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there are 11 titles featuring the dead c in stock.
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threads:
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 best of 2009 !!! 
clouds (new zealand) #clouds 016 book

bruce russellleft-handed blows: writing on sound 1993-2009” book

  • left-handed blows: towards a technique of incognito
  • ten aphorisms in lieu of an editorial policy for logopandocy
  • what is free?: a free noise manifesto
  • a little aesthetic discourse: a dialogue between alastair galbraith and bruce russell
  • contra-fludd/contra-kepler: the disharmony of the spheres extolled in ten theses
  • heaven on earth is always a beguiling prospest: a dialogue between danny butt and bruce russell
  • to think is to speculate with images: rosicrucian linguistics revisited as semiological discourse
  • tuplas
  • poi$on + lie$ = money + death - the axe interview
  • on the guitar: practical materialism - lesson one
  • the real ‘driver ufo’ - douglas lilburn: complete electro-acoustic works
  • thinking my head to the sky: practical materialism - lesson two
  • points of reference: here to go
  • midnight crossroads tape recorder blues
  • concerning the duende: practical materialism - lesson three
  • celestial disharmonies: retuning the ears of the world with sound art
  • time under the rule of the commodity: notes towards an epistemology of tape music
  • silver machines and stone henges: pumping the pipe organ of psycho-social mind control
  • battering down all chinese walls
  • dub me tender: a brief personal history of the sound recording as an artistic medium
  • why i make recordings
  • caution: analogue artist at work!
december 2009 release ; first collection of bruce russell (aka 1/2 of handful of dust, 1/3 of the dead c, head of both xpressway and corpus hermeticum, editor of “logopandocy: the journal of vain erudition”, etc...) ‘s music-writings, issued as a foil-stamped softcover, 128-page book via the auckland-based clouds imprint ...

as a handy, desk-reference set, it can’t be beat ; includes bruce’s pieces on unheralded aotearoan early electronic music composer douglas lilburn, liner notes for birchville cat motel, ralfrlwwehowsky, selections from “logopandocy”, a conversation with alastair galbraith and danny butt, copious musing(s) on walter benjamin & guy debord, and more ...

the short pieces make for great noncommittal reading ; any fan of contemporary semantic discourse in relation to underground musical movements in & out of new zealand (not to mention the borderless musical universe in which russell travels) will be in heaven here ...
clouds press release...

left-handed blows: writing on sound 1993-2009
by bruce russell

published 2009 by clouds, auckland, nz
128 pages
preface by alastair galbraith 

left-handed blows’ is a collection of essays written by bruce russell (dead c.) reflecting on sound, improvisation and critical action in the field of culture.

about the title

these are days when no one should rely unduly on his ‘competence’. strength lies in improvisation. all the decisive blows are struck left-handed. 

walter benjamin (1928).
one-way street’

summary of contents

the contents of the volume were first written for ‘logopandocy: the journal of vain erudition’ originally published with compact discs on the corpus hermeticum label, as liner notes for other compact discs, or as catalogue essays and journalistic pieces.

there are also a theoretical introduction and conclusion, which provide a framework within which these occasional pieces can be collectively understood.

essays 1999-2008

  • left-handed blows: towards a technique of incognito
  • practical materialism lesson 1: on the guitar
  • practical materialism lesson 2: thinking my head to the sky
  • practical materialism lesson 3: concerning the duende
  • time under the rule of the commodity
  • celestial disharmonies: retuning the ears of the world with sound art
  • the real ‘driver ufo’: douglas lilburn in memoriam (the wire)
  • battering down all chinese walls (the wire)
  • why i make recordings (revue et corrigee)
  • caution: analogue artist at work!

