New Vistas: A New HQ in the Berkshire Mountains
It’s been a minute since the last time I posted, but the Ratiofarm has been incredibly busy these past few years. 2019 started out with several exciting collaborations including Mahlkonig Coffee Grinders, Morton Salt, and Rishi Tea. And then, all of a sudden, I was swept up into the burgeoning, cyclonic world of cannabis as I began a position as a Senior Graphic Designer for Rise Dispensaries at Green Thumb Industries (GTI) in Chicago.
About the time I felt I had finally found my footing, Rise began its 3rd rebrand, which I helped direct. Simultaneously, I was co-creating what would become one of GTI’s most popular brands, &Shine, as well as advising on Green Thumb’s corporate rebrand. On January 1st, 2020, the Illinois cannabis market became recreational, which was a massive undertaking in and of itself. We started the roll-out of the new Rise brand identification…and COVID hit. Where my team had plans to open exciting stores with beautiful merchandise and a focus on in-store experience, we suddenly had to shift to being a web-based retailer with a glorified pick-up window as the store experience. With astoundingly dexterous leadership and foresight from the then-brand director, Meg Kinney, we pivoted rapidly and with aplomb and grew the business in 13 states over the next 2 years, all while working remotely! Additionally, I did a complete overhaul of the &Shine brand identity, created in-store experiences in Nevada, and spent time in Oregon and California helping to conceive and direct photoshoots for Rise lifestyle and in-store experience. It was a complete whirlwind.
Halfway through 2021, my partner and I realized that we needed easier access to the outdoors than living in Chicago was able to provide. Working from home, partially due to the pandemic, afforded us an opportunity we thought we would never have until much later in our lives and we decided to up sticks and move to the country. We took a targeted tour of New England with the intention of finding a preferable location to hunt for property in over the following year. Instead, we almost immediately fell in love with a house and community nestled in the Berkshires. Two months later we were settled into a beautiful, well-preserved Victorian home in the shadow of Mount Greylock in a little Western Massachusetts village. The Northern Berkshires are a hidden gem and I’m still in disbelief daily that we live here! We take full advantage of the multitude of outdoor activities that are available to us now, as well as the amazing community of artisans and farmers we’re fortunate enough to have found ourselves in the midst of. We’re surrounded by mountains, valleys, farms, truly kind neighbors, and world-class restaurants, as well as the largest contemporary art museum in the country, Mass MoCA, a mere ten minute drive from our door. I never imagined that a pandemic would bring so many opportunities to us.
Since the move to New England, I’ve also moved laterally within Green Thumb. I’m now out of retail and on brands, working once again on &Shine (the number one vape brand in Illinois in 2022!) as well as one of our other most popular brands, Dogwalkers Pre-rolls. It was an amazing experience working in retail cannabis, learning how the customer-facing side of the industry works. I had the unusual opportunity in this new industry to create merchandise, in-store experience, and promotional materials and even help with one of the nation’s first cannabis consumption lounges. I learned so much along that journey, but I’m thrilled to have the chance to focus on packaging and brands again. I’m looking forward to the new perspectives and experiences on the horizon!
The view of Mount Greylock from behind my home
the Ratiofarm's favorite albums of the year
So many of my favorite bands released fantastic records this year, I was barely able to pay attention to much else. I’m looking forward to seeing the many other lists that will be coming out so I can find the gems I missed. As usual, there’s no particular hierarchy here, but there were certainly a few standouts.
El Mal Querer
Wow. I mean, her debut from last year, Los Angeles, was beautiful, but this is a huge and unexpected leap forward. If you haven’t heard of her yet, just about all of the major outlets have covered El Mar Querer. Rosalía does a fantastic job of mixing Flamenco and Romani-influenced styles with Björk-esque soundscapes. People keep talking about it being RnB, but I only vaguely get that impression. This is some genre-bending/defining stuff that is probably going to change the face of contemporary music.
Double Negative
Low fucking does it again. It’s amazing to me how they just keep adding to their palette, keeping their minimal, pop mood-pieces so fascinating. This isn’t the type of album you’re going to pop on one for two songs, by any means, you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind for it. A world unto itself, Double Negative is short film about a decaying memory of some specific moment it’s hard to recall. It’s right there in the shadows of your mind, but every time you’re almost able to see it clearly, it disintegrates into dust. Very much in debt to William Basinski, but from a much different perspective.
