This is one of these things that just kind of happens…the idea of doing a split compilation between Nosordo and Glasvocht came to us like a straycat after a hot, wet and cruel summer. After choosing artists we felt strongly about that we thought deserved a place on this unique package, and a few months of juggling the material we had around, we are now ready to proudly present the result.
“(We’re for the) Unknown, Unbought & Unbossed” CD is now ready for shipping, unpacking and many hours of listening. There are 16 exclusive tracks - all made with barrels of love and elegantly packaged in a beautiful fold-out cardboard sleeve, illustrated by Swedish designer I am the sample of hope.
Here is a brief rundown about the contributing artists, in the same order that they appear on the CD:
01. Ljudbilden & Piloten: Seventeen Curves / Five Lines (04.59)
Ljudbilden & Piloten is Kristofer Ström. Since his youth, Ström has been active in many bands as a multi-instrumentalist. The bands have ranged from punk rock to kraut rock via post pop. He’s one wild monkey. Lately he has been composing for the theatre and short-film productions and has supported American Analog Set and The Dead Texan. This track is a warm experience built up with guitar loops and a lonesome trumpet, like your neighbour on the drift. Ljudbilden & Piloten released a split CD on Nosordo last year and is working on a full-length album for Nosordo in summer 2005.
02. Do: Elur jario (4:26)
Behind Do we find Basque guitarist Joseba Irazoki. After working as a studio musician and accompanying many singers, he started his own project two years ago under the moniker of “Do”. Based around the guitar and other string instruments with different effects, he composes songs and improvises thoughtful ambient-pop landscapes. His first record is to be released on Lucky Kitchen next year.
03. Mapstation: For Malmö (4.48)
Mapstation is Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot, ex-Kreidler). For a little over two years Mapstation has been the side project of Schneider, responsible for the bass and electronics with German trio To Rococo Rot. While Mapstation’s music is closer to minimalist techno, he manages to juxtapose the euphoria of the genre with charming dips in pace and bpm. Aside from his work as Mapstation and with To Rococo Rot, Stefan appears as a guest musician on the records of Music a.m. (A Heart and Two Stars/Quatermass) and Bill Wells (Pick Up Sticks/Leaf label). On “For Malmö”, Stefan has come up with a catchy track with beats chasing each other around, from beginning to end.
04. Dijf Sanders: Cheerleader memorial (02:56)
About four years ago Dijf moved to Antwerp where he bought an Atari and a sampler. His bedroom studio was getting bigger and bigger and he started to work on the first 12” release for Clone, a label from the Netherlands, followed by the first full length "Mating Seasons". Dijf is also gaining notoriety with his band The Violent Husbands, a Mariachi blues rock ensemble with a lot of sarcasm thrown in for good luck.
05. The Cheese: Save The Beard 1.50
The Cheese is, for some reason, Dalmau Boada and Arnau Sala. These two pioneers have thrown down this energetic track named "Save The Beard". Keep an eye out for these young monsters, they got a lot more stuff to deliver and are a hell of a live act as well. Recently released the full-length album “Els conills salten la bardissa” (Ozono Kids/Aa). Made in Spain, fet amb amor.
06. The Idealist: A Single Pistol Shot (03.02)
The Idealist is Joachim Nordwall. J is the brain and disaster behind numerous bands, labels and sounds such as the guitar in the former avant punk monster Kid Commando. He is now guilty for the guitar in Skull Defekts. A true label addict since childhood, in 1998 he started up the Gothenburg-based Ideal Recordings. The work of art he has contributed to the CD is a soup of pure slam-dunkin’ harsh ragga beats and electronica. The Idealist is scheduled for a full-length album on Nosordo for later this year. Take cover.
07. Mnemosyne: Fragile (04:04)
Mnemosyne is based in Toronto, Canada, and originally featured Aidan Baker on guitars/vocals, Richard Baker on drums/percussion, & Rodin Columb on bass/electronics. In early 2005, Graham Miller joined as second guitarist & synth/electronics player. Within the context of a 'power trio', they explore fragmented post/space-rock ranging sonically from washes of ambient sound to walls of fractured dissonance. Mnemosyne released their first recording, an EP entitled “ Spiritsized” on Arcolepsy Records . Their first full-length record, “ The Air Grows Small Fingers” was released in June 2004 on Toronto's Piehead Records . By way of interest, the word 'mnemosyne' (pronounced 'nem-OH-sin-ee') is Greek for 'memorial'. It is also the name of the Goddess of Memory & the mother of the 9 Muses.
