Abigail Smith-Indochina Soundscraps; eh? Records #112, 2020

 

Chances are that if you live in the United States, and possibly Europe, you probably haven't been able to travel internationally for the last few months. We all know the reasons why, so no need to go into that here. 

Good news from eh? Records on that front, especially for fans of Musique Concrete and Southeast Asian culture, has come in the way of a cassette from New Mexico-based artist Abigail Smith! Indochina Soundscraps is a collection of field recordings made by Smith in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in 2016. It features all kinds of great sounds from that region. Snippets of street level construction and commute noises, radio broadcasts, school sing alongs, and monastic chanting are blended in a fine, flowing, and very organic way that puts the listener smack dab among these various environments. Disaster Amnesiac has particularly enjoyed those latter sounds, with their booming drums and clattering resonant metal tones. As I've listened, my mind has been very satisfyingly transported to what I imagine those locales to be like, and in this time of forced immobility, Soundscraps is much appreciated for that. It would seem likely  that this cassette (with download) would appeal to both the peripatetic and the sedentary alike. For the former, under the current societal conditions it could serve as a reminder of travels planned or executed. To the latter, in could be an imaginary window into distant worlds. 

Either way, Disaster Amnesiac suspects that those who find Indochina Soundscraps, no matter their proclivities, will find this release refreshingly compelling. I sure have, especially in this period of little movement. This release makes me hopeful.

Spiral Jetty, Robert Smithson; Rozel Point Utah, 1970

Well, needless to say that 2020 has presented a paucity of opportunities for Disaster Amnesiac to get out and experience anything resembling culture. Surely it's been the same for everyone else, so I won't waste a reader's time parsing the whys and wherefores.

Simply put, I got the hell out of my house for a while! A couple of weeks spent cruising around the North West afforded a chance to get out to Rozel Point on the Great Salt Lake to see Robert Smithson's masterful Spiral Jetty.

Disaster Amnesiac had been wanting to see this earthwork, has been fascinated by it, since about 1997 or so, when I read of it during a self-taught art class, assigned by a VERY talented and deep woman by the name of Heidi.

Amidst all of the chaos, uncertainty, bitterness, and disappointment raging through my county in 2020, it really did feel like a miracle to have actually gotten there.

The drive in to see the Jetty must be included, even if briefly, in the description. I'm definitely not the first person to say "you have to work to get to it", and this is certainly true. Perhaps the road has gotten a bit more easily navigated since Robert Smithson first plowed the Spiral Jetty into existence in 1970, but, still, it's bumpy, hot, and dusty. Our host from the night before driving out to it admonished us to grab extra water for our trip, and it was indeed needed. One certainly would not want their vehicle breaking down out there, as it's a long way out from the nearest communities.

As for the Spiral Jetty itself, it did not let Disaster Amnesiac down. As one drives around the last bend of Spiral Jetty Rd. and into the small parking area, it appears to the viewer. Right away, it becomes apparent just how well-integrated into its environment the Jetty is. Although it asserts itself in a powerful way, the Spiral does nothing to overpower the elements around it. The water of the lake, the mountains in the distance, the salt bed upon which it sits, all of them frame it as it spirals gracefully among them. I marveled at the earthwork's seeming delicacy within the rough terrain of it surroundings.

The Spiral Jetty is characterized by constant change. Disaster Amnesiac has looked at photos of its initial installation, and noticed how the water of the Great Salt Lake was pretty high around the basalt rocks which form its frame. Articles from the structure's reemergence in 2004 show it as having been encrusted with salt and surrounded by red brine. The Spiral Jetty that I got to see featured the basalt having gone back to black and sitting within a mostly dry bed of salt. I pondered the mystical, symbolic implications of such changes as I walked the structure, picking my way along the bumpy, uneven path of its raised earth. Surely, Robert Smithson, by all accounts a very deep thinker, would have wanted the viewers/participants of his masterpiece to do so?

After the process of walking the Jetty was completed, Disaster Amnesiac spent some time taking in side views of it. As my feet crunched upon the "icy" salt bed, I again appreciated the way in which its form adds to the views of its surroundings, while never dominating them. From any angle, the Spiral Jetty just fits perfectly within the space in which it was placed.