Conqueror’s Oath
I was unfamiliar with Jake Rogers’ music before discovering Visigoth on their third album this year. If you’re a fan of metal’s many genres, it’s worth exploring his Gallobraid and Caladan Brood projects, but Visigoth is by far his most compelling band as far as subject matter and presentation goes. Also, it’s fucking hilarious, totally badass, and fun as hell all at the same time. Take the second track, and standout, “Warrior Queen” for instance. I’m not going to do it justice in words, so just listen to it. The majority of this album would be an epic soundtrack for a Conan or Red Sonja reboot, there’s even a song about The Highlander. “Salt City” is the only track that’s out of place, but it’s quickly forgotten with “Blades in the Night” and the title track.
Heaven and Earth
Mr. Washington’s music really scratches my jazz and exotica itch like no other, and Heaven and Earth just goes on and on. Lush, dense, and ever-changing, it effortlessly weaves in and out of jazz’s many forms, Kamasi is a master composer for the books. Transcendental at the least, this double album will take you to dimensions beyond.
The Good, the Bad, and the Queen
Merrie Land
Oof, this is a tough one. An epitaph not only for the twisted caricature contemporary England has become, but Western “democracy” itself as it slides the last few inches down to the hilt of its own imperial sword. Tony Allen’s dub beats that ironically support "Merrie Land” underscore the dejected, haunted carnival music that dominates the album, a repudiation of the nationalist tendencies of a culture that once took as it pleased from the rest world. That being said, you can hear Albarn’s true and deep longing for what he thought his country was, and what it could be. “Merrie Land” is, if nothing else, difficult, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I’ve only caught myself singing tiny snippets of it over the past few weeks, mainly because it generally eschews typical pop-song craft. Again, another release that probably won’t have any hot singles, but overall, it’s a masterpiece, the best thing Albarn has released in years.
Age Of
I never know what to expect with OPN, just that I’m going to hear something new and exciting. Lopatin does not disappoint with his latest release, a concept album about alien robots trying to piece together what humanity was all about through scraps of recordings. That may sound silly, but, seeing as it’s mostly instrumental, the concept is more of a guide to approach the album than a story that is overtly presented. This marks Lopatin’s first attempt singing his own songs, of which there are a handful. They’ve been bemoaned, but I think they are prescient markers of what pop will likely become, if contemporary pop “artists” can ever find it within themselves to write some decent lyrics. “Babylon” is the standout of these songs for me. Another epitaph for a sad moment in human history, where, in countless ways, we are unable to see the forest for the trees. That said, this is a strong contender for my album of the year.
Parquet Courts
A return to form, some new directions forward, and a call to arms for those doing their best to #resist in these dark days. Not only is Wide Awake! a great political manifesto of the moment, but it’s also fun to dance to, the energetic counterpart to Merrie Land. Swerving all over the place stylistically but remaining cohesive in their vision, it seems the current climate was exactly what Parquet Courts needed to get back on their game.
The Sea & Cake
A sumptuous return from this Chicago stalwart. I’ve been waiting for this S&C album since Oui. The vocals are finally back in the mix properly and Sam’s lyrics sound renewed and obliquely beautiful as they are at their best. Layers and layers of sparkling guitar work accented by occasional keys and strings, and McIntire’s understated, god-tier drumming all add up to the best aspects of a wholly original band back at the height of their powers. Great for fogged-out days, surreal late nights, and casual drives in the country .
Nathan Salsburg
Salsburg’s guitar playing harkens back to late 90s post-post rock, when groups like Rex and Pullman were focusing their energies on abstracted forms of Fahey and the American Primitives. This is simply beautiful, chill acoustic guitar work, familiar but with a new twist. Elegant and extremely satisfying.
Grouper
Yes. Any time Liz Harris releases an new album, I feel a sense of ease. She always delivers a new take on her melancholy ambient pop that I can just never get enough of. It’s the kind of music I have to make myself stop listening to so I don’t get burned out. Here she offers up more plaintive piano tunes drifting in the aether. My only complaint is that it’s not longer.
