SPLIT CRANIUM 7"

Above: Artwork for the "Scepters to Rust" single by Split Cranium, coming soon via Hydra Head Records. The cover image (a Polaroid transfer), and label painting by Faith Coloccia. The B side of the single features a remix by Daniel Menche. The release date is a sneak attack. With ski masks. Preview track will be posted soon.

Holiday cheer: Ascension "Consolamentum", Lawrence English "Kiri No Oto", Sunno))) meets Nurse With Wound "The Iron Soul of Nothing", Thou/Leech - split, Peterlicker "Nicht", Hey Colossus/Dethscalator - split, Bill Orcutt "How the Thing Sings", H.P. Lovecraft - The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, Alan Moore - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1969, Pharaoh Overlord "Lunar Jetman", etc.

HOLC "POISONED SOIL" CD AVAILABLE NOW

Hello,

The CD version of the House of Low Culture album "Poisoned Soil" album is now available for order via the Feral Pig and SIGE webstores. Visit here for further details. A big thanks to Sub Rosa for their support in putting out this record - you can visit their site for more info on the release here. They have some sound clips up, and there's another more extended clip in an older post below this one. Here and here are some recent reviews for the album as well. The 2xLP version on Taiga Records is still in the works with an expected release date of early January.

Thank you.

ABCT and WFC COLLABORATION

The collaboration with William Fowler Collins is now underway. Over a four day session in WA earlier this month, we worked on a number of foundational pieces with the intent of going back to these raw recordings later and building up finished tracks around them. I have no idea how long it will take us to finish an album from this point, but the initial results are promising and we're both feeling pretty excited and motivated by the results. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out William's new album "The Resurrections Unseen".

Also: the Pyramids/Horseback album (for which I did some artwork and mixing), is coming out this Friday. Foxy Digitalis posted a nice review of the album here. Here is a recent interview I did with a Mexican website La Hoja de Arena - thanks to Alfredo Gallardo Avila for this one... They also did a full feature on a select group of Mexican bands which you can access here.

Rattling the leaves off the trees: Skepticism "Ethere", Pete Swanson "I Don't Rock at All", Vatican Shadow "Pakistan Military Academy", SQRM "Rodeo", Cindy Talk "Hold Everything Dear", Thou/Mohoram Atta - split, Hive Mind "Tunnel Birth", etc....

NEW JODIS, NEW HOLC

Here are some clips from the forthcoming albums by Jodis and House of Low Culture. The House of Low Culture album is delayed (again), but is coming out sometime before the end of the year (CD on Sub Rosa, 2xLP on Taiga). Jodis album will hopefully be out by early 2012. In the meantime, enjoy the music....

...I've been enjoying: Caspar Brötzmann Massaker "Koksofen", William Fowler Collins/Gog "Malpais", Fovea Hex "Here is Where We Used to Sing", Hooded Menace "Never Cross the Dead", Aluk Todolo "Ordre", Kreng "Grimoire", etc

SPLIT CRANIUM DRAWINGS

Above: drawings for the forthcoming Split Cranium album. Top and bottom sets are mine, middle two by Faith Coloccia.

Listening: Thou "The Archer and the Owle", Surface of the Earth - s/t, Ghast "Terrible Cemetery", Burial Hex "Book of Illusions", Caspar Brötzmann Massaker "Home", Circle "Alotus", Alice Coltarne "A Monastic Trio"...

DRAWINGS FOR URMF

Above: Drawings and text treatments for the Utech Records Music Festival/KFJC live 2xCD compilation. The drawings were done at the request of Keith Utech, based off fonts and direction he provided. The comp audio includes live performances from Mamiffer and House of Low Culture with James Plotkin, as well as William Fowler Collins, Horseback, James Plotkin and John Mueller, etc. For more information on this release go here.

Also: The mixing stage of the Mamiffer and Locrian collaboration is now complete. Mastering date is set for Nov 16th. Assuming all goes according to plan we assume this means a Jan/Feb release. The first review for the House of Low Culture "Poisoned Soil" has been posted on Foxy Digitalis. The Old Man Gloom "Christmas Eve I & II + 6 + live in NYC" LP will finally receive an official release in November via Tortuga Recordings. It has been up to now available only in a limited test press edition of 50 copies.

