Dynamo Stairs - DImwit (2016)

The latest from the most active Choke alumnus. Tight.

Dynamo Stairs - Art Direct

Dynamo Stairs has a new one out. Get it (name your price) on bandcamp. This one is a particularly nostalgic take on pop tropes from the last 30 years or so.
Dave is, of course, the main singer/song-writer from Choke.

Fill Jackson Heights

Kind of digging this...

I Gaze

Artist: aboombong
Album: admixture
Style: shoegaze
Release: 2012/2014
Players: aboombong, percussion; Dynamo Stairs, bass and guitars; Lana Van Boven, vocals; Wharf99, field recording; madrotter, samples.
Available in a variety of formats from http://aboombong.bandcamp.com/track/i-gaze-admix-one-suisse-miss

admixture, a two-track, interactive e.p. from aboombong. Back in 2012 I sent solicitations for additional elements for each track to my musician friends: not remixs, admixs. The additional elements here trickled in over the last two years. Additions are still welcome for both tracks. Send 'em if you've got 'em.

Dynamo Stairs: Togetherness

A new one from the former choke frontman. A tribute of sorts...

Dynamo Stairs - Reverse Screen, and other newness

There's a new Dynamo Stairs CD sending out waves to world. It is a collection of tracks from across the many years that the project has been going. The project predates David's work with Choke and continues to this day with a wide range of styles exploring the edges of pop.  I've been enjoying it a lot. You might as well. Here's a video taste
 

In other news, there is a new aboombong shaping up. It is a companion piece to atrophic and a bit of a departure for aboombong. I need to put together an album cover and cross some sonic T's, but watch for it on bandcamp soon. Also out soon will be the new Dustdevil & Crow, accidental music. Michael has a couple of teaser tracks up on his soundcloud: Big Wind & Broken Head Boy.

aboombong: admixture; now on soundcloud, what you got?

I meant to get this up sooner, but life keeps me busy. The aboombong admixture e.p. is now also up on soundcloud, which is really a perfect venue for the collaborative aspects of the project. Contributions are already starting to trickle in and I have begun working on the admixs. If you are a soundcloud user, you can follow the progress of the project there and watch for the final release of the admixs over at aboombong's bandcamp page, where things will be released cc-attribution, share-alike, non-commercial.

admixture by aboombong

aboombong - admixture

Starting the new year with a new release, admixture, a two-track, interactive e.p. from aboombong. With the exception of a little harmonica, this one is all percussion. The interactive element here is this: I am sending solicitations for additional elements for each track to my musician friends...and will accept them as well from those of you out there that feel inclined; I will take submitted additions to the songs and I will combine them into new versions: not remixs, admixs. If you are interested in participating...put together your contribution and then leave a comment or send me a note here (click on the link that says "For all other inquiries, click here") and we'll figure out how I can retrieve your contributions. No complicated rules, but remember, your contribution will be combined with things you haven't heard. Oh, and I don't want any samples of already released material. Contributions should be something you created from scratch.

Artist: aboombong
Album: admixture
Style: shoegaze, drone-rock, idm, psychedelic, dream pop
Features: percussion, harmonica, effects.


As always, this one is a pay what you want release. All proceeds go to more music.

Dynamo Stairs - Worm Separators and Guides

A friend of the show post today with some more songs from Saxon, Switzerland's Dynamo Stairs (aka David Liso from Choke and Splayfeet), now available on his soundcloud page. If you like these teasers go to Eversore.com for much more from David (dig around, tracks to listen to and lots of information and photos - you can even use paypal to support the artist).

Worm Stars Separators And Guides tracks by Dynamo Stairs - David Says:"3 exclusive tracks from Dynamo Stairs' 2008 album 'Worm Stars Separators And Guides'"

Outtakes by Dynamo Stairs- David says: "Old Dynamo Stairs tracks written between 1993 and 1995! Were supposed to be tried out and performed by Mesmerise in Italy, but never quite made it ..."

Enjoy.

