#096
“Murder”
The only note on the page for this track says “Recorded.” And, indeed, it is. Overall, it’s a strangely peaceful piece, considering the title. It’s a drone-a-rama, with one of the deep ones in the opening half suggesting a Gregorian chant. When that leaves the mix, the sound is very slightly more desolate, but still ultimately calm.
Rating: Kevin Drummm
#095
“Spectral Gaunts I”
The bass tones on this are unbelievable – so low and rumbling it feels like it may be emanating from the Earth’s core. The bass is sometimes droning, sometimes throbbing, always present. You may need to check that your internal organs are functioning properly when this one is done; it’s a full body experience. [It’s also a companion piece to “II,” which you’ll find at #067 on this page.]
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#094
“Electronic Harassment II/III”
These are two long tracks that, among other sounds, feature lots and lots of higher pitches. I’m not a big fan of lots of higher pitches, as I have previously indicated. Add to that I’m a little fatigued tonight, so I’m not doling out many “m’s” for this one. Unfair? Well, as always, you can give this a listen; it might work better for you. Nice cover photo, though. This seems to bring to an end the Electronic Harassment series, which were quite the mixed bag for me. (1 is entry #086, 4-5 is #066, and 6 is #014 – seek and ye shall find).
Rating: Kevin Drumm
#093
“Frozen Pipes”
Most of this track sounds like hums that were created using those frozen pipes of the title. It pulls the neat trick of alternating a couple times between tension and relaxation, with the changes caused by the most subtle variations in sound. The final 6-7 minutes are much quieter and could be the sounds we’ve been listening to echoing off in the distance.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#092
“2014 Everything’s Going Along as Usual and then All Shit Breaks Loose”
Take that album name, along with the individual song titles (like, for example, “Panoramic Carnage”), combined with the thanks to Joan Didion and her book “’The Year of Magical Thinking,” and it’s pretty clear we’ve got a piece born out of some unhappiness. I’m sorry for whatever Kevin went through back in 2014, but hope he found some solace channeling his feelings into this music. It’s certainly a striking collection of mostly longer tracks, each featuring one or two primary noise elements. I wouldn’t call it harsh; it’s mostly (*spoiler alert*) somber. We travel from opener “What Sleep Is” (with its rocket ship engine liftoff noise), through centerpiece “Lower” (22 minutes of deep bass rumble that seems to emanate from deep down in your heart), to the final, slightly brighter (maybe very slightly hopeful?) electronics of closing track “The Forthrght Fool.” An outstanding collection.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm
#091
“INTERFERENCE”
This feels like a bit of a warning to the galaxy, and it’s all packed into a package that is a bit of an outlier in the Drumm oeuvre; six tracks coming in at a total of about 28 minutes. “INTRO” is the first track and it starts serenely enough, with electronic crickets and throbbing. But eventually the sounds get out of synch. It’s a little anxiety inducing; I checked my pulse at one point just to be sure it was part of the track and not me suffering a panic attack. Tracks 2 (“I”) and 5 (“IV”) sound like a UFO engine idling and then speeding away (respectively). Meanwhile, tracks 3 (“II”), 4 (“III”), and 6 (“V”) (Roman numeral people may be bothered by the numbering/titling here) include electronic singing bowls, banshees, and hums sending out the distress signal. You’ve been warned.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#090
“VOYCES”
My review of this album is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The bad news is that I can’t listen to this, and I mean that literally. The good news is that I have stumbled upon my second Bandcamp mystery (see #074 below for the first). While this album has appeared in my Collection since the day I purchased the Kevin Drumm catalog, it says it’s for subscribers only and doesn’t show any track details or provide any way for me to play it. I’m not particularly bothered (I mean, I got a ton of good music at a very reasonable price), it’s just odd. Oh Bandcamp, you loveable scamp. I’m confident that if you are able to listen to “VOYCES” it will speak to you in some way.
Rating: Kevin Dru?
#089
“Mithering the Skiving Gorm”
I love the title but, although those words all have meanings, I’m not clear what it’s trying to convey when they are all put together. One guess: Maybe this release is an attempt to create a new kind of blues, having nothing to do with the traditional 1-4-5 guitar chord box. This is a song with four acts, all drone based, but all different (humming, metallic, spacey, and earthy). Interestingly, the notes indicate there are rare guests on “Mithering…” contributing vocals and guitar. Assuming that’s true, their contributions have been assembled and produced beyond recognition…but I’m not mithering about that, because it all works in its final form.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#088
“May 18”
This feels like it packs a lot into a half hour. Overall, it’s an industrial ambient sound with lots of what feels like vibrations through metal. There’s a nice evolution of this track which starts on the ever-so-slightly abrasive side, including some slight feedback, but ultimately takes you out on a very peaceful note. Mmmmme like.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm
#087
“Horizontal”
Pretty simple: Some long tracks of lovely, otherworldly drones. The album title got me wondering if that would be the best body position to listen to this music; I can’t say for sure, but it wouldn’t hurt. But it also got me thinking of “Imperial Horizon” (see #074 below). I thought that was a “sister release” of Drumm’s “Imperial Distortion,” but “Horizontal” actually seems a closer relative. In other words, if you liked “Imperial Horizon” you’ll like “Horizontal.” I liked them both, because they’re flat out wonderful.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#086
“Electronic Harassment 1”
The noises come in a few distinct waves on this one. “EH A” sounds like electricity pouring out of an open pipe. (Confession: I have no idea how electricity works.) Or, if you’re in a gloomy mood, it may sound like a steady rain. Hungry? You’ll hear a big pan of bacon being fried up. That is, until the dead stop about 2/3 of the way through the track. Then you’ll hear a low key version of the electricity/rain/bacon that mixes with some higher pitches and a machine that sounds like it might be physically ill. “EH B” goes from a rapid click pattern that’s overwhelmed by heavy rumbling noise, to a section of higher pitches (as discussed elsewhere, not my favorite), to a conclusion of a swarm of electronic crickets. The first installment in a six part series (you can read about 6 – which I liked – at entry #014 on this page, and 4-5 – which I didn’t – at #066 on this page). 2-3 will be discussed at a time to be determined.
