OVD010 : Pierre Vervloesem / Rude (Remastered & Augmented)

OVD010 : Pierre Vervloesem / Rude (Remastered & Augmented)

Seventh in a chronological series of 11 digital only remastered releases (6 solo (5 augmented with bonuses, lives and remixes), 1 duo, 1 unreleased duo and 3 pots-pourris (with absolutely every tunes possible ever recorded by Pierre and never released)) and coming at the pace of one every month is the fabulous sixth solo album from Pierre Vervloesem: Rude (2005).

The album has been remasterd and augmented with no less than 14 bonuses and demo songs.

Review by François Couture in All Music:

It's tempting to call Rude one of Pierre Vervloesem's most straightforward albums. But it would be as meaningless as trying to agree on which album by Frank Zappa is his most simple. One thing is sure; in general, Rude features a more stripped-down, rock-on approach that certainly has to do with the fact that its basic tracks were all recorded in two days. Vervloesem sticks to an instrumental rock quartet and limits his overdubs to one or two in most tunes ("Rue Wéry" is one of a handful of blazing exceptions). For this new solo endeavor, the unsung guitar hero recruited old X-Leggeg Sally colleague Peter Vandenberghe on keyboards and a new rhythm section consisting of bassist Nicolas Dechêne and drummer Renaud Van Hooland. A 69-minute, 14-piece platter, Rude refuses to stand still. The listener is bounced back and forth between acutely difficult avant-prog, metal, jazz, reggae, and guitar-shredding rock & roll. References to King Crimson, Doctor Nerve, Lukas Simonis, the omniscient Zappa and, surprisingly,  Steamboat Switzerland are in order. Highlights include the doom-laden, organ-driven "Titanic Again," where Vandenberghe does an astute impression of Steamboat’s Dominik Blum; the very complex "Greener" (the longest piece at nine minutes); the horribly titled "Pee Detector," and "My Flemish Period," the latter an action-packed Zappa-esque tune with touches of dub and hardcore, if you can imagine that. Dechêne is a highly creative bassist, often opting for the less-frequented path, a perfect match for Vervloesem's guitar work. It is rare to find a guitarist who has a signature sound yet never seems to repeat himself and writes with an impressive resourcefulness.

Two great reviews here and here.

The original cover art:

And some pics from the 2 days recording sessions at Rising Sun Studio:

 Renaud Van Hooland

Peter and Pierre

 Nicolas Dechêne

 Nicolas and Pierre

 Them

 Them

Pierre being Rude

Track listing:

CD1:

1. Disquiet
2. Titanic Again
3. N 'Roll
4. Experimental Dentition 
5. Born To Be White
6. Greener
7. My Flemish Period
8. Tubular Belge 
9. Emile Zola's Jacuzzi
10. Canadair
11. Rue Wéry
12. Add God To Your Misery
13. Pee Detector
14. St. Guidon

CD2: Bonuses:
1. Disquiet (demo)
2. Titanic Again (demo)
3. N 'Roll (demo)
4. Experimental Dentition (demo)
5. Born To Be White (demo)
6. Greener (demo)
7. My Flemish Period (demo)
8. Tubular Belge (demo)
9. Emile Zola's Jacuzzi (demo)
10. Canadair (demo)
11. Rue Wéry (demo)
12. Add God To Your Misery (demo)
13. Pee Detector (demo)

Bandcamp only bonus track:
14. Palmer (demo)



And in Bandcamp:

ODG031 : Incidental Music Vol.2 / Subs

                                                                Cover art by A.L.

ODG031 : Incidental Music Vol.2 / Subs

In August 2014, Off records was fortunate enough to find back K7 tapes recorded back to a 4 track cassette by Jack Ison in Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo between 1987-1998. 
Jack plays all: guitar, found sounds, drum machine, effects. It's a private work and demos, experiments and moments of sensitivity conjured from humble sources. 
It refers to other worlds or dream worlds as songs, ques, excerpts, montages and loops and it is perhaps a soundtrack for kinetic art ...... music for mobiles.
Ambient music? Possibly. Interesting sounds? Definitively. Exciting tracks? Absolutely!
This is the volume 2 in a series of 3.
You can read about Vol.1 here and Vol.3 here.

Digital release only on the 24th of November 2014.

Track listing:

CD1:
1) About
2) Answer
3) Around
4) Assign
5) Axes
6) Background
7) Becoming
8) Can't
9) Conjunction
10) Construct
11) Creation
12) Detector
13) Either Past
14) Essay

CD2:
1) Exact Error
2) Fashion
3) Flux
4) Granulation
5) Instinct 
6) Makeshift 
7) Not One and Not Any 
8) Otherway 
9) Painted 
10) Pink Rip Silver Star 
11) Powder 
12) Resonance 
13) Ring

CD3:
1) Scope 
2) Sense Station 
3) Serial 
4) Shadow 
5) Suffix 
6) Temple 
7) Tinker 
8) Unseen 
9) View 
10) With 

And on Bandcamp:

ODG030 : Incidental Music Vol.1 / Incidental Music

Covert art by A.L.