logopandocy 1994-97

  • what is free? a free noise manifesto
  • contra-fludd/contra-kepler: the disharmony of the spheres extolled in ten theses
  • a little aesthetic discourse: a dialogue between alastair galbraith and bruce russell
  • heaven on earth is always a beguiling prospect: a dialogue between danny butt and bruce russell
  • to think is to speculate with images’: rosicrucian linguistics revisited as semiological discourse
  • ten aphorisms in lieu of an editorial policy for logopandocy

liner notes 1997-2008

  • ralf wehowsky tulpas 1997
  • ralf wehowsky points of reference 2003
  • birchville cat motel gunpowder temple of heaven 2008
  • bruce russell midnight crossroads tape recorder blues 2005
  • bruce russell 21st century field hollers and prison songs 2007
interview 1999

  • ‘poi$on + lie$ =  money + death’ bruce russell interviewed by marco fusinato in axe no. 19, ed. john nixon and marco fusinato

about the author

bruce russell is a practitioner in sound, who since 1987 has been a member of the dead c. this genre-dissolving new zealand trio, mixes rock, electro-acoustics, noise and improvisation in equal measures. he has also been active as a solo artist, and directed two of new zealand’s vanguard labels, xpressway and corpus hermeticum.  

he is currently studying at rmit towards a doctorate in sound. this seeks to establish a theory of the social utility of improvised sound work, building on guy debord’s critique of the commodity-spectacle, walter benjamin’s reflections on time and commodity fetishism, and karl marx’s theory of value.

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threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
minimalism-drones
lo-fi
musique-concrète

crank automotive (usa) #car 008 cd

bruce russellmaximalist mantra music” compact disc

  • the war between desire and technology (cut up) (15:30)
  • on certain obsolete notions (full length) (20:10)
  • the war between desire and technology (tape version) (10:57)
december 1999 release ; three pieces from the dead c’s bruce russell, each borrowing from the musique concrète traditions (in fact, the piece in the sound-sample there could easily be mistook for something in & of “the era”) ...
crank automotive press release...

bruce russell - maximalist mantra music

the latest and newest domestic release from handful of dust and dead c member.


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threads:
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crank automotive (usa) #car 006 cd

a handful of dustspiritual libertines” compact disc

  • a preface to the hieroglyphic monad of dr. john dee (14:48)
  • the first dance in honour of the sabbatai sevi (4:22)
  • his heart savage and buzzing, like a swarm of black flies (1:31)
  • roses and bitumen, gift of song (4:24)
  • the second dance in honour of the sabbatai sevi (2:28)
  • this world has more beauty than a ram's skin painted red (6:40)
  • the oneness of adam qadmon (5:50)
  • the third dance in honour of the sabbatai sevi (2:30)
  • and the sun is not named, but his power is amongst us (6:54)
  • a single eye all light (10:17)
1996 release ; earliest crank title we managed to wrangle, collecting material(s) from the “the eightness of adam qadmon” & “anabase” tapes (corpus hermeticum, 1994 & 1995 respectively) by bruce russell & alastair galbraith’s a handful of dust ...

great set, hedging some straight guitar / drum (c/o peter stapleton) flare-out with more quizzical, sound-art-oriented pieces (the bit in the sound-sample seems to takes it’s cues from 50’s radiophphonic work ; elsewhere scratchy violin sawing is layered over the perennial 50-cycle ground hum & yet elsewhere bell-incantations are afoot) ...
crank automotive press release...

a handful of dust - spiritual libertines

a compilation of several earlier handful of dust records from overseas.
get them all at a great domestic price.

compilation of pieces of the anabase and qadmon tapes,
some lathe cut offerings + two unreleased tracks (1 & 10).


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$25.52

new to stock as of
february 8th, 2007


threads:
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concert-recordings
lo-fi

nervous jerk (australia) #nj 001 lp

the dead c / hi-god peoplesplit” long playing record

  • the dead c - la confidential
  • the dead c - la blues

  • hi god people - drak (boulder green mountain)
  • hi god people - tiger tooth bangles of nomo
  • hi god people - thunder on the way to funan
late 2006 australian split lp between the long-standing nz free-freedom combo the dead c and the slightly more obscure australian pranksters hi god people. limited to 200 copies.
nervous jerk press release...
dead c

t1- la confidential
t2- la blues.

recorded by the dead c
michael morley bruce russell robbie yeats

live at atp la 2002 ucla
thanks to open city and the texan documentary team

...

