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Remote Islands — Days of Heaven c46 (Stunned no. 122) —out of stock—Remote Islands ringleader Colin Pate joined up with fifteen of his other talented Philadelphian friends and over the course of a year crafted ‘Days of Heaven,’ the leftfield pop masterpiece proudly presented on this c46 cassette. Whether it was unpredictable fate, good karma, or sheer serendipity we don’t know — somehow this crew connected with Stunned Records and shared with us the best unsolicited demo the label has received in three years of operation. Colin’s nimble songwriting turns a dozen numbers into absolute gemstones in the hands of his ensemble who represent themselves on 24 different instruments. Take everything that’s been effective, uncompromised, and lasting about rock & pop music of the past and present. It’ll be found in spades here, and with its own distinctly unique Remote Islands twist. Special edition of 222 pro-dubbed & imprinted c46 tapes w/ double-sided jcard and insert.
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reviews:
— SSG Music— Foxy Digitalis— Foxy Digitalis (interview)— Metaswag
— Indie Rock Mag— R.I. Bandcamp (purchase tape here)
— Tiny Mix Tapes
Mortuus Auris & The Black Hand — The White Paper c40 + c40 (Stunned no. 121) —out of stock—We welcome back our favorite audio raconteur for a fourth round on Stunned in the form of a special double-c40 set. “The White Paper” is Mortuus Auris & The Black Hand’s most thematically-focused work to date, spending four ambitious tape sides in sonic dialog with recent literature published on anthropoeia, or “people-making.” Each of his complex chapters raise up their own ear-catching specter: genetic code gematria, petri dish pranksters, odd effigies crafted & burned, and glimpses into futuristic hive mind hatcheries. It’s clear “The White Paper” is an unmistakable hybrid of the MABH laboratory — fertile with unexpected turns and undeniably scintillating to the core. Limited edition set of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted x2 c40 tapes in butterfly case with double-sided jcards.
Inhibitionists / Afterlife — c63 (Stunned no. 120) —out of stock—Whether he’s running one of Europe’s best underground labels or tearing it up as Inhibitionsists, Christian Kann has always been a guy to look out for. On this split edition with NY synth sons Afterlife, Kann drops some of his most dynamic work yet, which is saying something significant for those aware of past Inhibitionists output. Sequestering every variety of bent and dented tone, this Side A is forward-propulsive antics of the highest order. Schizoid algorithms are interrupted by free-clatter & string passages, deftly bouncing back to form and repeating similar manic cycles a few more times before passing the torch to Afterlife. Within seconds of the handoff, Ryan McGill and Franklin Teagle are snapped to breathless attention, their circuitry poised for astral action. Never failing to astonish with their proprietary flavor of team-synthesizer, the side they offer here can be considered the essential post-script to their recent Stunned cassette (no. 116). Darker in shade and even foreboding at moments, this piece suggests the colored showers of “Hypnautic Rinse” can also be converted to temporary cloudcover. For this reason and many more we turn a closer listen to these skilled musicians of the nebulous realm. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c63 tapes w/ double-sided jcard and insert.
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review:
— Geiger
Inez Lightfoot / Je Suis le Petit Chevalier — c60 (Stunned no. 119) —out of stock—Rare is the chance to work with one of the ladies involved in our cassette-oriented culture; even rarer is the chance to bring two such amazing women together on a single split edition. From the hush of a winter’s midnight, Inez Lightfoot opens this hour-long ceremony evoking animal powers and seasonal forces of nature. Presiding with the intimacy and strength of a curandera, Inez synchronizes the flow of analog electricity with raw expressions of blood & breath. Captivating as the light of a full moon, this is beautiful hyp-gnosis at an earthen altar. French/Belgian artist Felicia Atkinson echoes these sentiments on the following side with her own brand of mysterious music generation. Performing as Je Suis le Petit Chevalier, Felicia unites the energy of synthesizer with her voice into a brew of humid atmospherics. Every sung line and keyboard pulse is like a pebble dropped onto the still surface of a pond, leaving behind distinct after-impressions yet always giving way to the next entrancing note. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c60 tapes w/ double-sided jcard and insert.
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review:
— Sputnik Music
High aura’d / André Foisy — c45 (Stunned no. 118) —out of stock—John Kolodij is the one-man powerhouse known as High aura’d, and lately he’s been gaining a much earned reputation for his six-string style and masterful sense of both studio & live composition. Cutting his teeth last year with an excellent Reverb Worship debut as well as accompanying Barn Owl on their 2010 tour, High aura’d beckons us yet again to journey the guitar-guided serpentine path. Entitled “Dusk Latitudes,” this side is a three-part display of the impressive range High aura’d takes his craft on levels of both amplified frequency and pure human feeling. The wonder and awe conjured here will be necessary anchor-points upon entering André Foisy’s spooked arena of souls on Side B. This member of esteemed Chicago group Locrian presents a grim monolith sculpted by his mighty guitar and dystopic groans. Not a trip for the weak of heart, Foisy invites all courageous initiates into an unforgettable labyrinth where quite anything can happen. Limited edition of 111 pro-dubbed & imprinted c45 tapes w/ double-sided color jcard.
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reviews:
— Anti-Gravity Bunny— Fluid Radio
— Black Magazine
— Foxy Digitalis— The Inarguable
— Heathen Harvest
— Boy Attractions
