'Spective Audio

Along with writing about music in general, as well as some of our favorite bands and events, we are also working on putting together a cassette label. The goal is to present psychedelic, experimental, and pop releases that are local, independent, and present the listener with a vision, a cohesive sound, or, simply good tunes.

Our up-coming releases for early 2010 feature Atlanta-based psychedelic group, The N.E.C., a blistering band that uses soul, pop, and folk foundations to craft their particular version of layered, intense, emotional noise music, and Chicago guitar artist, Cinchel.

The N.E.C. are certainly guitar driven, and eclectic in their delivery, as evident on the range between earlier recordings such as Million Minks (2007) and the Jovontaes / N.E.C. split (Double Phantom) -- full of short, catchy, driving songs littered with effected vocals and guitars and crisp, overdriven production. The band brings the fuzz with their upcoming release, Is (Double Phantom / [OVE:EVO], January 10, 2010).

Our first 'Spective Release will feature a goldmine of oddities and b-sides by The N.E.C., behind their eras of recording for their catalog of current releases. The songs will showcase the range of the band, in the form of spirited jams that are layered and meandering, as well as loose and folky, featuring percussive acoustic guitar, and of course, the release is not short on the group's pop and soul sensibilities.

Our second 'Spective Release will feature Cinchel, a guitar artist who first grabbed my attention while playing with Travis Bird and Dense Reduction at Hotti Biscotti in Logan Square. Cinchel mesmerizes with dense, emotional drones, as well as sharp noise, mixing some found sounds with guitar lines. This particular release will focus on the drones of Cinchel, in the form of a disc he handed me after his set at Hotti, a full hour drone featuring screaming intensity hidden within the intricate sustain of endless notes that bleed together. "Emotional" in the best sense of the word -- as the drones inspire self-reflection and introspection -- and "psychedelic" in the truest sense of the word -- manipulating sound technology in order to stimulate the senses to reflect upon or interact with the world.

More will be on the way!

SPECTIVE CS1: The N.E.C. (middle February)
SPECTIVE CS2: CINCHEL (middle March)