Thunderbolt Pagoda is a progressive space rock group from Minneapolis and are absolutely fantastic. So when they asked me to collaborate with them for Kosmische Drone set for the Drone Not Drones (http://dronenotdrones.com/) event I jumped at the chance. Here are some pics of our performance that night.
Music recorded at Kindred North Dakota
Video recorded at Duluth Minnesota January 2009
This music was recorded in a Barn in Kindred North Dakota, September 2008 Adam Backstrom, Dave Onnen, Erik Wivinus, Jason Kesselring (aka Comets Ov Cupid) and Sean Connaughty.
A few years ago Sean Connaughty made this video out at my family’s ranch in Kindred North Dakota. The music is from an improvisation between former members of Skye Klad, Salamander, and Vortex Navigation. Definitely Kosmische! See Sean’s description below.
This music was recorded in a Barn in Kindred North Dakota, September 2008 Adam Backstrom, Dave Onnen, Erik Wivinus, Jason Kesselring and Sean Connaughty. Video is from Kindred ND
Salamander’s “Birds of Appetite” was possibly the most epic of there releases and by this time had therhythmic bedrock of Dave Onnen and Matt Zaun both coming from Skye Klad. This song is one of my favorites from that album. Check out the review below.
“Birds of Appetite” was Salamander’s most consistent and definitive work to date, refining their mix of eastern-influenced acid folk and giant Ash Ra Tempel-ish cosmic improvisations. It marked the end of a trilogy that documented the first phase of the band, and its rarity led to a 2003 CD release for those that missed out on the vinyl version. By this point, Bryce Kastning had departed to pursue ambient solo work (though he still occasionally contributes to the band’s efforts and remains a good friend to the band as well as a member of Vortex Navigation Company). Skye Klad’s Matthew Zaun took his place on the drum stool. After the recording of “Birds of Appetite” and Salamander’s short East-coast tour with labelmates Primordial Undermind and the Japanese psych monsters Overhang Party, bassist Doug Morman also moved out of state and decided to bow out of the group in order to settle into his life as an avid horticulturist and devoted husband and father of two. His position on bass was ably filled by Skye Klad bassist Dave Onnen, who along with Zaun forms the precise rhythm-section that is the bedrock of Salamander’s music to this day.
This is a video made by Sean Connaughty as part of his “Garden Project” (see his explanation below) The soundtrack was a recorded improvisation with Paul Metzger, Sean Connaughty, Matt Zaun on Drums and myself (Comets Ov Cupid) on guitar. See description below.
Human Head Bird Feeder
MUSIC: Paul Metzger, Matt Zaun, Sean Connaughty, Jason Kesselring (aka Comets Ov Cupid) 2007
The Garden Project documents my attempts to restore a lost urban eco-system. The EPA tested our soil and discovered unacceptable levels of arsenic. The soil was subsequently removed and replaced. I preserved plant samples, collected seeds and made paintings and prints. I then sowed the reclaimed space with seeds from the destroyed ecosystem. Hand made porcelain Human Head Bird Feeders and Bird Feeder Masks encourage birds to remain in the yard and the birds become a living element in the artwork. With acknowledged humor, I imprint them with intimate knowledge of the human face and call attention to human presence in the urban ecosystem. Highlighting both destructive and benign moments of interaction between humans and their environment.
One of the seminal Kosmische groups from the North (Minnesota to be a little more precise) were my label mates and band mates (I have been and am currently in several projects with both Erik and Sean) Salamander.
They were the masthead of the whole scene and definitely a major inspiration. Their first album “Red Ampersand” is definitely a milestone and sounds more current then it did then. This is the title track.
Red Ampersand, 1998
Monday, February 28, 2005
The Satyrswitch The High Lonesome Sound of… (Camera Obscura)
If the Salamander review below made you curious of the fledging Minneapolis psych/folk/improv scene I suggest that you also check out the Satyrswitch, which primarily is the solo work of Skye Klad and Blitzen member Jason Kesselring. Just like Bent Hemlock, this late 2004 release offers a step away from Kesselring’s previous outings. On The High Lonesome Sound of Satyrswitch we find him exploring all kinds of folky traditionalism; from old-school Americana and acoustic ragas to captivating acid folk. It’s all surprisingly melodic and structured but nevertheless rewarding.
The very capable bit of folky pop and soul-touching harmonies, which is Stan Jones’ ”Ghost Riders in the Sky”, is a catchy stunner where Kesselring’s baritone vocal comes to full effect. The vocals is probably a hit or miss thing depending on who you ask, but if you ask me they add something distinctively unique to the somewhat dark proceedings. The acoustic folk guitar and fingerpicking techniques present on the lovely “Israfel” makes me think of equal parts Bert Jansch and modern interpreters of the Takoma tradition, and if that’s not a good thing I am not quite sure what is. The High Lonesome Sound of… does admittedly borrow plenty of elements from the past but is still a powerful and beautiful listen.