PYRAMIDS/HORSEBACK: ATWK

Above: preview images of the layout for the Pyramids/Horseback "A Throne Without a King" LP + 7", forthcoming this November via Hydra Head. The release contains one new song from each entity, as well as collaborative 45 minute track, for which I did some mixing/editing. There will also be cassette and CD formats of the release, but as usual the vinyl will be the superior version...

Other news: the new House of Low Culture album "Poisoned Soil" has been delayed due to manufacturing hold ups - new release date is set for November 10th. Split Cranium, my collaborative band with various heroes of the NWOFHM underground, will have a debut 7" out late this year and a full length early next year. Jodis album is in the finishing stages... still... just a few important details to attend to. The Mamiffer and Locrian colaboration is nearly complete as well, but does not have a definite release date as of yet.

Sustaining intake: Arvo Pärt "Kanon Pokajanen", Circle with Erkki Kurenniemi LP, Avichi "The Devil's Fractal", "The Years Have Pants" Eddie Campbell, The Stuff, Early Graves "Goner", Pharaoh Overlord - new album, Hey Colossus "RRR", etc....

HOUSE OF LOW CULTURE, NEW ALBUM

ABOVE: Preview images from the 2xLP layout for the forthcoming House of Low Culture album "Poisoned Soil". Hand lettering and photography by Faith Coloccia, design and additional photography by me. The 2xLP and CD will both be released on Oct 20th on Taiga Records and Sub Rosa respectively. Preview track coming soon.

FROM THE DUST...

A Hydra Head ad from approx. 13 years ago. Small revelations in the details: no website address, fax number listed for our distributor, prices were low, demos existed, downloads did not, no email address, actual mailorder (you know the kind where customers sent their order through the mail...), most of these bands no longer exist, some of them still do.... Oh, and this ad was printed in an actual zine, newsprint at that. The ranks have dwindled considerably since then...

Late summer seasonings: Avichi "The Devil's Fractal", Haxan Cloak s/t, Pyramids and Horseback "A Throne Without a King", "The Invisibles" Grant Morrison, Skull Defekts "Blood Spirits and Drums are Singing", The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud "The Smell of Blood but Victory", Surprise!....

NEW DRAWINGS AUG 2011

Drawings for an upcoming layout. One and two of a three part series.

Coming soon: Split Cranium.

Listening: Harvey Milk "A Small Turn of Human Kindness", Aluk Todolo "Ordre", Kreng "Grimoire", Techno Animal "Ghosts", Deatrhspell Omega "Diabolus Absconditus/Mass Grave Aesthetics", Shivkumar Sharma "Rag Madhuvanti/Rag Misra Tilang"....

COALESCE N.N.U.T.S. , etc.

Above: images from the layout for the "Nothing New Under the Sun" CD by Coalesce, co-designed with James O'Mara. The release is several years old now, but I never posted images at the time the project was completed.

Other news: Mixing for the Mamiffer/Locrian collaboration is now complete. Mastering, artwork and production to follow shortly. The initial recording sessions took place at Electrical Audio in Chicago, engineered by Greg Norman. Additional production and mixing occurred at Avast! in Seattle, with Randall Dunn. Release date further info will be posted soon.

Good!: All Pigs Must Die - live, Jesu - s/t, "Empire of the Senseless" by Kathy Acker, Alex Barnett "Push", Phurpa "Trowo Phurnag Ceremony", Dark Castle "Surrender to All Life Beyond Form", Mika Vanio "Life... (it eats you up)", Circle "Infektio", Cloaks "Versus Grain", etc...

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, NEW ALBUM

Above: Preview images from the forthcoming Wolves in the Throne Room CD/2xLP "Celestial Lineage" (Southern Lord, Sept. 2011). Art direction: Wolves in the Throne Room. Photos: Alison Scarpulla. The black bars with text on the front and back cover represent a separate piece of print that will fold around the jacket, so the photos won't be obstructed by any other graphic element or type on the jacket itself.

I worked on the custom text and emblems, and Faith Coloccia and I helped lay out both formats of the release. We also contributed some vocals to a couple songs on the album. Thanks to Wolves for inviting us to participate in this project!

Vashon Sound System: Godstopper - demo, Blut Aus Nord "777 Sect", Plain Ride "Oh the Flow", Steel Mammoth "Radiation Funeral", Rise And Fall "Our Circle is Vicious", Jesuit - discography, Ättestupa "1867"....

