v/a "Galleries 4-6" 20 City 20cd-2 2001 (71:55)
Doe "Maylar"
(10:03)
Doe "Polymer" (13:13)
Eso Steel "A
Scratch" (12:25)
Eso Steel "Ircania" (12:13)
Birchville Cat Motel "Crystal
Freighters" (12:24)
Birchville Cat Motel "Blonde Avalanche Magnet" (6:04)
Birchville Cat Motel "Crimson Trauma Rocket" (5:32)
The slipcase for this disc offers little info beyond 3 artist names, track titles and label url in a somewhat difficult to read font. A little online research reveals that the artists - Doe, Eso Steel and Birchville Cat Motel - are from New Zealand and the label, 20 City, is based in Japan. They specialize in the "production and release of manipulated sound: experimental, soundscape, ambient, noise, improvisation, textural, drone" and these 3 offer differing but complementary examples over 72 minutes. Doe's "Maylar" (maybe they meant "Mylar"?) and "Polymer" quickly achieve a quiet and compelling, nirvana like state of layered hum. Eso Steel's "A Scratch" ups the noise ante a tad with more sound tidbits and "Ircania" goes one further with stretches of mild noise and furnace hum. And finally, Birchville Cat Motel's 3 tracks bet the whole pot with nearly unlistenable, feedback drenched guitar and clutter. "Crystal Freighters" in particular would warm Caspar Brötzmann's cockles. Doe receive the blue ribbon here and 20 City have been added to the always growing mental list of labels to keep track of ...
Where did I get this cd? - promo