hi god people

tk 1- drak (boulder green mountain)
tk 2- tiger tooth bangles of nomo
tk 3- thunder on the way to funan

music by dylan martorell, dion narnia, greg wadley, julian williams
cover art by dylan
released by nervous jerk productions 2006.
*extra vocals by ellen

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$15.95

back in stock as of
june 7th, 2011

first in stock on
october 20th, 2008


threads:
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guitar-themed
lo-fi
modern-psych
harsh-noise

no fun productions (usa) #nfp 34 cd

a handful of dustnow gods, stand up for bastards • the philosophick mercury” double compact disc set

  • the book nature: chapter the first (3:38)
  • oration on the dignity of man (13:39)
  • the expulsion of the triumphant beast (15:08)
  • the lullian art (8:55)
  • the book nature: chapter the second (6:01)
  • the dark lantern of reason (22:29)

  • fama fraternitatis (29:58)
  • god's love to his people israel (30:16)
october 2008 release ; just-right (timing-wise) reissue of these two prior corpus hermeticum discs (hermes 013 & 002 - 1996 & 1994, respectively) of noisy free-improv by the duo of the dead c’s bruce russell & alastair galbraith ...
no fun productions press release...

nfp-34 a handful of dust 'now gods, stand up for bastards / the philosophik mercury' 2xcd

now gods, stand up for bastards / the philosophik mercury is a double-disc re-issue of two limited and long out-of-print works by this obscure enigma. plunging straight into the chasm of ultra-minimalist abrasion and chaotic improv, these two records stand as unrelenting and engrossing epics of guitar feedback, disintegrating electronic sound, string-shredding violin abuse, and other facets of impassioned iconoclasm. recommended for lovers of amm, henry flynt, and hijokaidan.

a handful of dust are a group consisting of a core duo of bruce russell (the dead c) and alastair galbraith. formed in dunedin, new zealand in 1990.

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$11.76

back in stock as of
september 13th, 2010

first in stock on
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threads:
modern-psych
musique-concrète
electro-acoustic-composition
lo-fi
guitar-themed

siltbreeze (usa) #sb 064 cd

the dead ctusk” compact disc

  • plane (11:10)
  • head (10:50)
  • tuba (1:25)
  • half (5:15)
  • imaginary (7:35)
  • tusk (11:55)
1997 release ; believe this was the last siltbreeze album by the dunedin-based trio of bruce russell, michael morley, & robbie yeats ... this has (in recent years) turned from being my least favorite outings in the band’s extensive oeuvre to being the one i reach for the most (usually in preparation of extended drives) ; quite removed from the grim, fizzling mid-range fuh of tiny-amp, practice-room fidelities & getting more into odd “post” -production choices (listen to the sound-sample for the first few minutes of “plane” ; more of a this heat-lineage tape-piece than anything else) ...
siltbreeze press release...

dead c / tusk
siltbreeze sb 64cd

after years of flirting with profound torpor, the finger is removed from the carb and new zealand’s favorite sluggish trio gets a lung full of bigtime entropy. slow, quiet, and barely played, this masterpiece sounds like it was recorded by several death row inmates on morphine. the future of rock right here, right now.

... while the next year's tusk -- titled ironically after the fleetwood mac album -- proved to be their last effort for siltbreeze. it also marked the end of their most prolific period, as the band subsequently spent an astonishing (for them) three years off record.

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threads:
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siltbreeze (usa) #sb 040 cd

the dead cthe white house” compact disc

  • voodoo spell (2:33)
  • the new snow (12:28)
  • your hand (7:25)
  • aime to prochain comme toi même (0:56)
  • bitcher (6:32)
  • outside (17:59)
1995 release ; my favorite of the band’s mid-period records, due to the (mostly) improvised squall of gnarly feedback heterodyning (which predate / blueprint just so much of the mid-2000s’ “noise rock”) hedged with more delicate bits of sound-research (listen to the sound-sample) ...
siltbreeze press release...

dead c / white house
siltbreeze sb 40cd

the dead c hit another creative high point with 1995's the white house, another fan favorite that brought a touch more structure to the group's usually free-form compositions.

