Lotus Eaters, Mamiffer, ISIS, Neely Tape

above: lotus eaters "mind control for infants" LP layout, mamiffer - practice/charting, isis "live V" cover, "corpsegrinder" cassette compilation cover art by tom neely.

-the lotus eaters album "mind control for infants" (originally released by neurot recordings in 2002) is finally going to see release on the vinyl format. the vinyl version features revamped artwork, alternate mixes of the orginal album tracks and a bonus track (an alternate mix of a track originally released on the infernal proteus comp [ajna offensive]). the release is coming out via the fantastic taiga records label some time this fall/early winter, though no definitive date has been set at this point. lotus eaters were and are: james plotkin, aaron turner and stephen o'malley.

-mamiffer have been busy preparing to record our new album and starting tomorrow the session finally begins. the kind and masterful randall dunn will be at the helm for this one and we're very excited to be working with him. there is no exact end date for the recording as of yet but we're hoping to have the album completed by early next year and released several months there after. the vinyl version of the previous album "hirror enniffer" is finally coming out via SIGE records and will hopefully be available in time for the live shows mamiffer will be playing with ISIS in november.

-also being prepared for release in conjunction with the ISIS european fall tour is the "live V" CD/2xLP. this is the latest installment in a series of live releases by ISIS, the CD versions of which have all been self released, and the vinyl versions which have been released by various labels. the vinyl version of this particular installment is coming out on viva hate records , so thanks to them for that. the audio on this release came from an ISIS performance in london from a couple years ago where we played "oceanic" in its entirety. the recordings from that night were later mixed and mastered by justin broadrick who also plays on the version of "weight" appearing on this release.


-the illustrious and talented tom neely has compiled an excellent metal mix tape for inkstuds.com and created a fine graphic assemblage to go along with it. tom is also working on artwork for a project called "the wolf" for which i am supposed to be composing music. i haven't recorded anything yet tom, and i'm sorry... but when i do you'll be even more sorry....

helpful materials: hildur gudnadottir "without sinking", oxbow "fuckfest", eleh "homage to the sine wave", keelhaul's "triumphant return to obscurity", amesoeurs s/t, the perry bible fellowship almanack by nicholas gurewitch, hiems "worship or die" (except for the last 2 tracks), barn owl - live....

MAMIFFER SHOW TONIGHT

mamiffer show tonight in seattle - location: the josephine, (608 nw 65th st n, ballard) - with: barn owl and tecumseh. show time: 9:00 pm. mamiffer line up for this evening's performance: faith coloccia, travis rommereim, aaron turner. come see music...

*photo by Krzysztof Zatycki from Mamiffer show in Wroclaw, PL - 04/29/09

new drawings: boris/torche split

above: 3 illustrations for the forthcoming boris/torche split ep. the split is to be released in the US on cd/10" vinyl via hydra head records, and on cd in japan by daymare records (with alternate artwork by fangsanalsatan)....

nutritive: aura noir " black thrash attack", extended bed rest, mz.412 "burning the temple of god", tim hecker "an imaginary country", rätto ja lehtisalo "pari lepakkoa transylvaniassa", daughters - new album (holy shit!), local's spicy fries, shane mehling's reviews for decibel, wold "imperator", kreng "l'autopsie phenomenale de dieu", backyard lawn therapy....

poster by neely, caretaker, GM cassette, notes from the end of the road

above:

1. poster by tom neely for the final show of the isis 2009 US summer tour. tom is a good man and a good artist. this poster was a great way to end the tour poster series and simultaneously announce our (subjectively) triumphant homecoming. tom is also responsible for the "treehead" t-shirt/sweatshirt design we were selling on the above mentioned tour as well as the european tour that preceded it. for more info on tom please check out his blog in the above right links section >

2. cover for a greymachine "vultures descend" cassette single to be given away with copies of the forthcoming greymachine album via orders placed through the hydra head webstore. the audio is the same as the material featured on the limited 12" of the same name. design by james o'mara. CD version of the album (+ cassette) available for preorder soon.

3. james o'mara + orange + robot. james works for hydra head. he is also a great man. robot and orange live in my house and are looked after by james when i am on tour. for this service (and a great many others), i am eternal indebted to james. thanks jimmy.


currently in helsinki on the eve of the final isis show in our summer european tour. we've played a handful of festivals (furia, roskilde, dour, etc), and a small number of club dates with our friend and fellow noisemaker destructo swarmbots in tow. thanks to DS, our road crew, and all those who willingly (or not so willingly), came to listen to our music. we enjoyed ourselves for the most part as hopefully the audiences did too, saw some other great bands/artists perform, and had some amusing/exciting adventures with swimming, soccer, and italian border guards. a well deserved break for isis will follow this tour, though a good many things will surely be accomplished by the various members in the interim between this tour and the next which will follow in the late fall....

while on the road the following have been enjoyed/absorbed: destructo swarmbots - live and in the van, oakenthrone vol 6 - magazine + CD compilation, phonophoni "oak or rock", "valis" by philip k. dick, "the filth" by grant morrison, "hellblazer: rake at the gates of hell" by garth ennis and steve dillon, new material by torche and xasthur and boris, arvo pärt "triodion", circle "prospect", etc...

MORE JODIS ART

above: various stages of the jodis "secret house" album art... i worked on the drawings and layouts, faith coloccia provided photos.

this one went through a number of versions, so i thought i'd share a few steps along the way. the final versions are now solidified for the CD and LP forthcoming on hydra head, and each differ slightly from each other. there may be a third version as well if the album is released in japan or any other territories outside the US. next up on my to do list are drawings for the US version of the forthcoming boris/torche split CD/10" - a collaborative release between daymare records japan and hydra head records in the us. more on that as info becomes available.

on tour again with isis - this time in europe. one show done, 11 more to go. so far so good.

last but not least, thanks to all the people that posted/emailed their congratulations about the recent engagement between faith coloccia and i. we are both very grateful for your kind words and generous spirits - thank you all!

sustenance on the road: philip k. dick "valis", M.D.G/E, alan moore "league of extraordinary gentlemen: 1910", "mome" vol 11, etc....

ENGAGED!

as of 6/26/09 i became engaged to a wonderful woman named faith coloccia. i feel extremely grateful for having been fortunate enough to cross paths with faith, and even more so for having gotten to know, spend time, and collaborate with her. the life we have shared together thus far has been a truly transformative and illuminating experience which has meant more to me than i could ever hope to express with in the confines of this forum or indeed any other. i hope that our journey together is just beginning....













ABT
6/29/09

Jodis Text Development

above: various stages of the handwritten text for the jodis album.

now that there's been a small break between isis tours i've been able to finish up all the pieces for the new version of the jodis album layout. wanted to get it all done sooner, but being on the road isn't always conducive to productivity. the rest of the layout pieces have been done for some time now, this was the last element to complete and obviously an important one.

isis US tour complete. the last string of shows on the west coast was a tremendous way to cap off the trip. thanks to helms alee as well as the other people in mamiffer with whom i was lucky enough to play on the 6 shows heading southwards down the coast. thanks to all the supportive folks who came out to listen to all the bands perform and the ever gracious staff of the great american music hall in SF - always a true pleasure to play there...