Rent Romus-PKD Vortex Project (A Tribute to the Dark Master of Pulp Fiction); Edgetone Records, 2001

 

This CD has been in and nearby any player within mi casita for a number of weeks. Furthermore, Disaster Amnesiac would challenge any listener of outside-styled music to not have a similar response to its killer sounds. PDK Vortex Project was recorded in 1998 by five musicians that are just very damn good at what they do: Rent Romus (woodwinds), Doug Carroll (electric cello), Joel Harrison (electric guitar), Dave Mihaly (percussion), Tom Nunn (electro-acoustic inventions). The interactions that these five have with each other was justifiably dubbed "Vortex Music" by Romus, and repeated listening has proven why to this listener.  The group sound whirl and spin as such. And so many spirited interactions on these eight tracks,  and such depth of focus each one of them shows toward the overall sound matrix! Quite pleasing to these ears. I'll recommend March of the 80 Foot Phils as the prime exemplar of such. The ensemble (in the truest sense of the term) achieves a zen atmosphere of magical suspension there that is just so lovely for its delicacy. Really, though, just play the entire disc, as it is filled chock-a-block with the best sounds on offer from the Free Improvised scene of that or any other time. As Phil stated in his Exegesis papers: "[I] was so clear in my mind as to what to the exact point in this drama at which we stood". It's like that for over an hour, and that is time well spent. 

PS-very nice, luminescent cover art by CJ Borosque too.

John Krausbauer & David Maranha-Briging it Back b/w Round and Round and Round; Public Eyesore Records #154, 2023

 

Fascinating format fuckery here, as John Krausbauer and David Maranha, men of lengthy resumes opt for a relatively short 7 inch that showcases music most often featured on long playing LPs or even longer CDs. Two sides of Drone from amplified violin and amplified organ to be exact. And drone they do. The listener is essentially dropped into what sounds like an already-established action as soon as the needle hits the vinyl. Maranha has set up a pulsing ostinato pattern that bubbles and wobbles. Krausbauer solos with abandon atop of that. The musical action really hits when their notes converge within the wildness of their duo sounds. Disaster Amnesiac has heard it as a thick band of dark color and also as a quickly flowing ribbon of water. It's clear that they caught a moment of peak mind-meld on some day back in 2020. Lovely Minimalist cover art from Sarah La Puerta to boot. A fine little document from an obviously inspired session. When does the full length LP come out?