https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

The Obelisk Radio Adds: Bong, Space Mushroom Fuzz, Desert Lord, Lucifer in the Sky with Diamonds, and Plunger

Posted in Radio on September 12th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk radio

It’s been a couple weeks since the last time I was able to get together a proper round of adds to The Obelisk Radio, and the list as a result is accordingly huge. I’d have to go back and compare the last 18-plus months to be sure, but I think 40 albums is up there with what I might have uploaded during the initial buildup of the playlist, just basically getting everything I could think of and a bunch of stuff I couldn’t to expand on what was on the hard drive when I got it. We’ll be at two years since the Radio stream went live before I know it. Time goes quick, and seems to all the more when each post has a timestamp.

I say this every time, but there’s a lot of killer stuff included this week, so I hope you find something you enjoy.

The Obelisk Radio Adds for Sept. 13, 2014:

Bong, Bong Presents Haikai No Ku Ultra High Dimensionality LP

bong haikai no ku

I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to try to ascertain what plane of being Bong are residing on these days, but suffice it to say, they’ve evolved beyond corporeal form and merged with the all-consuming distortion of the universe. At least that’s how it sounds. The maddeningly prolific UK drone-doomers present this release but aren’t actually on it, save for guitarist Mike Vest, who leads the side-project Haikai No Ku through five tracks of blissful psychout on Ultra High Dimensionality. If you’re looking for differences between the two outfits, Haikai No Ku lean less toward grim droning than Bong, and songs like “Dead in the Temple” and “Blue at Noon” roll out huge psychedelic grooves — the band is completed by bassist Jerome Smith and drummer Sam Booth — but there’s consistency to be found in the wash of noise and the complete hypnosis of their repetitions anyway, and as high as the dimensionality might be, the volume should be higher. One to get lost in for sure, and there’s enough space for everyone. Bong on Twitter, on Bandcamp.

Lucifer in the Sky with Diamonds, The Shining One

lucifer in the sky with diamonds the shining one

The pun in the moniker of Moscow double-guitar four-piece Lucifer in the Sky with Diamonds probably doesn’t need to be pointed out. Featuring The Grand Astoria collaborator Igor SuvorovLucifer in the Sky with Diamonds pull together touches of psychedelic impulsiveness and classic heavy rock structures with the production clarity and catchy songwriting of mid-era Queens of the Stone Age. There’s a danger underscoring the boogie of “How to Fix Things” from the band’s self-released debut LP, The Shining One, that seems to find payoff later in the big-groove hook of “Highlow World,” which provides one of the album’s most satisfying listens before shifting into an airier dreamspace and fading into the noisier “Lords of the Damned,” reviving the largesse of riff prior to the closing title-track. An intriguing debut for an outfit loaded with potential, the fullness of their sound boding particularly well for their confidence in their sound and the precision of their execution. One not to be missed. Lucifer in the Sky with Diamonds on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

Desert Lord, To the Unknown

desert lord to the unknown

Finnish stoner-doom foursome Desert Lord get into some Sabbath-worship on their debut long-player, To the Unknown, but manage to avoid both the trap of retro ’70s-ism that has much of Europe so firmly in its grasp and the trap of sounding like Reverend Bizarre, whose legacy in their native land isn’t to be understated. Of particular note is that Desert Lord cite The Cult as an influence. One can hear shades of that in the guitars on opener “Forlorn Caravan,” but Desert Lord quickly move into doomier fare on the subsequent nine-minute “Wonderland,” which distinguished by weeded-out wah on Roni‘s bass. Middle-ground is sought and found on “New Dimensions,” with vocalist Sampo Riihimäki reminding of Earthride‘s Dave Sherman in his movement between rougher delivery, spoken word, and accentuated screaming, also hinting at roots in more traditional metal, though “Manic Survivor’s Song” gives way to more stoner territory in the guitar, reminding of some of Eggnogg‘s stylistic turns, though with less of a mind toward tonal thickness. They’re still figuring out where they want to be, but Desert Lord‘s To the Unknown has more than a few moments worth the effort of a listen. Desert Lord on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

