NP233 Zina "Furniture" C20

Zina came across my radar last year at a local DIY show and instantly won me over, the progress since has been dramatic despite the very strong start and Zina has quickly become one of if not my favorite local musician and performer. Furniture is her debut release and hopefully just the beginning of many more to come. Zina grew up in Guinea and lived between there and France before finding her way to the US, landing in Minneapolis due to a family connection here. She grew up taking in French Indie Pop and also is heavily influenced by Disco and cinema. The goal of Furniture for her was to create a kind of soundtrack, pop songs that could be substituted into the movies she loves, with a comedic, social, playful, and melancholic soul to them. She told me she imagined songs created from the diary of a divorced housewife that still had IT. Zina has a special voice that puts extra shine on these already great pop songs. Dont miss out.
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NP232 Villoria Blue "Vespers" C32

Villoria Blue is a collaborative duo between Jeff Lane the Night-People alumni behind Tereshkova and his partner vocalist Lesley Dixon. Villoria Blue has many qualities that connect it to Tereshkova in approach; an experimental view towards pop melodies, dreamy atmosphere, and vintage synth explorations but stands apart in its sparse scenic almost serene creation of sound. Villoria blue has the unique ability to sound both very contemporary and ambiguous of its time of creation at the same time. An intimate romantic sounding release with lots of dynamics and excellent production and clarity. A truly uniquely mysterious take on dreamy synth pop and a great release that you shouldnt pass on.
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NP231 Los Greys "Angel Lust" C32

Los Greys began in Boston MA in 2014 as an ambient collage project between friends Nick Rocco and Jeff Coyne. After the creation of their first album Family Acid Baptism created from tape loops and samples they began to take their interest in atmosphere, texture and a collage approach to sound and began to apply it to more of a full band sound framework of pop. Angel Lust is their second album and was created over the course of a year using home recordings, tape samples and studio work with John Brown of World Cup. Mastered by Ryan Power in Burlington VT Angel Lust is a great sophomore album of weirdo indie pop with lots of well-arranged harmonies, lush atmosphere, interesting instrument layering and general spot on song writing.
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NP230 Collector "s/t" C26

Long time experimental musician Jason Campbell of Newcastle Australia latest project Collector took shape after he dissolved his prior synth project Stitched Vision. Collectors modular synth compositions channel elements of industrial, noise, and dark atmospheric techno to create complex machine grooves that evolve in caustic, frenetic ways that create high levels of tension and intensity but dont ignore musicality or subtlety. A very distinct take on dark electronics that is hard to pin down in its imagination and ingenuity towards minimalist electronic rhythms. A great companion tape to the newest Roman Nails cassette also from down under and related in that Cooper Bowman of Roman Nails recently released Collectors debut LP on his AU label Drawing Heat.
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NP229 Roman Nails "Chiseler" C20

Cooper Bowmans Roman Nails project from Melbourne Down Under is back in the Night-People fold to follow up his prior cassette Artificial Sense with a new one titled Chiseler. Roman Nails continues on the path of analog electronic rhythmic explorations that evolve in subtle ways building and collapsing tension to create micro minimalist dance floor slow burners. Roman Nails uses some classic drum machine sounds to great effect as they are combined with repetitive synth melodies and dark background atmosphere interesting poly rhythms take shape and seem to bounce around the confined tension of the musical mood. Another nice addition to Bowmans output both as a musician and as a curator with his excellent labels Altered States and Drawing Heat.
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NP228 Hylidae "s/t" C32

Hylidae is a new music project from Saint Louis by Jon Burkhart. Relatively new to pushing his music to the outside world Jon steps into his creations as Hylidae a little bit green but it sure doesn’t sound like it with the excellent production value and seamlessly blended eclectic nature of this release. Hylidae covers a lot of ground on these six tracks that are compositionally complex and dense in the selection of sounds and the way they ebb and flow out of each other. Hylidae has a high regard for how to layer textural sound elements to high light the drama embedded in this hybrid electronic dance music. No approach seems off the table yet the results are so clear and contained. Jon even delivers some nice vocals to music that might not usually expect them to great effect. Not limited to studio creations witnessing Hylidae live yielded no drop off in performance of these excellent tracks. A very high mark for this newcomer.
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NP227 Discalce "Mangrove Estuary" C36