Goldmund
Keith Kenniff has been making gorgeous ambient music for a while now, both as Helios (which is more electronic) and Goldmund (more along the lines of what is referred to as “modern classical”). Goldmund’s pieces are usually based around, if not solely, piano refrains, and have a bittersweet nostalgic feel to them. If you haven’t heard Corduroy Road I highly recommend giving it a listen. With Occasus, he’s added more instrumentation and filters and included some occasional electronic touches. The result is 49 minutes of spacious ambient reflection at its finest.
Ulaan Markhor
Steven R. Smith is probably my favorite musician, hands down. He’s recorded so many albums and every single fucking one is gold. Ulaan Markhor is his drum-backed project, which may sound like an odd distinction, but I promise it makes sense in the context of his discography. This record delivers driving soundtracks for solitary journeys into the wilderness, moments of contemplation atop mountain peaks, epic final battles with gods of old, and grand pagan burials.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Forest Bathing sees Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel percussionist) and Violinist Heather Trost looking back to AHAAH’s early days, infusing that vaudeville/silent movie soundtrack style with the Eastern European tropes they’ve been experimenting with for the past decade plus. Or vice versa? Anyway, it makes for some entertaining soundscapes and luscious stories. Definitely see them live, if you get the chance, I’ve seen them a handful of times now, and it’s always incredible.
Colter Wall
The first thing you’re going to say to yourself when hear Mr. Wall for the first time is, “He’s how old?!” Not only does his voice belie his age, but he’s also a great lyricist. This third collection of his songs is just as good as the last one, and sounds like what I imagine real cowboy music to sound like. Mornfull tales of lonely wandering out out across great expanses of wilderness and the simple pleasures. And godDAMN, his voice is just astounding.
Chihei Hatakeyama
Prolific sound artist Chihei Hatakeyama has produced a series of shimmering, opalescent vignettes on his most recent album. Moving ever further away from the “lowercase” style he helped to define, but retaining the luxurious attention to detail, Afterimage is perfect for relaxing at the end of long day, or digging in and working on new concepts. A wonderful dose of ambient minimalism to drift away to.
Vinyl Williams
As a fan of Lionel Williams since his first record, Limniscate, I’ve got to say, this is my favorite so far. I wish I had picked up a copy before they sold out. If you dig psychedelic experimentation, musical and otherwise, this has a place in your library. Opal is far superior to its contemporaries in its breadth of knowledge, musical craft and production, and lyricism. Williams knows his shit and it’s like he’s operating on several other planes and dimensions simultaneously. It should be noted that Williams plays all of the instruments on most of his albums. Put this on for instantaneous moments of astral projection.
Kasper Bjørke
Album of the year right here. Holy shit this is epic! Lush electronics with layers of minimalist strings. Stirring, transcendent, soul crushing. Utterly, utterly beautiful. I don’t know what else to say other than give this Dane your money for the box set.
De Doden Hebben Het Goed III
This is the third album in a series by a band that is quickly becoming one of my favorite black metal groups. All three albums are mind melting, white-hot slabs of technical darkness, and this is the perfect closer. Seeing them live really pushed my appreciation over the edge to super-fandom. Two guitarists and a drummer who play so fast it feels like time has stopped when you watch them. And I have no fucking idea how the singer can sing the way he does without a mic, over the music. The guy’s vocal cords must be shredded. He also pulled off some Tuvan-style throat singing. Best show I’ve seen in a long time. Back to the album: what I would imagine it feels like being pulled into a black hole. Also makes a game-changing soundtrack for this year’s God of War.
Current Listening
After working in-house at Intelligentsia Coffee for the past 4 years, I’ve recently struck out on my own again to pursue a freelance career. With extra bonus time saved from commuting, I’m now afforded the sweet luxuries of things like finding new inspiration and updating this long-neglected blog.
In June, I was invited to speak to the Minnesota chapter of AIGA, via the fantastic folks at Smartpress and WeWork, for their collaborative Behind the Print series. We discussed my personal path to becoming a designer and the confluence of graphic design and fine art. I met a lot of great people there who share my profession, some of whom wrote to me afterwards. One thing that excited me was a recurring piece of feedback on my website: appreciation for discussing new musical finds and interests. So, with my new-found freedom, I’m going to do my best to get back into that. And I’ll begin here with my favorite releases, starting in late 2017.
