Monday, September 26, 2011

Midday Veil-Subterranean Ritual II, TLO 05, cassette

Disaster Amnesiac was stoked at the possibility of seeing Midday Veil play live in San Francisco last month, but, sadly, a nasty little stomach flu precluded that trip.
I have been tripping on their great cassette release, Subterranean Ritual II, though, which I purchased in advance of the show that I was not able to attend. It's a great slab of current psych/freak Rock, bubbling along at a stoned, immaculate pace, with great, tom tom centered drumming by Chris Pollina, and post-Yma wordless vocalizing by Emily Pothast. Baritone guitarist Timm Mason adds color and space to the Ritual's psychedelic mix, and David Golightly's synth washes and gurgles spice the sound with elements of Kraut-ey curries. The first track, Moon Temple, gets a bit wiggier, while its opposite side track, Naxos, stays cool and austere throughout.
One could definitely  use this tape for their actual psychedelic rituals, whether played out in consensus reality or just within the private spaces of the mind.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Karen Stackpole with Dan Webster, photo essay, 9/11/2011 Ex'pressions Sound Stage, Emeryville, CA


Disaster Amnesiac met up with recent pal Andrew Joron, to listen to Karen Stackpole play some of her vast collection of gongs. Karen is probably the preeminent gong player in the S.F. Bay Area. She's a master of coaxing sounds from her metals. With the help of laptop processor Dan Webster, she transported the audience at Ex'pressions into otherworldly sound spaces.



Karen dances with her gongs!

Karen and Dan played about five pieces total. All with strange, scientifically inspired titles. Karlheinz Stockhausen would have been proud. The audience was quietly awed.





All sounds were pumped through Sunn cabinets. Yeah!