Tape Loop Marxist (#67)

Should be “Tape Loop Archaeologist”. What the hell were we doing here? It's as if the tape's been buried thirteen years in damp peat. There's certainly no Marxism present, except perhaps the reduction of all sounds to an equal level of recognizance, which is kind of the aural equivalent of blurry.

I vaguely remember attempting twice to make an entire show out of one long tape loop which was jury-rigged to stretch off of the station's reel-to-reel tape machine, and I think that's what this is. It's a shorter show, a mere 37-odd minutes of unintelligible swamp and blowing air. I've listed notes for imaginary sources, as I've no clue what was actually used to make these sounds.

Direct link to file here. Originally heaved into the airwaves on July 31, 1997. Unhelpful playlist sheet here.

1. Ross ice shelf cracking apart under the weight of tourists
2. Thousands of timbered trees floating past over slow rapids on their way to the port of Gdańsk
3. Static on an analog telephone line as you listen to the asthmatic breathing of a tubercular wooly mammoth
4. Dream you had once of an out-of-control party where the host unexpectedly turned into a werewolf
5. Rummaging in your pocket for the perfect styrofoam peanut
6. Hiccuping belt sander in its last few minutes of functional life
7. Dragging a small tree over twelve lattice fences piled flat on top of each other
8. World’s largest thunder sheet, 400 yards long but only 1/8 inch thick
9. Furious drum circle in a hurricane, heard from inside a quonset hut filled with chainsaw sculptures
10. Being hit in the face with a wave of mud on a riverbank in the Amazon
11. Riding inside a aluminum-sided bus being driven sideways in gale force winds
12. Killing flies on a hardwood floor with a pennyloafer while vacuuming the drapes
13. 5-minute re-enactment of The Matrix on an enormous moving walkway which is slipping its bearings

Purty (#65)

Source here. Original airdate July 17, 1997.

The "pretty sounds" show. This post has the unusual and perhaps unimportant distinction of having the airdate (aside from the year) closest to the posting date. One measly day off. This show, far from our usually relentless grating cacophony, is an honest attempt at smoothness, harmony, and a mellow vibe. One thing that really stands out about this track is how much we tried to slow things down and let them develop in a more unforced way.

You are free to come hunt me down for using the phrase "mellow vibe".

1. Bass loving fungus
2. Zen gong pong
3. World's largest glass organ
4. At the car wash
5. Car wash, windows rolled down
6. A brief, rocking interlude
7. Stereo Separation Blues
8. Double time
9. Hork
10. MASTER OF THE PAN FLUTE
11. Ken Nordine loves you
12. Serious violins
13. Who wants the hip-hop?

Added by Ian F-r:
This show's flowsheet.

Moods of TKDF (#63)

Source available here, and the show was originally broadcast on July 3rd, 1997 (thirteen years ago today).

Mood music? Aside from the Space Invaders disco near the beginning of the show, most of the sounds in this episode fall on a mood scale between "Zen-like/Lethargic/Asleep" and "Spacey/Dreamy/Artificially Stimulated". A quiet, or at least sitting/lying down show, for most.

An orchestral record of the smooth, mood music type seems to linger throughout the show in various echo and flange-effect chambers, which to me gives the whole show a happy-sappy feel. Other recognizable sounds are yours truly trying in vain to put a caller on the air, clipped phone messages, and a recording of fireworks mailed to us from another radio show in Minnesota of *their* Fourth of July show.

1. Kosmische Orkester
2. Vague Difficulties
3. Sardonic Warfare
4. Crumbly Snow
5. Blue Flowers
6. Limping Acid
7. Swooping Absence
8. Speedtape Burbles
9. Reverbed Cowbell
10. Misirlou Jazz
11. Gymnasium Pianos
12. Kosmische Kindergarten
13. Churchill's Funeral

Added by Ian F-r:
This show's flowsheet.

Insanity Sounds (#60)

Source available here. The show was originally broadcast on June 15th, 1997.

This show might have been a planned theme show or just named after the theme appeared spontaneously. It seems to hover around/jab at/scurry under the topic of mental health & illness, and it employs delicate as well as blunt instruments. The overall feel is harried, and you can hear a lot of frantic voices, some heavy effects, and an occasionally violent instability, as well as deja vu à la Catch-22 and excerpts from a psychology radio program.

This is a good example of a long-format show which sticks to the collage-mix with little to no break until the end. It's quite difficult to be so frenzied and confused for a straight 90 minutes. Often times the shows drop into musical interludes, but with this one, you get no such breathers.

1. Fuzz For Junk/Extended Cyborg Death Scene
2. A World Insane
3. A Slide Whistle Sneaks Up & Blows in Your Ear
4. Cheering Man Takes His Date to a John Zorn Show
5. Did He Say Dr. Tiger?
6. Strangled or Strangling
7. It's the Bomb-ardier, & He's Still All Right
8. Recipe: Waco Funk-Rock Puree
9. Happy Place Soundtrack
10. Twinkling Spasms in Turtle Soup
11. Talkin' World War Baby Telephone Call Blues
12. Time Travel in the Seventies/Sound of Blood
13. Black Belt Coming Down

Upcoming Holiday, 2-for-1 Sale

In light of the national holiday and my own 8th wedding anniversary, I am preparing to post the next two shows this weekend. One reason is that I am really enjoying revisiting the shows.

Second, this will mean that the bonus post will be a show originally from July 3, 1997, almost exactly thirteen (13) years ago to the day. Seems to me like a coincidence worth celebrating.

Here's hoping your plans to grill your food over flames and explode small, controlled incendiary devices go well and with only minor injuries.