In the past year, nearly all of my go-to bands have released incredible records. I’ll just go chronologically since last fall and start with:
The Clientele - Music For the Age of Miracles
The music of The Clientele, if you are not familiar, speaks in autumnal tones. There is always, even when uplifting, a sense of fading nostalgia, but also one of arcane wonder. It’s as if they stand, beckoning, at the shimmering threshold of some mystical realm that you must leave behind your most precious possessions in order to enter. Miracles was released at a time of existential upheaval in my life and I can’t listen to it without having those days come to mind. And I love it. I love that feeling, even though it’s sad. The music helps me appreciate that sadness, makes it something tangible and understandable, which in turn makes me happy. It’s pastoral psychedelia for long walks in the woods, early morning autumn sunlit coffee, and general reflection. And it’s definitely the band’s best record. Stand out tracks are “Falling Asleep” and “The Age of Miracles”, but, honestly, they’re all amazing.
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - On the Echoing Green JC-L’s most recent (2017) offering presents a sumptuous melding of styles he’s worked in throughout his career. Here, layers of white noise over sweet, summer harmonies evoke hazy sun-dappled park outings and blissful beach excursions. Influences that come to mind are William Basinsky, Fennez, and My Bloody Valentine. Definitely more enjoyable on vinyl, with the digital download you get an epic collection of extras, titled Hermanutics, whose quality certainly warrant a full release on their own.
Disasterpeace - Hyperlight Drifter OST Admittedly, I came to this a bit late, as it was initially released in 2016. You may know Disasterpeace’s work from his score to the popular horror/suspense film It Follows. This is another excellent soundtrack, not the first of which he has written for a video game. As a video game score, it works perfectly, adding a compelling and unique layer of atmosphere to the game’s mysterious, post-apocalyptic landscape that somehow manages to conjure the worlds of The Legend of Zelda and Bladerunner simultaneously. It’s a fantastic game, but the this score stands perfectly on its own. It’s an excellent blend of of Koji Kondo’s groundbreaking work for the original Zelda and Vangelis’ dense Bladerunner score (specifically the Esper Edition). Personal favorite tracks are “The Midnight Wood” and the full version of “Panacea”, which heavily references Vangelis’ “Memories of Green” from Bladerunner.
the Ratiofarm's favorite albums of 2016
If nothing else, this past year was great for music, and a banner year for metal. It's hard to whittle it down to just a handful of favorites, but it's impossible to deny that our attentions tend to gravitate to specific influences, so here is a general list of my favorites from the year:
My favorite reissue of the year is Joanna Brouk's Hearing Music. Beautiful minimalist pieces, bordering on New Age, but mostly too off-center or melancholy to fit in to that often saccharine genre. Many different approaches to ambient minimalism, each track is most frequently only one or two instruments, from which Ms. Brouk coaxes the most alluring landscapes.
Shirley Collins - Lodestar. Long ago, Ms Collins had a high, delicate voice that brought to mind youthful days spent in sun dappled forests and golden meadows. She sang traditional British folk songs that were simultaneously naive and full of ancient wisdom. After a lengthy period of withdrawal from the musical life, she has returned to sing the ancient songs of her land anew. Her voice is a different instrument now, and casts an intriguing light upon the themes of these fables. If you are fan of The Pentangle, Vashti Bunyan and the like, or the more recent crop of psych-folk and dark-folk, this record is not to be missed.
Crystal Castles - Amnesty. I wanted to hate this too, but it's fucking great. Perhaps the most cohesive CC album to date.
Com Truise - Silicon Tare. The Com Truise take on 80's style synth music is continually the standard, as far as I'm concerned. Each track on this 5 song EP is densely layered and far beyond the typical style that simply apes the origins without adding any new or creative concepts. If you enjoyed the music of that ubiquitous show about pre-teen, D&D kids that came out over the summer, do yourself a solid and listen to this guy's full catalogue.
Courtney Marie Andrews - Honest Life. Lyrically, CMA needs a little bit more development, but when she nails it she nails it. "How Quickly Your Heart Mends" and 'Rookie Dreaming" are a couple of my favorite "pop" songs of the year, and her voice is Emmy Lou Harris reborn.
