Perhaps the best thing about helming a super tiny label is one definitely goes at one’s own pace; the earth keeps spinning, and when a release is ready, it manifests and we all move on, happier and aurally sated.
That said, there are some times when a release takes an excessively long time to come to fruition (notably, the recent Chop Shop 2 LP set, which holds a personal “record” of nearly 8 years, and that doesn’t count my previous communication with Scott about a release since 1995-6).
The release I am excited to share today is also one that has been percolating for quite a while: the audio files had been on my machine since January 2014, the graphics import date is 2015, and the bulk of my email communicaton with Arvo is from 2016.
There are a lot of reasons this took so long to get going, mostly me, but perhaps everything happens for a reason…and this is a long wind up to announce my extreme pleasure to finally release into the world:
ballast NVP011: Children of the Stones re-envisioned by Arvo Zylo (2 x 3” CDR)
I think I really got to know Arvo maybe 10 or so years ago, mostly through his live performances. Whether solo or with ensembles, his live sets were almost always intense, dense, ride-the-mixer-into-the-red, primal “industrial:” sanders played on sheet metal, that sort of stuff. It was material I really enjoyed hearing live.
So when Arvo sent me the audio for this release, I was surprised to hear the result of his densely stirred, multiple layers of looping and phasing (as in, triple digit layering, an extremely common pathway for his studio recordings), was minimal—yet immensely immersive. Tones, frequencies, and snippets of sound (all sourced from the TV series of the same name) layer, swim, and ebb around one another to create aural waves that then radiate and fold back into themselves. Instead of Haters, I was reminded of Hafler Trio or Nurse With Wound. It’s a rare combination of breathing room and myriad layers of shifting and sliding parts: new elements and transitions seem to peek through over repeated listens.
Some additional info about the release.
This release comes in a hardback book-like package with a hand stamped cover, screen-printed interior, two small posters, and is numbered and signed by Arvo. The edition is 55 copies, and it is $16 postage paid in the US. (If you’re overseas, let me know so I can calculate shipping).
I am thrilled to see this make its way into the world, and I cannot stress my appreciation enough to Arvo for his patience, meticulousness, and determination of vision with this release.