Stunned no. 31

Warm Climate — Edible Homes c42 (Stunned no. 31) — out of stock —

With an unmatchable tenacity that depends on little much else than a power source, guitar and clarinet, Seth Kasselman has spent over a decade making some of the more truly idiosyncratic music we’ve had the pleasure of being hit with. The mere range of styles his Warm Climate project has taken on would be enough to daunt any four-piece band of fulltime songwriters. But ‘Edible Homes’ is proof that it only takes one Seth to take the piss out of a dozen genres at a swipe on these two 20-minute rollercoaster tape sides. It’s nearly impossible to describe just where exactly this ride takes the listener except that it’s a rich amalgamation of rock, classic pop, free jazz, dance, drone, tribal noise, broken toys, and psych riffing that testifies to Warm Climate’s versed knowledge of sound in its myriad of cultural forms. Like twisting the dial through the whole range of A.M./F.M. channels, not because any are tiresome, but because each one is enrapturing. All we can do is let the accumulation scoop us toward a nexus that wipes the cultural palate clean, and indispensably so. Hand numbered edition of 120 pro-dubbed & imprinted c42 tapes in lime shells w/ extended length double-sided color jcard; designed in energy of FIRE.
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reviews:

"Los Angeles’ Warm Climate is kind of like the Heisenberg uncertainty principle: it’s impossible to measure it as drone because avant jazz horns will suddenly come into focus, and when you’re about to pin it down Marc Bolan glam-folk subsumes into jingling bells and the sound of geese raping and pillaging. Maybe it’s what Guided by Voices was for rock fans fifteen or twenty years ago, except way weirder. And it’s incredibly refreshing: so many cassette releases seem hung up on presenting a unified front (often one that caters in a few varieties of static), but the man behind this project, Seth Kasselman, doesn’t seem to carry any of those preoccupations. Plus he sings like David Bowie without an ego. The tape came out on Stunned but it’s since sold out. Bum out." - Impose
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"From getting this in a batch of unsolicited cassettes to wondering if the first track was a parody of Tyrannosaurus Rex, once this pup kicked in, and upon repeated listens, I remained a bit shocked. Though Warm Climate (one Seth Kasselman) has released about a dozen CDRs and cassettes since 2000, I haven’t heard of it ‘til now. And now this great blend of psych-glam, DIY experimentalism, and Tangerine Dream/Sorcerer style prog comes into my hands and I don’t know what to say other than, “Where is the vinyl?” - Z Gun
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"I got totally blind-sided by this one. I don’t know where Stunned label head Phil found Seth Kasselman, but he cranks out some epic songs on this release. Opening with an acid-fried folk song that explodes into into a guitar-heavy rock track only to dissolve into layer organ drone, “Lost Teeth/Organ Donor” is a great hint at the extreme weirdness found on Edible Homes. The church organ, acoustic strums, feedback-drenched guitar, and Kasselman’s vocals reemerge throughout the tape, but they are augmented with bizarre percussion, warped tape loops, and electronic squiggles. This is tape is incredibly varied and makes for a really fun ride!" - c60 Radio

Stunned no. 30

Super Minerals — Clusters c47 (Stunned no. 30) — out of stock —

Finally breaching the surface of the sea after a 3-year deep dive, Super Minerals now gulp in lungfuls of oxygen only to notice its quality has changed quite a bit in the time they’ve been submerged. Fins and gills are sloughed — wings are needed now. Perched high on coastal cliffs in the fog of a polygon sunrise, ‘Clusters’ celebrates with upright piano & bells that spirit which commingles prepared herbs with the purity of raw Pacific light. For fans of Charlemagne Palestine, early Keith Jarrett, Vangelis dipped in vaseline, or John Tesh in flames. Hand numbered edition of 111 pro-dubbed & gold ink imprinted c47 tapes w/ double-sided color jcard; designed in energy of AIR.
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reviews:

"...an astonishing cassette of moody piano emanations... 'Clusters' is a great little tape that showcases Super Minerals stretching themselves in an impressive manner." - Auxiliary Out
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"Clusters provides two anthems for those of you looking to bridge the gap between the precision of classical works and the boundless freedom of modern avant composition. “Oxygen Bombs” occupies the width of Side A. For much of its runtime, the track takes on a “Chariots of Fire” attitude: prideful, bombastic piano fills as much space as allowed by the low-end production, while fingers transform into the pitter-patter of feet racing to an uncertain goal. The track’s final three minutes transition the thrill of the race into the heated pants of tired runners clumsily looking to catch their breath, as syncopated bells and twisted strings replace the twinkle of ivory. The B-side is filled by the cassette’s namesake, which dazzles with raindrops of piano keys that often blend to mimic the tone of a harp. Around the 14-minute mark, the track begins to strip away the layers, first unveiling a whirling dervish of buzzes and bends. It never finishes its second thought before leaping into a lo-fi music box, melding together the first half with the middle interruption." - Tiny Mix Tapes
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"The whole thing lilts beautifully in a yellow haze of sun-drenched clairvoyance. I'm not sure who's playing here but it's wonderful. Fragments of minute and lush melodies present themselves before dissolving once more into the overtone swell of the work... Soon enough though, the whole thing fades out and is replaced by tape loops that seep across some skeleton gamelan moves. Total bleak situation in some Cambodian forest, Skaters-style even but with way less momentum. Just sit back and sip the spiked cocoa water... "Clusters" makes up side two and is as filled out and spacious as the first side. Piano trickles out of some small forest spring while tape loops and bells tingle outward, careening in and around each falling note. The duo's really on point with this one, and builds up to hold it, restful, exactly where it's gotta be... upwards but not all there. The tension is ridiculous before it slips away into another haze of piano drift. Absolutely gorgeous, they really took it up and out on this one. Absurd that this is the same group that put out 'The Piss', but their ability to do each with such confident poise blows me away. One of the best of the year so far for sure..." - Foxy Digitalis

Stunned no. 29

Chapels — Last Night of the Earth c30 (Stunned no. 29) — out of stock —

House of Alchemy label head Adam Richards continues his ‘09 resurgence with this solo project which latched to our ears a few months back and didn’t let go. Chapels is the name of Adam’s game, and if that sounds harmless enough, let’s just reserve our thoughts until his full tidal force of moan-riddled gearing and howling industrial waves crash over us. ‘Last Night of the Earth’ comes as a refreshing blast to the mind’s rafters, departing from so many other experimental acts in its choice use of otherworldly hiss & masterful analog groans. Each tape side features two central squalls separated by sprawling transitions of environment that evoke the alternating cycles of violence & stability in gaia’s seasons. Every pass over Adam’s flickering work reveals new jewels that appear icy hard on the surface, but cracked open they spill a multihued yolk over the final night’s canvas. Numbered edition of 100 painted & pro-dubbed c30 tapes in clear shells w/ red foil liner & double-sided color jcard; designed in energy of EARTH.
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review:

— Tabs Out
— ECN
— Auxiliary Out

Stunned no. 28

Dead Black Arms — Lake Reflection Catalyst c46 (Stunned no. 28) — out of stock —

The last time Copenhagen’s Claus Haxholm dropped a Stunned release under his Doom Riot moniker, it caught the ear of many seeking drones of timeless celestial import. Including Julian Cope, who recently called it “guaranteed guestlist entry into the Underworld… a righteous and coherent statement of intent that should have y’all returning again and again.” So we asked Claus back, and this time he returns in Dead Black Arms garb to resume the Danish bleak-streak. ‘Lake Reflection Catalyst’ lasts half as long as the last go-around so it makes sure to burn twice as hot over dual/dueling 20+ minute sides. Listening closely, one becomes privy to a dawning horror wrought high above mirrored waters — a startling, unprepared realization and the ensuing paradox. The scene holds especial tension given Dead Black Arms’ relentlessly minimal approach to guitar and percussion drone. Often stripping back all semblance of tone in order to chase down forces of sheer electricity, Haxholm’s obsessive pursuit bares his instrument’s power to sculpt stark new forms. Yet somehow an array of subtlety is preserved in the crush of naked timbre, affirming that details are never overlooked by Denmark’s dark son. Hand numbered edition of 100 painted & pro-dubbed c46 tapes in clear shells w/ blue foil liner & double-sided color jcard; designed in energy of WATER.
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reviews:

— FADER
— Auxiliary Out
— ECN