Huerco S. - For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have). Soft blankets of bittersweet nostalgia, woven from simple ambient loops.
Ulaan Markhor - Detritus 2010-2016 & Ulaan Passerine - The Great Unwinding & Moss Cathedral. Steven R. Smith makes more soundtracks to the (encroaching) end and the barren landscape we are each doomed to walk alone. He's without a doubt my favorite musician of the past 15 years. Devastating and beautiful music for existential musing.
Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder. It seems like Metal is a genre that frequently has little sense of humor, or maybe I'm just not well versed enough to pick up on the subtleties. That said, there's no way these guys aren't having a great time. Arctic Thunder is equal parts horrifically intimidating and utterly hilarious, all while being catchy as fuck.
Vektor - Terminal Redux. Fuck, this album is the definition of intense. I'm not usually into the calculated pretense of prog-influenced music, but this is like five albums playing all at once and making perfect sense. I also love a solid concept album (which is something that's honestly hard to find) and Vektor's "Sci-fi or Die" approach is just uber-satisfying. I've probably listened to this record more than any other in 2016, beacuse there's so much to hear and unpack. Some people have told me that it's too much, but I just want more. Lots of fantastic metal was released this year, but this was without a doubt my favorite. And they absolutely destroyed live, too.
Vinyl Williams - Brunei. Super trippy, laid back psych-rock for when you want to forget about all the bullshit and feel like you're in a parallel dimension made of good vibes and kaleidoscopic crystal laser-beams.
Morgan Delt - Phase Zero. Brunei's psych-pop foil. This is Vinyl Williams' paranoid older brother who just escaped some secret, government-funded LSD cult. He's seen some shit and, while you might not believe it, there's probably more truth to his stories than there seems. Absolutely addictive songs that are seething just under the surface. Closer "Some Sunsick Day" is one of my favorite tracks of the year.
Debo band - Ere Gobez. Imagine if the Budos Band veered into moments of psychedelic improvisation and New Orleans street brass, while being fronted by an amazing Ethiopian singer. This is a vast and inspired album that gives more and more with each listen. Debo Band deftly careens through genres without ever once sounding contrived or unoriginal. This album is super exciting, and if you get the chance, see them live. They will blow you away.
Euvium - False Readings On. Grandiose-ambient, is that an oxymoron? Matthew Robert Cooper continues to evolve his sound. Boarding on twee melodrama at times, this is still an overwhelming listen that will leave have you enwrapped from start to finish.
Dungen - Häxan. Wow! I've been wishing for this album since I first discovered Dungen. Strange instrumentals have always been their strong suit as far as I'm concerned, and this album finally fully realizes that. I've listened to Häxan on repeat and I still can't get enough. My only complaint is that it's too brief.
It seems that only once every ten years or so, a game changing record is released, frequently without much fanfare. Something that really pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable on a broadly popular scale, and is maybe overlooked for it's first few years of existence. But then, when enough momentum has gathered, it swells like a great tsunami wave and the face of music is altered for at least another decade. R.E.M.'s Murmur, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane, Joanna Newsome's The Milk Eyed Mender all come to mind. Personally, I am frequently never ready for these milestones myself, and often find my first reaction to be one of shock in that someone would want to listen to the sound that is coming through the speakers. But, usually, there's a new and unusual hook that snags me, be it lyrically or musically, and then my eyes are opened like god himself has illuminated the path before me. With out a doubt, Adam Torres' Pearls to Swine is that album of the 20-teens. Sung from the perspective of some anchorite wandering the fringes, yet achingly personal, Pearls touches a universal nerve that only music's greatest mystics are capable of. Torres' voice is like the Aurora Borealis; ghostly, shimmering above our heads in some beautiful, untouchable liminal space. His words concisely convey the human condition in an utterly unique and poetic way that is somewhat like reliving your happiest and saddest memories simultaneously. And the music is the perfect, unseen companion to his journey, sometimes gently guiding, sometimes circling, sometimes calling out from behind, or perhaps it's more the landscape that each song walks us through. It's music like this that makes me grateful to be alive.
Big News!