Discalce is one of many musical and artistic projects created by Philip Maier whose best known project Lack has prior releases on great labels like Hot Releases, Tone Log, and Phils own Grovl Tapes. Lack creates interesting contemporary techno heavily filtered with a mindset towards experimental electronics and while the presence of Lacks minimalist aesthetics are present in Discalce compositions this new project much more embodies a focus on the Dub pillars of bass, reverb and delay. Discalce is heavily drum and rhythm oriented but operates at a quicker more frenetic pace and has a layered drum sound approach that sets it apart from many of the UK dub step classics these songs could be compared too. Discalce is a fresh take on pushing modern electronic dance music structures through dub effects and stays clear of emulation of the past by focusing on how Dub aesthetics can effect Phil’s already established evolving musical identity. Highly Recommended.
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NP222 Ryan Garbes "2012-2014 Life is a Bootleg" C42

Ryan Garbes long time Night-People collaborator, Wet Hair drummer and visual artist of excellence returns with his best solo material to date. Life is a Bootleg is an album recorded over the course of time between 2012- 2014 and contains contributions from Justin Thye and Charles Free (The Savage Young Taterbug). This is Ryans broadest and brightest solo recording and clocking in at 40 minutes stands as an adventurous and complex album. Juggling a large variety of sounds stretching across a vast sonic palate Garbes balances things in a way that evokes many of Brian Enos more pop focused work as well as experimentalist rockers like Neil Michael Hagerty or Sonic Boom. A psychedelic album without any typical trappings just endless amounts of upbeat dreamy melodies and interesting layers of sound. A great album that shows the work Ryan has put in over the years honing his craft and recording technique.
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NP226 Suspect "Faux Empath" C32

Ryan Beck is Suspect an electronic musician who has former ties in Iowa City and now resides in Chicago. Suspect has a very refined sound for a new project just starting to push its music into the world. Faux Empath isn’t a bumpy ride but a smooth concourse that moves through a sonic space inhabited by an almost limitless supply of shifting sounds phasing in and out of themselves and the larger journey of a particular track. Suspect in a sonic way explores relationships between human consciousness and technology and how those things evolve together along with other minds and information pathways connected by technology. The music represents these ideas well offering a recording that continues to open up new listening experiences on repeat listens. Stay tuned for more from Ryan Beck and Suspect in the future as this is a great first effort in more exposure for an interesting project.
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NP224 Unhappybirthday "Schauer" C42

The Wismar Germany trio Unhappybirthday return to Night-People with a follow up to the excellent Kraken cassette we released prior. Unahappybirthday have spent the time in between releases honing their dreamy upbeat take on melodic post punk. Falling a bit into an early Factory records mode Unhappybirthday use punchy drum machine to lock down the mechanical foundation of a sound that then uses bright crystalline guitar lines to create contrast with somber submerged bass and synth fuzz. Lead man Daniel Jas vocals stand out even more this time around. His subtle smooth baritone sung in German give these songs an extra quality of distinction that adds something unique and warm to the sound. This is a great album by an ambitious band with a nice balance between ultra-catchy upbeat bangers and more moody atmospheric tracks. Repeat listens come easy and Unhappybirthday draw on the endless mechanical German beat using its classic appeal to create new great melodic pop songs.
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NP223 Stefan Christensen "Isreal (Its More of the Same)" C32