Finally, I scrabbled up the the hill of Rozel Point to take my last glimpses at the Jetty. From that vantage, the view was perfect and awesome. As I stood back and beheld Smithson's masterpiece in all of its ever changing, ever static glory, Disaster Amnesiac spent several minutes pondering the fixed nature of it. It would take a huge amount of effort to even begin to remove the Spiral Jetty. It's going to be there for a LONG time. If Smithson's intention was to leave a permanent mark upon the the physical world, I'd say that he succeeded. The fact that he did so with such a sublimely realized piece as the Spiral Jetty is a testament to his vision. The mind boggles at the thought of what his process for this piece must have entailed.

2020 has proven to be a year of pretty low valleys for Disaster Amnesiac, as I'm sure it's been for millions of others. At the very least, I will be grateful that in this year of apocalyptic turmoil, I finally got my long awaited chance to see and interact with the Spiral Jetty. While culture remains cancelled in my country, I'll be happy reminiscing about my experience at Rozel Point, basking in the glory of Robert Smithson's vision.

Below: some views of the Spiral Jetty from Rozel Point

Above: Disaster Amnesiac, happy to be at the Spiral Jetty!

Joy X Libeau-Broken Moon, self-released; 2020

The call came in, and Disaster Amnesiac has answered. Mind you, I have ZERO idea of how Joy X Libeau got my contact info. That said, somehow a promo package of their EP Broken Moon ended up in my email inbox. This Electronic Music duo speaks in said package of collaborating with fashion boutiques and retail shops as means of getting their music heard. Disaster Amnesiac is the last person that would fit into the demographic for those types of spots, mostly on account of being a grubby dude just months short of the Big 5-0. It strikes me that this in itself is a pretty savvy way for a group to get their music heard, that's for sure.
And the music of Broken Moon? It's a really cool Electronic style worked up from the barest of tools: two analog synthesizers, one drum machine, and an Akai MPC. The resultant six tunes feature Minimalist beats and sounds that frame spoken lyrics from one guy and sung ones from one woman. Disaster Amnesiac really enjoys these songs, especially for the sparse Electronic Music modes which they feature. For me, they bring to mind some the early Hip Hop that I was exposed to as an adolescent, along with various strains of Dance Music that I am aware of from being on Boomkat's Manchester-based email list and reading Wax Poetics pretty avidly.
Small sounds pop and bleep into beats that swing in very cool ways, the synthesizers provide dramatic washes above them, and the lyrics are smart and intriguing, along with being astutely delivered. A fave line, "...shame has crumbled the tower/shame has dusted my prowess..." really resonates on multiple levels for this listener.  There's a kind of downtempo darkness within most of the tunes, but the music that frames them provides some light, and, with it, balance.
Broken Moon is a soulful statement that succeeds with creative use of self-imposed limitations. Disaster Amnesiac is puzzled as to how Joy X Libeau figured out to get these tunes to me, but I'm certainly glad that they did and that I got to hear them. .

Disaster Amnesiac Way Back Machine, H Edition

Over the long course of time in which Disaster Amnesiac has been blogging, there have, of course, been several ideas for posts that have been considered, forgotten, or outright abandoned. Some have been comprised of ideas even sillier than those that have posted, others have just kind of slipped away. Being a bit of an obsessive type, I have a short list of releases that have not ever been attempted but not completely abandoned. Presented here are a few from the "H" section of the stacks....

