NEWS
1/9/2008
Hear ye, new release online by The Inventors of Aircraft, science fiction for the modern day man, release number seventeen is sure to please.
17/6/2008
Normal service resumed - all oustanding orders have now shipped - thanks for your patience
2/6/2008
Computer woe. The machine I use for printing / burning the CDs available in the shop has had to be returned to the manufacturer with a fault, this means any orders placed will be delayed until the computer is returned. I would hope to resume normal service within at most two weeks.
*** T-shirts have now all gone! ***
MAILING LIST
REVIEW OF SER011
Review by R U Bored
http://rubored.wordpress.com/2007/01/13/1000-hours-of-staring-at-sereincouk-tapestry/
Mike Ramsey is back again. After the epic Co-operative Thread-album and a one-track EP called The Seagull, Tapestry features a collection of enjoyable b-sides, edits and outtakes. Nevertheless, Huw Roberts of Serein.co.uk (home of 1000 Hours Of Staring) promises in the liner notes that the album works like a normal LP. I agree to 85%.
First track We Are The Flood is a bit different from Mikes’ oeuvre, shifting the 1000 Hours Of Staring-sound from noisy ambient to ambient noise. Layered field-recordings from a chatting crowd, tribal drums that intersect in a moiré and especially the vocal-samples at the end make Mike seem to be New York City more than ever. At position number two we’ve got The Cancel Button. The track is build from a single screeching synth-motive accomplished by fine My Bloody Valentine-guitars in the background. The whole mass is constantly changing, moving here and there, evolving and degenerating pseudopodia like Tetsuo at the end of Japanese manga-masterpiece Akira. One Hundred New Xun is similar, yet more experimental. This track focuses on processed field-recordings and avoids proper harmonies.
This was the harsh start. Lucht and Cosm at five and six are two mellow compositions that didn’t stick, though Cosm has some nice harmonic patterns (which might come out to be a bit esoteric, like some experimental Krautrock-tunes back in the 70’s). My favourite track on Tapestry is Sprague at position seven. Starting with looped and delayed guitars, Mike introduces some great synth-strings that complement one another to dense harmonic patterns before a smooth bass guitar builds a bridge to a layer of strange vocal-sounds. It’s a sad thing the track is done after3:30! The Hands The Trees is the most ‘classical’ track on this compilation. Experimental Popmusic, more Chicago than New York, maybe a good start if you’re a beginner to the weird Electroacoustica of 1000 Hours Of Staring.
Last song to mention: Essen Revisit. As the title implicates, there must be an original Essen. This one can be found on Co-operative Thread and is quite better than the rework (in my humble opinion). Mike drives the track in a more ambient direction, but the song-like elements in the original composition made it special. Essen Revisit is, nevertheless, a good song.