Folklore Tapes

UK label Folklore Tapes managed to get under my skin and stay there yesterday while i listened through some of their discography.  The label compiles songs and projects from artists dabbling in folk, psych, experimental synth, noise, and more.  Here's how they describe themselves:

Folklore Tapes is an ongoing research and musical heritage project covering and soundtracking the folklore, mythology and occult annals of the UK in volumes of tapes and vinyl. Exploring mysteries, myths, nature, topography and strange phenomena of the counties.

Pretty rad right?  Anyway, one of the projects released this year is the compilation "When the Frog from the Well Sees the Ocean (Reports from English UFOlklore)," which is as weird and wonderful as i could have hoped, sounding like something Trish Keenan of Broadcast would have turned me on to.  Get the LP here and in the meantime, listen to Arianne Churchman's "The Luminous" below.

Communion

Did you miss out on something cool a few weeks ago on Record Store Day?  Never fret, because as happens every year, a string of those releases that were maybe over-pressed, or were maybe always meant to be available to wider market later are popping up online for your consumption.  The items in particular that pique my interest are the RSD UK stuff that didn't make stateside to begin with.  One of those releases is the compilation album from Burning Witches Records, "Communion," a companion album of sorts to the "Halloween Witch's Brew" tape the label put out last Cassette Store Day (yes, that's a thing).  It's another cool mix of dark synth wave featuring Deadly Avenger, Timothy Fife, Graham Reznick, and more to soundtrack your descent into madness.  Stream the whole thing below, download it here, or snag a physical copy from Mondo while they've got 'em.

Witches' Halloween Brew

In case you haven't noticed, Halloween is right around the corner, and as i've been cramming as many horror films into my head as possible and sneaking handfuls of candy acquired for the neighborhood kids, i've also been listening to the darkest, spookiest jams i can find.  Coincidentally enough, the good folks at Burning Witches Records just released a compilation of dark and spooky synth wave music from a whole slew of awesome artists.  "Witches' Halloween Brew" has tracks from Xander Harris, MAINE, Pye Corner Audio, Wojciech Golczewski, and more.  It's some perfect evening soundtrack music for the remainder of the month.  Unfortunately, the cassettes are long gone, but you can still download the album here.  Get to it and stream the whole thing below.

N O I S E

Ever the purveyors of excellent free music, the fine folks at Adult Swim just released a free compilation of scraping, screeching, moaning noise jams from a whole slew of awesome artists, titled appropriately enough, "N O I S E."  The comp includes tracks from clipping, Vessel, Pharmakon, Merzbow, Prurient, Wolf Eyes, and so many more.  Download it here and stream the whole thing below.

Sky Girl

Here's some more music that i missed from earlier this year.  "Sky Girl" is a compilation of lost private press gems spanning from 1961 to 1991 from across the globe, lovingly discovered and curated by Julien Dechery and DJ Sundae.  I wont' be able to do it justice, so read this synopsis from the record label instead:

"Sky Girl is a mysteriously unshakeable companion, a deeply melancholic and sentimental journey through folk-pop, new wave and art music micro presses that span 1961-1991. A seemingly disparate suite of selections of forgotten fables by more or less neverknowns, Sky Girl forms a beautifully coherent and utterly sublime whole deftly compiled by French collectors DJ Sundae and Julien Dechery.

From Scott Seskind's adolescent musical road movie to Karen Marks' icy Oz-wave, the charming DIY storytelling of Italian-American go-getter Joe Tossini and the ethereal slow dance themes of Parisian artists Nini Raviolette and Hugo Weris, Sky Girl resonates on a wide spectrum historically, geographically and stylistically. It unites in a singular, longing, almost intangible ambience.

If the names sound wholly unfamiliar that doesn't matter, the nature of the compositions swiftly nurtures an intimacy with these lonely, poignant, openhearted wanderers. Most were available in a very limited capacity at the time of their release, some were never really released at all - Gary Davenport declined to release Sarra after he split with the girl for whom the track is named - years later a friend convinced Davenport to allow him to put 100 copies online to sell and DJ Sundae was quick enough to snare one. Beyond their scarcity, these tracks are bound together by a certain raw beauty that's achievable when music is made and no one is listening."

An amazing listen from start to finish, i wish i had discovered this record when it came out over the summer.  Anyway, get it from Australian label Efficient Space, and stream the whole wonderful thing below.

Ghost Car Records (2008-2010)

Ghost Car Records was a short lived record label that specialized in throwback electronic and synth music from 2008 until 2010 before disappearing into the internet ether.  The fine folks at Swedish Columbia have compiled some of the music put out by the defunct label on the recent "Ghost Car Records (2008-2010)," featuring Ghost Driver, Savage House, and more.  Stream the whole thing below, and get the album via download or bitchin' looking cassette here.

In a Moment...Ghost Box

Hey gang, the fine folks over at the unbelievably cool record label Ghost Box have released a compilation album celebrating their tenth anniversary.  "In a Moment...Ghost Box" has tracks from the usual gang of suspects like PYE Corner Audio, Belbury Poly, The Focus Group, and more.  Cool electronics, analog synthesizers, freaky folk vibes, experimental beeps and clanks, and all around weirdness abound.  This is a great collection.  Listen to a sampler smorgasbord below and get the album here.

Relapse Records: 25 Years of Contamination

Heavy metal label Relapse Records is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and today they've offered up a name-your-price compilation of 183 songs from their rank and file over the years.  This comp has everything from Torche to Iron Reagan, Baroness to Godflesh, Unsane to Wolvserpent, and everything in between.  Go download "25 Years of Contamination" now and listen to Mastodon's "March of the Fire Ants" from 2002's "Remission" below.