# posted by Mats @ 12:16 AM
|
Friday, February 25, 2005
Salamander Bent Hemlock (Camera Obscura)
Here’s one of the most anticipated records I’ve been fortunate to treat my ears with in the last cpl of months, a brand new recording from Salamander, the much-beloved Minneapolis psych/space/improv/folk unit. I am positive that most long-time fans will enjoy this CD but I am also quite sure that they’ll be equally surprised by its relatively downcast folk vibe. With slow dark folk attributes, Salamander escorts us to a dark rural vista and when you expect the guitars from the previous records to suddenly blast in, they choose to explore the same hidden track through the outskirts of forested psych/folk all over again, and the results are just mind-bending. The improvisational component is still very much present but it’s playing a much more sporadic and concentrated role on Bent Hemlock.
The relatively short opener “Galleon” presents a solemn combination of beauty and melancholy, with the unmistakable touch of the Appalachians hovering just on top of 11 year-old Madeline Westby’s angel-like vocal delivery. Then “The River Song” is positively gothic in its presentation, a vibe that largely comes from Sean Connaughty’s unmistakable voice and I guess that the violin that meanders around the acoustic guitar just further cements this feel. Before it all sinks to the eerie depths of the ocean some tasty guitar fuzz appears on the horizon, but we can only hear it in the distance and when the acoustic brilliance of the slightly Pelt-sounding “The Somnambulist” appears it’s already long gone. The more upbeat “Portal” is closer to what we’ve come to expect from this quartet, but then “Diagram” again emphasizes on the most vulnerable side of their repertoire. “Nocturne” is just like a handful of other tracks on the album an instrumental snippet of sorts that beautifully manages to knit a strong link between the relatively different styles of the band’s two primary songwriters, the aforementioned Connaughty and Erik Wivinus. “Call of the Hills” is a Wivinus track that sets acoustic guitar strumming against a howling wall of feedback and in the middle of it all we find Dave Onnen and Matt Zaun not only providing an impressive rhythm section but also keeping the whole thing in one piece.
Despite its relatively mellow vibe, Bent Hemlock is easily one of the most haunting records I’ve heard in 2005. It’s an album of great depth of maturity, and honestly quite unlike anything you’re likely to hear this year. This better make some year-end top ten lists.
# posted by Mats @ 4:18 AM
SKYE KLAD – PLAYS THE MUSICK OF CUPID’S ORKUSTRA ASLEEP IN THE MAGICK POWERHOUSE OF OZ
(Hand/Eye, P.O. Box 131, Glenville, PA 17329-0131 USA http://www.somedarkholler.com/)
A musical aboutface for these heretofore Gothic metallurgists who reinvent themselves as acoustic wyrdfolkers. (A fitting juncture for the change, as their third release finds a home on the imprint run by the term’s coiner, Timothy Renner of Stone Breath, Snakeoil Jamboree, Timothy the Revelator, et. al. fame.) Following a couple of brief introductory passages, things really begin to roll on “Fleeting Faunus and the Prophecy of the Fields,” with a penny whistle arcade and Matt Zaun’s throbbing bass drum carrying the dual guitars of Erik Wivinus and Jason Kesselring on an ominous death march through the valley of hell, complete with disembodied vocals from desperately lost souls.
Borrowing from literature (Kesselring’s bowel-clearing vocals are perfectly suited to the dark imagery of Poe’s “The Sleeper” and serve as the perfect dress rehearsal for his Satyrswitch solo project, which was simultaneously coming to fruition over on Camera Obscura via ‘The High Lonesome Sound of…’), religious iconography (“The Cross of Lorraine,” “Mary Magdalene,” “Rex Mundi”), and mythology (“The Windy Tree” and “Wildes Heer”), the band still retain some of their Gothic trappings on the haunting, Cure-ish instrumental “Mary Magdalene,” highlighted by bassist Dave Onnen’s heavy, melodic basslines that Si Gallup would be proud of and which could sit comfortably on any of their suicide trilogy (‘Faith’/’Seventeen Seconds’/’Pornography’). Elsewhere, the speaker-humming, ambient death rattle of “Beyond the Ice and Storm” and the hesitant, soul-searching meanderings of “When the Hounds of Spring are on Winters Traces” present improvisational acoustic jamming at its finest.