After a nice up-tick in freelance jobs over the past couple of years and lots of hard work, the Ratiofarm will be located at the internationally acclaimed Chicago coffee roaster Intelligentsia. I began working for them full time in July and the experience thus far has been nothing short of wonderful. My current title is Multimedia Designer, which encompasses graphic design, illustration, photography, and videography. I'm responsible for all the visuals for the roasting works, retail shops, and training labs in Chicago, Manhattan, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, as well as the same duties for Kilogram Tea, formerly Intelligentsia's tea branch. I've also been able to work on a collaboration with The New Pornographers and I'm currently working on a promotional video for our upcoming Extraordinary Coffee Workshop in Ethiopia.
As an illustrator and designer, it's always been my goal to work with companies who are socially and environmentally conscious and, as such, being a part of this wonderful team is dream come true. If you're not familiar with Intelligentsia's ground-breaking work and the lengths that they go to to ensure that the farmers they work with are paid what they deserve while attaining and improving upon sustainable practices, I urge you to visit the website at your earliest convenience.
We've got a lot of delicious things we're about to roll out, so as that happens I'll be posting images here.
Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club, North Park, Chicago IL
Another project I was involved in over the summer was creating the logo and signage for a new brunch spot in Chicago's North Park neighborhood at Bryn Mawr and Kedzie. The owner and head chef Manny Mejia has cooked for M Henry and Jin Ju in Andersonville, and worked on the interior with Daniel Malone of Roost.
I primarily worked with Mr. Malone on this project to ensure the aesthetic continuity. His approach is generally a rustic, mid-century farm house feel, which is reflected in other projects he's worked on, but most notably his interiors store Roost, also located in Andersonville. He wanted imagery to tie his shop together with the Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club (BBC), which he also named. I drew the dandy rooster, a thematic element at Roost, and utilized a few fonts inspired by mid-century typefaces.
My next step for the restaurant is making the website and shooting photos. In the meantime, here's the yelp page for BBC. Interior and exterior shots to come...
BBC logo and sign
Update Interiors, Oak Park IL
Back at the beginning of the year I was working on a branding project with friend frequent collaborator Bryn McCoy of Technofisch. After going through quite a few great ideas, we settled on this logo with the client. It happened kind of accidentally. As I was making this typeface and trying some different stroke widths, I ended up stacking them to compare. I thought it looked as if the bottom "Update" was gradually emerging and taking its full form from the top. This idea of emergence speaks to the identity of the store, so I decided to send it along to the client as it was.
A mention in Time Out Chicago
The Greatest Story Never Told
The first run of the Greatest Story Never Told has come to a close. Not only was it successful, but it was also a lot of fun! Watching little kids' various reactions to immersing themselves in the imaginary world of TGSNT was both hilarious and amazing.
I attended four of the performances to illustrate the stories the children made up each time. As an illustrator for the show, my job was to produce eight drawings for each show I attended in the following 48 hours, to then be added to a transcription of the story. The final product being a book that the children helped to make. My approach at first was that I was going to do embellished figure studies, but the pacing of live improve proved to be far too quick for such a thing. I ended up doing quick thumbnail sketches of the scenarios as they played out. At home I fleshed out the sketches first as ink drawings and later as renderings in illustrator. The first two sets of drawings I made were okay, but not as interesting as I wanted them to be.
To me they felt more like storyboards than completed pieces, but, given the time frame for turnaround, it was a valiant effort.
For the last two performances I decided to scrap the time frame and try to make something more exciting. The first of these turned out okay, but still wasn't as exciting to me as what I hoped for. I tried layering with drop shadows to give a sort of cut-out look, but it still doesn't quite work for me in retrospect, as far as a complete body of work goes.
On the final performance, I finally worked out the formula I was looking for. Referring to mid-century European poster design, I was able to quickly assemble a cohesive set of minimal yet dynamic compositions in Illustrator and Photoshop. The end result is an approach that feels both contemporary and vintage. The constraints of keeping the elements simple lead me to rely on the basic shapes provided by Illustrator, which lead me to think about the composition in a much different way than I usually do. It's somewhat similar to the approach I found in the more successful illustrations I made for Cramer Krasselt's Westwood College campaign.
