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Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was an American writer, whose works, exploring philosophical, political and theological themes, have moved from a rather unique corner of “science fiction” into mainstream (including cult film adaptations like Blade Runnerand Minority Report) and into courses on literature.
In Dick’s exquisitely complex, often disturbing (and disturbingly prophetic) universe there are numerous veiled or direct references to John Dowland , the English Renaissance composer.
While navigating through Dick’s unique and turbulent world, these references for me were akin to encountering safe shores of humanity, of familiar and cosy reality, where one could stop for a moment among the many turbulent flows and currents.
This album is about those shores - the human, sometimes background or secondary, stories and undercurrents in Dick’s ever-changing labyrinthine universe.
Among the compositions, which were inspired by these, there are also a few tributes to John Dowland - hopefully adapted to fit into the Dick-inspired musical world as Dick’s references to the music of a distant past fit into his universe...
Here at GAJOOB land we just got a new computer and hve been busy transporting the database to our new program (it's Filemaker Pro, incidentally, for the Mac). So that's why you're suddenly getting confirmation sheets and didn't get one for Passed Normal vol. 4 and Henry Kaiser (which we did receive and which will be reviewed in issue #10 which is coming very soon).
Thanks for returning the confirmation with the information. It always surprises me when big labels like yours want to be on our Sampler tapes. I think it's great!
By the way, I smell an interview fomenting with you in the near future. I've been impressed with what FOT has been doing ever since I jumped into the cassette scene around '83. Has it been that long?
Anyway, hope you keep all the stuff coming. I thought the latest Voodoo Mark was hilharious, though I don't suppose I'll be playing that on my radio show here in Salt Lake City anytime in the near future.
Bryan Baker
JOEL KRUTT:
There are times when you are exposed to something long enough that it works its way through your neural networks and finds its way back out again, filtered through whatever capacities you can bring to it.
For the past 18 years I’ve hosted a radio program, “Pushing The Envelope – Music Decidedly Left of Center” on WHUS, the radio station of the University of Connecticut. During that time I’ve become quite partial to electronic music as well as classical minimalism. From Brian Eno to Philip Glass, these styles have developed, first quite separately, then with the advent of computer technology, coinciding. (Check out John Adams’ “Hoodoo Zephyr” for a fine example of this.)
With the advent of sequencing and sound editing software for the “common man”, thousands of individuals have been able to express themselves, for better or for worse, musically for the first time. I felt it was my time to jump into the fray. From the early Steve Reich-ian homage, “BabyPhase” to the quiet ambience of “JimC”, I’ve distilled a lot of the music I’ve listened to and played for others into my own personal expression. I hope something here works for you.
This band has a great knack for vocal melodies, layering them with a wide variety of techniques, complete with (at times) somewhat overwrought pontifications and "lonely boy searching for an answer" themes. For some reason, musically, I'm reminded of the Moody Blues, albeit with a much heavier folk influence. The great Moog (or one of its many offspring) even turns in a nice solo on "All I Know." Standout cut is "Big Out West," which seems to realize it has a great vocal chorus hook and proceeds to repeat it over and over. --Bryan Baker, GAJOOB #9, 1994
On this tape, Cassie sings songs she's written, along with one by her Grandma and several by producer Marc Haney. You find a lot of tapes like this in religiousoriented book stores. Tapes by church-going people singing about church-going things, complete with simple, cliche-ridden love songs. The better ones are able to pull it off on occasion, and Cassie seems to do that a time or two here. My favorite of the bunch is "A Match in the Wind." -- Bryan Baker, GAJOOB #9, 1994
Aprll Heart + An easy-going collection of country songs tinged with a light-hearted bluegrass feel and soothing songs from the heart. Producer David Floyd has fashioned a very clean acoustic sound for Alexander's songs whose style reminds me of James Taylor. Intelligent song selection goes a long way in making this feel like a complete album, from the tender "Saving Savannah For You" to the bluesy comic romp of "Laugh If You Want To Laugh." Matthew Alexander sings of the joys and pains of living and coming out of it all grateful for every moment. --Bryan Baker, GAJOOB #9, 1992
"Described as "psychedelic punch, noise metal rock," and however enigmatic the above description seems to be, it comes very close to hitting it right on the head. Which what Grit seems to be intending here with a very realization of embracing psychedelic and noise elements in a very strong, song-oriented punk-based orientation. Some powerful music here that shows some experimentation which should keep things interesting for future releases." --Bryan Baker, GAJOOB #9, 1990
Listen to Black Moon, appearing on GAJOOBilation 9 Tape 4
"Impossible to characterize in a few sweeping phrases, Samsara Congeries, an epic in many pieces, channels land-ancestors, land-heirs, langue-ancestors, langue-heirs, all the detritus of material and linguistic (t)ex(t)(ins)istence that insists on itself in cycles of embodied living. A singular congeries conjures a welter of emotions and enunciations across the span of a lifetime, which in turn emblematizes all lives, all samsaric “selves” and their de- and re-constructions. The glorious whole, also an abject hole, is “a kind of red/ yes” that accepts all text as its transient own." —Maria Damon
aND's sweeping 500+ page work is available at BlazeVOX Books:
http://www.blazevox.org/index.php/Shop/new-releases/samsara-congeries-by-miekal-and-444/
Jeff "Fingerhead" Jarvie and friends definitely stick with a style on this tape. Sort of a folk-rockish blend of Neil Young and Bob Dylan. The Mystery Tramps are a definite progression from Jarvie's earlier band, The Cheapskaters, in that the melodies are more diverse, and they actually employ hooks on a couple cuts, namely on "Fade To Black" and "The Fluffy Girl," which also happen to be the standouts on this tape. Jarvie's lyrics are as full of humorous cynicism and anger, while treating women as objects of such; and the rhymes often are forced-- so much so that it's becoming a trademark of sorts. -- Bryan Baker
The song, "Nothing's Sacred" seems to summarize the general theme behind most of the songs on these tapes, and also the general attitude of this band. These songs are filled with anger and cynical humor, usually shouted with acoustic guitar/drums backing up very low in the mix. I think if these guys took some time with the recording process (sound-wise at least-- the performances are good as they are) and made the instruments bite as hard as the vocals, they would definitely have a powerful piece of work here. -- Bryan Baker