Live shot #178!

 

Drummer at Hotel Congress, 6/28/2025. The name of Danny if recalled correctly. If that's misremembered, his great skills with many different types of rhythms and beats along with dynamic stick control will not soon be forgotten. Radness.

Camille Emaille/Tom Weeks-Ghoast; Wolfsblood Records, 2017

 

A cassette release from 2017, Ghoast, by Camille Emaille and Tom Weeks, is a mysterious one that Disaster Amnesiac has wanted to enthuse about ever since seeing this duo play live at the Luggage Store in San Francisco. It comes shrouded in mystery, with the hermetical imagery and vegan sentiments on its cover. Alto saxophone player Weeks is a very serious guy that has extended techniques out the wazoo and, at the time of the release anyway, True Kvlt aesthetics that he was willing to display. Can't say that I ever saw him in corpse paint, but most definitely discussed many issues about Metal with him when we'd chat on the set. It must be daunting at times, having to rise up to the challenge of playing an instrument with such a rich history (think about all of the alto sax Masters from Charlie Parker up to John Zorn), but that said Weeks has been a fearless explorer of the instrument, and he certainly knows how to fuse all of the varied strains into a singular voice when he plays it. Percussionist Emaille, a space drummer with the skills to coax big tones out her distinctive drum kit's varied drums and resonant metals, knows the value of silence along with having the discernment as to when to open the sound up and get those big, noisy passages happening. Over the two sides of Ghoast, Emaille and Weeks spend time within zones of spacial testing, at times featuring scratchy, scraping percussion and alto sax squeaks and gurgles. At other times, the duo go with a more full throttle approach of a more Free Jazz nature. It's the latter of these two types of interactions that really delight this listener; their heat blazes in manners which thrill and delight. The episodic quality of the ways in which the recording's fourteen tracks flow provides lots of intrigue and drama regardless, whether Camille and Tom are blasting or ruminating together. If you discover Ghoast out in the wild, you'll surely feel like some kind of wizard, as Camille Emaille and Tom Weeks must have during the sessions that produced it.

Lunt-Noise To Body, Repairs in D; eh? Records #130, 2025

 

Can some kind soul please appraise Disaster Amnesiac as to just what the heck has been going on, and probably additionally what  continues to go on, in Latvia? At this particular time, the question is begged due to having listened to Noise To Body, Repairs in D by Lunt, the sound artist that resides within that Eastern European nation. It's got me into a real tither, triggering a desire to delve into, with real depth, the roots of activities such as cybernetics, especially as regards its use within music/sound production. Lunt views the three tracks that comprise Noise To Body as manifesting from within a "noise narrative". The term is a fascinating one, and it must have sprung forth uniqueley within the mind of Gilles Delas-Velins (this is Lunt's human founder's name). This personalized vocabulary, when paired with the hard-hitting sounds on the recording, suggests to this writer that Delas-Velins has a mystical relationship with sound. Again using both factors as illustrative in proving this point, it's clear that the man considers sound very seriously and with the deepest of focus. Disaster Amnesiac imagines a heroic European quietly considering sounds as he sits solitary on some simple piece of furniture, perhaps stoking his chin or taking notes, precisely hand-written within a crisp notebook. Allow me to  focus on the sound a bit and to suggest that the listener walk around the room during at least one hearing of Noise To Body. Sonic aspects have changed for me as I've done that. One may also want to play it on the louder side. Schedule forty five minutes by yourself with your spouse and other family, and really crank it! Side one's two tracks, Dirt Unleashed Desire and Distonic, feature rhythms and higher register squall and quavery sound beams, but also some surprising melodic durations. Dismantle  Delusion takes up the entirety of side two and its almost Ambient chill and cyber-unfolding shares the gentlest of Prog feels at times within its episodic portions. Lovely really. Lunt is a project which is delving deeply into the depths of the poetic/linguistic/sound axiom, and Noise To Body, Repairs in D has me asking: how does mysticism in Latvia present itself, and when will more of these inspirations be communicated by them?