Stefan Christensen was the lead man in long running New Haven Connecticut arty DIY punk outfit the Estrogen Highs. This solo release finds Stefan stepping into different waters but the course from Estrogen Highs to this material seems logical in that this material explores a more abstracted discordant and subtle area of the post punk paradigm. Kiwi influences such as This Kind of Punishment, the Dead C, Alastair Galbraith and the Xpressway label sound stick out along with the Mike Rep Ohio scene of weirdo rock and the general goodness of early UK DIY as prime vantage points. The influences are present but they don’t diminish this release that feels like a dialogue and a step forward not a rehashing of the past. The label received a copy of this material unexpected in the mail and the excitement was immediate concerning the scope of these recordings, the song writing, the flow of the sounds and content, the recording quality. This is a perfect release for its aesthetic and approach.
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NP221 Daisy Chains "Above Board" C26

Daisy Chains is a Minneapolis trio comprised of Elizabeth Bambery, Walker Neudorff, and Allison Gunderson and contains members of long running local touring acts Miami Dolphins, and Solid Attitude. Daisy Chains minimalist post punk leanings intersect slow country drawl and rock and roll swagger in interesting ways to create something unique that also nods to greats such as Dead Moon, Beat Happening, and Opal. Bamberys vocals take center stage with a gentle warble that provides an intimacy that works very well coupled with lyrical topics often focused on troubled love and loss. This cassette is a great introduction to a promising new Minneapolis band that is winning over local crowds and press alike and has a bright future ahead of them.
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NP219 Annalibera "loveil" C30

Annalibera is a project from Des Moines Iowa fronted by Anna Gebhardt a classically trained vocalist and pianist who grew up in rural Nebraska. Manifested prior as a full band and now being explored as a solo project Annalibera is a distinct new voice in the Midwestern music landscape. With loveil Anna has stretched her music into contemplative soundscapes, using noisy atmospherics to contrast the soaring melodic qualities of her strong and beautiful voice. The haunted intimacy and lonely honesty of loveil feels unique and fresh to these well-worn ears. Meeting Anna through a mutual friend was a bit of a revelation in how much commonality was present between Annas current musical path and Night-Peoples origins and evolution, something that makes it extra exciting and nice to be working with her. Special thanks to the Warm Gospel label for letting us re-release this wonderful music. Expect more great things from Annalibera in the near future.
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NP217 Roman Nails "Artificial Sense" C26

Roman Nails is the current electronic music project of Cooper Bowman of Melbourne Australia who has spent time with other projects such as Flat Fix and the Altered States Cassette Label. Cooper orbits around much of the Melbourne scene that we respect greatly from afar such as Total Control, Dick Diver, and Night-People alumni such as Fingers and Superstar. Its always hard to describe that subtle IT factor that a particular band or music project has, those little things that set it apart somehow from other similar music or that which makes the music stand out to these ears. Roman Nails has a special quality, something that is humble and mysterious. The project is based around analog electronics and rides its own vein of raw minimalism that doesnt fall into getting to blown out and focuses on retaining detail. Distinct melodies and synth sounds glide over evolving rhythms to create hypnotic compositions not overly oriented to one stylistic approach or genre tag. Another sweet surprise from Australia.
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NP218 Germ Class "S/T" C26

Germ Class is a collaboration between the mysterious German Army who has worked with Night-People in the past and Dunes the LA based dreamy pop trio with prior releases on Post Present Medium. The collaboration rests a bit closer to Germany Armys past work then Dunes but its a collaboration that is very much a sum of its parts in outcome and keeps with a focused but experimental approach overall. Loose drum patterns form the base for drifting vocals pages that balance between the industrial grit and darkness of German Army and the more melodic ethereal qualities of Dunes work. Overall the music sounds a bit like the less harsh aspects of Throbbing Gristles catalog meeting up with the more experimental sides of early Cocteau Twins. An interesting listen throughout that fits nicely into the eclectic nature of the Night-People catalog.
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NP216 Free Music "Kool Toad/Great Music" C30