ODG030 : Incidental Music Vol.1 / Incidental Music

In August 2014, Off records was fortunate enough to find back K7 tapes recorded back to a 4 track cassette by Jack Ison in Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo between 1987-1998. 
Jack plays all: guitar, found sounds, drum machine, effects. It's a private work and demos, experiments and moments of sensitivity conjured from humble sources. 
It refers to other worlds or dream worlds as songs, ques, excerpts, montages and loops and it is perhaps a soundtrack for kinetic art ...... music for mobiles.
Ambient music? Possibly. Interesting sounds? Definitively. Exciting tracks? Absolutely!
This is the volume 1 in a series of 3.
You can read about Vol.2 here and Vol.3 here.

Digital release only on the 17th of November 2014.

Track listing:

CD1:
1) Arrow
2) Blessed
3) Center
4) Climbing
5) Dawn
6) Edges
7) Fever
8) Former
9) Geometry
10) Isolated
11) Leisure
12) Maze
13) Module
14) Narrative

CD2:
1) Orbital
2) Photograph
3) Postscript
4) Reflection
5) Remote Past
6) Sequel
7) Shade
8) Snow Print
9) Subject
10) Synonym
11) Testament
12) Transmission
13) Verse





And on Bandcamp:

OCD021 : Doug Scharin / Kate No Longer

cover art by Kiekebiche

OCD021 : Doug Scharin / Kate No Longer

One of many side projects for June of 44 drummer Doug Scharin (discography, bio, bio,interview), Kate No Longer is essentially a trio with guitarist Joe Goldring and writer/vocalist Dominique Van Cappellen-Waldock, plus help from supporting musicians as needed. 
Drummer and multi-instrumentalist Doug Scharin played an important role in Chicago’s music scene. And since the early part of the decade, his groups—including Codeine, Rex, and June Of 44—proved highly influential. His latest project, called HIM (bio), which focused on a highly experimental fusion of dub, electronica, jazz, world music, and post-rock has been equally successful, resulting in four critically well-received albums thus far. 
The more pop-influenced Kate No Longer grew out of that concern, pursuing a similar but less dubby hybrid with Goldring (with whom he played in Enablers) in tow. 

The fine and inspired music from Kate No Longer should equally encounter the same success of his previous bands!

Goldring, for his part, had gotten his start with Bay Area post-punkers Toiling Midgets, then played bass with long-running N.Y.C. noise merchants Swans before returning to San Francisco to play with the sadcore band Faith Burns. He is now playing full time with Enablers.

Dominique Van Cappellen-Waldock has collaborated on a full album with Eugene Robinson under the name Las Vegas. She also the founder of Baby Fire (see OCD018). She has appeared on stage with Eve Libertine (Crass) for a special performance at Larsens in 2013. She’s part of the Ladyfest Brussels collective.

Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Doug Scharin in ActivitiesOfDust, San Marcos, California
Recorded In ActivitiesOf Dust, San Marcos, California., Joe'sGarage, Petaluma, California, Dominique'sFlat, Brussels, Belgium and in Christian'sRehearsalRoom, Brooklyn, N.Y. at various times from late 2012 through 2013.
Dominique's vocal tracks recorded by Raphael Rastel.
A excellent review in Flemich magazine Dark Entries here.

Doug Scharin

The digital cover is different:

Pic by Doug Scharin / cover art by A.L.

Physical and digital release on the 10th of November 2014.
Cd is a limited 300 copies edition.

    Track listing:

1) Es Camida 
2) The Best Things Aren't Things
3) A Moment, Maybe Two
4) Starling
5) And The Rain
6) Returning (Hisashiburi)
7) Misinterpretations
8) How Do I Know
9) We Only See
10) The Only Dream You See Through
11) Daisy Chains

A nice video made by Dominique VCW for Returning (Hisashiburi):

And in Bandcamp:

Prices

World shipping €12,00 EUR

OVD009 : Pierre Vervloesem / Grosso Modo (Remastered & Augmented)

 

OVD009 : Pierre Vervloesem / Grosso Modo (Remastered & Augmented)

Sixth in a chronological series of 11 digital only remastered releases (6 solo (5 augmented with bonuses, lives and remixes), 1 duo, 1 unreleased duo and 3 pots-pourris (with absolutely every tunes possible ever recorded by Pierre and never released)) and coming at the pace of one every month is the fabulous fifth solo album from Pierre Vervloesem: Grosso Modo (2002).