Philip Gayle-Sunrise Crazy; Public Eyesore Records #162, 2025

 

Before Disaster Amnesiac even listened to Sunrise Crazy, the new recording from Japan-based composer/improvisor Philip Gayle, I most definitely appreciated the sumptuous packaging that it comes presented in. As you can see, the front cover art just has that great, Abstract Expressionist feel, and there is included a booklet which five plates of it, all from artist Okaka. Seriously, collectors of physical media may want to purchase the disc just for this. As for the music and sounds, Gayle, a long time practitioner of such, has presented a characteristically unique document of his process. Process seems to have been an important element in the production of Sunrise Crazy. If I'm ascertaining the promo sheet correctly, said process involved Philip setting up an arsenal of instruments (pictured within the booklet) and then went among them, recording pretty randomly, and not getting too hung up on any kind of linear, "set" thinking. Growth mindset within a recording studio. The resultant sounds were captured particularly well by Kanji Yokosuka; the sound capture is very clear and never muddy, always a good feature, unless you're in High Rise or something. Voices, human and possibly feline, feature prominently on the record. Vocals are at the forefront throughout the proceedings, and even when they're not high in the mix, they linger. Fascinating, the ways in which the instruments frame them. They retain a surreal quality throughout. Gayle at times sounds like an almost Traditionally-focused player on Oh Wow, but what does that even mean, especially within the context of Japanese music? Fakkunko must translate into "Free Jazz" in the language of Nippon . At other times, Disaster Amnesiac has heard drunken Bon Festival music and percussive string agitations, enhanced by the highly weird vocalizing. The highlight for this listener is Fuchan Brocken Spectre, a beautifully lush track that takes its seductive time. The listener will want to be seduced by its loveliness. Also of note is Heartbeat Shakes The Flower>Setsunai Yuk, a track reminiscent of the most delicate of Morton Feldman's sounds. Disaster Amnesiac does have to issue a kind of trigger warning: at times, I've wondered if the intensity of some of the vocal sounds would bother some listeners, especially children. Maybe play Sunrise Crazy while your kids are outside playing, or dig into it with earbuds in as you greet the rising sun, post trip.

Live shot #177!

 

Guitarist/composer Karl Montevirgen. The Palms Restaurant, Twentynine Palms CA 4/5/25. Set played for Wonder Valley Experimental Music Festival.

Live shot(s) #176!

 Taken at Brody's Dark Horse Tavern, Tucson 6/13/25.

Below: Zöld. SG sludge riffs and a fair amount of wind chimes.

Above: Los Perros cook up a stew of post-1980's Metal with a great guitar soloist and Grind-ey vocals.

Below: Witch Milk. Post Non Grata band for Braham the bassist. Stratocaster magick!

 

Apparently the Brody's building has been sold and the likelihood of further shows there is in question. Super bummer as it's quite near my house and it's a cool venue.

viddekazz2-Sounds Of Silence; Public Eyesore Records #161, 2025

 

Japan seems to be emerging quite strongly within Disaster Amnesiac's synchronous field currently. The New York Times Style Magazine recent issue about what William S. Burroughs referred to as The Yellow Pearl is reading material a mi casita, as has been a fascinating, brief essay by Truman Capote, both along with an unsolicited reference to it by a dear friend within our prolonged conversation. In light of all this it seems fitting that the next release from the stack of Public Eyesore/eh? Records product to be considered is one from Tokyo-based Noise Punk duo viddekazz2, entitled Sounds Of Silence. It comes as no surprise in these quarters that guitarist Miyano and drummer Kick-C froth up a tremendous racket on this Public Eyesore disc. There are numerous examples of such approaches being served up by the label. It's clearly an aesthetic that Bryan supports and encourages. Sounds Of Silence is a very raw recording, made up of mostly very short blasts of swiftly syncopated guitar/drums mashing. Quick micro songs that are full of instrumental overdrive tendencies. It has the Punk. It has the Metal. It has deadpan vocals that sound as if they're being delivered by dudes dressed in black and having mirror shades over their eyes. Possibly fairy tale rhymes may be present. There might be a Deep Purple song covered but viddekazz2's hammering nature makes it their own. The album's high point is reached within Top Of the World, the penultimate track. This big Psych jam blends Glitter tropes and astute looping riff. It has additionally sounded as if its players transcended time itself in the formation of giant Oort Cloud jamming thickness. The air up there is rarefied, even as there appear to be two different sequences of playing fused. It just works really, really well for the interested listener. Seekers of silence would likely try to turn Sounds Of Silence down a bit, but if you want its true majesty to be revealed, crank it up and brace for that second to last track to come down. Any fan of jammed-out Psych will find that sweet spot for musical contemplation within its duration.