Space Mushroom Fuzz, Onward, to the Future

space mushroom fuzz onward to the future

Perpetually progressive and perpetually prolific bizarro psych rockers Space Mushroom Fuzz return with another new release, dubbed Onward, to the Future. The Boston outfit, led by Adam Abrams of Blue Aside, include two tracks this time out, “Onward, to the Future,” a laid back space rocker made strange in its midsection with some theremin-style keys, and the waltzing “Half the Way Down,” which shows off some classical guitar work over a subtly oompah backing rhythm with soft, brooding vocals. Is it possible to have a shoegazing waltz? Space Mushroom Fuzz never lack character in they do, Abrams periodically leading the way through jams that could and sometimes do run into indulgent (if satisfying) noodlefests, but particularly with “Half the Way Down,” there’s something more grounded and sadder at the root. “Onward, to the Future” tells a tale of alien invasion — short version: they win — and showcases the band’s exploratory side, but even that ends contemplative and relatively minimal, sort of dropping instruments one at a time by its finish on a long fade. A lesson in taming expectation, perhaps, and a fascinating, quick journey from this inventive outfit. Space Mushroom Fuzz on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

Plunger, Space Plumber

plunger space plumber

All seems to be on a course for weirdo noise punk as Los Angeles bass/drum duo Plunger get underway on their debut Space Plumber EP, some Melvins influence making itself felt on “Toxic Wrap,” and then they rumble and thump their way into the eight-minute centerpiece title-track, and it becomes apparent that there’s much more going on with twin brothers Mark (bass/vocals) and Kris Calabio (drums/vocals, also of Old Man Wizard) than it might at first seem. They quickly put their own minimalism to work for them on the faster opener “Blerg Rush,” but “Space Plumber” moves far off into sparseness, the drums barely there when they are and then gone ahead of the transition into “Sleep,” on which both Mark and Kris contribute vocals over a fuller rumble and steady roll, clearly enjoying the contrast. “Plunger” rounds out the release with a fuller take on some of the faster movement of the opener, starts and stops in the unpretentious 1;53 finale. One gets the feeling the (Super) Calabio Bros. are only going to get stranger from here, and that suits them well. Plunger on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

Once again, these are five cool releases, but there were 35 other records that join the playlist today, including full-lengths from Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Apostle of Solitude and on and on. A couple of these will be on the year-end list, so if you get the chance to check out The Obelisk Radio playlist and updates page, I think it’s worth a look.

Thank you for reading and listening.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

audiObelisk Transmission 039

Posted in Podcasts on August 26th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Click Here to Download

 

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

This one’s a couple minutes shorter than the last few have been, but lacks nothing for substance, and particularly after YOB‘s “Marrow,” anything I put at the end would’ve just been filler to meet some imaginary obligation on my part. If you feel like you’re lacking the four minutes, give me a call and we’ll chat about records for the rest of that time. It’ll be a hoot. In any case, I think there’s plenty here to sink into — stuff that for a lot of people, myself included, will be on year-end lists and albums for which 2014 will be remembered when all is said and done. Two of my four current contenders for Album of the Year are featured, first and last.

Parts of this podcast are gorgeous, parts are ugly, but I think everything here holds up in terms of quality and listening back, I like the way this one gets immersive with a mix of longer tracks and shorter ones, slower and faster, etc. As always, I hope you enjoy, and I thank you sincerely for taking the time to check it out.