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threads:
modern-psych
guitar-themed
lo-fi
free-improvisation

siltbreeze (usa) #sb 021 cd

the dead ctrapdoor fucking exit” compact disc

  • heaven (6:42)
  • hell is now love (2:16)
  • mighty (5:39)
  • power (4:32)
  • bury (3:18)
  • bury (refutatio omnium haeresium) (15:40)
  • sky (2:53)
  • bone (2:36)
  • krossed (6:32)
  • calling slowly (2:50)
  • helen said this (10:59)
  • acoustico: power (2:18)
  • acoustico: bone (1:46)
  • acoustico: mighty (1:48)
1995 release ; cd version of the “helen said thislp & “trapdoor fucking exittape (along with the “hell is now love b/w bone” 7”) ... arguably the best single-source set covering the band’s earlier years ; a grinding wall of lo-fi guitar skree, tape-manipulated blomb, barely recognizable voices & banter, and the pre-eminent sense that’s it’s not going to be ok ... essential.
siltbreeze press release...

dead c / trapdoor fucking exit
siltbreeze sb 40cd

the dead c was formed in dunedin, new zealand in 1987, with a lineup of guitarist/occasional vocalist michael morley (a onetime member of the evocatively named wreck small speakers on expensive stereos), bassist and xpressway label head bruce russell, and drummer robbie yeats (formerly of the well-liked kiwi pop band the verlaines). in keeping with the early formats of xpressway and morley's own precious metal imprint, their earliest releases were only available on limited-run cassettes, but they also hooked up with flying nun in 1988 to issue their first lp, dr503 (which was retitled dr503b and dr503c for later reissues). a second flying nun lp, eusa kills, appeared in 1989 and featured a bizarre cover of t. rex's "children of the revolution."

the dead c next forged a relationship with the philadelphia-based indie siltbreeze, which would issue the majority of their output over the90s. the first was 1990's helen said this, which was later reissued on cd as part of a two-fer with the formerly cassette-only trapdoor fucking exit (the latter's title was used for the cd).

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new to stock as of
january 19th, 2010


threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète
modern-psych
minimalism-drones
analogue-synth

spirit of orr (usa) #so 49 cd

bruce russellgilded splinters • tape works by bruce russell: 1995-2005” compact disc

  • sonatas for toy fire engine and tape delay (12:24) 2000
  • for laurie penney (17:33) 2002 / 2005
  • poi$on+lie$=money+death [version] (9:44) 1995 / 2004
  • canterbury vignettes#2: from space (12:20) 2000 / 2003
  • tunnel radio [detour autours] (15:27) 2001
may 2007 release ; a collection of tape music from the dead c’s bruce russell ...

impressively in line w/the canon of early electronic home-studio weirdness that all but fuels mms here (esp. the work of russell’s idol/inspiration/countryman douglas lilburn) - challenged fidelity, mystery-murk and all - excellent stuff ...
spirit of orr press release...
bruce russell
gilded splinters tape works by bruce russell: 1995-2005 cd
spirit of orr so49

about the project

i have been interested in the use of sound recordings to make ‘music’ for a long time. in the early 1980’s one of the things that drew me to the work of groups such as cabaret voltaire, the fall and this heat was their use of recordings as an element in their work, and as a way of restructuring played pieces once they had been recorded. in my own work, i started making tape works from day one, buying my first open reel tape machine in 1983, the same year i bought my first electric guitar. the first dead c. album included ‘the wheel’ and ‘mutterline’, both of which i constructed from tapes [1987]. later about half of the third handful of dust album; ‘from a soundtrack to the anabase of st.john perse’, was constructed in the ‘studio[1995]. when i began to record under my own name, one of the things i wanted to focus on was tape work, as opposed to documentation recordings of live improvisations, which most of my other work has been. my first solo single was produced by the simple expedient of halving the tape speed, thereby doubling the beauty of the original ultra-lo-fi recording.