Dynamo Stairs - His Antique Thoughts

An old one from the Choke front man David Liso putting himself out there as Dynamo Stairs. Circa 1988. Enjoy.

amnemonic, dustdevil & crow: what I did for summer vacation

This summer has been a particularly enjoyable and productive one. While completing the azwarm album and the boom dispenser remixs project (as I have mentioned previously), I was honored to be asked to collaborate on the newest Dustdevil & Crow album, while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing. It was completed recently and is now available on the Free Music Archive. I have also added amnemonic over at the FMA (HERE). The FMA is a great resource, chock full of amazing music with easy access to high-quality MP3's. It also allows you to create custom mixes with an easy to use interface. I have created a mix with both while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing and amnemonic that will allow you to listen to or download both albums in one click. You can also easily embed this player or send it to your friends to help us get the word out (always much appreciated).


For those audiophiles out there who are looking for lossless versions of either of these albums, well, of course, they are available. Bendle has put both Dustdevil & Crow albums up at his bandcamp page for free (along with lots of other goodies), and, of course, all the aboombong releases are available in lossless formats on bandcamp (name your price) as well. Don't forget that I will email a special access code to anyone naming a price of $5 or more that is good for limited edition bonus material from amnemonic. You can also get access to this bonus material by donating directly using the "donate" buttons here at Pen & Mallet, or the "tip the artist" button at the Free Music Archive.

UPDATE2.1: Thanks to Dying For Bad Music and The Couch Sessions for helping to spread the word. And check out this short film featuring the opening minutes of Cromsby Grovernor's Jujujaiponmolam. Also a NSFW friend of the show note: Swellco & Swellco are getting some notice for exposing the underbelly (and more, much more) of the city that loves you back.

aboombong - amnemonic (the new album)

The new one is here. Start spreading the word.

Artist: aboombong
Album: amnemonic
Release date: September 11, 2010


Style(s): afro-asian noise, post-rock shoegaze, musique concrète, minimalism, noise, drone, post-punk.
Toys: amplified tongue drum, Turkish darbuka, New Mexican wooden-headed goblet drum, Igbo Ekwe (two tone log slit drum), Ibo Ekpiri shaker, Vietnamese jack fruit danmo, camel bells, elephant bells, goat bells, 16-tine Thai temple bell, Mimi's souvenir travel bells collection, Trinidadian tenor steelpan, 5-string table-top electric guitar, Kawai K3, one-man-army chants, Stylophone S1 orchestra, harmonica, drum kit.

Tracklist:
1) Cheshiahud Loop
2) From Cracked and Bloodied Fingers
3) Cromsby Grovernor Worthington's Jujujaiponmolam
4) Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, & Wang Hongwen in Dahomey
5) Noon

"Restrained" would not be a good word to use to describe this one.

As with all the aboombong releases, this one is available for download from bandcamp in a variety of formats (including lossless formats) and you can name your own price. Please note that there is a special limited edition bonus track available for the first 200 folks who name a price of $5 or more over at bandcamp, or donate (from the button below) $5 or more to Pen & Mallet. I will email you a unique, one-time use download code with instructions for retrieving your bonus track in gratitude for your support (which goes directly to pay for things like drum sticks, guitar strings, cables, distribution, and an occasional bowl of Phở).

UPDATE: in a totally uncoordinated coincidence, the new dustdevil & crow, while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing is also out. It was a real honor to be invited to work on this one. Check it out and spread the word.
UPDATE2.7: The first review of amnemonic is in and it made me blush. Now featured over at Disquiet with some very positive words. Also thanks to Nadia for a nice review over at the couch sessions and to Estonia's Recent Music Heroes for a very positive(?) review (google translate had a hard time with the Estonian, but I see a rating of 10.0 and lots of nice phrases scattered throughout) ; and thanks to Disruptive Platypus, Dying For Bad Music, Living Exposed, The Sound of Eye, The Sirens Sound, geometria innamorata, & Exile on Moan Street for helping to spread the word. The latest review of "asynchronic" over at rym deserves mention as well (by Ily, August 14th).

