Date: Fri, 21 Mar 97 14:33:38 -0800 From: Jens Alfke Reply-To: ctip@dharma.firstcomm.com To: Multiple recipients of Subject: Re: Kranky...where to start? Kelli (Noisegirly@aol.com) wrote: >in a related note, if i were to step into the big wide world of > Kranky..where should i start? i have not heard anything from the > label before...and i'm quite intrigued. Kranky's pretty intriguing. I haven't heard all their releases by any means, but the only one that hasn't really grabbed me has been Jessamine's first album. I can highly recommend: Labradford All their music is slow and stately and has a fuckwad of cavernous reverb. Verges on ambient a lot of the time, but they pull out some good melodies and whispered vocals too. "Prazision" is the purest, just guitar and electronics, and "A Stable Reference" adds bass guitar to good effect. I'm slightly less impressed with their latest s/t. Bowery Electric Definitely some major Slowdive action going on here, with nods to Kitchens Of Distinction's wall of guitar pedals, and occasional echoes of that claustrophobic doom-laden "Garlands" sound that the Cocteaux started out with. Both albums are excellent. The second, "Beat", adds some slow hip-hop beats on about half the tracks and ends with a very long and very minimal ambient piece, so if you want strict shoegazer heaven you should pick up the s/t first album first. Amp's new album on Kranky isn't out yet, but I can't recommend "Sirenes" (US release on Petrol) too highly. Quite varied, with a number of moods ranging from FSA guitar fuzz to ambient piano to hypnotic noise with weird clacking beats. Anyone with a handle like NoiseGirly should be able to groove on this in a major way! I guess if I had to recommend one album on Kranky it'd be "A Stable Reference", although they're all really close. B.E. are more rock-like, and Amp are the noisiest and most experimental. __________ _____________________ _______________________ Jens Alfke\ Wild-Eyed Java Zealot\ jens@apple.com -work\ jens@mooseyard.com -play\ There was a line -- there was a formula Sharp as a knife -- facts cut a hole in us _____________________________ http://www.mooseyard.com/Jens/ Date: Sat, 22 Mar 97 09:45:36 -0800 From: Jens Alfke Reply-To: ctip@dharma.firstcomm.com To: Multiple recipients of Subject: Kranky catalog [The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] I wrote to Kranky and got a catalog in return. Bruce Adams, Mr. Kranky himself, may be subscribing to the list, too. Here's the catalog: kranky katalog out now: Labradford Prazision LP CD KRANK-001 ON FLYING NUN IN EUROPE The (then) duo of Mark Nelson and Carter Brown made "a landmark record for the ^Ì90s" (Alternative Press). Double LP is out of print. Dadamah This Is Not A Dream CD KRANK-002 A collection of singles, compilation and LP tracks from the defunct NZ quartet. Jessamine Jessamine LP/ CD KRANK-003 "A stunningly well-rounded debut." CMJ New Music Monthly The Spiny Anteaters All Is Well LP/ CD KRANK-004 Canadian quartet lays down an early Creation brand of fuzz pop. Dissolve That That Is... Is (Not) LP/ CD KRANK-005 Roy Montgomery (ex-Dadamah) and Chris Heaphy "weave spindly strands of vitreous guitar into iridescent mosaics." (Melody Maker) Labradford A Stable Reference LP/ CD KRANK-006 ON FLYING NUN IN EUROPE "...manages to invent a style and transcend it in one process." i/e Bowery Electric Bowery Electric LP/ CD KRANK-007 "...multitiered, sometimes serene, sometimes bruising vignettes of color and texture." Chicago Reader Flies Inside The Sun An Audience of Others (Including Herself) LP/ CD KRANK-008 Kim Pieters and Peter Stapleton from Dadamah with Danny Butt and Brian Crook - our most "out" recording. "Simply awesome" says Ptolemaic Terrascope. Roy Montgomery Temple IV CD KRANK-009 Solo instrumentals from Dissolve/Dadamah guitarist. "...a fabulous, understated, deeply personal and yet powerful work which could quite easily transport you even further than the temple at Tikal which inspired it." Ptolemaic Terrascope Magnog Magnog DLP/ CD KRANK-010 "...one of the most daringly exploratory rock albums to have emerged in the last year." The Wire The Spiny Anteaters Current CD KRANK-011 "A delicious shock of the alien." Exclaim! Jessamine The Long Arm of Coincidence DLP/ CD KRANK-012 "If there is one band thatıs really doing something with the rhythmic