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Joy Von Spain

SCRY22 Scard: Rusted Lock - DIGITAL COVER

OUT TODAY: SCARD – RUSTED LOCK (CASSETTE & DIGITAL)
November 6, 2020 by Joy Von Spain
Today we release the new masterful album by SCARD: RUSTED LOCK (cassette & digital) on Bandcamp. SCARD has been one of the best PNW creators of hellish and icy environments of sounds for 19 years and we’re excited to share the whole album with you…
“There’s both a familiarly industrialized vibe in the song and something that feels more esoteric, as if the central perspective of the track hinges on running through trash-strewn alleyways while soaked in rain and grime — and trying to flee some kind of demented and otherworldly force. The shuddering rhythms feel grueling and soaked in viscous tension, with a decidedly angular and erratic texture to the oddly more danceable components.” – Captured Howls
“Scard are a very great sounding mixture of dark ambient, power electronics, death industrial and harsh noise with some touches of black metal…recommended tracks include “Dancing With Rot”, “Graveyard Dirt”, and “Tainted And Estranged”. 8 out of 10…”- hatredmeanswar
ORDER THE TAPE AND DIGITAL ALBUM TODAY
SCRY22 Scard: Rusted Lock - DIGITAL COVER

SCARD: Ghost Cult Premieres “Impenetrable Will” -Rusted Lock Full-Length Nears Release
November 1, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

Portland-based dark ambient/industrial noise project SCARD is pleased to unveil the caustic sounds of “Impenetrable Will.” Now playing at Ghost Cult, the demoralizing track comes off the impending Rusted Lock full-length, set to drop November 6th via Scry Recordings.

SCARD – led by one J. Huston — began in 2001 in Seattle before relocating to Portland a year later. Drawing from dark ambient, power electronics, death industrial, and black noise, SCARD unites their personal origins in the forested regions of Oregon with eventual scum of city life to create a harsh, layered, and multi-faceted sound.

Notes Huston of latest psalm, “‘Impenetrable Will’ was the first song I wrote for the album. It began without any expectation, a broken reverb device, and a critical fix with aluminum foil to create an oppressive feedback loop. One of the more minimal songs in terms of instrumentation, it was augmented by several different layers of cavernous, scathing vocals that shred stagnant flesh to the bone with a methodical precision that resembles audio surgery. It fleshed itself out conceptually using the same approach to discipline that inspired ‘Fire In The Veins.’ I continued applying pressure for a sustained period, and this resulted in feeling absolutely honed for creating the rest of the album. ‘Impenetrable Will’ is a resolute show of force from within, intended to completely destroy obstruction.”

Adds Ghost Cult, “The solo project led by J. Huston (Winter In The Blood, L’Acephale’s Stahlhartes Gehäuse) finds the soundtrack-eque tomes seeping into your brain and implanting feelings of dread into your psyche. Perfectly eerie and haunted, just in time for the spooky season…”

Hear SCARD’s “Impenetrable Will” at THIS LOCATION.

Stream previously released single,  “Fire In The Veins,” at THIS LOCATION.

Rusted Lock was mixed by Fester, mastered by James Plotkin, and will see release on cassette and digital formats. For preorders, go to THIS LOCATION where “Graveyard Dirt” can be streamed.

Comments Huston of his upcoming offering, “Rusted Lock contains the most seething, and incisive work since SCARD’s inception. The project is by nature experimental and includes exploratory sounds and songs but a consistent thread of death/industrial doom and black metal virulence remains consistent throughout. This latest offering was an absolutely crucial album after a very long break from any activity. Near the end of the break, I underwent a total mental reconfiguration as well as a vast expansion of studio gear. The album evolved naturally throughout the process, utilizing a dominating force of will during a period of molting. It draws upon concepts surrounding personal strength, confrontation, obsession, and the many forms of poison, violently gripping, and tearing at its prey until cold, barren detritus is rejected and abandoned.”