Hirax-Noise Chaos War, Thrash Corner Records; 2010
If memory serves correctly, Disaster Amnesiac downloaded this compilation of then recent short releases from Hirax right upon its release. Having been familiar with the band since their first LP in the mid 1980's, but also having pretty much tuned them out since that era, I was pleasantly surprised with the group's developments. First and foremost, singer Katon W. De Pena's voice sounds very pleasingly leavened throughout. His high notes are not quite as high, which really works within the Metal setting, at least for this listener. He also affects more of a growled approach throughout, and, again, within this Thrash style, it's much more effective and cool. Tight rhythm section arrangements, exciting Thrash guitar riffs, and balls out post-Slayer guitar solo riffs put Noise Chaos War pleasingly over the top for this fan of the style. Disaster Amnesiac wishes that I could find individual players to credit for these moves, but online lists of the various guys who could have executed this work are baffling. Suffice it to say that Noise Chaos War presents a group, unified around their visionary Metal guy leader De Pena, that knows exactly what it wants to do, and does it in to a T. Since my initial listening to this release, I've had the pleasure of seeing Hirax live, and they certainly do kick out the jams with aplomb. If you're ever in the mood for expertly done American Thrash Metal, Noise Chaos War will set your head a-bangin'.

The Hanuman Sextet-9 Meals From Anarchy, Resonant Music 007; 2010
Here's another one that Disaster Amnesiac grabbed relatively soon after its release. I can't recall how or where I heard about it, but I can recall being really excited by the sounds that Hanuman Sextet achieved on 9 Meals From Anarchy, and I definitely remain so. The sound of Anarchy is a really sweet, juicy mixture of woodwinds, guitar, electronics, electric harp, bass, and multiple percussion. All of these elements mix in a really fine, harmelodic way throughout the disc. Aspects of various world musics, Jazz, Rock, and Improvised Music are all thrown into this mix, and it works really well throughout for this listener. Whenever I play 9 Meals From Anarchy, I delight in the polyglot blending of its tunes, and marvel at how well that they all hang together. The levels of improvisational musicianship and song writing is very high here. I'm not sure of where most of the players in The Hanuman Sextet have ended up. If you do, please let me know. Their stuff is solid, as 9 Meals From Anarchy amply demonstrates.

Hay Fever-Live At Wonder Valley Experimental Music Festival, self released; 2014
Last up we have Live At Wonder Valley Experimental Music Festival from Emily Hay's Hay Fever. Flute player and vocalist Hay leads a quintet of some of Southern California's eminent improvising musicians through five tracks in which their sounds frame her Fluxus singing styles. Hay uses a kind of odd scat approach that is often processed electronically, and the result is otherworldly. The group's sounds bubble, click, and shimmer around this action. Hay always sounds as if she's having a blast, freaking out underneath the desert sky above the Palms Restaurant outdoor stage (where this set was captured), and the band responds accordingly. What Disaster Amnesiac has always loved about this disc is the ways in which the band achieves this kind of bent out of shape, twisted Prog feel as Hay bugs out within and around it. It's truly, and deliciously weird. Live At Wonder Valley presents a group of musicians who are mining a VERY singular sound; this music is incredibly original and delightfully odd. Its sounds really do seem to come from musicians who are totally committed to personal, unique expression. That they manage to pull this off as an improvising quintet is remarkable and great. Find this gem of a disc at all costs!

So there you have it, a few of Disaster Amnesiac's long-contemplated raves for some long-admired releases. I'm currently listening to a more recent release, which I hope to enthuse about soon. Until that time, be kind and don't forget to dig some of your favorites if you've got the inclination to do so.

Lucky-John Carroll Lynch, director; 2017

One afternoon last week, Mrs. Amnesiac brought some dvds home from a trip to the Marin County Library. Among them was a copy of Lucky, John Carroll Lynch's brilliant 2017 film. Lucky is one and one half hours worth of insightful meditation upon the (mostly) human condition of aging, and its effects upon one character and a few of his acquaintances.
The viewer is offered a glimpse into a few weeks in the life of an elderly man named Lucky as he goes about his simple routines: morning rituals of exercise and coffee, crossword puzzles and game show viewings, truncated and awkward conversations with people who share mostly tenuous emotional connections.
The takeaway message that comes across very strongly from Lucky for Disaster Amnesiac is the elemental nature of aging. By that, I mean the way in which we are very much reduced by aging. Harry Dean Stanton does an incredible job of illustrating this fact. It seems not as if he's really acting at all, but simply making statements, statements which are boiled down to an elemental simplicity that is devoid of pretense. The man is there, and he says exactly what he is thinking. He's old, so why bother with an act, right? There is so much to be considered within this message, at least for Disaster Amnesiac, as I approach the middle of middle age.
Lucky's cinematography seems to echo this message. So many of the shots show worn down, aged structures and topography, and these shots' quiet simplicity offer the viewer a visual complement to the stripped down dialogues. The film's desert setting itself belies this.
Disaster Amnesiac does not want to venture into hyperbole, but I really do think that Lucky is a damn masterpiece of cinema. I can't recommend it highly enough for anyone over the age of forty, that is for sure. For those of us "over the hill", the message seems clear: you're fading away, but you're still present, wherever you find yourself to be. Don't fuck around with your old act. Say it straight, play it straight, and perhaps, once in a while, you'll find a little bit of luck with which to work.
Lastly, a belated RIP to Harry Dean Stanton, you always kicked major ass in  your work.

