World Drone Day (an attempt)

 I tried making a drone track for the Fallen Lo world drone day compilation - "this trempling place".  I ended up with an 11 minute long crunchy static beast which had more akin with the aesthetics of harsh noise wall.  But with some keen listening, you may find some drone tones underneath the crunchy full freqency noise and skittering tones.  So, slightly droney, but not fully, but possibly as close as the Soloman Tump sound gets to a purists drone.

I called the track Cyclopean Trawling, and you can find it here as a pay-what-you-like digital download/stream album via Bandcamp.  Also on the compilation are noise associates Ritual Dust and The Crawling Man amongst a total of 31 killer tracks.  Some great variety here and I love being part of collected compilations of artists from all over the play.  

The Tump Clump Episode 23

A fun special treat for you this month (broadcast from the inimitable SoundArt Radio 18/05/23 at 8pm UK time.... then of course available on Mixcloud soon afterwards)

I recorded a straight to vinyl mix of some dismal sounds.  Various bits and pieces that kinda work together.  Some excerpts, some full tracks, some played at the wrong speed, a couple of skips that I had to edit out afterwards.  Hope you enjoy, I had fun recording this.  You never know, some day I may be allowed into the SoundArt studios to do this live!

• The Dead Mauriacs - Ceremonie Acte 1 (Haemoccult) - 7"  (played at 33rpm instead of 45rpm but still sounds great... I had it queued up ready to go but when I turned my turntable off before lunch it resets to default 33rpm and I just hit that record button without checking.... a schoolboy error in the vein of the late, great John Peel in which I kinda feel happy about)

• BLACKCLOUDSUMMONER - The Singing Wound - Middle Aged Lightning - 12" lathe cut on NIM-BRUT USA... intentionally played a lot slower than the artist originally intended but I kinda liked it this way. Big thanks to my man Plague Arish for gifting this record to me

• Shaun Robert - Envelop - 7" Institute For Alien Research - another record gifted to me, this time by the artist, for which I am grateful. 

• SOFT ISSUES - Pelt - from self titled 12" on Opal Tapes.  I saw this act at Supernormal Festival a few years back and loved them.  Proper noisy powerful angst.  Went straight to the merch tent and snapped it up.

• Ekoplekz - Ekztrakz A - 7" lathe cut (self released) - with thanks to Mr Ekoplekz from Bristol, I play an excerpt of side A of this limited lathe cut release which is a recording from a live show performed a couple of years back.

• LDWG - DRM1MKII - from V/A 12" on Sports Manchester.  A 5 track various artists release of grimy club sounds.  Could have played any of the tracks on here to be honest, all great stuff.

• Ital - Citadel (G.O.D Remix) Toxic Waste Environment, Gang of Ducks 12".  Cannot remember where I got this from, may have part of a haul from Redeye Records  and I should probably pay them an online visit again soon anyway because they always stock some great stuff. 

• GreyArea - Volume 4, track A2, 12" on Samurai / Auxiliary.  Became a fan of the somewhat mysterious GreyArea project - I have the first 5 12" releases and I *think* that is all that was released. So far.  Strange rhythms and barely comprehensible time signatures are the order of the day. 

• Sly & The Family Drone* & Dead Neanderthals - Muck Man Part 2 (Molar Wrench) 12" on Hominid Sounds.  Two great live acts coming together for a killer long form release.  And fantastic artwork from a chap called Ian Watson who lives in Cardiff I believe.  I have a piece of his black pen art framed in the hallway downstairs.  Wonderful.

• Perispirit - 14th Annual Seance (excerpt) Spiritual Church Movement 12" Digitalis.  A favourite noise 12! Two long pieces of weird sounds, where you can drop the needle anywhere throughout and be greeted with some drama.

• Dieter Muh - Herma, The Bjorn Tapes 12" on Force Majeure.  With thanks to Dieter Muh for this release, still sound excellent 20+ years on.

• Justice Yeldham - Fresh Balls (Fresh Books 12") - Feeding Tube Records.  Purchased direct from Mr Yeldham when he was on tour in the UK but I couldnt make any of this performances, the good man posted it to me.

• Manos Tacticos and his Bouzoukis - Agapi Mou Palia - The Sound of Greece 12" Golden Hour.  Perfect 50p charity shop find.  Played obviously at the wrong speed.

• Trerikroset - Filantropen - Harbinger Sound 12".  Mono harsh noise wall. Say nae more. 

• HI-FI Sound Stereo Test Record - Tracing and Pressure Tracing & Grey Noise 12".  One of my all time favourite DJ tools to finish the set off with.  Loads of different "signals" for setting up your speakers and record players.  Great stuff. 

*with thanks to my proof reader, Steve @ Muhmur Radio, for pointing out my error!

See you next month, got some new music lined up, back to the normal format..... but probably another vinyl DJ mix soon because I likey. 

I did a real tape

I failed at mentioning it too much on this blog prior to release because I didn't want to broadcast details before the label did; and then it sold out pretty quickly, and then I forgot. 

My collaborative album alongside Paradox Encounter Group (aka Paul Xemporium) seemed to go down pretty well.  It was one of those long distance pass files backwards and forwards editing as we go along type things.  