Choke: Hard to Swallow- 4-track demos

I have been in a lot of loud bands. Although it is not readily apparent from the recordings the band put out, Choke was easily the loudest. In the last post on the band, I noted that there were some tracks missing from the Gauze/Total Reverence cassettes due to my copies being destroyed. Well, I have tracked down a DAT that includes some demos we sent to my brother prior to the recording session for the eponymous e.p. It contained rough mixes of the missing tracks. These all ended up on the e.p., but these 4-track versions give a better sense of what Choke was like as a live band. I have also added a straight to ghetto-blaster track that I like - a catchy little punk-ish diddy [update: Grant tells me it is called "Pine-Sol"]. To me, Choke wears its influences on its sleeve with these cuts- equal parts Stone Roses, Cocteau Twins, Big Black and Ritual Tension. But I am hardly an objective listener. Anyway, here they are (flac, ogg vorbis, MP3). Enjoy.

The players:
David Liso- guitar, vocals
Grant Garner - bass
Matt Sneddon - guitar
me - drum kit, hammond organ, headphone feedback.

Choke: Hard to Swallow-4-track Demos

Track list:
1) Browse (scraping nails mix)
2) Barcelona (jet set)
3) Alexander Orchid (Hammond Mix)
4) Pine-Sol

Choke: eponymous e.p., gauze/total reverence, and lo-fi noise

I think I am most comfortable thinking of myself as an experimental musician. For me this means I experiment with the process by which the music is created. In this sense, Choke was the most experimental band I have been involved with. This is true despite the fact that the product of Choke's experimentation ended up being closer to pop music than anything else I have played. This experimentation in large part involved doing things to break the band's members out of comfortable roles and habits. So, for instance, 4 of 5 the songs on our eponymous e.p. were based around guitar parts and bass lines written by the drummer (me) who can't play guitar or bass. Add to that a guitarist on bass and a bassist on guitar, turn it all up past eleven even on the pretty songs, and...well, just listen.

Style: Post-punk dream pop with a quick detour into prog-noise.
The players:
David Liso- guitar, bass, vocals (check out Dynamo Stairs)
Grant Garner - bass
Matt Sneddon - guitar
me - drum kit, steel pan, hand drums, metal objects, loops, samples

Choke (eponymous e.p.) (FLAC, Ogg Vorbis,MP3)
Produced by Matt Thorne (a Skin & Barrel Production)
Track list:
1) Alexander Orchid
2) Barcelona
3) Browse
4) H20
5) Sheltering

Note: the player plays the whole e.p.

Choke released two DIY cassettes, Gauze and Total Reverence. My copies were, ironically, all but destroyed in a crushed box during one of my many moves. I was able to salvage all but three tracks off of the cassettes thanks to scotch tape & razor skills learned in my experimental music classes back in the day. The track Green Hand, in fact, was put back together from almost a dozen splices using several cassettes. The three missing tracks are a great version of Barcelona, a version of Alexander Orchid that includes a hammond organ part missing from the version above, and a slower noisier version of Browse. I will work on finding clean copies of those tracks. I'll upload them if they become available [update - Now available here].

Choke: Gauze/Total Reverence
Style: shoegazer, rave, post-punk, dream pop.
DIY cassette releases from the early 90's.
Recorded in our rehearsal studio using 4-track cassette machine

Tracklist:
1) Mortar
2) Sex Trial
3) Shine
4) Crushed box/grill
5) Bliss
6) Poundcake
7) Circles
8) Tanta Figa
9) Green Hand
10) H20 (clank mix)

Note: player plays all ten tracks

For archival purposes, I am also including two unfinished bonus tracks. These were recorded live to ghetto blaster in our rehearsal space. Both songs were eventually part of our live set list, but they were never properly recorded. There is something about these takes that I like: Lo-fi noise.

Rehearsal Tapes
1) Untitled
2 ) Sturwelpeter


Enjoy.