Two bass guitars, a violin and the ethereal vox of Mimi Goese. Released in 1988,on Brian Eno’s label, Opal Records, and produced by Michael Stipe, Drum succeeds in sounding out of time. Autumnal, haunted, and more akin to incantation than album, its nine tracks exist on a plane of twilight ambience. Restraint and minimalism as aesthetic.
Search Results for: cowie
Who Knows Where The Time Goes: Twelve Years of Turquoise Wisdom
Aquarium Drunkard turned 17 a few months ago, and Zach Cowie (aka Turquoise Wisdom) has been a part of it for 12 of those years, beginning with the third entry in our (then new) guest selector series. A music supervisor by trade, Cowie’s mixes span myriad decades, genres, and moods, always aesthetically maintaining an empathetic through line. Now totaling a baker’s dozen, we have re-upped each individual mix beginning with the first volume from 2010.
Goodtime John & Bonnie Prince Billy :: New Life
For the last 20+ years, Irish singer/songwriter J. Cowhie has released music under his own name and the Goodtime John banner. Now he’s back with the mighty Will Oldham aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy in the cut with him. On the recently released “New Life,” Cowie applies AOR textures to his minimal form, conjuring up a grand but sparse sense of atmosphere that wouldn’t feel out of place on a late-era Pink Floyd recording.
Between and Beyond :: Japan’s Mutant Pop Underground
Over the past five years, Light in the Attic have offered wanderlusting listeners a series of primers with reissue compilations featuring music not yet released officially outside of Japan.
The label’s latest collection is called Somewhere Between. Subtitled Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980–1988, this compilation attempts to connect the dots between various fringe figures operating outside of the country’s monolithic commercial music industry.
An Evening In Mono (A Medley)
… which brings us to this mix… in tribute to Art Dudley, here are tunes from some of my favorite mono LPs recorded using an emt 930 turntable with a Miyajima zero mono cartridge on a 12” Schick tonearm fed into a Miyajima etr-mono step up transformer and a Shindo Monbrison preamp.
A Deep Breath (A Mixtape)
A lot of friends have been reaching out for healing music. Here are some things that have felt like taking a deep breath over the past few weeks. Much love to everyone.
Carlo Vinci, Jr. :: Piper Of Dreams
Sometime in January a parcel appeared on our doorstep with Vingaard’s address listed as the sender. Inside was a record, sealed, yet clearly vintage. Which, it turns out, it was. Frederiksberg is bringing Carlo Vinci, Jr.’s 1979 lp, Piper Of Dreams, back into the light digitally, along with having unearthed a stash of deadstock LPs pressed upon its original release.
Aquarium Drunkard :: 2018 Year In Review
Here it is. Our obligatory year-end review. The following is an unranked list of albums that caught, and kept, our attention in 2018. Let it blurb. – AD
Aquarium Drunkard Guide To ECM Records: Second Installment
Welcome to the second installment of the Aquarium Drunkard guide to ECM Records . Marked by an attention to sonic space and a distinct visual aesthetic, since 1969 ECM has released a […]
Aquarium Drunkard Presents :: ECM Listening Party
In anticipation of the second installment of our Guide to ECM Records , join the Aquarium Drunkard crew and our friends Zach Cowie and Third Place this Sunday, October 28th, in Los Angeles at […]
Goodbyes & Beginnings (A Mixtape)
In my 20+ years of record digging there isn’t much I haven’t dropped a needle on, but nothing will ever be as near and dear to me as my first […]
Transmissions Podcast :: Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968/Abstract Truths/Environments
Welcome to the March installment of Aquarium Drunkard’s recurring Transmissions podcast, a series of interviews and audio esoterica. This month, we’re centering in on a sense of place. First, we sit […]
Abstract Truths: An Evolving Jazz Compendium — Volume Two
Volume two of Abstract Truths, An Evolving Jazz Compendium . If unfamiliar with the series, please first read here about the its genesis and intention. As promised, this installment is courtesy of dj/record collector Carlos Nino . Per his selections, Niî±o notes […]
Abstract Truths: An Evolving Jazz Compendium – Volume One
Several months back I happened upon a survey stating that, according to Neilson, jazz now held the dubious honor of being the least listened to genre in the US. The piece […]
SIRIUS/XMU :: Aquarium Drunkard Show (Noon EST, Channel 35)
Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU , channel 35, can be heard twice every Friday — Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST. Today we are joined by […]