Thursday, July 23, 2015

Interplanetary Interlude #18: Farewell to Utah, Farewell to You

Playlist

1. Gold- Michael Biggs
2. Crystal Dust Dream- Stag Hare
3. Und Wir Stoppen- Koala Temple
4. Dandelion- Seven Feathers Rainwater
5. I. Black Ruby Spoon- Seven Feathers Rainwater
6. #3- deerlord.rar
7. Ceaseless Questions Were Asked to the Murderer- Hoops
8. We Only Have a Dim Idea of it Now- Hoops
9. Ceremony- Silver Antlers

Download Interlude #18!

Rays of base lines running through
South Temple and Main embrace
The cosmos in a grid beginning at a new
Meridian of Time and Space.
-Edward L. Hart, "To Utah"

Salt Lake City has been my planetary dwelling for 10 years now, and I've been in Utah for most of my life. Less than two weeks now I will be leaving it with nothing more than I can carry in a backpack for Olympia, Washington. This occasional blog and podcast, for which I still have so many plans, is going on indefinite hiatus. I'm leaving off with something special, a collection culled from homegrown artists, with the help of Skyler from Silver Antlers.

Michael Biggs' Gold, is probably the most idiosyncratic album I found for this episode (tagged "Wizard House" on bandcamp). Most of the tracks feature (ironically?) autotuned sung/spoken vocals, but not the title track, which is a recitation from the Book of Kings describing Solomon's Temple. Perfect for the city oriented (literally) around a temple, said to be an imitation of same.

Stag Hare is a Salt Lake City Psychedelician with several albums well worth exploring. I could've included a number of tracks, but "Crystal Dust Dream" has been my jam most recently.

Koala Temple are psych/rock upandcomers. Last year's Blue Milk is way more radio-friendly than its "experimental" tag (to say nothing of "bantha" and  "gloom-fi") would lead you to believe, and to be honest there's a lot of rock bands like this around these days, but, that all being said, it is an enjoyable album and "Und Wir Stoppen," is a strong enough dose to satisfy a steady tripper like me.

Seven Feathers Rainwater has that freak-folk + electronics thing that Animal Collective did (does?) so well. You like that, you like this. Not that SFR is a copy, but that's just kinda how taste works.

deerlord.rar is a dubious entry into that most dubious of genres, vaporwave. I know nothing about deerlord.rar, and I'm pretty sure deerlord.rar wants it that way.

Hoops specializes in a doggedly lo-fi form musique concrete and a contemplative, zen-like version of noise. So, you know, "experimental." The description of the 26 tapes comprising the "Knowledge Mastery Series" is worth quoting:

The ambition of the "Knowledge Mastery Series" is to enrich lives and increase knowledge. Each tape has been carefully researched, composed and performed in a way that ensures not only your listening pleasure but your knowledge and understanding of music. After listening to each tape, one should acquire and retain information and insight that would normally require a lifetime of musical study. 

Ditto for Interplanetary Music!

And then we end it nice and gentle with Silver Antlers' floaty cover of Joy Division's "Ceremony."