Gem Vision - Lynx

Justin Kelly's Watercolor Records has been on another hot streak, relinquishing four new tapes recently that are all worth a good listen. I've been making my way through these releases, and already shared Jason Urick and Cex's ridiculously good dub edit cassette. Next up is a release from the label owner himself, a new Gem Vision album.

Gem Vision has typically taken a more ambient form on past releases, but Lynx is the first beat-oriented affair from the Baltimore sound collagist. Describing these cuts as beats is a term I'll assign quite loosely, as Lynx isn't for the traditionalist.



Lynx was created just like any good beat album should - with some serious record crate digging. Kelly admits the process might not have been typical though, as he tells me he began by going to record shops looking for the most cheesy album covers he could find. From there it was all about re-contextualization, or as Kelly describes, "sampling and then destroying the sample and then finding some way to make it work."



The result is Lynx, almost 40 minutes of lo-fidelity light radio jams and obscure 80s re-imaginations that feel like a roller rink daydream. Some of the ingredients described include "Total Funk Recall", "Scrambled Romantic Saxophone", and "Don't Care Jive".

Lynx is available on cassette and as a free download from Watercolor Records.

Jason Urick and Cex - Title King

Last week on my Impose column I posted about a new tape that has yet to leave my iTunes playlist, and now my tape deck thanks to Justin over at Watercolor Records.



It's a new dub edit cassette from Jason Urick and Cex, and it's out now. Above is the lead, and just a sample of what to expect from the following 45 minutes of tape. Some more info on this one is over at Impose, but be sure to grab the "8 tracks of Winterfresh Dub forged in a cavern under a ganja feild" to get your summer started right.

Title King is available on tape and as a free download via Watercolor.

Eachothers - Lately Now

Last weekend I had the pleasure of sitting next to WTR CLR's table during the Publication & Multiples Fair at Open Space, as if I hadn't already dug deep enough into their catalog.

With recent standout releases that include work from Ken Seeno, Holy Ghost Party, Gem Vision, and Dustin Wong, it's been tough to not spend a ton of time with each album WTR CLR has put out. A new one to my eyes and ears this past weekend was a split CDR from Eachothers and En Passant. Take a listen to Eachothers' "Brim" below.



I've only had a chance to spend some time with the Eachothers disc, as having experienced John Jones' live shows a few times prior, it was a welcome find. The sound is rich in layered guitar bliss, and Lately Now does more to build upon the brilliance of his earlier work. In many instances of looping guitar music there are often definitive start and ending points for each sound and layer. But with Eachothers, layers and loops don't ever really end or start as much as they intertwine and melt together.

The packaging of this double CDR is also worth noting, as it comes in a beautifully colored cardboard encasing thats about the same size as a DVD. The front is pictured above, but I'd recommend ordering your own copy from WTR CLR to get the full effect.

Ken Seeno - Open Window

A few weeks ago I gushed about Ken Seeno's release with NNA Tapes, and here I am again with a new release from the Ponytail guitarist. Sample "Spirit of '77" below.



"Spirit of 77" comes later on in Ken Seeno's new tape, likely at a time when you've stepped through the open window and are amongst the clouds. Not to say that the entire cassette doesn't make you feel as if you've been lifted into the stratosphere, because it really does. But, while other melodies feel more personal and enclosed, "Spirit of '77" delivers the feeling of endless possibilities and truly open skies.

This album was actually recorded before Invisible Surfer On An Invisible Wave, marking this as Ken's solo debut. The familiar signs of Seeno's rock band Ponytail are present here and there, but Open Window finds him exploring vastly different and more cavernous avenues. Ken Seeno fills these empty spaces with simple and and hypnotic beats, experimental melodies, and entrancing synths fit for the cosmos.

Buy the cassette from WTR CLR, or download the whole thing for free right here.

Gem Vision - Space Heater

Baltimore's own Gem Vision is the work of Justin Kelly, who is also responsible for the always radical WTR CLR. In 2009 Gem Vision released both More and Ambien, the former being the inaugural release in WTR CLR's catalog. At the very end of 2010 Justin passed along to me Space Heater, a new release under the Gem Vision moniker that also features help from David Jacober and Zachary Utz (Holy Ghost Party, Dope Body).



