ballast nvp075 (vertonen) and 076 (Pope Joanna) now available!

excited to share these two new releases, which are, coincidentally, both in 5" reel to reel boxes...

ballastnvp075—vertonen: on company business (CDR, 3” CDR, booklet)

the full-length CDR component of this release is an unabashed homage to the audio work of Eric Lunde. first, 80 to 90% of the audio was processed using the opycay device Eric gave me some 10 years ago. those familiar with Eric’s work will easily recognize its unmistakable aural signature. (for those unfamiliar, think of a device that accelerates the process of duplication exemplified by Alvin Lucier’s “I am sitting in a room.”)

layers of cut-up, duplicated, and distorted voices and cassette players churning, sputtering, and dying, obscuring and uncovering elements of communication and language à la the cut-up text ideas of William Burroughs and others.

the 3” CDR explores one of the outgrowths of “mind control” projects of the CIA’s MKULTRA project, and the booklet features cut-ups from declassified CIA documents.

edition of 24 signed and numbered copies.

$16 ppd US, overseas, let’s be in touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

ballastnvp076—Pope Joanna: Holy Furnace (CDR, booklet, ephemera)

honest to goodness power electronics. I have known Clarisse (Pope Joanna) for almost 25 years—we performed two shows in CA in 2002, did a very short east coast tour a year later, and then she pretty much put the project to rest and focused on her academic career. although we never fell out of communication, our chatting picked up a bit after she released a split cassette in 2010. I had long hoped Clarisse would make a recording of Sermon I—the piece she performed at the two shows in CA—partially because I had fond memories of the shows but also because it seemed a glaring gap in her fairly thin recorded output.

over the course of nine years, Clarisse recorded an iteration of Sermon I along with seven other pieces and has deemed this release the conclusion of Pope Joanna.

The lyrics, as Clarisse states, “are almost all based on the hypocrisy of religion and cloaked in the tropes of religious texts: sermons, prayers, etc.”

In addition to a booklet of lyrics and a thorough interview, the release comes with a reliquary of sorts: Clarisse cut up elements of her Pope Joanna costume (pontifical gloves, stole, and mitre) and attached them to the inside bottom of the box.

Edition of 26 signed and numbered copies.

$16 ppd US, overseas, let’s be in touch.

 

 

 

just released: ballastnvp072—tac: soundofnoise (7” lathe, CDR)

almost one year ago I released a 7” lathe and CDR set by tac entitled vibrations. and, lo and behold, I'm excited to share that a new tac 7” lathe and CDR is here!

soundofnoise further explores audio in what I would consider tac’s signature style: a focused capturing of source material, either organically produced or constructed by tom, that is sometimes treated—or combined with other recordings. the result? one might recognize a sound, but there’s something just a bit disorienting at play. the lathe has four shorter tracks (approx. 3 minutes each) that are focused distillations of this process, and the CDR (approx. 60 minutes) further weaves and juxtaposes audio past and current into a long-form aural terrain. 

as with almost all tac releases, the packaging is part of the puzzle…for this release, fire played a role in sealing the perimeter of the packaging (see photos for reference) and the inserts provide additional insight (and clues) into the audio on this release.

edition of 22 copies, $30 ppd in the us—folks overseas get in touch so we can figure out shipping.

(also, there are very limited copies of vibrations remaining. if you want to grab both releases, let me know.)

evicshen 10” lathe (nvp066), vertonen CDR (nvp073)

super excited to share that the evicshen lathe has landed! side 1 has two tracks that, for me, really do justice to the breadth of audio victoria creates.  

(if you aren’t familiar with her work, watch this.)

side two is a cut-up 7” flexi that has both tracks from side one of the 10” on it….so,
if you have a portable turntable with no tracking features, a needle that isn’t one you’d leave in a will, and something to bump the tonearm back in place, you’ll enjoy some pretty chaotic stuff.

edition of 25 numbered copies, $50 ppd in the us. overseas, let’s be in touch.

second, a new vertonen cdr, “crevarsse,” is now available. field recordings (direct, embellished, or enhanced), shortwave, drone, and damaged electronics. it’s also the prologue to a trilogy, “phothuum,” which will be released as a 3 CDR boxed set later this year.

edition of 32 signed and numbered copies, $12 ppd in the us. overseas, let’s be in touch.