We’re less than a month away from the release through Off the Record Label of the new REZN album, Chaotic Divine. To herald its arrival and perhaps in some small way to fill some piece of the void left in our lives by the dearth of live music happening at the moment in this wretched excuse for a country, the Chicago-based outfit have put together an official live video for the track “Waves of Sand” from the forthcoming outing. It’s a lush vibe unfolding over the course of seven minutes, and if you weren’t looking forward to Chaotic Divine before, well, you probably should’ve been, but this will only further the case.

Unless you’re my wife.

You see, The Patient Mrs., seated next to me on the couch as I write this and as I viewed the video for the umpteenth time, hates psychedelic sax. It’s kind of a running gag in our household at this point that, every time it comes up, is remarked upon. And you know, not every psych band has sax, but I run into it about every other month maybe, and it would seem that’s enough for her. For what it’s worth, I think the sax here is gold, and likewise the melody it supports and reinforces, so it’s a point of disagreement between myself and the love of my life. I’m confident our relationship can stand the divide.

Though it would be something if the psych-sax was what finally pushed her over the edge of leaving my ass. “Nope, can’t take the sax. I’m out.” I’d be like, “Well damn,” before probably crying forever.

Chaotic Divine is due out Oct. 1, and preorders are up now through Bandcamp and through Off the Record Label, all linked below.

Enjoy the clip (and the sax):

REZN, “Waves of Sand” official live video

Live at Ohmstead, Chicago, USA
Engineered & Mixed by Adrian Kobziar
Video & Edit by Austin Isaac Peters

“Waves Of Sand” is the first single off of ‘Chaotic Divine’, set to release October 1.

Purchase the record here:
rezn.band/merch
rezzzn.bandcamp.com
offtherecordlabel.bigcartel.com

REZN are:
Phil Cangelosi
Patrick Dunn
Rob McWilliams
Spencer Ouellette

REZN, Chaotic Divine (2020)

REZN on Thee Facebooks

REZN on Instagram

REZN on Bandcamp

Off the Record Label webstore

Off the Record Label on Thee Facebooks

Off the Record Label website

In the great hellscape of should’ves that is 2020, REZN should be headed abroad this October for the first time to appear at Høstsabbat in Oslo, presumably among others. That their new album, Chaotic Divine, is due Oct. 1 would seem no coincidence in light of this, and for all I know, that show is still happening. I’d love to go if it is, and if I went, you know damn well I’d be checking out REZN provided that many Americans are allowed to all occupy the same space at the same time. Who’s to say what the next two months might bring?

Well, except that it’ll bring new REZN. The Chicago-based outfit have only been increasingly well-received since their first outing, and with the new song “Waves of Sand,” they may just have hit the moment of arrival in their sound. The individualism on display is palpable while still in the realm of psychedelic heavy, and while it’s in some ways an unfortunate time for a band to be doing their best work, that still beats the alternative.

I didn’t really get to hear Oct. 2018’s Calm Black Water (discussed here), but I dug 2017’s Let it Burn (review here), so I hope the new one makes it out this way. We’ll see I guess. Golly it would be cool to see these cats in Norway.

Preorders are up in the meantime:

‘Chaotic Divine’, our third full-length record, will be released on October 1st. Preorders are available now through our website, Bandcamp, and Off The Record Label:

rezn.band (US / North America)
rezzzn.bandcamp.com (US / North America)
offtherecordlabel.bigcartel.com (EU / International)

The first single, “Waves Of Sand”, is available now for download and streaming everywhere.

Repressings of ‘Let It Burn’ and ‘Calm Black Water’ have also been added to our merch store, as well as a new shirt design and pins.

Eternal thanks for all the support over these past three years. Can’t wait to see where this new sonic portal takes us.

