DEMIAN CASTELLANOS - THE KYVU TAPES Vol.1 (1990-1998) (Hands In The Dark/Cardinal Fuzz LP/CD). CATHODE RAY EYES – EYES IN THE MELANCHOLY PALM (Cardinal Fuzz/Captcha Records LP/CD)

The raison d’être of many a small record label is to release esoteric musical artefacts into the big wide world that have no mainstream commercial value whatsoever simply for the joy of making a statement……..”We like this and we think it is something you should hear”. There are a couple of new releases from CardinalFuzz that fit this model perfectly, a collection of early home recorded guitar experiments from Demian Castellanos, the man behind the London Psych Rock outfit The Oscillation and an idiosyncratic solo project from The Cult Of Dom Keller guitarist Ryan Delgaudio.

 

As a rule we are not massive fans of teenage bedroom tapes. We are all for people experimenting with all the sonic possibilities available but we would prefer they kept them to themselves until they had really got their shit together and we would rather hear the finished article than some lo-fi voyage of discovery recorded on a crappy tape machine……… however there is always an exception to this rule. Main man of the totally awesome The Oscillation, Demian Castellanos, has put together The Kyvu Tapes Vol.1 (1990-1998), the fruit of his 90's decade-long obsession for the infinite possibilities offered by the electric guitar……. playing it with forks, knives, bits of paper, manipulating volume controls and making the most of the effects pedals he had……..it was countless hours of experimentation and sonic explorations mixed down on to a 4-track Tascam Porta 3. This is an excellent collection of drones, ambient soundscapes and experimental guitar pieces, largely influenced by the new sound of the British Psych/Shoegaze scene of that time, which is both soothing and disturbing at the same time. For its age and taking into account of the limitations of the technology this record sounds great……at the time the Tascam Porta 3 was one of the better home studio machines available. The Kyvu Tapes touches base with early German pioneers like Michael Rother and Manuel Göttsching, the early ambient work of Brian Eno and influences taken from late 80s/early 90s sonic alchemists like Loop, Spaceman 3 and MBV. This is a beautiful, timeless record and is even more relevant now there is a Shoegaze “revival”……….. Tracks from this album would not be out of place on records by loveliescrushing, Stargazer Lilies, Fauns or The Cult Of Dom Keller. Now if all bedroom tapes were like this.

This album is a co-release between Hands In TheDark Records and Cardinal Fuzz and is available now on limited edition vinyl only from the Hands In The Dark online store or on limited edition vinyl and CD from the Cardinal Fuzz store. 

The debut long player from Ryan Delgaudio’s “other band” Cathode Ray Eyes, Eyes In The Melancholy Palm', is a collection of lo-fi recordings that dig deep into the corners of the psyche……..this is a dark, brooding record that lurches from cinematic instrumentals like 'And The Burial Had Several Different Endings' to the fuzzed out deranged Noise Pop of 'Harry Houdini', while other tracks such as 'The Unsuccessful Resurrection Of James Dean' and 'Will You Catch Me When I Fall From On High' evoke a shadowy gothic psych ambience that is eerie, otherworldly and sometimes bizarre. This is a collection of twisted sonic sketches that showcase Ryan’s varied influences from the atmospheric early 4AD albums, Morricone soundtracks to early 90s Shoegaze/Noise Pop which in turn feeds back into his work with The Cult Of Dom Keller. There are interesting ideas on this LP but it’s not essential listening, however it’s out there if you want to hear it…….and that’s the thing.

Released on the 1^st June but pre-orders are now being taken, Eyes In The Melancholy Palm will available on limited edition, hipster friendly white vinyl or on CD for the terminally uncool from the Cardinal Fuzz online store or from Captcha Records in the U.S.A.

THEE PSYCHEDELICATESSEN