Free Music/Kool Toad is William Statler who grew up in the Twin Cities and kicked it in a few bands before transplanting to call Seattle home. Some mutual friends and Twin Cities connections along with William sending us a demo in the mail started the process towards working together and this release taking shape. The demo we got from William was one of those exclamation points that rarely turns up in the mail and instantly impressed. Free Music is eclectic but focused musically, riding a bit of an outsider thread and mutating strains of techno, acid house, and various synth pop strains into something totally unique upbeat and pop music memorable in the best ways. This release is meticulously crafted with utmost variety and consideration towards detail but is generated largely from improvisational methods. Beyond being a friend and artist we are working with Williams music is some of the best being made in the contemporary context and we are excited for what hes cooking up for the near future.
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NP215 Blossuming Mums "Dithering Mornings" C30

Blossoming Mums is a recent project created by long time Night-People alumni and friend Robert Robinson who has been holding it down in Western Massachusetts for many years now with his excellent band Sore Eros. Blossoming Mums is a collaboration between Robert and Amanda Freeman of the Baby Barnyard project. The duo creates music that is obviously part of the Sore Eros aesthetic but stretches out in a different direction to be more ambient, drifting, and hazy in its minimalist psychedelic pop sensibilities and is very reflective of an early morning or late evening Western Mass country landscape. Blossoming Mums let the spaces and drawn out portions of sounds speak just as much as the rich deep melodies they create. Great well recorded polished dreamy music for summer or fall chilling out.
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NP214 Principality "Glass" C26

When Night-People packed up and moved to the Twin Cities one of the first bands on our radar was Minneapolis trio Claps and the bands front man Patrick Donohoe who was a standout person in terms of welcoming us with open arms and showing much kindness, gratitude, and general positive energy towards the label. Principality is one of a few excellent projects Pat is involved with exploring different aspects of post punk, new wave, weirdo pop, industrial, minimal synth and all things beyond and in between. Pat is joined in Principality by friends and scene vets Teddy Borth, Mark Matejcek and Ollie Moltaji to create a band that rides the darker more romantic sides of post punk to dynamic effect without any sense of pretentiousness or fashion getting in the way of the music. Recorded just down the block from Night People HQ by Matt Castore at a Harder Commune Studio, this release showcases some of the best of what the Twin Cities has to offer.
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NP205 Moon Dice "My Motel Room" C36

Moon Dice are a new Melbourne AU quartet with connections to other long running bands Ancients and Love of Diagrams etc. Moon Dice are another excellent addition to the already great crop of Melbourne jangly rock and pop bands. Moon Dice have a distinctive sound built around soft vocals, subtle psychedelic guitar flourishes and driving but not heavy drumming. Moon Dice have a bit of a new wave feel without sounding new wave or referential to an 80’s retro sound, they still stand firmly as a guitar driven rock band with plenty of get up and go. Our favorite thing about Moon Dice is the interesting and intricate interplay of instrumentation that creates plenty of room for the music to be noticed or listened to in different ways or different moods. Great release from another fun Aussie band we are glad they sent it our way.
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NP208 Trailblazer "Guyonetics" C36

It has been several years but solo operator Coleman Guyon and his project Trailblazer is back with a new cassette release in the Night-People fold. Guyonetics was recorded in Treviso, Italy and has plenty of Euro synth sound for that information to add some flavor to the overall image of the release. Still present is the vibrant but minimal electronic Kraut rock sound of previous releases but perhaps refined a bit further is the sense of space in the music the minimalism refined to create subtlety developing tension and release that allows these tracks to breath and drift in an almost infinite combination of repetitions, music that feels like it could go on forever always turning back into itself recreating evolving and returning without becoming tiresome.
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NP210 Tereshkova "Pelagic" C52