REZN are:
Phil Cangelosi
Patrick Dunn
Rob McWilliams
Spencer Ouellette

facebook.com/reznhits
instagram.com/rezzzn
rezzzn.bandcamp.com
offtherecordlabel.bigcartel.com
https://www.facebook.com/Off-The-Record-1558728014411885/
https://www.offtherecordshop.nl/index.php/off-the-record-label

REZN, Chaotic Divine (2020)

I hate to say it, but it’s getting to the point where I’m hanging a lot of hopes on making the trip to Norway this October for Høstsabbat 2020. Will it happen? I don’t know. Will anything? Maybe by then the world will be up and running — or maybe at least the rest of the world will, if not my home country — and the fest will take place in glorious fashion as a collective sigh of relief among those fortunate enough to be there. But with so much uncertainty around and the Spring festival season at least shuddered in its entirety, I have to wonder what’s in store thereafter. I by no means think that puts me in an exclusive category, by the way. We’re all waiting to see what happens, as the shadow of COVID-19 has become the context in which our lives seem to be taking place. Isn’t being a part of history fun???

Not usually, no. For one night in 2008, maybe.

Anyhoo, I give points to the Høstsabbat crew for pressing ahead and giving folks like me something to look forward to. It helps, genuinely.

Can’t help but notice REZN — added below — and Bongripper, who were added last time, are both Chicago bands. Wonder if — if, if, if, if — they might tour Europe together in some capacity this Fall. Or if at least that might be the plan under which they’re proceeding for now.

I pronounce the species day-to-day:

HØSTSABBAT 2020 – REZN (US)

Finally Friday has kind of lost its meaning nowadays, but to finally be able to announce awesome bands, making their way across the pond to us Europeans for the first time, seems more than legit. The incredibly talented REZN has been a bubbling name in the US scene for years, and their coming to EU seems way overdue.

It’s with massive pride we are able to welcome REZN to Høstsabbat 2020

It’s lovely to see a band fulfilling the intention of our festival as a whole. The sound of REZN sums up the reasons we’re doing this, and reminds us of where it all started. Slow, dynamic riffs, ethereal vocals, grooving, rolling drums, all wrapped up in a sound that makes you forget time and space.

A solid treat for the mind and soul.

Their brilliant take on psychedelic doom adds more to the pot than just killer riffs.

REZN’s clever use of synths and eastern soundscapes make them sound forever fresh and relevant, putting them in a stand-out position in the jungle of bands trying to follow the same recipe.

Following last week’s announcement, they’ll join fellow Chicago band BONGRIPPER, for the most stacked bill of Høstsabbat ever.

October can’t come soon enough.

TICKETS
http://bit.ly/hostsabbat2020

HØSTSABBAT 2020 SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
http://bit.ly/SFhostsabbat2020

NEWSLETTER
http://bit.ly/NLhostsabbat

Artwork: Trine Grimm Tattoo / Linda K Røed

https://www.facebook.com/events/431138574088425/
https://www.facebook.com/hostsabbat/
http://hostsabbat.no/

Genuinely curious to hear what this one might sound like. A collaborative release is always an interesting proposition. I think the reason there aren’t more of them is they’re a logistical nightmare — it’s hard enough to get one band in a studio to record, period, let alone all there at the same time to record live, and let alone an entire second band for the same purpose — but in the vast majority of cases, I find a collaboration far more interesting than a split in one band taking advantage of a chance to work directly with another, and there’s an opportunity to really come up with something special in the doing. So, as Chicago’s REZN and LUME joined forces for the two-song outing Live at Electrical Audio that was recorded earlier this year and will see release on Sept. 19, absolutely I’m on board to take a listen when the time comes. Both groups had albums out last year, and certainly, being in Chicago, it’s hard to argue with the location they chose to try out working together this way.

They’ve done shows live together as well, so I don’t know how planned out any of this material may or may not be, but it’s an awesome idea one way or the other. Clearly something they’ve put their hearts into, particularly for doing it all on tape.

Info follows from Bandcamp:

LUME and REZN combine minds to create a 7-piece psychedelic doom organism on their upcoming split, ‘Live at Electrical Audio’: a live collaboration featuring two slow-burning, mountainous tracks clocking in at over 20 minutes total. The session was recorded live and mixed direct-to-tape by Broke Mende at Electrical Audio’s Studio B, then mastered by Carl Saff and pressed to vinyl locally at Smashed Plastic for a 100% analog and 100% Chicago sonic creation.

To honor the audio fidelity of this project, the digital album features a unique digital mix by Matt Russell, while the vinyl record exclusively contains the original analog mix by Brok Mende.

Releases September 19, 2019.