Sonic depth charges (think Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”) propel “Rex Mundi” to its climactic, straight-out-of-the-Chambers Brothers’-“Time Has Come Today” echoed drum rattle and the happy, strumming singalong, “The Windy Tree” belies its morbid lyrics of death and destruction. Onnen’s sound mix is meticulously razor-sharp throughout in the great tradition of Martin (Joy Division) Hannett and Mike (Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees) Hedges, making this an amazing, bootstrap-lifting musical rethink on par with Japan’s rebirth from garagey, N. Y. Dolls wannabes to glammy art rockers or Marc Bolan’s transition from cross-legged hippie to the king of glam and glitter. It’s an essential addition to your collection and, with Kesselring following this up with his darkly acoustic Satyrswitch project, I’m eager to hear where these guys go next. (Jeff Penczak)
by Zoopa Loop
Skye Klad – s/t
Skye Klad is a Minneapolis based spacerock band founded in 1996 by guitarist Jason Kesselring. At the beginning, his first goal was to play a kind of experimental hypersonic fusion illustrated by the first recordings of the band entitled “Atmospheric disturbances” and “Extreme vacuum person” which have appealed to both fans of space rock and experimental music over their early years. From now on, with lots of reminiscences of their previous recordings, this self titled album (recorded in 2000) covers a space rock along which various but important influences appear: industrial vibes, psychedelia, noisy waves as well as a quite strong dramatic touch on some of the vocals.
They have in common with almost all the space rock bands the sonic adventurous guitar parts and some shooting stars keyboards which lead their music to a swirling and echoing dimension ( the 60’s influenced “Mind’s eye”, “Toxaphene”, “Visceral Reaction”). The first three tracks are some typical direct space rockers where Skye Klad light up their turbo boosters ( “Mind’s eye”, “Vespers”, “Killer goodnight” ). Even if during such tracks as “Killer goodnight”, “Debutante”, “Visceral reaction” they develop a fuzzier sound, the mechanical indeed even the robotic edge they create ( “Debutante”, “Toxaphene” ) reminds me more of some Chrome or Pressurehed’s stuff. Of course it’s not as rough as the quoted bands but it shows how much Skye Klad was influenced by some psychedelic urban music. In another way, a song as “Falling clear” could also easily please some of the stoner rock fans by its doomy guitar riff which is surrounded by all the signs that apocalypse is on its way. The filtered vocals are here to accentuate both spaced out and gloomy sensations coming from the songs. ( “Ionosphere”, “Toxaphene”,” Visceral reaction”, “Falling clear” ).
“Ionosphere”, the cover of Low’s “Sleep at the bottom”or “Amber” show another side of the band which is deeply more influenced by ambient induced music. These numbers are some quite long excursions through space which combine heavy guitars with some cosmic waves built upon various synths layers or noisy droney walls. That’s where the declaiming vocals bring a quite astonishing touch to some of the tracks which slightly move onto darker realms but always keeping their hypnotic structures, as if listeners and musicians themselves were both attracted by a black hole. ( ” Amber”). Covering Space Rock music in different shades, this album is highly recommended for a pretty intense voyage through the unknown. A dark future is rising.
Zoopa Loop is an excellent French website – Zoopa Loop Website
Skye Klad
by Jeff Penczak
The benefits of doing a weekly radio show is that you get to advertise yourself to the music world and make some great contacts who are all too willing to grace your airwaves with their presence and share some of their newest material. About two years ago (on Terrastock III weekend as things would have it,) I had the honor of interviewing Erik Wivinus. As a member of three of the best psychedelic bands in Minneapolis (Salamander, Gentle Tasaday and Skye Klad), Erik’s been keeping my head spinning for years and it was during the recording of some of these Skye Klad sessions that he took time out to chat. It’s a pleasure to report that the results far exceeded the marvelous teaser that he sent me earlier, an advance copy of “Mind’s Eye” (a different version of which leads off the proceedings.) “Vespers,” for instance, calls to mind Ian Curtis leading Hawkwind through an amphetamine-fueled “Master of the Universe,” while “Killer Goodnight” finds Peter Murphy fronting Sabbath with Mr. Mojo Risin’ nodding gleefully in the wings. Gothic Death Metal, anyone?
“Sleep At the Bottom” applies the brakes somewhat, being more atmospheric, but still dark and foreboding. The catchy (!) chorus is straight outta Bongwater territory and the wind tunnel guitar FX hover in the air like frozen breath on a cold winter’s night in the local cemetery. “Debutante” marries Joy Division’s industrial clatter with Bauhausian histrionics, while the ensuing half hour trilogy of “Ionosphere,” “Taxaphene” and “Amber” sets the controls for the heart of the sun with a baggage compartment stocked to the gills with everything from Floyd and Hawkwind to Fields of the Nephalim and Love & Rockets blaring full blast on the stereo.
In sum, fans of Nordic Death Metal minus the axe-wielding, church burning murderers will find a lot to endorse. If your tastes run more towards dark, gothic, atmospheric, sonic assaults with the spectre of Ian Curtis presiding over the proceedings, by all means seek this out.
Note: Jeff is the host of the “No Soap, Radio” show every Monday evening rom 8-11PM (eastern US time) via the live RealAudio internet feed over WNTI-FM, 91.9 in Hackettstown, NJ, USA. Also check out his website.
Comets Ov Cupid 