Over the last nineteen years, SCARD has shared stages with the likes of Sixes, Bloodyminded, Daniel Menche, Control, To End It All, The Rita, Wolf Eyes, John Wiese, Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, Sleeping With The Earth, Pharmakon, Dave Phillips, Sudden Infant, Consumer Electronics, and many others. SCARD has also appeared at 2007’s Black Noise Festival in Oakland, 2009’s Northeast Noise And Power Electronics Festival in Boston, 2012’s Pure Harsh Noise Worship in Portland, 2014’s Pent Up Fest in Seattle, and many DIY venues throughout the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to his solo endeavor, Huston is the guitarist, vocalist, and producer of the atmospheric black metal band Winter In The Blood and also appears on the avant-garde black metal ensemble L’Acephale’s Stahlhartes Gehäuse and self-titled full-lengths (2009 and 2019 respectively).

“The shuddering rhythms feel grueling and soaked in viscous tension, with a decidedly angular and erratic texture to the oddly more danceable components. It’s as if more pleasant-sounding sonic ideas are getting run through a blender in real time across ‘Fire In The Veins’…” – Captured Howls on “Fire In The Veins”

http://www.hellscum.org
http://www.facebook.com/foreverloyaltomisery
http://www.instagram.com/lungscollapse/
http://www.scard.bandcamp.com
http://www.scryrecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/scryrecordings
http://www.instagam.com/scry_recordings

SCRY22 Scard: Rusted Lock - DIGITAL COVER

CAPTURED HOWLS PREMIERES ENLIVENING NEW DARK AMBIENT/ INDUSTRIAL NOISE SINGLE FROM SCARD: “FIRE IN THE VEINS”
October 18, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

The Portland-based dark ambient/ industrial noise project Scard will be dropping their new full-length record Rusted Lock on Nov. 6 via Scry Recordings.

Get a first listen below to the project’s immersive and ferocious new single, “Fire in the Veins” — which feels quite aptly titled considering the pulsating track’s subtly incinerating tone.

The track centers on a strangely danceable and chilly yet thick-toned electronica rhythm coursing through a haze of grating and static-textured whirs. There’s both a familiarly industrialized vibe in the song and something that feels more esoteric, as if the central perspective of the track hinges on running through trash-strewn alleyways while soaked in rain and grime — and trying to flee some kind of demented and otherworldly force. The shuddering rhythms feel grueling and soaked in viscous tension, with a decidedly angular and erratic texture to the oddly more danceable components. It’s as if more pleasant-sounding sonic ideas are getting run through a blender in real time across “Fire in the Veins.”

 

The track would probably appeal to fans of The Body. “Fire in the Veins” carries a dynamic abrasion that feels reminiscent of some of the work from that duo, with a foothold of accessibility alongside a steady stream of monumental waves of industrialized chaos.

Order at this link.

READ MORE AT:

Scard Premieres Enlivening New Dark Ambient/ Industrial Noise Single — Listen Here!

SCARD

SCARD: Portland Dark Ambient/Industrial Noise Project To Release Harrowing Rusted Lock Full Length This November; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available
October 18, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

Portland-based dark ambient/industrial noise project SCARD will release its Rusted Lock full length November 6th via Scry Recordings.

For preorders, go to THIS LOCATION.

SCARD – led by one J. Huston — began in 2001 in Seattle, moving to Portland a year later. Drawing from dark ambient, power electronics, death industrial, and black noise, SCARD combines their personal origins in the forested regions of Oregon with eventual scum of city life to create a harsh, layered, and multi-faceted sound. In addition to his solo endeavor, Huston is the guitarist, vocalist, and producer of the atmospheric black metal band Winter In The Blood and also appears on the avant-garde black metal ensemble L’Acephale’s Stahlhartes Gehäuse and self-titled full-lengths (2009 and 2019 respectively).

Comments Huston of his upcoming offering, “Rusted Lock contains the most seething, and incisive work since SCARD’s inception. The project is by nature experimental and includes exploratory sounds and songs but a consistent thread of death/industrial doom and black metal virulence remains consistent throughout. This latest offering was an absolutely crucial album after a very long break from any activity. Near the end of the break, I underwent a total mental reconfiguration as well as a vast expansion of studio gear. The album evolved naturally throughout the process, utilizing a dominating force of will during a period of molting. It draws upon concepts surrounding personal strength, confrontation, obsession, and the many forms of poison, violently gripping, and tearing at its prey until cold, barren detritus is rejected and abandoned.”

Stream SCARD’s “Graveyard Dirt” at THIS LOCATION. View the album trailer below.  