Performed live by LUME & REZN on March 17, 2019
Recorded to tape at Electrical Audio – Studio B in Chicago, Illinois

1. HI (Digital Mix)
2. LO (Digital Mix)

Austin Hulett: Drums
Dan Butler: Guitar & Vocals
Dylan Hulett: Bass
Patrick Dunn: Drums
Phil Cangelosi: Bass
Rob McWilliams: Guitar & Vocals
Spencer Ouellette: Modular Synthesis & Saxophone

Engineered by Brok Mende
Vinyl Mix by Brok Mende
Digital Mix by Matt Russell
Photo & Design by Austin Isaac Peters

facebook.com/reznhits
instagram.com/rezzzn
rezzzn.bandcamp.com

http://www.facebook.com/lumeband
http://www.instagram.com/lumeband
https://lume.bandcamp.com/

REZN, Calm Black Water (2018)

LUME, Wrung Out (2018)

There wasn’t really any doubt, but it’s nice to have confirmation that the lineup for Stoned and Dusted is awesome. So there you have Melvins, Fu Manchu, Brant Bjork, King Buffalo, Yawning Man, Acid King, Black Mountain, Lo-Pan, REZN, BigPig, Del-Toros, Sgt. Papers and, oh yeah, Radio Moscow for a bit of the ultra-boogie. I was having a conversation not so long ago with an artist who played last year and was talking about how the sound guy was indeed spaced way the hell out, so when you look at the poster and see “Sound Guy on Acid” listed above the Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show, you should know they may be speaking literally. No doubt that will only add to the one-of-a-kind experience of the desert’s own heavy party.

The lineup speaks for itself, so I’ll spare you the get-there-if-you-can-get-there rant and just drop the ticket link here for your purchasing and travel planning. There’s also a Spotify playlist below that, while I imagine you’re well familiar with the bulk of these acts, is no less welcome for that, as far as I’m concerned.

Dig:

Stoned and Dusted 2019

The California Desert Wizards Association will hold its second annual members’ gathering on May 25 & 26th, 2019 in the Southern California Mojave Desert, USA.

Total radness on Memorial Day weekend!

On Saturday May 25th we are doing it up at Pappy & Harriet’s, our favorite desert roadhouse and one of the world’s coolest music venues. Get ready for an outside show under the desert skies with Melvins, Fu Manchu, Brant Bjork, REZN, (Big) Pig, and lights by the Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show.

Our desert party is back and it’s going down on May 26th at a secret location near Joshua Tree, CA with Black Mountain, Acid King, Radio Moscow, Yawning Man (Official), King Buffalo, Lo-Pan, Sgt. Papers, Del-Toros, and the Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show.
Limited tickets available, get yours now!

https://cdwa.ticketleap.com/2019-stoned-and-dusted

Poster by Branca Studio
photo by Sam Grant.

Big thanks to Pizza Del Perro Negro and TIMEWARP MUSIC!!

https://cdwa.ticketleap.com/2019-stoned-and-dusted/
https://www.facebook.com/StonedandDusted/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1053849404806774
https://www.instagram.com/stonedanddusted/
https://www.stonedanddusted.com/

Yeah, this episode was cool except for the goober hosting it. I recorded the voice breaks pretty early in the day on Friday, and I don’t know if I wasn’t awake or what, but I just couldn’t get it together. I think I did the middle break in two takes and that was about as good as it got. I’d still like to go back and get another shot at the opening one. And by the time I actually got to the end of the show, I was so damned afraid of screwing it up again that I basically sprinted for the stop button to finish recording. They can’t all be gold, I guess.

The good news is the playlist itself was awesome. As I tried repeatedly and failed to explain during the show itself, this episode wound up being a pretty vast international swath of acts, and that was something that just happened out of the blue. I didn’t even realize it until afterward. Sweden, Greece, the US, Italy, Norway, Australia, Germany. It’s a broad mix of stuff from a variety of places, and I like that. it’s a lot of new music and I like that too. Really, it’s just the sound of my own voice I could do without. Ha.

I’ll get ’em next time, or something.

Playlist follows. Thanks for reading and/or listening.

The Obelisk Show – 02.17.19

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Radio airs every other Sunday night at 7PM Eastern, with replays the following Tuesday at 9AM. Next show is March 3. Thanks for listening if you do.

