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FERAL CHILD

James Toth

Demon Stations

    Next full length up on Feral Child sees a welcome reunion for both label and artist; having teamed up lots in the past, JAMES TOTH and label head Dom, join forces for another beauty.

    This time round, 11 previously (and mostly- certainly in these forms) unreleased home recordings and demos from a 10 year period between 2012 and 2022. Titled “Demon Stations”, it’s a beautifully seamless collection, mercifully saved from the relative oblivion of bandcamp / digital only demos and released on vinyl.

    Many of course know James best from his Wooden Wand moniker, alongside his work with the likes of Michael Gira and Thurston Moore etc, then one would hope last years’ “Birthday Blues” 33 artist tribute / comp covering songs from various points of James’ career (feat Meg Baird, Lee Ranaldo, Six Organs of Admittance amongst others) will only have raised his star further….

    On this collection, James says ““Demon Stations” is a compilation of songs from five different digital-only demo collections I released on Bandcamp between 2021 and 2023. I relied on the ears and judgment of my old friend Dom to curate this comp, allowing him to choose his favorites from over 60 songs. While I might have chosen an entirely different batch of tunes, I was happy to defer to Dom, as I’ve never had much perspective when it comes to assessing my own material.

    All of the songs were recorded at home, mostly on the same day they were written. Most are first takes, intended to provide a template for a theoretical band to follow if and when the songs were to be re-recorded “properly” at a later date. A few have since been re-recorded for studio records, and a few others remain in contention for future studio records.

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: An evocative, beautifully performed selection of minimal acoustic guitar and vocals, reminiscent of traditional country music, but lightened with Toth's wry lyrical direction and light touch on the guitar. It's as ever, another brilliant release from Dom PY / Feral Child and further shows his dedication to the musical cause.

    30 Door Key

    The Autumn People

      New out on Feral Child is a super limited 7” EP from Italian Kosmische | Library artist Alessio Bosco, under his 30 DOOR KEY moniker.

      A wonderful 5 trk 45 heavy on Hauntology vibes, samples, nods to minimal electronica and kosmische. With one foot firmly within the “long lost ‘70s supernatural TV themes” camp, the record is superbly and consistently fresh and ambitious- and comes hugely recommended to devotees of all the above, Trunk records heads and minimal synth, electronica nuts.

      It looks as cool as it sounds too; screened black board sleeves, with inserts galore and hand numbered to 187 copies on black wax.

      Blazing Worlds

      Blazing Worlds

        Next up on Feral Child sees the fabulous collaboration between Justin Wright (Expo 70) and Grant Corum (Million Brazilians, Timelash, Psychic Sounds Ensemble) BLAZING WORLDS.

        The duo’s self-titled full length was recorded during a week long Midwest summer scorcher, and expands and contracts with six heavily hallucinatory movements that only hellishly humid nights could induce. One that seasoned sonic psychonauts Justin Wright and Grant Corum could venture to manifest a deep phantasmagoric excursion through brilliant atmospheres in a seamless collection.

        The material on Blazing Worlds harkens back to Wright’s synth-driven ’Sorcerer of Sound’ full of cosmic tones and other worldliness aura, in tandem with Corum’s bent woodwind work and extraterrestrial sounding samples. Where this is certainly a departure from some of their previous work, the two seem to find equal navigation through their evolving compositions morphing into a singular melting chthonic mass, giving the listener an open-ended impression of mesmerizingly vast sonic topographies all gleaming with moments of both glimpses of gorgeousness and the grotesque.

        “Blazing Worlds” provides a wonderful, seamless spin from initial blast to the last. There are lots of strange instrumental textures and propellant pulsations, all pretty much within the confines of modernist electronic invention, and the whole shimmers with a very unusual kind of lambency, while still sounding deceptively discernible. While it can often seem tricky to keep up with Wright and Corum’s many releases and style shifts, it is constantly rewarding and this is another fine addition to their oeuvre.

