energy pulsates, your brain will attempt to make sense of it all. You’ll think you’re hearing voices, patterns, noises, howling animals, alien communication and wildly non-sensical conspiracy theories. If you experiment by altering the volume levels of the WHITE NOISE SYSTEM, you’ll discover a plethora of differing results. We’ve also thoughtfully included a UK Bonus Track, "White Noise System (30m)," just for collectors... or the certifiable.
“Yeah, but… does it work?,” the skeptic in you might ask. Well, you can take our word for it (ahem). Just pay no heed to the FDA, since we were too broke to pay the necessary fees for government approval. Heck… the fascists even demanded our names before allowing us to make “unsubstantiated medical claims” on the web, can you believe that?
Besides, it will only cost you a click to find out for yourself (which, coincidentally, shields us from any prosecutorial fraud charges). However, being the kind of ardent collector we know you are - boasting unquestionable pedigree, refined tastes and at least one respectable pair of shoes - you could opt for the high quality FLAC, WAV or AIFF versions of WHITE NOISE SYSTEM available via Bandcamp or the streaming players. By the way, our lawyers have memo-ed us that we need to state, up-front, that anyone experiencing any unusual occurrences after listening to the WHITE NOISE SYSTEM - like waking up behind the wheel of a car going 85mph; clucking like a chicken whenever you drive past a fast food joint; or suddenly deciding to rob a bank and anonymously laundering the money though our Bandcamp account - we, THE AVANT GUARD, can not be held liable for your actions.
FYI: No surviving members of The Velvet Underground were harmed during the making of this release.
Listen
“White Noise System (55m)” (55:00)
“White Noise System (30m)” (30:00) (UK Bonus Track)
Free 320
LOSSLESS
#83 THE MANIPULATIONATORS The New Psychedelia
THE MANIPULATIONATORS should probably be considered the purest form of flattery, but until then, it’s our sincere hope, belief, and legal position, that the word "influence" carries very broad protections in a court of law. Thanks, by the way, to all you supporting types, and to Gregg & friends for the vox pinch. We've been told that this music has been certified compatible with government-grown medical marijuana currently available in 33 states (and DC).
Listen
Side 1
The Killer Awoke Before Dawn... (6:48)
The New Psychedelia (Headphones Not Included) (6:15)
Xenochrony (3:59)
Side 2
"Ladies And Gentlemen... A Psychedelic Circus" (7:08)
The Invisible Man (2:48)
Alive Alive Alive > Excerpt 47 (5:29)
Acted Out Epilogue (3:18)
Free 320
LOSSLESS
#82 ART JACKSON'S ATROCITY Tribute To Sun Ra (1977) w/guest SUN RA
Independently released in 1977, Tribute To Sun Ra was the third and final official album from Art Jackson’s Atrocity. Jackson’s original plan for this LP was to enter the studio with material more structured than The Atrocity’s previous releases, a notion supported by this record’s 1976 (pre-sessions) live recording, “The Outer Limits,” taped at the Spot Me A Five Club in East St. Louis. But something happened that would alter Jackson’s intent… a chance meeting with legendary experimental jazz great Sun Ra, whose unexplained presence at the sessions would ultimately transform the LP’s stylistic approach. It was a seismic shift… or, perhaps, just a re-affirmation of Art Jackson’s core, anti-music intuition. Because, instead of tightening the reins, Jackson decided to completely abandon the group’s prepared material, resulting in The Atrocity’s fiercest, most chaotic album to date.
What listeners will hear on Tribute To Sun Ra is an Atrocity untethered by expectations, forged by alchemy and club work, and firing on all cylinders. An aggressive improvisational sonic assault that would even incorporate recordings of Sun Ra himself, whose distinctive vocals pepper the LP with ruminations on interstellar travel, alien space angels, and Ra's thoughts on an adopted planet in flux. These exclusive Sun Ra vocals have never been heard in any other context, and are available here for the first time in over four decades. There is speculation that Saturn’s man-about-town also performed additional keyboard work on the Hendrix suggestion, “6th Stone From The Sun,” but that suspicion has never been verified by Sun Ra’s estate. Tribute To Sun Ra’s cover, by the way, is different from the original 1977 indie LP (see that one here), and is now updated for the digital age.
