anything but mp3

Recent Acquisitions

By Paul
May 29, 2020

Vinyl:

The Durutti Column Vini Reilly 2LP+7″ (Factory Benelux, Belgium)

Gentle Giant Octopus (Alucard, EU) (replacement copy)

Gentle Giant Three Friends (Alucard, EU) (replacement copy)

Heaven 17 “[We Don’t Need This] Fascist Groove Thang” b/w “Decline of the West” 12″ (Virgin, UK) (used, replacement copy)

The Higher Intelligence Agency Colourform 2LP (Beyond Records, UK)

The Higher Intelligence Agency Freefloater LP (Beyond Records, UK)

Haruomi Hosono Philharmony SACD (Yen/Sony, Japan)

Rafael Anton Irisarri The North Bend LP (Room 40, Australia)

Rafael Anton Irisarri Peripeteia LP (Dais Records, US)

Clarice Jensen The Experience of Repetition As Death LP (Fat Cat, UK)

Jóhann Jóhannsson Last And First Men 2LP+Blu-ray box set] (Deutsche Grammaphon, Germany)

K Leimer Music for Land and Water | Complete FLAC (Palace of Lights, US)

K Leimer Semblance FLAC (Palace of Lights, US)

K. Leimer / Marc Barreca Chains Of Being LP (Abstrakce Records, Spain)

Bill Nelson The Jewel FLAC (Sonoluxe, UK)

Outer Circle Outer Circle LP (Bemisbrain, US) (replacement copy)

Renaissance Turn of the Cards 3CD+DVD box set (Esoteric America, US)

Max Richter Sleep Remixes (LP) (Deutsche Grammophon, Germany)

Steve Roach Quiet Music 1 LP (Telephone Explosion, Canada)

Steve Roach Quiet Music 2 LP (Telephone Explosion, Canada)

Steve Roach Quiet Music 3 LP (Telephone Explosion, Canada)

Wayne Rogers The Air Below LP (Twisted Village, US)

YMO Technodon SACD (Universal Music, Japan)

Digital:

AKATOMBO DISCORDIA 2003 – 2020 FLAC (So I Buried Records,Japan)

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In August of 2019, I contributed a playlist to Qobuz consisting of some of my favorite quiet(er) music. Below I’ve recreated most of the playlist with YouTube videos — with a hanging curveball or two thrown in.

Perhaps some subdued background (or foreground, even) sounds are called for during uncertain times.

You’ll find music from Brian Eno, Durutti Column, Nils Frahm, Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka, Keith Kenniff, Adam Bryanbaum Wiltze, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Gavin Bryars, The Dead Texan, Harold Budd, David Sylvian, Michael Brook, David Bowie, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Stars of the Lid, Arvo Pärt, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, and others.

I hope these songs might not only pitch in to soothe you and your household, but also offer some possible starting points for the exploration of some artists that could… well, use more exploring.

Yours in music, always,

Paul

======================================

Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka Lion Theme

Nils Frahm Ambre

Keith Kenniff Everywhere

The Durutti Column Prayer

Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight

Jóhann Jóhannsson They Imagine the City Growing out Into the Ocean

Christina Vantzou Going Backwards to Recover That Which Was Left Behind

A Winged Victory for the Sullen Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears (live)

A Winged Victory for the Sullen Requiem For The Static King Part One

Gavin Bryars Ensemble The Sinking Of The Titanic (Live Bourges)

Brian Eno Fullness Of Wind (Variation On ‘The Canon In D Major’ By Johann Pachelbel)

Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie Lithium, The New Era

The Dead Texan When I See Scissors, I Cannot Help But Think Of You

Harold Budd and Brian Eno Not Yet Remembered

David Sylvian Home

Michael Brook Midday

David Bowie Art Decade

A Winged Victory for the Sullen Atomos VII

Stars of the Lid That Finger on Your Temple Is the Barrel of My Raygun

Hildur Gudnadottir Heyr Himnasmiður

Philip Glass Opening

Arvo Pärt Spiegel im Spiegel

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Tioga Inn Resort proposal – Mono Basin / Lee Vining impact – Planning Commission virtual meeting this Thursday at 9am

By Paul
April 14, 2020

(courtesy Mono Lake Committee)

Background:

The owner of the Tioga Gas Mart (the Mobil station/Whoa Nellie Deli at the foot of Tioga Pass, where CA120 meets US395) is planning to expand the operation to include a 100-room hotel, plus workforce housing for a further 150 people. These structures will be up to two stories tall and will be perched on the moraines overlooking Mono Lake. They’ll be visible from 395, South Tufa and many other highly-visited portions of the Mono Basin Scenic Area.

