Gritonometry EP

I have been working on a couple of tracks inspired by the presence of interesting bugs.  One of the ideas made it to the "Small Sounds" compilation previously blogged about but I managed to flesh out a couple that I ended up fairly happy with.

And so with a couple of other bits I have been working on, I decided to put this out as a digital only EP with "Pay what you want" enabled - please just ask if you want a free download code because I can easily generate some.

Cover image: woodworm "writing" from felled Oak tree.

So aside from the little bugs I have been looking at... I suffer from pretty bad hay fever. Some days it is completely crippling and I just want to hide inside under the duvet while I cry, sneeze and generally dehydrate into a withered husk. It is so dependant on the weather. I liken it to turning a tap on and off. Occasionally it gets left running at the worst time.  Today however... it is ok and I just have a mild fuzzy headache. 

Gritonometry is a concept I came up with whilst languishing in allergy induced hibernation recently. The sun was shining! But my eyes and nose were streaming with snotulus and I wept in the shower.. A complete bastardization of the fleeting visit of high summer we experience in the UK. The track is fairly simple, dense, and noisy. It does not do much. I was feeling pretty down when I wrote it.

The Black Ash Slug can be found on Dartmoor, it is the largest land slug in the world.  They are pretty rare and are only found in ancient woodlands, of which there are sadly dwindling examples of in the UK.  There are a couple up on Dartmoor where these slugs like to hang out.  

Rare "selfie" of me, even rarer because it was taken 

OUTSIDE in JUNE during DAYTIME

The Broad Bodied Chaser is a type of dragonfly that occasionally visits our pond. The one I saw looked like a huge hornet with menacing black and white stripes, until it landed and I figured out what it was. These two tracks have a strong percussive element and are swamped in bass and static. They are the most dynamic of the tracks I present here but I believe still retain the Tump sound.

The closing track Intrusive Signals is named after my zine project of the same name. The original piano was supplied by Arachnopus who I have worked with a few times now (she did the amazing video earlier this year for my set on Wonder Valley Experimental 14, as well as providing some excellent intrusive artwork for my zine). I took her original improvised piano recording (with some very light trimming) and added a large amount of filth. I loved making this and she supplied some great material to work with. Thank you!

1. Gritonometry 04:23

2. Black Ash Slug 05:36

3. Broad Bodied Chaser 05:52

4. Intrusive Signals 06:40

Note on mastering:

I find that the hayfever also effects my hearing - I am generally blocked. Bass sounds can hurt as they whistle through my ears, everything is muffled and dense. These recordings are probably heavily saturated with that sort of sound. A document to this moment in time through my senses.  Best listened to loud on some big speakers.  If the sun is shining outside, maybe shut the curtains and snort some ground black pepper to try and replicate my situation (actually, dont do that).

All tracks recorded April - June 2022. 

releases July 1, 2022

STUMP010

Piano on "Intrusive Signals" by Arachnopus.

All field recordings from Dartmoor by Soloman Tump

All other sounds by Soloman Tump and my machines.

April Showers

It's April already!

And so, a quick update.... as it seems a lot of stuff has happened over the past couple of weeks and I failed a bit to keep this place up to date for one reason or another. ....

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Intrusive Signal's issue 3 is with me and copies are "flying" out (I guess...)//// it's had a healthy support amongst the wonderful regular readers of my zines as well as some new supporters too.  Which is always good to see.

You can also find limited reprint copies of issue 1 at both links below....

>>>> LINKY FOR BANDCAMP <<<<

>>>> LINKY FOR LIMITEDRUN <<<<

And I do have a couple of copies of both available for free in the UK if anybody would like one.  Just send me a message.  And of course, trades are most welcome too.

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My harsh noise alter ego POSTMAN LOMU created a track for the MONOLITHIC BLOCKS compilation out via the French label Camembert Électrique which was released this week.  

Many thanks to them for including my track, and it sits at Track 22 out of an impressive 85 entries in the roster.  I am slowly making my way through it all, an impressive range of interpretations of the harsh / experimental spectrum indeed.  It's free to purchase / download so give it a go, although of course any contributions you make to the label would be greatly welcomed I am sure....

>>>> LINKY FOR BANDCAMP BLOCKS <<<<

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And also... my set for Wonder Valley Experimental, in collaboration with visual artist Arachnopus, is now up on Youtube.  Thanks to Phog Masheen for including my set, and I must say that all of the other sets on the festival are well worthy of your time too.  Some great variety in there, and it's an honour for my dismal racket to be played.  Trigger warning for flashing images.... 

You can see it >>>>> HERE <<<< 

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Tump Clump Episode 12 is up next week, with some more live / exclusive / archival / unheard / demo tracks... so I shall post about that soon.

Cheers one and all

TUMP 

x

Wonder Valley Experimental 14

I discovered the festival called Wonder Valley Experimental which has been running for the past 14 years in California (Palms Restaurant, to be exact).

The organiser Phog Masheeen has kept it going through the pandemic in a virtual setting, and this year both the virtual and physical festivals are taking place.  Here's a little clippy video to get you excited!

I real shame I cannot get to the physical place - would love to perform somewhere like that! It looks a great venue.  My damp shed shall have to suffice for now.  Here is the poster for the physical in person (meat space) festival:

Here is the full virtual lineup:

I applied for a slot to the virtual festival and by golly I was accepted.  I have recorded a dull video using my recent "Palimpsest" setup (me stood in the corner of my shed twiddling things) and enlisted the talents of Arachnopus to edit some glory into the footage.  

You can check out one of her other videos here for Dollarstore Keyboard and she seems to be some sort of wizzo at doing this.  I supplied some raw footage of Dartmoor and the surrounding area - am exciting to see what she comes up with!

Oh and I pretty much finished Intrusive Signals issue 3, more on that next....