"Untitled 1" is a somewhat calm and peaceful exploration into tones and textures. The feeling of warmth and familiarity are present, but never overwhelming, almost like a recurrent dream that you hope makes an appearance each night. When the mood shifts, there's moments of not knowing where you stand, but the floor is just as quickly put right back beneath your feet. While the feeling of each note seems to be felt heavily, each is enforced with such careful delivery that it's sure to have you off to the clouds.

Space Heater was recorded last winter in Baltimore using a Tascam four track recorder. It's a collection of three improvised compositions, and clocks in at over 17 minutes all together. It's available for free download from WTR CLR now, get on it.

Holy Ghost Party - Prog Parents plus "CHEF SOLDIERS" premiere

The debut EP from Holy Ghost Party is now available - four tracks from the duo of David Jacober and Zachary Utz, who are also 2/3 of Dope Body. This batch of new tracks is called Prog Parents, and will also be a part of an LP the band is currently finishing up.



Above is the brand new "CHEF SOLDIERS", which you'll find on the forthcoming full length DADVIBES, but not the current EP called Prog Parents. It's much like the hardly-tamed weirdo pop I've featured from these dudes before, but marches in a sunnier direction. Interwoven bursts of prog and psych are crossed with layered percussion and infectious vocals. This is done in a fashion that makes pinpointing a genre rather precarious, as there is seemingly a plethora of influences at work.

Prog Parents hits similarly from start to finish, with the instantly-addictive "Toys" and "Tricky", to the supernatural and industrial jams of "Beachwhole". This tape is an awesome introduction to these Baltimore folks, and comes highly recommended. The cassette was just released on WTR CLR, and you can snag yours right here.

HOLY GHOST PARTY - PROG PARENTS
WTRCLR008
Duration _ 15:00

1. TOYS
2. SHIT HOUSE LUCK
3. TRICKY
4. BEACH WHOLE

Teeth Mountain - Teeth Mountain Reissue

For those that haven't quite yet experienced the free-formed percussive drone that is Teeth Mountain, their debut LP isn't a bad place to start. While they're best served in a live setting, their 2008 long player that came out on SHDWPLY has been worn pretty thin by my record needle with spin after spin over the past couple years.

As the original LP is currently sold out, WTR CLR has recently announced the CD reissue of this killer release. With the original artwork in tact via DVD case form, WTR CLR continues to focus on the quality of each release's packaging and art.



"Ghost Science" is the fifth track on the LP, a looping and meditative romp that stampers into an eventual eruption - an explosion of the warped and synthetic variety. Flute-like whistles screech until they eventually give way, sending you right back to the ground in which the short journey began.

Snag the album here, where you can also download and hear "Harh Tanz".

JUNE 2010
WTRCLR007
TEETH MOUNTAIN - SELF TITLED CD (RE ISSUE)
Duration _ 28:10

1. INTRODUCT
2. BLACK JERUSALEM
3. KEINSEIN
4. SPIRALS
5. GHOST SCIENCE
6. SOFT BEAST
7. 13
8. HARH TANZ
9. MALAMUT

Dustin Wong - Let It Go

Last year's Seasons was the culmination of several years of self-recorded material by Ponytail guitarist Dustin Wong, and easily one of my favorite records of 2009. Last week WTR CLR released Let It Go, Dustin's first solo release since Seasons.

Let It Go consists of material written and recorded after the release of his debut, and is further documentation of Dustin's growth. Streaming below is "Anniversary Song".



"Anniversary Song" is of the more upbeat gems of his catalog, and what was once hypnotic layers of lush guitar noise now adds percussive vocals and playful keys. This track and other moments of the Let It Go may hint at a new direction, but are intertwined with the signature sounds of Dustin's prior work and performances that we in Baltimore have come to know and love.

Clocking in at over 47 minutes, Let It Go is a hefty serving of mind-blowing guitar wizardry. Head over to WTR CLR to download the entire album for free, but purchasing the beautiful cassette (pictured after the jump) comes highly recommended. Justin over at WTR CLR has some more stellar things in store, and you can check back here for details on upcoming releases from Dope Body, Jason Urick, and Smart Growth.


Let It Go
1. FAIR AT NIGHT LIT WITH CANDLES
2. MY SONG 6
3. FOR DANIEL
4. ANNIVERSARY SONG
5. NOPERA FIN
6. MATTHEW AND KENNETH
7. MILD WEST
8. FOURTH OF JULY BQE
9. GYMNOPEDIE
10. ICE MELTS AGAIN