Gimme Radio website

The Obelisk on Thee Facebooks

After an encouraging debut in 2017’s Let it Burn (review here), Chicago psych-of-stone riffers REZN are back on the quick with a second album. Titled Calm Black Water, the new offering is set for issue on vinyl through Off the Record Label in the Netherlands (see also Stone Machine Electric), and will be pressed in three different versions all totaling 500 copies. The same imprint stood behind a vinyl edition of the first record that’s nearly sold out, so they’ll have preorders open for Calm Black Water a month in advance. Plenty of time ahead of the Oct. 10 release.

In order to give a bit of a glimpse — not too much of a glimpse, but you know, a teaser — the band have a clip posted from the track “Quantum Being,” and while the mere use of the word “quantum” in a title makes one want to compare them to YOB, the song has more in common with earlier Windhand or Electric Wizard at their foggiest, and as it rolls out a lurching, nodding groove, it only bodes well in terms of sonic largesse for whatever else the record might hold in terms of overarching atmospheric breadth/crush. I look forward to finding out.

Like the song snippet, their announcement was quick and to the point:

REZN has conjured another sonic gateway. Entitled ‘Calm Black Water’, the new full-length record embodies a deep-sea journey to the center of your mind.

Limited to 500 copies worldwide via Off The Record Label, ‘Calm Black Water’ will be available on vinyl in three exclusive colors: Blue/Clear/Black, Purple/Clear/Black, and 180g Black.

Listen to a preview of the track “Quantum Being” here.

Preorders for vinyl open September 10th and the digital/physical release date is set for October 10th, available here:
US/Canada: rezzzn.bandcamp.com
International: offtherecordlabel.bigcartel.com

Prepare your consciousness for the abyss.

REZN are:
Phil Cangelosi
Patrick Dunn
Rob McWilliams
Spencer Ouellette

facebook.com/reznhits
instagram.com/rezzzn
rezzzn.bandcamp.com
offtherecordlabel.bigcartel.com
https://www.facebook.com/Off-The-Record-1558728014411885/
https://www.offtherecordshop.nl/index.php/off-the-record-label

REZN, “Quantum Being” teaser

Chicago riffers REZN issued their debut album, Let it Burn (review here), as a gatefold 2LP last year via Off the Record Company, and quite frankly, the thing looks gorgeous. They’ve got pictures up on their Bandcamp page (linked below, should you want to take some time and just gawk for a while), and yeah go ahead and mark that a win as much for band as for their growing fanbase, to whom the band will be paying individual visits on their upcoming spring 2018 tour, which is awfully considerate of them.

I always wanted to hit a band up on a run like this and see if they’d be willing to play my house. No opening acts. I’ll pay the going rate, maybe include a delicious dinner sweeten the deal, accommodating for allergies and preferences and things of that like. So yeah, hey REZN, let me know if you want to swing by. I’ll even help load in and out. We’d love to have you, even if it means getting the baby some of those industrial earphones or taking him for a ride in the case or something.

We’re embarking on a tone quest this spring in honor of our sacred idols, Lume, releasing their new record ‘Wrung Out’ on April 20th. We’ll be evangelizing America and Canada through amp worship and riff meditation on these dates:

4/20 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Rancho Unicorno
4/21 – Port Huron, MI @ Schwonksoundstead
4/22 – Mississauga, ON @ Symbiotica
4/23 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G
4/24 – Montreal, QC @ L’Esco
4/25 – Burlington, VT @ Monkey House
4/26 – Portland, ME @ Geno’s Rock Club
4/27 – Boston, MA @ Democracy Center
4/28 – Providence, RI @ Machines with Magnets
4/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ TBD
4/30 – Richmond, VA @ The Tomb
5/01 – Charlotte, NC @ Oso Skatepark
5/02 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
5/03 – Nashville, TN @ That ’70s House
5/04 – Loisville, KY @ Spinelli’s
5/05 – Chicago, IL @ Burlington

REZN is:
Phil Cangelosi: Bass + Vocals
Patrick Dunn: Percussion + Sitar
Rob McWilliams: Guitar + Vocals
Spencer Ouellette: Modular Synthesis
Alex Schulze: The Creature

https://www.facebook.com/reznhits/
http://instagram.com/rezzzn
https://rezzzn.bandcamp.com/releases

REZN, Let it Burn (2017)