First Hour:
Lo-Pan, “Regulus” from Colossus (2014)
Steak, “Liquid Gold” from Slab City (2014)
The Well, “Mortal Bones” from Samsara (2014)
Orange Goblin, “The Devil’s Whip” from Back from the Abyss (2014)
Kvlthammer, “Hesh Trip” from Kvlthammer (2014)
Snailking, “To Wonder” from Storm (2014)
Earth, “From the Zodiacal Light” from Primitive and Deadly (2014)
Pallbearer, “Watcher in the Dark” from Foundations of Burden (2014)
Sorxe, “Her Majesty” from Surrounded by Shadows (2014)

Second Hour:
Humo del Cairo, “Tres” from Preludio EP (2014)
Joy, “Miles Away” from Under the Spell Of… (2014)
Megaton Leviathan, “Past 21” from Past 21: Beyond the Arctic Cell (2014)
Bong, “Blue at Noon” from Haikai No Ku – Ultra High Dimensionality LP (2014)
YOB, “Marrow” from Clearing the Path to Ascend (2014)

Total running time: 1:53:47

 

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 039

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Roadburn 2014: Sets from Bong, Age of Taurus, Windhand, Samothrace, Noothgrush, Brutus, Whitehorse and Regarde les Hommes Tomber Available to Stream

Posted in audiObelisk on June 18th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

One of the things I enjoy most about these Roadburn streams every year is that not only do they allow the people who were there to relive the awesome (and in many cases, fuzzy) memories of seeing these bands, but they allow everyone, whether they were there or not, to get a glimpse at some of what they didn’t get to see. Because you can try your damnedest to catch everything at Roadburn every year — I know I have on the years I’ve been fortunate enough to go — but it’s just not going to happen. At any point during the three days of the fest-proper, there are at least four stages running simultaneously, and there’s just no way to be everywhere at once. I saw Noothgrush at Roadburn 2014, but I missed Brutus, saw Samothrace and missed Windhand.

With the audio streams — diligently recorded at Roadburn 2014 by Marcel van de Vondervoort and his team, as ever — that doesn’t matter. It would be something if the fest set up a security system for the audio one of these years that you had to be there to hear it (actually it would suck, aside from being a logistical/coding nightmare), but fortunately that’s not the case, and whether you were at the 013 or in the Netherlands or not, you can enjoy the fruits of Roadburn‘s considerable labors. If it sounds utopian, it is.

To listen and enjoy:

Age of Taurus – Live at Roadburn 2014

Bong – Live at Roadburn 2014

Brutus – Live at Roadburn 2014

Noothgrush – Live at Roadburn 2014

Regarde Les Hommes Tomber – Live at Roadburn 2014

Samothrace – Live at Roadburn 2014

Whitehorse – Live at Roadburn 2014

Windhand – Live at Roadburn 2014

Thanks as always to Walter and the Roadburn crew for allowing me to host the streams. The first batch is still available as well, and for all of the Roadburn 2014 coverage, click here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Roadburn 2014: Bong and Noothgrush Added to Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 4th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

So you’re telling me that if I’m fortunate enough to be able to get my ass to Roadburn 2014, I can see Graves at Sea and Noothgrush? Well Jeebus, Roadburn, why don’t you just fulfill all of my West Coast sludge wishes? The already-badass continues to get more and more badass, and as somebody who’s caught Bong at Roadburn before, I’m happy to say that once you get indoctrinated into that cult there’s really no getting out.

Here’s the latest, courtesy of the Roadburn website:

 

Shamanic Leaders of Psychotropic Doom Excursions Bong To Return To Roadburn Festival 2014

Shamanic leaders of psychotropic doom excursions to the farthest reaches of lysergic space and time, Bong return to Roadburn in 2014!

Exploring the outer reaches of raga-like doom /psychedelia, Bong are meant to be experienced in a live setting and we are ecstatic to have them back to Roadburn, playing on Thursday, April 10th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Strap into the cockpit of your own private space ship and prepare to experience the inexorable journey to the darkest corners of the doomiverse.

Electric Wizard gave us doom-mantia, and Bong stretch that concept out into doom-mantra… a sound where space and time are suspended, and drone, doom and sitars wash over you while you depart this space-time continuum to become suspended in distortion, propelled by slowly mutating drum patterns toward doom enlightenment.