Lee Vining’s population in the 2010 census was 110 people. This development, if approved, could more than triple the population of the town. Light pollution and visual impact will be significant. CalTrans has stated it has no plans for traffic mitigation (for instance, a stoplight at 120 and 395). There are myriad other implications listed in the FEIR (link below).

The Mono Lake Committee and an apparent majority of citizens in Lee Vining — as well as hundreds of return visitors to the area — are opposing this development.

This is going to be a tough fight, and additional articulate, informed, and passionate voices are needed to speak out regarding the proposed development.

There ~~is at least one upcoming Mono County virtual meeting~~* are two Mono County virtual meetings that will decide whether this development happens.

The first is the most urgent: this Thursday at 9am, the Planning Commission will decide whether to sent the project to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

** Details on joining the Planning Commission meeting this Thursday at 9am:

Accessible remotely by livecast at: https://zoom.us/join and by telephone at: 669-900-6833 (Meeting ID# for both is 634 770 837) where members of the public shall have the right to observe and offer public comment.

The Mono Lake Committee provides further details and suggestions for input here.

Mono Lake Committee Eastern Sierra Policy Director, Bartshé Miller, spells out MLC’s concerns about the proposed project here.

If the Planning Commission approves and sends the project to the Supervisors (and this seems likely)*, I’ll post the dates for the Supervisors’ public hearing — where the final decision will be made — on this blog.

Project Description and final subsequent EIR can be found here.

Thank you for your engagement on this manner of great importance to Lee Vining, Mono Lake, and the Eastern Sierra.

— Paul Ashby

* UPDATE April 14 9:45 pm: I’ve since learned that the Planning Commission’s yea or nay vote on the matter is non-binding. Meaning a majority voting ‘no’ still means there will be a Board of Supervisors meeting, where the latter will have the final say.

* UPDATE April 18: The Mono County Planning Commission voted 4-0 to approve the proposal and send it to the Board of Supervisors. More info can be found on Mono Lake Committee’s website.

* UPDATE April 27: The full 7-hour 30-minute stream of the planning commission meeting (including all public comment) has been posted.

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Recent Acquisitions

By Paul
April 10, 2020

Vinyl:

Blinkar från Norr Metaphors for Things 2LP (A Strangely Isolated Place, US)

BPEOPLE BPEOPLE LP (Faulty Products, US) (replacement copy via LAFMS)

Califone Echo Mine LP (Jealous Butcher US)

Cross Record Cross Record LP (Ba Da Bing! US)

Durutti Column M24J (Anthology) 2LP+7″ (Factory Benelux, Belgium)

Roger Eno and Brian Eno Mixing Colours 2xLP (Deutsche Grammaphon, Ger)

Aoife Nessa Frances Land of No Junction LP (Ba Da Bing! US)

Fruit Bats Echolation LP (Jealous Butcher, US)

Inoyama Land Danzindan-Pojidon LP reissue (‎We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records, Switzerland)

Merrin Karras Northwest Passage LP (A Strangly Isolated Place, US)

Bill Nelson Sounding the Ritual Echo LP (used) (Cocteau, UK) (replacement copy)

Ocoeur Everything LP (n5MD US)

Rodelius Selbstportrait Wahre Liebe LP (Bureau B, Germany)

San Kazakgascar Scar Tissue 7″ lathe cut (Lather Records, US)

Tim Rutili | Craig Ross Guitars Tuned to Air Conditioners (Hired Hand, US)

youbet Compare & Despair (Ba Da Bing! US)

Digital:

Higher Intelligence Agency Colourform FLAC (Beyond Records UK)

Higher Intelligence Agency Freefloater FLAC (Beyond Records UK)

Julia Kent Green and Grey (Expanded) FLAC (Leaf UK)

Bill Nelson The Jewel FLAC Sonoluxe UK)

Yoshio Ojima Une Collection des Chainons I and II: Music for Spiral FLAC reissue (‎We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records, Switzerland)

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Loscil, Ocoeur, The Cure, Be Bop Deluxe – Reviewed on Part-Time Audiophile

By Paul
March 7, 2020

As far as I’m confused, those Cure guys put out a couple okay LPs, but a certain Be Bop Deluxe album must’ve left somewhat of an impression on my sixteen-year-old self.