UPDATES AND UPCOMING

Above: Photos of the final print/vinyl for Mamiffer/House of Low Culture/Merzbow "Lou Lou..." 2xLP, Cave In "White Silence" LP/CD and Helms Alee "Weatherhead" 2xLP. Also, preview images of Crone "Endless Midnight" CD layout.

All of the above design/illustration projects are collaborations between myself and Faith Coloccia. Michael Babcock at Interrobang printed and helped design the vinyl version of "Lou Lou...". The "Lou Lou..." album is also a musical collaboration between Faith and I, along with Atsuo/Fangsanalsatan and Merzbow. It is available here or here. The Cave In and Helms Alee albums are both out now and available from Hydra Head Records. Also out today (!) on Hydra Head is the new full length "Bermuda Drain" by Prurient. The Crone album (solo material by Jeff Caxide), is also out now and available here.

Now in the finishing stages are a couple other musical projects: the Mamiffer/Locrian collaborative album (to be released late 2011/early 2012 by Profound Lore, SIGE and Utech Records), and the House of Low Culture "Poisoned Soil CD/2xLP (from Taiga and Sub Rosa). Also nearing completion is a new full length from Jodis, and a collaboration between myself, Jussi Lehtisalo of Circle and fellow Finnish shredders. More on both as release dates and artwork are finalized.

For those of you interested in the ongoing debate surrounding illegal downloading and the repercussions on those who make and distribute music, Chris Cutler of the ReR label has an interesting take on the subject posted here.

....aaaaand love, best wishes and congratulations to friends Cory Murchy and Annie Salditt on their marriage!

Summer subsistence: Mamiffer/HOLC/Locrian - UM US/Canadian tour, Horseback "The Invisible Mountain", Russell Haswell "Recorded While It Actually Happened", Helms Alee - live, Stephen O'Malley "Romeo", visitors from dimension Oakland, Kevin Drumm "No Edit", Aldous Huxley "Brave New World Revisited", Aluk Todolo "Ordre", Elodie "Echos Pastoraux", etc....

HoLC/Mamiffer - tape II

SIGE 10 - House of Low Culture/Mamiffer - split cassette #2
"Spoiled Fruits of the Kingdom (demo)/Cloey"

Made for the Mamiffer/HoLC US tour. Edition of 32. Package contains 1 tape cassette, 1 hand bound booklet. Further info:

Track 1 - House of Low Culture "Spoiled fruits of the Kingdom" (demo)
Track 2 - Mamiffer "Cloey"

HoLC on this recording: Aaron Turner, Faith Coloccia.
Mamiffer on this recording: Faith Coloccia, Alex Barnett, Aaron Turner, Travis Rommereim.

Art and packaging by F. Coloccia.

For ordering info please visit SIGE Records.

Mamiffer/HoLC: tour and recording.....

Van jams: Aura Noir "Hades Rise", Daniel Menche "Feral", Fugazi "In on the Kill Taker", Zomes "Earth Grid", Keelhaul "Triumphant Return to Obscurity", "Man in the High Tower" Philip K Dick, Liturgy "Aesthetica"....

Mamiffer/House of Low Culture US Tour: pt 4

Mamiffer/House of Low Culture US tour begins in 2 days. Dates and details are as follows:


6/7 Minneapolis, MN @ Nick and Eddie Bar
w/ Pentacene, Dimanche

6/11 Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Utech Records festival w/ Locrian, William Fowler Collins, James Plotkin, Horseback, etc.

6/13 Chicago, IL @ The Hideout
w/ Locrian, RM 74

6/15 Cleveland, OH @ AllGoSigns
w/ RM74, Harms Way Fayre (members of Keelhaul)

6/17 Toronto, Ontario @ Soybomb
w/ Locrian, Gates

6/18 Montréal, QC @ Casa del Popolo
w/ Locrian, Thisquietarmy

6/19 Hamilton, Ontario @ The Pearl Company
w/ Locrian, Electroluminescent


The HOLC sets in WI and IL will be collaborative performances with James Plotkin.
Mamiffer will also be working on a collaborative recording with Locrian while in Chicago.
Mamiffer and HOLC have prepared a new split cassette in conjunction with the tour.
Mamiffer and HOLC will be happy to see any and all of you that come to these performances.
Thank you!