Tereshkova is the musical project of Jeff Lane, music that is vast in sound, ambiance, texture and melody. Dream pop seems as fitting a tag as any but the overall variety present in this work goes beyond that. In the Night-People back catalog similarities can be found in the approach of Sore Eros or even the Garment District. A hazy pastoral romantic psychedelic sound guided by synths, guitars, and piles of effects that sits as close to being soundtrack as it does to being individual songs. A handful of really great underground cassette releases are floating around by Tereshkova but hopefully this Night-People release does some work to bolster the public awareness of this project and the expansive music it generates.
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NP211 Gem Jones "Wurm Man Dubiosity" C26

Gem Jones is a long time Night-People friend who we trust to be truly weird aesthetically and forward moving musically something that is still close to the heart of the label. Gem Jones has been hanging out in Kansas City lately keeping it pretty loner working on wild tunes like those represented here in this very distinct cassette release. Still present is the amalgamation of oldies reminiscent melodies, rocksteady almost reggae rhythms, outsider rock, funky jazzy stuff, and a whole lot of can’t be pinned down. This release showcases Gem Jones abilities at full strength as a multi- instrumentalist and arranger. There is so much going on here but things are clear and distinct, focused and thought out. Just an epic release overall, really special in its originality and weirdness while retaining direction, musicality and heaps of pop sensibility.
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NP207 Sandy "s/t" C24

Its been very rare that a demo shows up in the mail or in the inbox and ends up as a release but such is the case with new NYC trio Sandy which speaks to the content and potential of this group. This is an impressive debut release by a band that is still a mystery even to the label. Sandy creates soulful atmospheric minimalist synth pop that is contemporary in its approach and comes with a depth rare for a band that is so new. Sandy has a sound that is very isolated feeling almost icy but retains necessary warmth, a sense of something heartfelt and sincere being expressed in a way that keeps the sound from feeling harsh or devoid of hopefulness. Sandy is more serene then dark and the subtle qualities of the approach give the music something special to make it stand out upon repeat listens. Great stuff from a promising new band.
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NP206 David West "Drop Out of Collage" C32

Perth Australia native David West is a long time Night-People pen pal and friend who has been quite prolific over the years creating music with a variety of bands including Total Control and Rank Xerox. His main projects Rat Columns and Lace Curtain have been great in both recorded output and live performance recently taking on USA touring. This tape falls closest to Rat Columns in terms of sound and aesthetics but has a distinct vision in terms of its collage oriented arrangements speaking to Davids broad musical approach and expression. Weird atmospheric washy tape and electronics experiments intersect with shimmering jangly post punk pop. The recording is really something special being concerned with a high level of detail in terms of the stereo sonic output. Couldnt recommend this tape more, it really sums up so many of Night-Peoples interests and aesthetics in one unique release. This is experimental music that retains its musicality and pop sensibility at a high level.
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NP204 Faze Island "s/t" C24

Faze Island is New Orleans resident Mike Mayfield. Mike is a member of dark synth pop band ((Pressures)) and spends time creating a variety of other intricate technically focused analogy synth music. Having a rich collection of analog synths, drum machines and electronic gear Mike is an expert in the tools of his trade. Faze Island channels Mikes sound into a sort of retro fashion of minimalist electronic pop and dub and the result ends up being a kind of new wave bossa nova a hybrid of Cluster, Antenna, and Prince Jammys Computerized Dub. This is pointed rhythmic music that is subtle and dreamy. Faze Island is distinct in that it isnt attempting to be roots or even digi dancehall in its application of dub ideas but perhaps uses those influences with the very natural and subtle approach of Mikes compositions to create something separate and new.
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NP201 The Savage Young Taterbug "Journeymans Cheddar" C16