Join us as we turn Roadburn over to Bong‘s mystic vision quest to the molten center of doom.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Bay Area’s Noothgrush To Rumble The Foundations of Roadburn Festival 2014

Utilizing Iommi guitar tone, huge drums awash in wide open cymbals, and sludge / hardcore vokills with heavy political / social lyrical content, Noothgrush are the crushing essence of modern doom, the Bay Area’s answer to Corrupted and early Boris.

They are masters of dynamics, not afraid to get quiet and minimal to create space and contrast for the enormous riffing that follows. Roadburn is extremely happy to to welcome them to the 2014 festival where they will be rumbling the foundations of the 013 venue on Saturday, April 12th in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Noothgrush stretch back almost 20 years, but took a 10 year hiatus and reformed in 2011. They have a guitar sound that is firmly rooted in classic doom, but the drumming and vocals put them stylistically in the modern doom camp. Contemporaries of Eyehategod, Grief and Cavity, Noothgrush did their fair share to drive the sound of U.S. doom lower and slower.

Their vengeful, harrowing doom also incorporates some psychedelic elements as well — evidenced by them covering tracks from Pink Floyd‘s Ummagumma — along with lots of space to give the vocals and guitar maximum impact.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Bong, Idle Days On The Yann (2013)

Tags: , , , , ,

Duuude, Tapes! Bong, Another Dose

Posted in Duuude, Tapes! on August 8th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

They’ve released no fewer than six live records since last year’s Mana-Yood-Sushai studio outing, and still, it would be hard for Bong to work any slower. I don’t recall exactly what the post was from the UK psych-drone mystics that led me to pick up a copy of their latest cassette, Another Dose (released on Washy Tapes), but chances are it was something along the lines of, “Hey, we’re Bong and we have a new tape.” Yeah, probably something like that.

For anyone yet uninitiated into the consuming aural fog Bong emit, the Newcastle upon Tyne outfit have been pumping out live recordings, EPs, splits, demos, and yes, even the occasional full-length studio album, since 2007 or thereabouts, and while their stuff is tonally heavy, the crux of its challenge is in the hypnosis of its drone and repetitions. You will wander into part of a Bong song — let’s take the 22-minute title-track that comprises Another Dose (program repeats on both sides), since it’s the topic at hand — and come out on the other end with little to no idea of how you or the band got there.

There are points at which it’s not unlike Tuvan throat singing with guitars, but there is movement taking place, a build being constructed at the root of “Another Dose.” The drums are a clue, and vocals — or at very least a steady hum/chant that sounds human in its origin — do come in after the progression has been brought to a certain point of psychedelic cacophony. You’ll hear a lead guitar before the five-minute mark, and that’s another signal. But in all my experience with Bong — you’ll absolutely never hear me say I’ve heard everything they’ve put out — it’s the patience and steadiness of their hand that makes what they do most impressive, like they’re right in the trance with you. By the time the 22 minutes of “Another Dose” are up, you might find yourself wondering why the band decided to stop there.

It’s head music for the headiest of heads, drone for the shamans among the converted, but if you can get down, Bong offer much to be dug — and often. The Another Dose tape comes in a hand-screenprinted package with the tape itself and two cards. One has the title on one side and Bong‘s logo on the other, and the other card has pictures of a fuzzy nugget on one side and mushrooms on the other. The cover of the tape itself, on the opposite of the logo side (shown above), is also mushrooms. Let that be a stand-in representative of Bong‘s general point of view. Drug in, drone on. They may just operate on a wavelength all their own for as long as they continue to operate, but if the rate at which they issue output is something to judge by, that suits them well. By the time it’s run its course, Another Dose has gone full-on stunning cosmic doom, and it rounds out just in time to start again on side two.