Rusted Lock was mixed by Fester, mastered by James Plotkin, and will see release on cassette and digital formats. 

Rusted Lock Track Listing:

  1. Polluted And Barren
  2. Dancing With Rot
  3. Impenetrable Will
  4. Silence Of God
  5. Graveyard Dirt
  6. Withered Prey
  7. Fire In The Veins
  8. Tainted And Estranged

Over the last nineteen years, SCARD has shared stages with the likes of Sixes, Bloodyminded, Daniel Menche, Control, To End It All, The Rita, Wolf Eyes, John Wiese, Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, Sleeping With The Earth, Pharmakon, Dave Phillips, Sudden Infant, Consumer Electronics, and many others. SCARD has also appeared at 2007’s Black Noise Festival in Oakland, 2009’s Northeast Noise And Power Electronics Festival in Boston, 2012’s Pure Harsh Noise Worship in Portland, and 2014’s Pent Up Fest in Seattle, and many DIY venues throughout the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.hellscum.org
http://www.facebook.com/foreverloyaltomisery
http://www.instagram.com/lungscollapse/
http://www.scard.bandcamp.com
http://www.scryrecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/scryrecordings
http://www.instagam.com/scry_recordings

Geist & the Sacred Ensemble_Marc Santo_1472X975

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE: New Noise Magazine Premieres Waning Hymns Full-Length From Pacific Northwest Doom Folk Collective; Record To Drop Friday
July 30, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

New Noise Magazine is currently streaming Waning Hymns, the new full-length from hypnotic doom folk collective GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE. The premiere comes on the eve of the record’s official release via Scry Recordings.

Among the Pacific Northwest’s hidden societies, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE forges a doom-inflected folk ritualism; dirges tinged with Eastern psychedelia and meandering meditative trances. For the last several years, the group has shown the Washington state underground a clear vision for their sound and lyrics creating a shamanistic space for the listener, placing them into a trance, then building up the excitement. The overarching theme of their lyrical work is that of an idealist, a yearning for an end to the modern human condition, for destruction of the constructs and constraints of oppression.

Stream Waning Hymns alongside a track-by-track breakdown from the band’s own M. Sauder, exclusively at New Noise Magazine, at THIS LOCATION.

View the band’s previously released videos for “Closed Eye” and “Volition” below.

Recorded and mixed by J. M. McNulty at Killroom Studios and mastered by Mell Dettmer at Studio Soli with artwork by Anima Nocturna, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE’s Waning Hymns will be released on digital and vinyl formats. For preorders visit THIS LOCATION.

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Oranssi Pazuzu, Insect Ark, Soriah, Six Organs Of Admittance, Pedestrian Deposit, Yonatan Gat, Father Murphy, and Jackie-O-Motherfucker, and has appeared at Thirst For Light, Missoula Psych Fest, PNW Folklife, Magma Fest, Dismal Fest, and Escalator Fest. With tours from Maine to Virginia and California to Montana, their live shows are hypnotic and emotionally charged, often taking place at unique locations like a metal forge and foundry, forests and meadows, old schools, churches and more. At their greatest, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE’s tunes exist as an ever-changing pilgrimage, transforming their abstract drifts into apocalyptic folk hymns or private confessionals.

“Waning Hymns offers hope and understanding amid desolate soundscapes and turbulent times…” — Decibel

“These somber, enveloping sound baths exist to cause spiritual epiphanies and open obscure pathways within the individual.” — Metal Injection

“GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE sounds like the closet thing this city has to ’90s/00’s – era Swans: heavy, ritualistic rock that somehow straddles the moat between forlorn pastoral vibes and grim urban realms.” — The Stranger

“[They] do brooding, monolithic, and mystical like no one else, crafting out sand dried sonic psalms that howl like youthful godspeed ghost riders.” — The Sunday Experience

“Their music is both earthy and abstract, ancient and timeless. They truly opened a portal, infusing the blue-lit room with otherworldly vibes; slightly spooky, completely sublime.” — The Drainage

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE

http://www.geistandthesacredensemble.com
http://www.facebook.com/geist.sacredensemble
http://www.instagram.com/geistandthesacredensemble
http://www.geistandthesacredensemble.com
http://www.scryrecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/scryrecordings
http://www.instagam.com/scry_recordings

Geist & The Sacred Ensembel: WANING HYMNS album cover

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE: Decibel Magazine Premieres “Closed Eye” Video From Pacific Northwest Doom Folk Collective; Waning Hymns Full-Length Nears Release
July 30, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

“Waning Hymns offers hope and understanding amid desolate soundscapes and turbulent times…” — Decibel

Doom folk collective GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE today release their video for “Closed Eye.” Now playing at Decibel Magazine, the entrancing track comes by way of the band’s Waning Hymns full-length, set for release on July 31st via Scry Recordings.