        Studio Kosmische

        Lucifer Rising: A Re-imagined Soundtrack

          Planned for what seems an age, the next Feral Child is finally ready to roll and it’s another solid gem from the mighty STUDIO KOSMISCHE. Following the hugely successful, super quick sell outs of the trio of themed full lengths earlier in the year, the band follow up with a superb re-imagined score to the infamous Kenneth Anger “Lucifer Rising” flick which began in ’72 but only saw release in 1980.

          The story of the original soundtrack is pretty well known, Bobby Beausoleil (with The Magick Powerhouse of Oz Band) recording it whilst incarcerated (for the murder of Gary Hinman w/The Manson Family) after a bust up between Anger and Jimmy Page who was initially roped in.

          Anyway, fast forward to 2023 and the Studio Kosmische take is utterly fabulous! Heavy on cosmic drone and ambience, with a percussive feel akin to aspects of Popol Vuh’s incredible “Aguirre” soundtrack. The ideas behind this new work are perhaps best left to Dom Keen from the band to explain: “Countless musicians have created their own scores for the dialogue-free Lucifer Rising since Beausoleil, Jagger, and Page. Some (including myself) will see this new rescore as an act of sacrilege; all I can say is that it was created in awe of, and with great respect to, everyone involved in the original work(s).

          In a fortuitous parallel to what I feel is the mood of the film Lucifer Rising itself – half rooted in dream-logic; non-linearity; subconscious image-generation over conscious rational decision-making – the process of making this record was a spontaneous happening. It was an occasion formed from what manifested as more than the sum of its parts: it felt as though it created itself, I just happened to be at the controls.

          Writing in 2023, the month after Kenneth Anger’s passing, my hope with this record is that it goes some way – however small – to help spread the futuristic visions that Anger dreamed when he first filmed Lucifer Rising over 50 years ago”. 

          Digital Roses

          Waterfalls

            Brand new on Feral Child, comes a sublime debut 45 from an incredible female electronic / performance duo Digital Roses. Following a chance meeting in a library and an overheard discussion about Daphne Oram, Delia Derbyshire and the Radiophonic Workshop- Dom FC was sent a bunch of demos and 2 of these fabulous pieces grace their first release on 7" here.

            The band describe themselves and their sound thus: “Digital Roses are two queer multidisciplinary arts based in London, whose sound has been described as “hyper-soul” meets “Nordic noir electronica”; a musical feast of experimental art pop, ambient noise, and wistful soul melodies.
            Rising from a multidimensional conceptual framework, Digital Roses avail contemporary visuals, computational forms, sound synthesis, and sound art, together with organic instrumentation and voice, to explore the emotional landscapes of the human condition. They aim to share their journey, observations, and musings with the same beautiful, painful, and sometimes aggressive nature that can be found everywhere there is humanity.
            ‘Waterfalls’ is a song inspired by the mysticism of the Toka Leya Waterfall tribes of Victoria Falls. The tribe’s name loosely translates to ‘those who crossed over to keep away from trouble’, and their drums are believed to hold supernatural powers. The song is the first stop in the imagined mystical journey the Digital Roses take us on. The aftermath of this musical exodus is where we encounter the mysterious and haunting lamentation that is the B-side track ‘Under the Sea’”.

            Beating off a mini label tug of war for the right to release the mighty “WATERFALLS”, Feral Child is thrilled to bring this debut release to the table. Icy cool, elegantly experimental electronica which -to these ears- is one of the year’s best singles so far……

            STAFF COMMENTS

            Barry says: You always know you're in for a treat with a Feral Child release, but this particular blend of slowed-down post-dubstep and finessed synthetic soundscapes has me particularly floored. Glitched, but particularly organic sounding, pulsing with life and impeccably produced. Stunner.

            TRACK LISTING

            Waterfalls
            Under The Sea

            Melt Plastic Group

            Hooh

              Next up on Feral Child sees an absolute beast of a full length; the debut wax outing for the whacked out, psych sounds of MELT PLASTIC GROUP. A uniquely fresh take on mind melting psych grooves and kraut jams, hugely ambitious and constantly inventive and evolving….

              In the bands’ own words, they describe themselves and the album as “channelled onto wax via three humans from Brighton and Hove; inspired by the uniquely warped vision of former Sunlight Service Group frontman Willy Robinson, who lives in Hove but opts to inhabit a universe where tentacled aliens hang out with talking vegetables against a backdrop of brutalist 1970s concrete”.