Bong, Another Dose (2013)

Bong on Thee Facebooks

Washy Tapes

Tags: , , , , ,

audiObelisk: Listen to Roadburn 2012 Audio Streams from YOB, Ancestors, Black Cobra, Bong, Sigiriya, Alkerdeel, Horisont and Barn Owl

Posted in audiObelisk on June 6th, 2012 by JJ Koczan

Today it is my extreme pleasure to host the first of what I hope will be many batches of audio streams from Roadburn 2012. This year, instead of links, I’m honored to host the audio streams themselves, which you’ll find on the players below. Extra special thanks to Walter and the Roadburn crew, and to Marcel van de Vondervoort and his team for recording these sets.

Please enjoy:

AlkerdeelRoadburn 2012

AncestorsRoadburn 2012

Barn Owl

Black CobraRoadburn 2012

BongRoadburn 2012

HorisontRoadburn 2012

SigiriyaRoadburn 2012

YOBThe Unreal Never Lived live at Roadburn 2012

Read The Obelisk’s coverage of Roadburn 2012 here.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

audiObelisk EXCLUSIVE: Bong’s “Dreams of Mana-Yood-Sushai” Now Available for Streaming

Posted in audiObelisk on May 8th, 2012 by JJ Koczan

Bong‘s is a swirling cosmic atmosphere of psychedelic exploration and ritualistic drone. Among the countless live albums, splits, EPs and other limited releases, each time they coalesce in the form of a full-length, it’s more of an event than an album, and the fourth and latest, Mana-Yood-Sushai (out May 14 through Ritual Productions) is the grandest yet. Taking the Newcastle four-piece’s methods of crafting huge, expansive works of riff hypnosis and coupling them with a genuine studio production at the hands of Greg Chandler of Esoteric, the latest outing gives Bong a shape without limiting their movement into, through and around it.

It’s heady shit, in other words — and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. Comprised of just two tracks, Mana-Yood-Sushai is at once complex and minimalistic, its psych wash and chants dense, and there are times listening to the 27 minutes of “Dreams of Mana-Yood-Sushai” when you feel like there’s no path out of it, like Bong have locked you in the temple and the only option you have left is to join them in their worship. Doom by way of Stockholm Syndrome? Maybe, but it’s glorious, either way.

And yet there’s something blissful in “Dreams of Mana-Yood-Sushai” by the end of it, the gradual evolution of the guitar line leading to a sort of melodic hum underlying the weight of the ambience. Bong‘s prior LP outing, Beyond Ancient Space (review here), was nearly 80 minutes long, and at just over 46, Mana-Yood-Sushai isn’t so much a change in methodology as it is a charted course into the band’s peculiar and impeccably constructed tonal abyss.

I’m fortunate enough today to be able to stream “Dreams of Mana-Yood-Sushai” in its 27-minute entirety. Please find the track on the player below, followed by some info from the label, and enjoy:

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Psyched-out, marvelously prolific doomlords Bong have returned once again from the outer limits of doom, drone, and Eastern melody to grace and glorify the riff upon their latest offering, a brand new album, Mana-Yood-Sushai. The album will be released on May 14 by England’s Ritual Productions, longtime supporters and purveyors of the doomed. The ethereal cover artwork is an image of a Nicolas Roerich painting titled “Mount of Five Treasures.”

Following last year’s masterpiece Beyond Ancient Space, this two-horned behemoth was recorded, mixed and mastered in just two days in December 2011, marking the first time Bong have ever entered a professional studio and recorded with an engineer. The esoteric outfit previously preferred to record live, and in shed, and in fields, and wherever the riff saw fit to lead them. 

At the helm was Greg Chandler of Esoteric, who had this to say about the experience: “It was really great to record an album live in the studio with Bong, whose heavy, droning, psychedelic improvisations unfolded like a lucid, transcendental journey. Great vibe to the session with these guys, and a real pleasure to work with. I really enjoyed the session, was cool to work with a band that can just get in and do their thing with a completely no nonsense approach!”