Among the Pacific Northwest’s hidden societies, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE forges a doom-inflected folk ritualism; dirges tinged with Eastern psychedelia and meandering meditative trances. For the last several years, the group has shown the Washington state underground a clear vision for their sound and lyrics creating a shamanistic space for the listener, placing them into a trance, then building up the excitement. The overarching theme of their lyrical work is that of an idealist, a yearning for an end to the modern human condition, for destruction of the constructs and constraints of oppression.

Writes Decibel Magazine, “GEIST and his collaborators examine Western culture’s withering empathy and booming consumerism on their upcoming Waning Hymns LP. But GEIST isn’t content to just observe and reprimand. Waning Hymns offers hope and understanding amid desolate soundscapes and turbulent times… In ‘Closed Eye,’ GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE focus on meditative instrumental ambience instead of apocalyptic poetry. Low hums and ominous tones. The flickering imperfections of film stock. The distant shrieks of woodwinds. The collective’s usual 10+ minute oaken song structure is absent, replaced with nebulous unease.”

Adds M. Sauder, “This video was made using 8mm and 16mm film footage from Iceland by filmmaker James Hollenbaugh. It is the visual narrative to an inward journey influenced by the natural world. We hope its meditative pace will lead the listener to new pathways inside their mind and spirit. This music first appeared in the short film Searching Skies by Vivian Hua which I scored, as part of the Seventh Art Stand film series. The series seeks to expose and end bigotry, specifically Islamaphobia.”

View GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE’s “Closed Eye” video, now playing at Decibel, at THIS LOCATION.

Geist & the Sacred Ensemble_Marc Santo_1472X975

Brooklyn Vegan premieres video for Geist & the Sacred Ensemble: VOLITION (from Waning Hymns)
June 26, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

from Brooklyn Vegan:

PacNW collective Geist & the Sacred Ensemble mix psychedelic rock, folk, and doom metal in a way that’s not unlike Swans, Hexvessel, or some alternate version of history where Tony Iommi played guitar for Jefferson Airplane, and they’re gearing up to release their new album Waning Hymns on July 31 via Scry Recordings (pre-order). We’re premiering lead single “Volition” (along with its video), which is nine minutes of brooding, hypnotic music that fans of any type of psychedelia should sink their ears into.

Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist M. Sauder says of the album, “Waning Hymns is a study of Western consumer culture, attention spans, and empathy. This collection of ritualistic music asks us to redefine our self-worth. […] These Hymns are a ceremonial call; a reminder that we alone have the power to define ourselves.” And about “Volition” specifically, he adds, “Using long musical passages and drawn out changes, this song is a deliberate challenge to our current culture’s dwindling attention spans. There is so much information being thrown at us every day, we are slowly losing our sense of self and our ability for critical thinking.” You can definitely see the consumer culture critique reflected in the song’s video.

Check it out HERE.

Geist & The Sacred Ensembel: WANING HYMNS album cover

slight change of plans for Geist & The Sacred Ensemble: WANING HYMNS Release Date
May 8, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

Hello friends! We’ve come across a little snag getting the vinyl here from Europe due to the pandemic. We are therefore moving the official release date for WANING HYMNS, the timely and lush-sounding new LP by Geist & The Sacred Ensemble, to JULY 31st. Those of you who pre-ordered this past month have likely received your copy already, as we were able to have one case shipped by air. The remainder are slated to arrive in July (sadly, the cost of shipping the whole order air freight would have been an outrageous one). We thank you for your patience! Looking forward to a song premiere soon…

Geist & the Sacred Ensemble_Marc Santo_1472X975

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE: Pacific Northwest Doom Folk Collective To Release Waning Hymns LP – Album Trailer Posted + Preorders Available
May 3, 2020 by Joy Von Spain

Among the Pacific Northwest’s hidden societies, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE forges a doom-inflected folk ritualism; dirges tinged with Eastern psychedelia and meandering meditative trances. For the last several years, the group has shown the Washington state underground a clear vision for their sound and lyrics creating a shamanistic space for the listener, placing them into a trance, then building up the excitement. The overarching theme of their lyrical work is that of an idealist, a yearning for an end to the modern human condition, for destruction of the constructs and constraints of oppression.