I also write about new releases from Loscil and Ocoeur, as well as those two older vinyl reissues by The Cure.

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A Wizard / A True Star was released 47 years ago today

By Paul
March 2, 2020

… and Patti Smith’s review (Creem, 1973) still hits all the right notes.

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Recent Acquisitions

By Paul
February 11, 2020

Vinyl:

BGM Back Ground Music LP (Studio Mule, Japan)

William Basinski On Time Out of Time (Temporary Residence, USA)

The Cure Faith 2xLP (Vinyl Lovers/Lilith, Russia/EU)

The Cure Seventeen Seconds 2xLP (Vinyl Lovers/Lilith, Russia/EU)

The Durutti Column Fidelity clear and blue vinyl 2xLP (Les Disques Du Crepesule, Belgium)

Midori Hirano Invisible Island LP (Sonic Pieces, Germany)

Richard Horowitz Eros in Arabia LP (Freedom to Spend, USA)

Terry Riley A Rainbow In Curved Air LP (Music on Vinyl, Netherlands)

Todd Rundgren Runt gold vinyl LP (Music on Vinyl, The Netherlands)

Erik Satie Vexations Alan Marks, Piano clear vinyl LP (Les Disques Du Crepesule, Belgium)

Utopia RA LP (Music on Vinyl, Netherlands)

Digital:

Jacek Doroszenko Infinite Values (Time Released Sound, USA)

Loscil Lifelike FLAC (Frond, Canada)

CD/DVD:

Be Bop Deluxe Modern Music (Deluxe) 4xCD + 5.1 DVD (Esoteric/Cherry Red, UK)

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Rainbo Records – In Memoriam

By Paul
January 28, 2020

Regarding a certain LA Times article:

I’ve seen this touching eulogy concerning Rainbo Records’ closing posted by at least five of my Facebook friends. I figured it was time to chime in once again.

I realize this might come across as ungracious.

Rainbo’s pressing quality and, especially, customer service were among the worst. Rainbo closed because it couldn’t compete with plants that were better at both.

When working at my previous job, at least two or three of our exclusive labels insisted upon using Rainbo, despite our protests.

Project after project found the labels being repeatedly lied to about the job being ready and “on the dock for pickup.” Or the “paper” (jackets and inserts) had been lost. Or plates had gone missing.

I can’t count how many LPs didn’t make street date because Rainbo was incapable of getting the majority of jobs done on time, or even being straight with clients about delays.

Maybe Rainbo treated other larger indies such as Rhino and Concord (back when such labels existed as indies, decades ago) better. Doesn’t matter. Unless you were in the upper 5%, apparently, you received the lamest excuse for customer service in the vinyl pressing business (and that’s saying a lot).

I spent about 20 years sitting across from our production manager. Week after week he’d get calls from the labels, listen, sigh, scribble some notes on the release schedule, line a couple things out, hang up, and mutter “fuckin’ Rainbo.”

I only post this because nostalgia doesn’t always translate to reality when it comes to small labels trying to get vinyl to its customers. You may believe Rainbo’s closure is emblematic of a difficult business climate, or changing market conditions. But it’s really because other pressing plants produce higher-quality vinyl, and definitely better customer service.

Goodbye to Rainbo?

More like good riddance.

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Deutsche Grammophon is Signing Everyone Worth Listening To, Apparently

By Paul
January 27, 2020

Not content with signings of the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, Max Richter, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Dustin O’Halloran (can Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie be far behind?), and Rachel Grimes (Rachel’s), Deutsche Grammophon’s drive to world domination continues with the scheduled March 20 release of a new album by Brian Eno and Roger Eno.