and experimental concepts behind 70s bands Can and Neu! it is Jessamine." CMJ New Music Report Labradford Labradford LP/ CD KRANK-013 ON BLAST FIRST IN EUROPE "...slightly different, yet still perfect." Milk Bowery Electric Beat CD KRANK-014 ON BEGGAR"S BANQUET IN EUROPE Album number two moves into both rythmic interlock and pure stellar drone. Stars of the Lid The Ballasted Orchestra DLP/ CD KRANK-015 Texas duo create "a black hole in reverse" (The Big Takeover) via 4 track tape deck. Doldrums Acupuncture CD KRANK-016 Full length from VA trio after EP on VHF, "stunningly agile cloud-rock workout" ( Opprobrium) Amp astraLmoonBeamProJecTions DLP/CD KRANK-017 2nd album by Bristol, UK outfit, "the most beautiful band in existence" (Milk). Coming Soon: Dissolve Third Album For The Sun CD Roy Montgomery, Chris Heaphy and friends Philosopherıs Stone Preparation LP/ CD Amp contributor Gareth Mitchell goes it alone. Mail Order Prices CD $11 ppd USA/ $13 Canada/ $15 Elsewhere LP $8 ppd USA/ $10 Canada/ $13 Elsewhere DLP $12 ppd USA/ $14 Canada/ $17 Elsewhere send check or money order to: kranky P.O. Box 578743, Chicago, IL 60657 __________________ ______________________________________________ Jens Alfke What rough beast, its hour come round at last, jens@mooseyard.com Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 16:13:09 -0500 From: Joshua Harmon Reply-To: ctip@dharma.firstcomm.com To: Multiple recipients of Subject: Re: kranky for beginners/FSA "Goodbye" >Could someone post a complete Kranky discography? And will Kranky's >imminent Net presence include a Web site? > i have no idea about the web site, but the discography is: krank 001-labradford prazision dlp/cd krank 002-dadamah-this is not a dream cd krank 003-jessamine-s/t lp/cd krank 004-spiny anteaters-all is well lp/cd krank 005-dissolve-that that is...not lp/cd krank 006-labradford-a stable reference lp/cd krank 007-bowery electric-s/t lp/cd krank 008-flies inside the sun-an audience of others...lp/cd krank 009-roy montgomery-temple iv cd krank 010-magnog-s/t dlp/cd krank 011-spiny anteaters-current cd krank 012-jessamine-long arm of coincidence dlp/cd krank 013-labradford-s/t lp/cd krank 014-bowery electric-beat cd krank 015-stars of the lid-the ballasted orchestra dlp/cd krank 016-doldrums-acupuncture cd krank 017-amp-astral moonbeam projections dlp/cd --joshua Date: Wed, 23 Apr 97 10:42:59 -0700 From: Jens Alfke Reply-To: ctip@dharma.firstcomm.com To: Multiple recipients of Subject: Review: Flowchart, Stars Of the Lid STARS OF THE LID "The Ballasted Orchestra" (US, Kranky, kranky@interaccess.com) I have yet to buy a dud from Kranky (although Labradford's latest is a bit disappointing) and this long album (78 minutes!) definitely lives up to its reviews. Very ambient, very eerie, but without the paranoia of, say, Lustmord. The eight tracks all have different styles, ranging from subterranean whooshing to looped guitar to orchestral sounds -- the latter probably the inspiration for the album title, and I can imagine the musicians playing on as weights pull them down through the luminous water. While there aren't many out-and-out melodies here, the sounds and textures are very memorable, and one bit of track 5 kept going through my head all yesterday evening. Some referents to tie this to might be Fripp/Eno's "Evening Star" (which a lot of people seem to be drawing from of late), :Zoviet*France:s "Shamany Enfluence", Harold Budd's "Gypsy Violin", Windy & Carl's "Antarctica", Seefeel's "Minky Starshine", and bits of the Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works 2". This album is definitely worthy company. __________ _____________________ _______________________ Jens Alfke\ Wild-Eyed Java Zealot\ jens@apple.com -work\ jens@mooseyard.com -play\ I know it is wet, and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny! _____________________________ http://www.mooseyard.com/Jens/ Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 04:09:53 PST From: gordon mcewen Subject: Re: im a bit kranky today ... Enrique Jimenez asked for a complete Kranky catalogue. krank 001-017 was posted to this list some time ago by Joshua Harmon . I've added a few items which have been appeared since then and tried to note where some releases also appear on other labels. Not sure whether it is complete though... krank 001-labradford