08. Osso Bucco: Three Days They Slept (04.51)
Osso Bucco is NYC born, Florida raised and now Oakland based sonic artist Gregg Kowalsky's solo project. His music weaves back and forth between ambient noise and digital harmony, which appears to be the focus of the compositions. He creates textures by overlapping repetitive sounds, digital clicks and processed layers, which provide the backdrop to subtle, introspective melodies. His compositions are sometimes described as sound collages, which contain source material from unlikely recordings. Gregg Kowalsky is now a student at Mills College, Oakland, California.
09. Douglas Ferguson: Dawning (09:48)
Douglas Ferguson creates psychedelic music with ambient mood-defining textures. Lately, he has been incorporating his homemade electronic creations into his layers of guitar melodies and feedback. Although he has been in Austin for almost 4 years, he only made his local performance debut last October by performing and conducting his 12 Guitar Orchestra, a performance to support his forthcoming duets album. Since then, Douglas has been an active contributor to the Austin experimental live music scene and has begun to also perform regionally. His performances include solo guitar/electronics and full electro-acoustic ensembles. The most notable of these ensembles includes an evening with Rick Reed, Bill Thompson and Vanessa Arn. He has also been known to "sit-in" with local psychedelic bands such as Book of Shadows and Primordial Undermind. He has just celebrated the completion of his third solo album, "Lexical Passages" for Evelyn Records, which closely follows this summer’s Black Orchid release, "#2". Currently, his efforts are focused on mixing his Duets album, which includes guitar duets from members of his Guitar Orchestra. The Orchestra is comprised many great payers, including Bill Thompson, Eric Arn, Tom Carter and Gary Tedder.
10. Seth Warren & David Dupuis: Fraying Rain No Sleep (07.47)
To be honest, even we don’t know much about these guys, more than that they are based in Oakland, California and are both students at Mills College (of Experimental Music). But we do know that this is our favourite track on the CD. Pure love.
11. The Ordinary Seaman: Flames (03:54)
Filip Gheysen started in 1996 as The Imperturbable Ordinary Seaman, inspired by the music of Smog and Daniel Johnston. After recording a few lo-fi pop songs, Filip became more interested in the experimental scene. You could describe songs of The Ordinary Seaman as a melancholy and experimental in a trade off with noise. He has released tapes and CD-Rs on labels like Morc, Almost Halloween Time and Glasvocht.
12. Det Svenska Folket: Sometime next year 06.09
Det Svenska Folket is Jakob, Martin and Eirik, three Norwegians with their hearts in the right place. They have been recording under the alias Det Svenska Folket (The Swedish People) since 2002. This is stuff to fill the turkey of your wet dreams with. Smooth criminals.
13. Fractional: Dini2na 03:32
Fractional is Pierre Remy. After some years of working, he released his first demo in March 2004 and a second one in June of the same year. His first album, "Hliods", as copyleft on Angstprod and a track on a compilation: Panoptica "frequencies modulées" . In addition to all the indescribable things here, the music of Fractional is a mix of ambient and breakbeat and influences of "ethnic and ancient music”.
14. Massaccesi: Disappointment Descended out of Control 04.19
Massaccesi (an Italian name pronounced like "cappuccino") is the pseudonym of John Fanning. Born in Los Angeles and raised in New Hampshire with about a year (2003-04) in Barcelona, Spain. Half of his life he has been involved in some way with music, from being a young DJ on University radio (from age 15 until 20), to DJing at events/actions, etc. and then making and performing music live around the world! All of the work is about re-using, regurgitating and recycling sounds, images & fabric (clothing, art & items/costumes for performances). Jon says, "I often feel I am on the outside looking into reality…at humans, at the music industry, at art…everything. I like a lot of subjects that are often difficult, bizarre & surreal, but generally having to do with geography, human relations, outsider art/music and films (especially [generally European] surreal/trash/horror films of the 70/80s). I really enjoy connecting with people that share similar opinions (I am a human not a machine!)"
This graphic designer and electronic artist doesn't say much about himself. His music is some kind of hardcore minimal techno hybrid. He recently released his debut album, "Circus".
16. Ved: 72 steps (05.30)
Ved is Mathias Nihlén, part of the bossa/pop band Testbild, and brings us a beautiful piece of drone-y noise of love and anguish, to bring it all together at the end. Hope you had a good time listening to the CD. We sure did. Thanks for your time & Cheers, Nosordo & Glasvocht.
www.nosordo.com
www.glasvochtrecords.com
Distribution:
Scandinavia : DOT ( www.dot.se)
Benelux : AIM ( www.aim-distribution.com)
Japan : Linus Records ( www.linusrecords.jp)