The album has been remasterd and augmented with no less than 13 bonuses and demo songs.

Review by David Lynch in All Music:

Belgian guitarist Pierre Vervloesem blasted into the music world with Peter Vermeersch's hyper-energetic X-Legged Sally at the beginning of the 1990s. His own solo albums have ranged from XLS-style ultra-tight sax-fueled avant prog to multi-tracked keyboard and electronic "knob twiddling" to proggy hard rock and metal, highlighted by his six-string pyrotechnics and touches of Zappa-esque humor. For listeners seeking top-notch guitar-heavy instrumental prog -- with plenty of in-the-moment improvisation -- the 2002 eponymous album by Vervloesem's powerful Grosso Modo quartet is a fine place to begin investigating the guitarist's world. A studio recording with live immediacy (and plenty of effects wizardry), Grosso Modo rocks through memorable and even tuneful themes, detours into noisy improvs, and consistently opens up surprising territories in sound. In addition to Vervloesem on guitar and bass, the killer Grosso Modo lineup features bassist Guy Segers (Univers Zero), drummer Charles Hayward (This Heat, Massacre), and keyboardist Peter Vandenberghe (XLS, Univers Zero, Flat Earth Society). Segers is thunderously thick and heavy as opening track "Hairdressers Go Home" kicks in, but after attacking your ears with an ascending wall of sound, Vervloesem goes twangy in a surf-tinged unison line with Vanderberghe's sustained keyboard voicing and the band is soon sprinting through fast-paced but rock-hard swing, with a swooping split-toned screaming guitar solo unleashed over the top. While Vervloesem and Vandenberghe ascend into outright noise and Segers' fingers race around his fretboard like a seasoned jazzer in hyper-bop mode, Hayward bashes and crashes but never gives up the pulse until emerging from the roaring tumult with a slowed-down thwacking to accompany Segers' return to the heavy theme.
Vervloesem is alternately twangy, strummy, and roughly distorted through the myriad rhythmic changeups of "Olympic Troubles," and rips the guts from his axe during a chaotic midsection, joined by all manner of sonic hijinx from his bandmates. Beginning as a frantic rocker with Farfisa-sounding keys, "Anti Caking Agent" soon pivots between a heavy descending plod and noir-into-free pianistics from the diversely talented Vandenberghe. "Amazing Grace" opens with volcanic speaker-ripping explosiveness but soon transforms into nimbly executed avant-metallic loud-soft-loud dynamics and outright anthemic tunefulness -- before collapsing back into mayhem. A complete change of pace, "Smacked Down by the Lord Again" places Frith and Fripp-ish thematic motifs against spacious free-form soundscapes. After the metal-noise blast of "Have You Seen Me?," the insistent midtempo rocker "The Terrible Rage of the Shy" is almost jauntily tuneful -- when its mutant steel drums and shredded fanfare improvs aren't descending into madness, that is. Vermeerch's guest appearance on clarinet and bass clarinet on "Full Metal Carpet" (yes, another wacky title) suggests XLS at their heaviest and most darkly atmospheric, while Grosso Modo concludes on an expansive note, the 14-minute "Nobody's Listening Anyway," with a King Crimson "Red"-inspired guitar theme bracketing wide-ranging rocked-up improvisations that spin from twang to funk to jazz to sci-fi to Canterbury-esque sounds. If that track title were true, it would be a damn shame.

Another fine review in Guts Of Darkness here:

Original cover art:

The band

Pierre and Charles

Digital release on the P.V.presents - digital only series on the 3th of November 2014.

Track listing:
CD1:
1: Hairdressers Go Home
2: Olympic Troubles
3: Anti Caking Agent
4: Amazing Grease
5: Smacked Down by the Lord Again
6: Have You Seen Me?
7: The Terrible Rage of the Shy
8: Full Metal Carpet
9: Nobody's Listening Anyway

CD2:
1: Cochinita Pibil ( Bonus )
2: Grosso Homesickness ( Bonus )
3: Rem Koolhaas ( Bonus )
4: Craft 3 ( Bonus )
5: Hairdressers Go Home ( Demo )
6: Anti Caking Agent ( Demo )

CD3:
1: Olympic Troubles ( Demo )
2: Smacked Down by the Lord Again ( Demo )
3: Have You Seen Mee? ( Demo )
4: The Terrible Rage of the Shy ( Demo )
5: Craft 19 ( Bonus )
6: Ubunged ( Bonus )

Bandcamp only Bonus:
1: Tigadoudou (Demo)

And in Bandcamp: