KLOF No. 98 (Folk, Psych, Experimental)

This week’s extra-long Mixtape features a number of recently reviewed albums, including The Owl Service, whose Tied to the Land, is their first album in a decade (order it here); Trá Pháidín‘s Cloch ‘s Claí, whose impressive mastery of musical forms old and new, including avant jazz, krautrock, and modern composition means they land a double entry; as does Bonnie “Prince” Billy with Ghosts of American Psychonauts, captured live over a Valentine’s Day weekend in Los Angeles; and two from Sourdure‘s Outredore, an absolute singular album that floats freely and pierces deeply; plus Jake Blount‘s Single-Footing Horse and Dean McPhee‘s Northern Earth.

There’s also new music from Cocanha, who, like Sourdure, draw from the Occitan tradition.

The freshest track in the mix comes from Belfast-based ensemble Coras Trio, comprising Kevin McCullagh (fiddle and electronics), Paddy McKeown (guitar and electronics) and Conor McAuley (drums). Their new single, The Road To Tarbolton, is released today, taken from their forthcoming new album Birth Is Upon Me, Death Is Upon Me. While their music is rooted in Irish traditional music they also embrace collective improvisation and experimentation, meaning their music is always undergoing a constant transformation. Their new album is out on October 30th via Coracle Records (DL/CD/LP) – pre-order via Bandcamp.

Also: a track from Ontario’s Michael Cloud Duguay‘s latest album, Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go (order here), which documents a 900-mile journey across remote Newfoundland to capture the sounds of seven historic church organs, recorded with a solar-powered mobile studio.

And from Steven R. Smith‘s Half Light Unfolding album, out now on Eiderdown Records (order here). Steven has been exploring the intersection of moody post-punk and cinematic psychedelia for the better part of 30 years. He has released a steady stream of solo releases under his own name and under various aliases such as Hala Strana, Ulaan Khol, and Ulaan Passerine, and has also performed with groups such as the Jewelled Antler Collective stalwarts, Thuja. On this latest album, he shifts his focus to Spanish guitar and piano, resulting in ten songs that are at once austere in their minimalism and expansive in scope.

Listen on Mixcloud

Playlist

1. 00:00 The Owl Service – Revolt From the Monolith, Come Back to the Village (Interlude 15)
2. 02:29 The Owl Service – Maids & Gentlemen
3. 06:32 Damon – Don’t You Feel Me
4. 09:00 Trá Pháidín – Fothrach an Cheirtleáin
5. 12:59 Kikagaku Moyo – Zo No Senaka
6. 19:41 Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Trees of Hell (Live in the City of Ghosts)
7. 25:03 COCANHA – AU NÒST’ CASALÒT
8. 27:27 Sourdure – Flor
9. 29:58 Greet – Molly Leigh
10. 36:23 Córas Trio – 10 The Road to Tarbolton
11. 43:32 Jon Natchez – Fill Their Nets
12. 44:44 Michael Cloud Duguay – Winterhouse (feat. Scions)
13. 50:00 Dean McPhee – Appleby Fair
14. 01:02:32 Steven R. Smith – End Of The Filaments
15. 01:06:17 The Owl Service – The Gay Goshawk
16. 01:14:41 Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I See a Darkness (Live in the City of Ghosts)
17. 01:19:38 Jake Blount – Pork Fat Makes My Chicken Tan
18. 01:23:05 Ohtis – Blankets on the Blinds
19. 01:28:59 Sam Amidon & Sam Wilkes – Sally Gooden
20. 01:32:23 Sourdure – Primabocha
21. 01:33:53 Trá Pháidín – Fidín