Listen:
Let The Sacred Music Begin (8:09)
Opening Ceremonies (5:48)
29 Psalms (5:20)
The Outer Limits (Live At The Spot Me A Five Club, 1976) (8:52)
6th Stone From The Sun (5:22)
Hoarse Latitudes/Slave Ships To The New World (8:50)
Art Jackson: guitar
Artis Killins: bass
Pharaoh Keyes: keyboards
Kurtis Snider: drums
Joseph Mix: sax/trumpet/flute
Eric Gaye: sax
Mark Napoleon: percussion
Val Heston: violin
Sun Ra: guest voice
Free 320
LOSSLESS
#81 ART JACKSON'S ATROCITY "The Outer Limits" (8:52) b/w "GOUTTAKE" (20:10) ADVANCE SINGLE From Tribute To Sun Ra
"The Outer Limits" gets its title from guitarist Jackson's otherworldly fret work, which recalls the mysterious allure of the namesake 60s TV show's musical cues. This single's b-side, on the other hand, is a recently unearthed recording from the 1974 Gout sessions. It's a 20-minute long alternate take of "Tomato Reign" - a mind-numbingly chaotic "GOUTTAKE" that is not included on the upcoming Tribute To Sun Ra LP. The free-form noise crowd might appreciate... or not. Almost 30 minutes of previously unheard Art Jackson's Atrocity.
Listen:
The Outer Limits (Live At The Spot Me A Five Club, 1976) (8:52)
GOUTTAKE (Tomato Reign, Take 2 - 1977 Remix) (Non-LP) (20:10)
Free 320
LOSSLESS
#80 The Faux Tapes
If we'd been alive in the 70s, and if we'd been influenced by the random, flighty chaos of 1973's The Faust Tapes, we probably would also have been inspired to released this, #80 The Faux Tapes, an odd assortment of ideas, miscues, free-form jams and unrelatable in-jokes, fronted by an LP-styled cover (designed to recall the aforementioned classic of the era), all mixed with the ambience of aged vinyl and household mold. Of course, it sounds nothing like its paraphrased namesake. But, it's not suppose to, either. Just as Satanic Majesties wasn't supposed to sound like Sgt. Pepper's. You see, in the 21st Century, it's all about name-dropping and Google hits. Because of that, lowly web bands like ours are forced to resort to click-baiting to garner the eyes and attention of a world cluttered with noise... noise that's often nosier than our noise. After all, why would you, the discriminating listener, waste his-or-her limited Kardashian, Jay-Z or Ed Sheeran-devoted hours to sample what we're serving up? You wouldn't! Which is why we're counting on your inherent abnormalities (and Google's re-directional aid) to offer you something both alien and absurd.
Because The Faux Tapes includes numerous short segments intercut together, we've included two side-long files alongside the individual tracks, so that the curious can listen online without streaming interruption. It doesn't help the music one bit, but at least your highly cultivated buzz won't get challenged every few minutes. We've also added a patented "Pick Your Ending"© option. Do you want a simple needle lift, or a trendy looped outgroove? (For you post-digital types, the run-out groove is a few seconds that loops continuously until the needle is manually lifted). Or... just keep 'em both, what do we care?
Listen:
FOR YOUR UNINTERRUPTED ONLINE LISTENING PLEASURE
The Faux Tapes - SIDE ONE (21:13)
The Faux Tapes - SIDE TWO (20:37)
SIDE ONE
Chaos & Chowder (0:54)
Untitled (Space Dirge In Two Parts) (7:25)
Day After Day After Day (2:52)
Tokepoker (1:16)
Commercial Music For An Istanbul Ad Agency (0:60)
King For A Day (Molte Grazie Bella) (3:01)
The Unmarked Grave Next To Arch Stanton (4:46)
SIDE TWO
Some Avant Garde For The Old Folks (1:33)
A Patsy's Death Dream (1:10)
The Orchestrated Art (Vocal Version) (6:05)
Fukhausen (Extended Remix) (7:15)
Arcticulation (4:17)
Pick Your Ending: Outgroove (0:17)
Pick Your Ending: Needle Lift (0:06)
Free 320
LOSSLESS