Bones of Brundage-Nathaniel Berg, Director; 2018

Bakersfield, California does not have much in terms of glamor. Disaster Amnesiac would venture to guess that for most people in California, it's a place to maybe pull over for gas or eating, before or after the Grapevine on the way to Los Angeles or San Francisco. That being said, the city does have a very rich musical culture, bulwarked by a rich mixture of hard working people. It's from this mix that arose a very vibrant post Punk Rock scene that is incredibly well documented in Nathaniel Berg's Bones of Brundage.
Berg does a great, very deep dive into this scene in from the 1980's to roughly the present, with interviews of myriad participants. Their stories show a music scene that bursts with energy and creativity, and as Disaster Amnesiac watched Bones, I could not help but feel inspired by all of them. It's a classic d.i.y. tale. Young people want to create things for themselves. They find places, in these kids' case, an old dance hall, a gay bar, a pizza parlor, and a boxing gym, in which to realize their visions. They see these visions come to life in unexpected and magical ways, all the while pushing through indifference and even outright hostility from the outside.
Berg is smart in the way that he lets his subjects speak for themselves about these matters, and it's fascinating to learn about this, mostly hidden, musical history of a city that seems somewhat easy to pass by without too many second thoughts. Particularly compelling are characters such as Big Jed, who could easily have his own dedicated documentary film, the almost lost to history Burning Image, and Korn's Jonathan Davis, who eloquently breaks down his reasons for forsaking Los Angeles for the weirdness of Bakersfield suburb Oildale.
Along with the great documentary video and photographic footage of the years it documents, Bones of Brundage succeeds with a really fine soundtrack and compelling mis en scene of Bakersfield and its surroundings. Disaster Amnesiac absolutely loved this film, and thinks that you would, too. It's really quite inspiring.

Goodbye Neal Peart

As news broke about the passing of Rush drummer/lyricist Neal Peart, Disaster Amnesiac felt content to sit back and just watch. I was amazed at the amount of tributes and mentions that I saw. The freaking Drudge Report even gave a link to his obituary! People that I never figured to be Rush fans of any sort were posting mentions on social media, along with, naturally, the very heartfelt words from those that were lifelong fans of the man and his band. Disaster Amnesiac has been reflecting for a few days on the matter. For one thing, I want to say right off the bat that Moving Pictures, and especially its drumming, is a stone PERFECT Rock album. Everything about it is flawless. Rush scaled to the highest summit therein, and rightfully stayed there for the next 35 years, selling out huge tours while always evolving in the manners of their own choosing. I'd like to posit that Peart's societal and cultural influence going forward may come more from his words than his drumming. Hear me out: the Disaster Amnesiac sees it, there are millions of people whose formative adult philosophical influence came not from a church or some Greek or German dude in an ivory tower. No, these millions where hugely influenced by the writings of Neal Peart, and most of them are not playing the drums or any other musical instrument.  At this point in time, these millions are in positions of responsibility and influence at all levels of our society, whether they're parenting, teaching, or running civil or corporate institutions. We are, in many ways, a culture of Tom Sawyers, and Disaster Amnesiac finds this fact fascinating.
Ride easy, Neal Peart. You did things in exactly the way that you intended to, and your influence will be felt for decades to come.