Comments the band of their latest offering, “Waning Hymns is a study of Western consumer culture, attention spans, and empathy. This collection of ritualistic music asks us to redefine our self-worth. Using sonic and lyrical incantations, on ‘Advaita’ we yell out, ‘…with no source to trust, we get tricked and submit, our lives, to a fabricated future, that has no chance,’ over chains on drums and thick tones. These Hymns are a ceremonial call; a reminder that we alone have the power to define ourselves.”

Find a Waning Hymns video trailer at THIS LOCATION.

 

Recorded and mixed by J. M. McNulty at Killroom Studios and mastered by Mell Dettmer at Studio Soli with artwork by Anima Nocturna, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE’s Waning Hymns will be released on June 5th on digital and vinyl formats. For preorders visit THIS LOCATION.  

Waning Hymns Track Listing:
1. Advaita
2. Volition
3. Closed Eye
4. Century Of The Self

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Oranssi Pazuzu, Insect Ark, Soriah, Six Organs Of Admittance, Pedestrian Deposit, Yonatan Gat, Father Murphy, and Jackie-O-Motherfucker, and have appeared at Thirst For Light, Missoula Psych Fest, PNW Folklife, Magma Fest, Dismal Fest and Escalator Fest. With tours from Maine to Virginia and California to Montana, their live shows are hypnotic and emotionally charged, often taking place at unique locations like a metal forge and foundry, forests and meadows, old schools, churches and more.

At their greatest, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE’s tunes exist as an ever-changing pilgrimage, transforming their abstract drifts into apocalyptic folk hymns or private confessionals.

GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE:
S. Yoder – percussion, gong, timpani
C. Segawa – electric guitar, metal spike
C. Howe – electric bass, bowed bass
M. Sauder – vocals, hollow body guitar, clarinet, piano

 

“GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE sound like the closet thing this city has to ’90s/00’s – era Swans: heavy, ritualistic rock that somehow straddles the moat between forlorn pastoral vibes and grim urban realms.” — The Stranger

“[They] do brooding, monolithic, and mystical like no one else, crafting out sand dried sonic psalms that howl like youthful godspeed ghost riders.” — The Sunday Experience

“Their music is both earthy and abstract, ancient and timeless. They truly opened a portal, infusing the blue-lit room with otherworldly vibes; slightly spooky, completely sublime.” — The Drainage

 

http://www.geistandthesacredensemble.com
http://www.facebook.com/geist.sacredensemble
http://www.instagram.com/geistandthesacredensemble
http://www.geistandthesacredensemble.com
http://www.scryrecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/scryrecordings
http://www.instagam.com/scry_recordings

Noisepoetnobody – new piece “Amid The Swirling” commissioned by the Wayward Music Series
April 28, 2020 by Joy Von Spain
 Amid The Swirling is a new work by noisepoetnobody (Casey Chittenden Jones) on analog modular synthesizer, hollow log with springs, resonant copper, and processed field recordings, also featuring liquids field recording by Briana Jones.
Listen HERE…
 
Each month, Nonsequitur and a community of like-minded organizations and artists present ten concerts of adventurous and experimental music in the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center (which sits on the traditional homelands of the Duwamish people): contemporary/post-classical composition, free improvisation and the outer limits of jazz, electronic/electroacoustic music, new instruments, phonography, sound art, and other innovative musics.
 
With the Chapel closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wayward Music Series has moved from the concert hall to the living room. In place of their usual ten monthly concerts, Nonsequitur is commissioning ten Seattle artists each month to create a series of streaming audio sessions of previously unreleased material. Noisepoetnobody has been a regular contributing artist to the series for over a decade, and for this new work he strove to re-create some of the natural reverb and atmosphere found in the performance space.
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