I'll definitely be revisiting this style in the future, and hopefully working on more editions of The Greatest Story Never Told.
New Year News
The new Year is starting off with a bang here at the Ratiofarm. 2013 finished off with an illustration project for Cramer-Krasselt and 2014 is being ushered in with some logo work and brand development for The Greatest Story Never Told and Up Date, respectively. Look for these projects in the ILLUSTRATION and DESIGN wings shortly.
In the meantime, here are a few records we've been enjoying as of late:
Ending/Returning
Ending/Returning is a new "split" from perennial favorite Stephen R. Smith and his alter-ego Ulaan Khol. Smith's side, Ending, is full of ghostly drones, sparse strings and atonal winds. Returning is the same set of pieces, but presented through the distortion heavy wail of Ulaan Khol. Like walking through the remnants of a ruined town in the depths of winter, this is some of Smith's most evocative work yet.
Canto Libre
Canto Libre is the 1970 album from Chilean activist/actor/musician Victor Jara. Full of vivid imagery of a Chile from days gone bye from a man who devoted his life to peace and creativity. Read about him here.
Angel Olsen's new album Burn Your Fire for No Witness is full of lush, Elephant 6-style fuzzed out guitar and her most concerted songwriting to date. The excellent production gives this album a depth that takes her singer/songwriter vision several levels beyond her contemporaries.
Holden - The Inheritors
James Holden's 2013 collection of trance inducing, pagan-primitivist techno, The Inheritors, is completely engrossing. Some parallel universe version of Jon Hopkin's Immunity. Stripped down to the barest essentials, tribal rhythms form the architecture that animal skin samples and sounds are stretched over, forming altars to eldritch gods.
RECORDINGS OF NOTE, 2013
The following is a selection of some of the most frequented recordings at the ratiofarm during the past year. There is no specific order, but please note the sounds.
1. Antonymes There Can Be No Beauty Without Decay
2. Oneohtrix Point Never R Plus Seven
3. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Nanda Collection
4. µ-Ziq Chewed Corners
5. The Hunt The Hunt Begins
6. Pelican Forever Becoming
7. Nils Frahm Spaces
8. Shifted Under A Single Banner
9. Not Waving Redacted
10. Föllakzoid II
11. Steven Halpern I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age In America, 1950-1990
12. Some Ember Asleep In the Ice Palace
13. Elf Power Sunlight on the Moon
14. A Hawk and A Hacksaw You Have Already Gone to the Other World
15. Forest Swords Engravings
16. The Poets of Rhythm Anthology 1992-2003
17. William Winant Five American Percussion Pieces
18. Bataille Solaire Documentaries
19. The Cyclist Bones In Motion
20. Kuupuu Sisar
21. Pharmakon Abandon
22. The Haxan Cloak Excavation
23. Tolcha Neustadt
24. Anika EP
25. Laraaji Cosmic Tape Experiments
26. Bibio Silver Wilkinson
27. Clothilde French Swinging Mademoiselle 1967
28. Eat Skull III
29. Ceephax Cro Magnox
30. William Tyler Impossible Truth
RECENT EXCURSIONS
In October, we at the Ratiofarm travelled to Covington Kentucky to see Elf Power and Neutral Milk Hotel perform. I, personally, have seen Elf Power more times than I can remember, and always look forward to seeing them. Andrew Reiger is like some melancholic shaman with a vast musical palate to draw from.
It was really great to finally see Neutral Milk as a complete entity, and they seemed ecstatic to be performing again.
However, it would have been nice if everyone had let him sing his songs.
The next day we explored Covington, looking for plaques about the underground railroad, which famously paused there just before ending across the Ohio River in Cincinnati. We were struck by how beautiful the town was. I also had one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had the pleasure to experience, this Ethiopian single origin from Deeper Roots coffee roasters at Left Bank Coffee.
A few pictures of Covington:
Additionally, the day before the Neutral Milk show, a friend took me to see Goblin perform at the Metro in Chicago. It was their very first tour in America and they were so excited it was hilarious.
Sick shredding adorned by devil horns galore as they rocked all of their classic tunes.
Added bonus! Got to see the remastered final cut of The Wicker Man at the Music Box.
A classic horror/psychedelic masterpiece. It gets better with every viewing.