Charles Free is back with his fifth Night-People tape which sits as a bit of a teaser/ precursor for an upcoming studio style recorded 12inch coming out in early 2014 on Night-people. We can safely say the 12inch will be an absolute stunner and turn some additional ears to Charlies tunes and surprise a few old listeners with its clarity and song writing. Journeymans Cheddar however keeps things weird. Created for a recent late summer/fall tour with long time tour partner Tracey Trance, the two sat down in the new NP HQ in Saint Paul for a couple days and assembled some extra tour merch and this release is a document of that. Tracey Trance even provides some extra vocals and effects on the psycho two lane blacktop Wolf Man scorcher Disc Jockey Inside Corona Bottle. The looney tunes collage style is even more ramped up with this release with all kinds of crazy sounds, noises and samples flying around smeared all over everything. Plenty of scorched Americana rolling on the tape once again, Northern Cali weed farm dreaming and open road hippie bus filth burping out the tail pipe. Cleaned up and Mastered by Cole Weiland.
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NP194 Beat Detectives "Music About Time" C45

Beat Detectives are Twin Cities based trio comprised of Chris Hontos (also of Dreamweapon and Food Pyramid), artist Oakley Tapola, and NYC artist Aaron Anderson. One of the most eclectic and wild Night-People releases Beat Detectives have crafted something really special on this release pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance/party music into all kinds of eccentric interesting places with piles of samples and references hiding out in the midst. Plenty of slippery but bumpin downtown style funky vibes at play with a really good dubbed out approach that doesnt get to hazy and lets things ride with enough clarity to make all the pieces step out and take notice. Tapolas often times deadpan weirdo rants and vocals work really well compositionally and are affected and blended into the mix in just the right ways. Hontos really did a great job mixing the release and Cole Weiland adds a nice touch as well on mastering duties. A little bit of everything going on, Acid House, Funk, Reggae, Dub, Dancehall, Psychedelic Electronics, Trance, it seems to never end and thats a good thing. Expect big things from this group in the near future.
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NP197 Dice Parks "S/T" C20

Dice Parks is the solo project of Shawn Dicey member of Lab Coast from Calgary who had a prior release on Night-People. Dice creates an eclectic blend of guitar, synths, and drum machine based instrumental music that sits contemporary to the late 70s early 80s concerns of German Sky Records gurus like Rother, Plank, Moebius and Roedelius. What separates Dice from the mentioned classics is a distinct fusion of more rock oriented heroics centered mostly centered around hazy poppy guitar riffs with a driving post punk back drop present in many of the songs. A distinct varied release with plenty of subtle touches allowing the listener to dig in deep. Another impossible to pin down non genre specific ripper sent Night-Peoples way and a release that grows with every listen.
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NP192 Sleepy Filter "The Name" C32

Seattle Visual Artists and longtime friends Will Kitchen and Jesse Miller are Sleepy Filter a duo with ties and friendships relating back to the rich and long running amalgamation of Seattle bands such as Factums, Yves Son Ace, Evening Meetings, Dream Salon etc. This album is true basement arcana tunes influenced by the rich history of Psychedelic rock and the weirder sides of punks outsiderisms. Millers extensive travels even come into play with the subtle use of field recordings captured on trips to South East Asia. Recorded on 8 Track CS Multi Track but with just the right amount of low fi vs. hi fi balance the tracks jump out sounding like a cross section between fuzzed out Chrome style 70s acid rockers and more chill hazy songs in the vein of say Jim Shepard or lost Xpressway cassettes, riding someplace in-between outsider song writer vibes and more pronounced experimentalism. Another nice addition from the largely low key Seattle weirdo scene that supports a long list of cool bands and projects.
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NP165 Gem Jones " Exhaust" C20

Gem Jones lives in Iowa and lays real low and outside the normal fray of the underground music scene. An outsider even in small town scene terms, Gems music has evolved a lot over a few years of weirdo pop cassette releases and even more rare live shows. Exhaust shows Gem in a new stretched out mode making serious nods to jazzy outsider rock, reggae, and DIY pop. Playing all the instruments and tracking the release to sound like a live full band make this tape sound like something truly out of its time. Not often in contemporary times is a songwriter able to create something so unique and also specific from so many influences so successfully. If you dig the sound of a wild cross section of Larry Young, Prince Buster, and Eddy Detroit you will enjoy this. Artwork by Ryan Garbes and Shawn Reed.
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