prazision dlp/cd (flying nun FN342 lp/cd) krank 002-dadamah-this is not a dream cd krank 003-jessamine-s/t lp/cd krank 004-spiny anteaters-all is well lp/cd krank 005-dissolve-that that is...is not lp/cd krank 006-labradford-a stable reference lp/cd (flying nun FN329 lp/cd) krank 007-bowery electric-s/t lp/cd krank 008-flies inside the sun-an audience of others...lp/cd krank 009-roy montgomery-temple iv cd krank 010-magnog-s/t dlp/cd krank 011-spiny anteaters-current cd krank 012-jessamine-long arm of coincidence dlp/cd krank 013-labradford-s/t lp/cd (blast first lp/cd) krank 014-bowery electric-beat cd (beggars banquet BBQCD 188 dlp/cd) krank 015-stars of the lid-the ballasted orchestra dlp/cd krank 016-doldrums-acupuncture cd krank 017-amp-astral moonbeam projections dlp/cd krank 018-dissolve-third album from the sun cd krank 019-philosopher's stone-preparation cd krank 020-stars of the lid-gravitational pull vs. the desire for aquatic life cd (sedimental ltd ed. white vinyl) krank ???-labradford-mi media naranja (blast first BFFP 144 lp/cd) Don't hesitate to correct any misinformation. Has anyone any opinions on Dissolve's "Third Album from the Sun"? Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 07:15:52 +0000 From: Andrew Norman Subject: Re: im a bit kranky today ... krank 021 is Low's "Songs for a Dead Pilot", 6 tracks, about 35 minutes long, haven't got any other experience of Low apart from the recent Wurlitzer Jukebox single but it sounds good to me. I'm not sure the Labradford album has been released by Kranky yet. > Has anyone any opinions on Dissolve's "Third Album from the Sun"? It's great - a mixture of songs and live extracts, quite different to the first Dissolve album, with guest musicians (Kaye Woodward on gtr/vox, John Christoffels on cello/drums, Arnie Van Bussel on bass) and a fuller sound as you'd expect. I thought the first one was OK but not up to the standard of Roy Montgomery's solo albums, but this one's fine.Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 22:52:45 +0100 From: Super Resistant Subject: Kranky infos I don't know if anybody has already published these promotionnal informations, but anyway, here they are: This spring at Kranky: 1) Godspeed You Black Emperor is the amazing band you read about in the last Transmission! Kranky is definately doing the cd version. There will be a bunch of new music on the CD, as well as items from the vinyl that was released on Constellation. We are looking in to getting the vinyl in for you as well. Look for a late May release date. 2) Roy Montgomery is sending Kranky music from a theatre production called _True_. They are hoping to have advance CDs ready for Roy's appearance at Terrastock West in SF in April. 3) Jessamine are recording furiously. The album will definitely be out on kranky and out in 1998. Just depends on their speed. 4) Right now a young lady from Toldeo, OH named Jessica Bailiff is in Duluth recording at Low's new home studio. She sent Kranky some 4 tracks that were incredible in a Stars Of The Lid meets FSA chanteuse kinda way and she had collaborated on a few sonmgs w/Al of Low via the mail. Yes, members of Low will be on the album. 5) Magnog are recording now. 6) Amp and Philosopher's Stone are getting ready to record. 7) Doldrums are mixing a Cd for KRanky they describe as 'A retarded one armed Crazy Horse". Double drum tracks for that Allman Bros. feel. 8) Kranky could get tapes from Tomorrowland at any time. 9) Stars Of The Lid are always recording and they want to put out a double CD/triple LP. 10) We are still working on the Kranky cheap compilation ... We are waiting to see if we can have any Labradford tracks off the first two albums. Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:29:33 -0600 From: mark von minden Subject: upcoming kranky as if next week's jessica bailiff and god speed you black emperor! releases on kranky (let's hope they don't get delayed like most kranky releases) weren't enough, the label has posted some more records slated for summer release (no specific dates yet): Stars of the Lid - Per Aspera Ad Astra krank 028 CD EP/12" Tomorrowland - Sequence Of The Negative Space Changes krank 029 LP/CD Roy Montgomery/Dissolve - True krank 030 CD Jessamine - Don't Stay Too Long krank 031 LP/CD all this and more can be found at: http://www.brainwashed.com/kranky