Bassist/vocalist Dave Terry commented, “Two tracks emerged from our battles with the unfamiliar disconnectedness of studio recording, inspired in turn by the stories of Lord Dunsany and the meandering psychedelic rock of Träd Gräs och Stenar. We hope you enjoy listening to them as much as we enjoy playing them.”

For more on Bong or to pre-order Mana-Yood-Sushai, hit up the Ritual Productions website.

Tags: , , ,

Roadburn 2012: Nachtmystium, Witch, Bong, Valient Thorr and Others Added to Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 21st, 2011 by JJ Koczan

The fun never ends when it comes to Roadburn updates, though I’m pretty sure by now there are enough bands on the bill to fill up five or six days. Hell, Roadburn should just make it a full week and be done with it. This time around we learn that Nachtmystium will play all of Instinct: Decay and Witch, Valient Thorr and Bong have joined the crusade.

Check it out:

Roadburn’s extremely pleased to report that Nachtmystium will be playing a very special show at Roadburn 2012’s Voivod-curated Au-delà du Réel event on Friday, April 13th. For the first and only time, Nachtmystium will play their landmark USBM album Instinct: Decay in its entirety.

Nachtmystium is extremely honored to be a part of Roadburn again”, says Blake Judd, “The fact that we were picked by one our idols and perhaps the most forward thinking metal bands of all time, Voivod, makes it even more that extraordinary. We decided to do something hopefully just as equally special for everyone there. We’ll be playing our album, Instinct: Decay, from start to finish. We hope you enjoy it.” More info on Nachtmystium at Roadburn Festival 2012 / Au-delà du Réel event here.

Much to the mutual pleasure of Voivod and ourselves, Witch will be playing a one-off show at the Voivod-curated Au-delà du Réel event at Roadburn 2012 on Friday, April 13th, 013 venue, Tilburg, Holland. Founded in 2006, Witch churn out an punk-inspired style of psychedelic stoner doom that features Dave Sweetapple (Sweet Apple), Graham Clise (Annihilation Time/Lecherous Gaze), Kyle Thomas (Feathers), and marks the return of J. Mascis to drums (his first instrument, back in the Deep Wound days). More info on Witch at Roadburn Festival 2012 / Au-delà du Réel event here.

We’re elated to announce a very special one-off show at Roadburn 2012: A heavy jam by J. Mascis, Mario Rubalcaba (drums, Earthless), Mike Eginton (bass, Earthless) and Graham Clise on Saturday, April 14th. This will be one epic jam session for fans of shredding psychedelia. More info on Heavy Jam at Roadburn Festival 2012 here.

Thorriors of the world rejoice, Valient Himself and his minions from Burlatia have been confirmed for Voivod‘s Au-delà du Réel event at Roadburn 2012 on Friday, April 13th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. For those who like high-energy speed rock-n-roll, sweat drenched heavy metal or ass-shaking punk gospel, Valient Thorr are here to give you what you need. More info on Valient Thorr at Roadburn Festival 2012 / Au-delà du Réel event here.

Once again, the Roadburn Afterburner scheduled on Sunday, April 15th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland, will be a full-on festival day with bands playing on the Main Stage and the Green Room. Technical thrash metal legends Coroner (headliner), along with YOB, Bongripper, Black Cobra, Internal Void, The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, Bong, Urfaust, Dragged into Sunlight, Fleshpress and Atlantis have been confirmed for the Roadburn 2012 Afterburner. More info here.

Bong, Farflung, Saturnalia Temple, Year of the Goat, Ancient VVisdom, Priestess, Danava, Conan, Atlantis and Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell have also been confirmed for Roadburn Festival 2012.

Tickets for Roadburn 2012 will go on sale Saturday, November 26th, 10:00 Central European Time. There will be a 2 ticket limit (per order) for 3-day and 4-day passes and Afterburner tickets –the same goes for the Campsite Tickets. Please visit www.roadburn.com for more info.

 

Tags: , , ,