Knights-Supernatural Lover; self released, 2025

 

In a completely mysterious development, Disaster Amnesiac recently received an on-line promo kit for the new single by London based Knights and their tune Supernatural Lover. I have no clue how my contact made it onto Knights press mailing list. It's interesting to ponder. The song is an uptempo club banger of a track, driven by fast beats and driving synthesizer melody. Knights utilizes a clean vocal approach, reminiscent of Techno/Dance music from the 1980's and '90's. He is soon embarking upon a European tour, and surely it'll be a success. Unless of course the whole thing gets cancelled on account of WW III starting up like this weekend or something. If that happens, you can find Knights here and just boogie down at your place until the missiles start to rain down upon your city. Perhaps this next Apocalypse will be a fun one!

Live shot #175!

 

Poet David Weiss, working with collage and cut-up techniques. Private residence in Tucson, 6/9/25. Also performing were oud explorer Blue Stained Stems, research librarian poet Lisa Periale Martin, and high alto troubadour Snelby Grelling. No photos, sadly.

Eloine-Impractical Furniture; Personal Archives Records #226, 2025

 

Currently at casa de Amnesiac, there exists a stack of Public Eyesore/eh? Records product which still needs to be listened to. This fact is brought up as related to the latest release of Eloine, Impractical Furniture (dig that almost Hipnosis styled cover art!), because I've desired to listen to it a lot more than the three times it's graced the cassette deck. That said, time's moving very quickly, and Disaster Amnesiac always feels compelled to listen to the music that's being described as much as possible. Tapes such as this can certainly be played over and over again, as its mysterious and intuitively intriguing soundscapes offer new facets for the listener with each subsequent interaction. When one chooses to engage with sounds such as these, especially in the case of Bryan Day's singular solo work, with its unique rhythms and phrases, pulled from his portable exotic percussion amalgamation, one can always be treated to fresh, undiscovered aspects within the sound matrix. Impractical Furniture kicks off with Rubber Sawhorse, a longer track which evokes human sounding voices along with some deep tonally bass passages and bass drum sounds. I've heard it as a junkyard Gamelan ensemble. This is followed off with Sunken Corners and its dramatically moving sub-harmonics and subdued, eerie environments. Its coda passage is surprising and lovely. Potluck By Proxy kicks off side b of the tape with a frenetic start. It rather quickly gets more contemplative with its overtones, melodies from resonant metals, before some type of robotic warfare commences. Disaster Amnesiac has heard AI voices being drawn from Day's very analog rig on this one. Track two, Guiltlines, has high register clicks that dialogue with lower register ones for a very dramatic effect. It has waves of energy that are simultaneously intimate in their motions. Impractical Furniture ends with Bread Welder Again, a title worthy of prime Beefheart, a track with more quick pacing that leads to more overall Drone and clacking until its repetitive sound conclusion. It's another fine release from Bryan's Eloine project. Day's sound art seeks the beauty to be found in funky, unlikely sound sources. His rigs often look to Disaster Amnesiac like small cities or chip boards, and it's highly recommended that one see him perform live. Bryan Day must be highly intuitive, for he always makes such well considered and thoughtful sounds. It's completely alright to live by intuition you know.

Live shot #174!

 

Dedd Horsemen, Punchy's Tavern Sierra Vista AZ. 6/6/25. 

Garage Psych and Country and Rock 'n Roll blended into a kick ass racket. Incidental noise interludes. Funny lyrics. A Southwest region band you should see live.

Random shot!

 

HP Lovecraft tombstone Providence RI, June 2018.

Live shot(s) #173!

 A couple of shots from Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, Tucson 6/3/25.

Below: Taylor Honnicutt. Swaggering Alabama-based rockin' Country! 

Above: Charley Crockett. Excellent song writer/guitar player and performer with a top flight band. If you got it, flaunt it!

Many thanks to KXCI for tickets. Real people real radio ok!

Live shot(s) #172!

 Shots taken at 191 Toole, Tucson 5/31/25.

Below: Urikas Bedroom. Heartland Psych with a dollop of Emo. 

Below: Perfume Genius play extremely well crafted Art Pop. They have hard fans and it's easy to see and hear why this is so.

 

Below: this frame was magically flipped on my phone, it looks amazing.

Disaster Amnesiac noticed shows going on at Golden Saguaro and Wave Archive. Was told about shows at Che's Lounge, Black Iris Cafe, and Hotel Congress. So much happening in Tucson on a Saturday night, the mind reels.