              On “Hooh”, Willy, Jess and Gax have summoned a collection of darkly spaced-out, hypnotic, jazzy jams, where sprinkles of flute and harmonica frolic around a maypole of juicy guitar fuzz. Although there are nods towards the likes of Black Sabbath and Can, the album's unique flavour deftly swerves the cliches of the psych genre. It's their finest work to date.

              Wet Tuna

              Party In The House

                Continuing this super productive year for the Feral Child label, the label releases an absolute peach here. Four totally whacked out, deep cuts that defy any hopes of genre pigeonholing; a deliciously dazzling moulding of ambitious grooves and ideas from the wonderful WET TUNA.

                Never short on dizzying ambition, we described it as a ‘Space Dub Psych Disco collision’ on an Instagram post and that kinda holds true a few days on here. Fabulously bonkers and groovy in equal measure, this one comes hugely recommended. WET TUNA feature Matt (MV) Valentine & Erika (EE) Elder alongside Jim Bliss, Woods’ Jeremy Earl and on this record, Myriam Gendron.

                We’ve left it to Matt to offer up the introductory words: “Wet Tuna specializes in homegrown, dubwise psychedelia. Exploration is paramount. You have a third ear? Probably if you are that kind, that’s spectrasound. They never do it the same way twice. “Party in the House” features Myriam Gendron and has poetry penned by Benoit Chaput of L’oie de Cravan. Samara Lubelski rips some electric violin, Jeremy Earl from Woods/Woodsist rides some golden tones singing harmony. Wet Tuna also has minor outlying islands, handmade things. Imported records, cassettes, cds. Sonic archepalegos. There are also deep cuts on their Bandcamp. If you really DIG you will find big fun on the mv & ee cottage run private press label child of microtones which they’ve been operating since 1999. You like big DISCO(2000) graphies & dead space? wet channels & foggy notion “jam band” environments, genreless free folk? You are here”.

                A fabulously expansive set of jams; totally out there, groovy and beautifully psychedelic. 

                TRACK LISTING

                01. Party In The House (RAw/poetry Version) [8:09]
                02. Electronic Zen [8:22]
                03. Rough Road [9:12]
                04. Party In The House (beat Poetics: Pornado Version) [7:51]

                Tomorrow Syndicate

                Higher Resolution

                  Next up on Feral Child sees the long-awaited return of the mighty TOMORROW SYNDICATE. The Glaswegians release their first new material since 2020 (on label head Dom’s previous label Polytechnic Youth) and it’s an absolute beauty with which to mark their return. Their sci-fi / synth pop groove is more than evident over the 5 extended pieces here and the band themselves feel that “Higher Resolution’ captures their sound in “full definition”.

                  Recorded and produced in the second half of 2022 by Andy Miller, the LP provides a detailed introspective of the trio during the process of rebuilding the group and engaging a new trajectory for its future. “Built from a series of panoramic song structures, the release picks up where the band left off but with a sharpened focus on finding expansive territory for their sound. ‘Higher Resolution’ is the bands full document of re-encountering their music and reprogramming their sonic identity within their DIY audio/visual universe.”


                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Barry says: One of my favourite synth artists, and one of my favourite beers (Overtone brewery) together as one! Now we might not have the beer, (though i'll definitely try and track one down) but you absolutely can get involved in the futuristic shoegaze-krautrock post-rock mashup that TS do so impeccably. Higher resolution is a bright, beautiful record full of hope and joy. Exactly what we need.

                  Kosmik Sun

                  Medium Interstellar

                    Kosmik Sun sees the return of Nordenham, Germany based Eugen Kohl, with a side project to his acclaimed Crypt Witch project, whose LPs flew out instantly on Feral Child sister label Deep Distance a couple of years ago.