If you so desire you can grab the digital direct from Tone Burst here, they did a fantastic job on the artwork and the physical media so I suggest supporting them if you are able. Couple of aleftover artist copies of the tape available on my bandcamp page if you wish....

Was a fun and slightly chaotic album to work on.  Paul sent me 4 of his tracks; I worked some ideas of them.  He liked them so much he called them "finished". Hah! Brilliant.  Me, the forever procrastinator, wanted to work some more magic into them.  But in the end we kept with the raw / DIY approach of calling it down.  I then sent him 4 of my tracks which became 5 once Paul had finished.  8 of them made it to the tape and the last one was played on Tump Clump a few months ago.  It might end up online at some point. 

the P.E.G sound is one of harsh noises and volume shifts.  The Soloman Tump sound is one of dismal repetitions and electronics.  I think they go together quite well. 

My original photo which inspired the artwork

The Tump Clump Episode 22

Episode 22 of The Tump Clump rears its ugly head from the foetid abyss and snarls angrily at the clouds passing gaily overhead.  

01 Ahrimanic - Formless Terror (from CAOSAGI)

02 Burnthouse Lane - Subcontent (EUPHORI)

03 Dave Fuglewicz - The Dance of Wendy (Selected Works, 1990-1997 / NO PART OF IT)

04 Dylan M. Howe - Pottery Fragment (Criterion Summer, Cornwall's Dub Cthonic)

05 Dreadful Monkey Machine - Embrace the Wet Pavement (20p Carpet Service)

06 Jo Montgomerie - they all fell so easy (Those Things Beyond & Within, Brachliegen Tapes)

07 Shaun Robert - açtíçañiämûs (IFAR) 4:33

08 VX - FUTB 0001 (The Unpleasant Archive, Preston Capes)

09 EXIT ELECTRONICS - DOING IT WRONG (LEARN THE HARD WAY)

10 Coma Cluster - NGC 4874 - 02 В течение движения

11 BLACKCLOUDSUMMONER - FRUITING BODIES FORMING WORDS (THE REDHEAD)

12 Tweaked field recording of Plague Arish squeaking his wet shoes on the decking outside the Cott Inn, Dartington, October 2022. 

The above is what got played.  This time, pretty much all of it available via bandcamp, and I guess that's just a reflection of the stuff I have been buying / getting codes for / attempting to support artists and labels direct.  As you should too of course. 

I do have a couple of "mainstream" albums I want to pick up soon, so will probably head to Drift Records in Totnes to grab those as its good to support brix and morta whenever poss. 

So anyway....

I love the new Burnthouse Lane album, it came out via Inverted Grim-Mill Recordings from Newcastle upon Tyne.  I have a track by this collective before, way back in the early days of the show.  In typical Tump Clump style it's tricky music to categorise but I guess it falls into the niche zone of cut-up ambient drone? Who knows.

A shout out must be said for the VX album The Unpleasant Archive.  Preston Capes is a new offspring label to Woodford Halse, showcasing the weirder and more experimental sounds that would not find their way on to the main label.  Already up to 12 cassette releases, it is turning into an excellent source of new sounds. 

Finally this month I play a track by BLACKCLOUDSUMMONER from their new album THE REDHEAD, which I believe to be their best body of work to date.  It's got that unhinged crazy that I love, but also plenty of consideration to depth of sound, space and aesthetics.  Kit list: FLESH, METAL, ELECTRICITY, SYNTHS, PEDALS, SAMPLER, MENTAL ILLNESS ETC.  Wonderful. 

Enjoy, or don't, etc..

Kodak Ghosts Run Amok!

Yes, the name of a 1980 track by synth pop outliers Eyeless in Gaza (thanks for the tip-off, Steve of Muhmur Radio), but also an excellent zine coming out of Bristol.  

Being Instagram acquaintances with Matt who creates the zine, it was a pleasure to meet him at Feedback & Frustration in Bristol back in February and grab a copy of Issue 6.  It features and interview with the now sadly defunct Fever 103 (but reborn as Mad Girl so watch this space) and many other wonderful acts of the underground, gothic, electronic and noisy worlds.  Plenty of crossover with Intrusive Signals!

Just before Feedback & Frustration I was asked if I wanted to contribute a track to the forthcoming Issue 6.66 Industrial & Noise compilation. Hot dang yes I would!  The zine itself includes a game, maze, a lush interview with Distraxi (who I made the recent Dartmoor Electronics split CD with) and also an interview with Kelan, who appeared in a past issue of my Snare Rush zine as part of rhythmic ritual duo Salac. 

So it was an absolute pleasure to provide an exclusive track "Foxtormire" for this CDr compilation of which there were only 50 copies.  To be featured alongside such inspiring acts as Distraxi, Knifedoutofexistence, Ecotage and Acts of Worship (who all played the all-day gig in Bristol under one guise or another) is a real coup for me! Additionally, Tommy Creep is responsible for the equally awesome Black Panels Only eurorack zine.  

So the zine in question is most likely sold out now. And I don't think there are any plans to make the compilation available digitally.  So you may not be able to even hear half of the tracks played here, such is life in the DIY world.  I know a few are (or will) be available elsewhere, and I may stick Foxtormire onto bandcamp at some point in the future.

Support DIY and zines and stuff. It's fun.