by Rodney
I was recently sent this file, asking me to add this CD to the Free Music Friday library. The only information I have is from their Myspace page. I could gather that they are a couple of circuit benders whom have gone undercover as spies calling themselves The 201 Files. They seem to be communicating intelligence findings threw these tracks. I found it very refreshing and jazz/bent like. It definitely has a cool mix of spy films and all the action to match.
6EQUJ5 is a collaboration project between Circo Bazooko and Giorgio “Jure” Zuliani and Liviano Mos from Jennifer Gentle. The recording is an improvised live session recorded from one single jam between the group. It was all done in Trieste, Italy where the guys are all from. The CD contains 26 tracks all recorded and then mixed at MOS Records at Matonia Studios Ltd. while produced by Not Any. 6EQUJ5 requests that you read the insert to truly understand the quality of their recording…or lack of. Any way you look at it…it all comes out to be a very great sounding self released CD, that they hope you will enjoy.
Here is a free album from Nikkos & the Extraordinary Renditions called Red, Black, & Blue. It features very long drum jams with an occasional sprinkle of electronic effects. Minimalistic and hypnotic. Download Here.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io94PHEkRXI&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
97701 is a simple compilation with a complex underside. 97701 is not just some random number, pulled from a monkey’s underside. 97701 is the zip-code for a town in the state of Oregon (USA)…that oddly enough is named Bend. So it was only fitting to name this weeks release after an obscure town, that only has the coolest name ever! This week we welcome Henrique Iwao from Sao Paulo Brazil! This is the first time Henrique has been on one of these Free Music Friday releases. He makes an amazing entrance onto things with his track titled “nihil obstat – fafa#sol”. You might also be speculating over this weeks sleeve art. You might have been right if you guessed that Int_routine did another bang up job on this weeks art work. This is the second piece of art Jason has submitted for the compilation series. Now please…go and enjoy this crazy good compilation, it’s free!
by Rodney
The definition of “Bent” sure has changed a lot for me in the past few years. I guess rather than me tell you what I think it means, I’d rather have you listen to the latest compilation, curated by Tiger Claw Records for Free Music Friday. I think after a good listen and a tall glass of milk, you’ll have no trouble coming up with your own definition of “Bent”. This time around the compilation series for Getlofi has brought us several new artist to share their definition of “Bent”. We are happy to have The 201 Files, univac, 10KoneKt, PlayBoy’s Bend, and Bumcivilian for the first time on a compilation. As well the release features some favorites like Bitcrusher, Bureau of Nonstandards, life as number five, Igor Amokian, StuKtur, Dr. Rek, Roth Mobot, Igloo Martian, Talking Computron, and Wrongbot. So you can pretty much some up that this release has serious definition of the word “Bent”. This release also features a new artist doing the cover design for the first time in Tiger Claw’s existence. Jason from Int_Routine was gracious enough to design the layout for the release. A very unique technique was used by Jason to create the sleeve of the CD. He used a camera he modified by circuit bending a mini USB keychain camera. Jason says “I think it was about 10 bucks at Fleet Farm. All I did was short a couple of connections on the circuit board. I didn’t add any switches, potentiometers, etc. I didn’t even solder the connections, just taped them down with scotch tape. I was out in the field without access to a soldering iron, so I just pieced it together with what I had available at the time. It was guerrilla bending.” He also mentioned he did the same thing to a webcam but it caused his laptop to crash. You might remember Jason had an installation at Bentfest MPLS last year, where his work was shown using this technique. So this album is close to being 100% bent sort of speak. Now if I can just figure out how to short circuit the printer and paper I use to print the sleeve we might have something here. Enjoy!
The Definition of Bent – Download Zip
by: Rodney Clark
Here is a double disc release from Igloo Martian that came out very late in 2008. It’s being rumored if there was an experimental category in the Grammy Music Awards, this would have taken “Circuit Bent Album of the Year”. There seems almost two sides of Igloo Martian, the sounds from the studio and the live improve sets he’s known for, where he annihilated your eardrums with hardcore noise blast of experimentation. Igloo Martian hails from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where he’s played in a hardcore punk band, dishing out grind vocals for INVID with younger brother (life as number five.) on dueling vocals, and a one time front-man for a Madison, Wisconsin band called Master Killer, which was crusty all over, back in the mid 90’s as a young teen. I guess that is where he gets his live stage show state of mind. I guess I would have to tag what he gives us as “circuit bent, electronic, experimental fused punk, with a hint of genius. You’ll find this album a more relaxed, beat driven release, much like his second recording “Hard Work is Tedious”. This new album also features a track with Igor Amokian. Igor is a familiar collaboration partner of Igloo Martian…you might recall a couple of years ago they released a split CD together on Tiger Claw Records. Overall…I love this album and recommend the download, which includes a cut-out CD sleeve with track titles, and cover art! So sit back relax and get lost inside the Self Released recording with twisting sounds that tale of “The Mechanical Saviour“.
But thats not all…
Also feel free to check out ::vtol::‘s debut release Static. ::vtol:: is a Russian circuit bending artist and his bent and DIY instruments can be further explored on his website. Great work. More information here.
By Rodney Clark
This is a follow up to a release Tiger Claw Records put out in 2007 as a physical CD. The release was called DO NOT BEND, which featured:
Toy Death, Ben Presto, Igloo Martian, Circo Bazooko, Life As Number Five, Spunky Toofers, Andy Ben & Dr. Rek, XDUGEF, Slugg City, Rot Wylder, Creme DeMentia, The Sk5, D. Forma, Igor Amokian, Steve Glitch, Int_Routine, James Anderson, and Zef Renirhs
DO NOT BEND TWO has a lot to live up to, but it certainly will not disappoint! Originally the album was scheduled to be released under the title “Egomaniac” but I was convinced to change it by Igloo Martian. He thought it would be best if I stuck to the traditional theme of putting a bent theme on things. So I decided to go with a follow up to an old release. Who doesn’t love a follow up? I mean…I can’t get enough of the Jason’s series of films 🙂 All kidding aside, I thought it would be cool to do. It has some serious backing…with true potential for a timeless trilogy in the making! All the tracks on here are instant, Circuit Bent classics with NO EXCEPTIONS!
The contributing Artist on Do Not Bend Two are Spunky Toofers/Susan Matthews, Igor Amokian, Igloo Martian, Wrongbot, All Over the Where, life as number five, LCDD, Bitcrusher, Denki Poo, Potar, Circo Bazooko, The Bureau of Nonstandards, mhcrispo, Neonworm, and StruKtur
I’d go back and replay each track as I added a new one to the folder, and it seemed to grow on it’s own, I just kept adding tracks and it kept adding a bigger place in my heart. It starts out with a familiar name in the bent community collaborating with a friend who doesn’t bend, and builds from there. Quite good I must say. Anyway…I’ll let you get to it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been.