                    Alongside Crypt Witch, the band features members of Coven Spell and Devil Leaf, and their debut here is a mesmerizing full length that takes its listeners on a hypnotic journey through the cosmos with its slow, hypnotic riffs and intergalactic soundscapes. Three epic, intensely deep stoner / psych cuts heavy on interstellar trips and hypnotic doom. The LP features beautiful sleeve artwork by DunkleStille. "Medium Interstellar" is a must-have for fans of slow, mesmerizing doom psych / metal and marks them as a name to watch out for with future releases planned….

                    A limited vinyl only LP on tasty oceanic blue splatter wax with Feral Child insert and wrapped up in cool screened FC outer PVCs…..

                    Magic Arm

                    Good Views Near North

                      A beautiful comeback record of sorts for Marc Rigelsford’s MAGIC ARM project. The 45 is a taster for his own privately released, and utterly fabulous “Dance Mania” full length, currently available via his bandcamp page.

                      Recorded in isolation in a former whiskey distillery, “Dance Mania” is “Magic Arm whittling and distilling sound down to pure forms, a collage of songs, mood pieces, drones, found sounds and stirring instrumental passages”. The two tracks here are lifted from the album, with its A side, the majestic “Good Views Near North” having already attained 6music airplay.

                      The songs’ treated piano opening offers no hint to the beautifully incessant, kinda’ motorik groove that then takes over- wonderfully skewed and quite otherworldly perhaps. The groove then changes tack again as it closes with cellos and strings aiding further it’s general ‘out there’ mood. It’s a beautiful piece and by releasing it on 45, one would hope to push Marc’s music out a wee bit further, certainly it’s a thrill for Feral Child to release it and it’s flip, the more electronic, and equally fabulous “432” is just great too.

                      Luna

                      California Blue / Rock Yr Baby

                        Feral Child, the on-off label that brought you vinyl only releases from Snails, Pete Astor, The New Lines and The Orange Alabaster Mushroom, returns with not one but two totally ace LUNA 45s, due for simultaneous release mid to late October 2017.

                        Both containing covers, the first acts as a companion piece to the great “A Sentimental Education” LP, with the Orbison / Petty / Lynne penned A side; “California Blue” (from Roy Orbison’s hugely underrated 1989 “Mystery Girl” LP). A key, if cautionary, comment from Dean Wareham himself on this one: “It’s not possible to duplicate the great Roy Orbison; we decided to go away from the Jeff Lynne pop style of the original and try it more in the vein of Pavement’s “Range Life.””

                        The flip features the bands’ cover of “Rock Yr Baby”; “"George McCrae’s disco classic is an important single. Written by Casey/Finch (of KC & the Sunshine band), it is one of the first disco hits to feature a drum machine. It has been in our live set for a while at the stroke of midnight but only if we are playing a show on New Year’s Eve.” (DW)
                        This first single is released in an edition of 500 only.

                        The Orange Alabaster Mushroom

                        Space And Time: A Compendium Of The Orange Alabaster Mushroom

                          Having been mooted for a number of years now, it’s the enigmatic new London label ‘Feral Child’ that has the honour of reissuing this revered psych classic, initially issued on the Earworm label in 2000 - with original vinyl copies now reaching £75 upwards online.

                          The OAM revolves around the studio (bedroom / D.I.Y?) genius of Ontario based Greg Watson, who’s killer musicianship and ear for that authentic Nuggets era sound has arguably never been bettered in the last two decades. Recommended for absolutely everyone into Syd era Floyd, The Seeds, Chocolate Watchband, The Prunes et al. Every track here just bathes in that fried out, oilwheel 60s feel we all adore; Hammonds, Farfisas and FUZZ figure in equal abundance….

                          It seems crazy that it’s taken so long to reissue this treasured collection. But ‘Feral Child’ have somehow pulled it off. The label that brought you a dubious reissue of the Clothilde/Delphine French Girl / Psych Pop 45s, alongside Pete Astor singles, a recent New Lines LP, yet somehow - indeed, seek pleasure from - exist without any net presence or even contact point.

                          They also release the imminent debut LP from SNAILS, the new Psych Pop outfit outta’ Bristol, beloved by the likes of Stephen Pastel and having attained 6Music plays aplenty. More on that elsewhere, but The OAM here is dressed up in suitably psych sleeve, coloured wax and in a pressing of 500. 


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