a great boost to my resolve in this area was given by ralf wehowsky’s invitation in 1996 to participate in what became the ‘tulpas’ project. his faith in me gave me confidence to consider my work as a form of composition, and has led directly to this album. in this regard the support of matthew leonard has also been very helpful.

my plan was to compile examples of my tape work over the last few years, as a way of showing the different approaches and developing methodologies that i have employed. originally i envisaged a double cd, but this has proven to be both too expensive and ultimately too hubristic. hence the single disc you have here.

making these recordings has been a learning process, but a very satisfying one. my working practices have often been deliberately primitive and brutal, and i make no apology for that. it is the ideas and their expression that should be of interest, not merely questions of technique.

it remains only to note the inspiring example of many more illustrious names in this genuinely twentieth century art form. i will not compile a list of names, as these lists have a way of becoming almost too famous, but national pride compels me to mention the late douglas lilburn. he founded, in 1966 at victoria university of wellington, the southern hemisphere’s first electronic music studio. recently his magnificent analogue electronic works have entered the digital domain in a long overdue re-edition. hurrah!

bruce russell, lyttelton 2004

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new to stock as of
august 22nd, 2008


threads:
modern-psych
digital-musics
harsh-noise

atp/recordings (uk) #atpr 002 cd

all tomorrow’s parties 1.1 • sonic youth curated” compact disc

  • sonic youth - fauxhemians
  • unwound - behold the salt
  • stephen malkmus - good kids egg
  • stereolab - old lungs
  • bardo pond - white turban (the traveller)
  • cat power - come on in my kitchen
  • papa m - how can i tell you i love you?
  • cannibal ox - pidgeon
  • the dead c - load segment
  • boredoms - super now
  • kevin drumm - my tree bears no nuts (part 2)
  • satanstornade - enhanced amalgamated computer experience
2002 release ; second comp from atp, covering artists appearing at the sonic youth-curated all tomorrow’s parties festival ... standout contributions include those by satanstornade (i.e. merzbow & russell haswell), kevin drumm, the dead c, the boredoms, bardo pond, etc ...
atp/recordings press release...
originally released in 2001 as the companion to atp 1.0, all tomorrow's parties 1.1 was curated by sonic youth, and was initially created to accompany the all tomorrow's parties events held in los angeles and england.

this compilation definitely has the sonic youth fingerprint with acts as far ranging as noise mavens boredoms to husky crooner cat power. features exclusive unreleased tracks and new song versions by sonic youth, unwound, stephen malkmus, stereolab, bardo pond, cat power, papa m, cannibal ox, dead c, boredoms, kevin drumm and satans tornade.

this compilation captures the very spirit of the atp festival by matching disparate musical elements that together create a cross-section of the very best under-represented music.

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lo-fi

siltbreeze (usa) #sb 052 cd

tard & further’d” compact disc

  • halo of flies - richie's dog
  • gibson bros. - brokedown engine
  • monkey 101 - french feelings
  • monkey 101 - now that you have left me
  • v-3 - inside outpost
  • the dead c - hell is now love
  • the dead c - bone
  • alastair galbraith - as in a blender
  • sebadoh - cheapshot
  • sebadoh - delicious cakes
  • queen meanie puss - lily heart
  • mike rep and the quotas - village idiot
  • the terminals - black creek
  • guided by voices - melted pat
  • guided by voices - dusty bushworms
  • thomas jefferson slave apts. - baboon's liver
  • the shadow ring - tiny creatures
1997 release ; siltbreeze singles-comp ; they sure did a bunch of these in the early 90s, didn’t they?

excellent, otherwise unattainable materials from the shadow ring, the dead c, the terminals, alastair galbraith, halo of flies, gibson bros., mike rep and the quotas, guided by voices, jim shepard, etc ...
siltbreeze press release...

selected tracks from the siltbreeze 7" catalog.

previous artist:
 margaret de wys 
...and that's everything in stock featuring the dead c.
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 dead letters spell out dead words 
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... this page was last updated on saturday, february 11th, 2012 @ 5:26 pm