Rating: Kevin Drummm
#085
“Toronto May 2000”
A live performance featuring prepared guitar and some synth embellishment. When the performance starts you can almost hear a pin drop (or maybe that’s what I was actually hearing). Slowly the noise builds – not as one continuous cacophony, but different sounds moment-to-moment as Kevin explores that guitar. And… applause.
Rating: Kevin Drummm
#084
“The Back Room”
An EP length project that begins with three tracks that time in at slightly over a minute each. I barely know what to do with short pieces like that anymore; it is not usually the Drumm way. In any case, there are actually a total of five tracks here and they all contain similar elements; after several quieter releases, I’m happy to report we’re back to some abrasive noise. At times the tracks feel a bit collaged, but overall I would say it sounds like what I imagine the Large Hadron Collider (the particle accelerator at CERN) would sound like if things went terribly wrong.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#083
“April”
This is the sound of the aliens arriving. But unlike a movie where it’s a prelude to some sort of horror, this music fills us with wonder, with enchantment, with amazement, and with serenity. We absorb this unfamiliar configuration, knowing in our souls that everything is going to be better going forward. Absolutely one of the most beautiful tracks in the Kevin Drumm catalog; I’d give it six m’s if the rules I totally made up allowed it.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm
#082
“THE GAS BILL EP”
When you see the title of this one you might think that KD dashed off a few short tracks to raise money to pay for heat. Another suggestion of this idea is one of his jokey recording details: “Recorded…at Will the house get warm if I set this Lenovo Thinkpad on fire? Studio.” So while it is understandable that you might think this was a desperate attempt to pay the bills, you would be wrong. I mean, maybe it was used for that, but it’s not short on length or quality. It’s actually a beautiful 46 minute track of gentle, peaceful drones; a perfect accompaniment to a quiet evening enjoying the warmth of a fire.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#081
“Phantom Jerk”
This sounds like a lamentation for a lost vessel or factory. It’s an approximation of an orchestral string section in electronic form, playing long, slow, overlapping notes. Think of it as an electronic elegy or an industrial dirge. All three tracks are variations on the theme, and the hum stays with you even after the music stops. Amazing.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm
#080
“Moving”
There’s quite a variety among the four tracks on “Moving.” Parts 1 and 2 seem to be the same song, faded out and then back in between the two tracks. They are what I would describe as an orchestra of machines. There’s lots of motor, buzz and hum in thick layers of well-oiled mechanism. It’s the kind of thing that reminds you that there’s a certain kind of music all around us in everyday life. Part 3 changes up, with what sound like electronic nature noises (rain, animals) that eventually get encroached upon by man-made things. Part 4 is the quietest track, with spacey electronics that keep the volume low. While I was enjoying the great mix of sounds, I got thinking about that album cover art; it almost looks like it could be part of puzzle. There are about half a dozen KD album covers that could be sections of one larger work of art. Maybe I’ll have my intern try to piece things together.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm
#079
“09082001 gtr/synth ‘solo’”
This is largely a slow moving exploration of a prepared guitar, with some synth embellishments. While there are some short interjections of louder sounds, this is more on the quiet side of noise overall. It’s the sound of someone exploring the instrument (at times tentative, while more determined at others) and cajoling different noises. Oddly, the sounds from about minutes 15-19 made me a little nauseous; hard to explain, but it didn’t last. Regardless, tip of the cap for causing a physical reaction.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#078
“MEPHISTOPHELIAN FACILITATOR”
The final mix for this was at Irregular Pentagon porta-studio. Irregular pentagon? Why, that’s one side away from being a trapezoid…was this all preordained? In any case, this is a long track of noise appropriate for summoning a demon. Kevin says “Sit Still.” All the better to enjoy the sections of this piece where you might hear (at the beginning) something approaching a buzz saw and a swarm of electronic bees or, later, machines, tones, and other delights.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#077
“Live 1995 (Somewhere in Chicago)”
It’s noise, glorious noise. The excellently titled “Your Guitar Is Prepared…But You Aren’t!” is a mid-length (in Drumm world, at least) track, excellently performed. Roughly the first half is a test of wills between some bell-like ringing and good ol’ guitar noise. Then, a sudden silence before some even harsher sounds return (grinding, static, feedback, hum) to see us through to the conclusion and a (presumably) standing ovation (not heard here). What can I say? It’s excellent.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm
#076
“Middle of Nothing”
Two tracks of subtle drones. The first starts with a low humming version, but there’s a shift toward the end to a more mechanical, and slightly more agitated, sound. There are more variations on the theme with “Part II,” but maybe overall a bit louder and more restless. Like the first track, there’s another shift in sound later into this one. Things become slightly higher pitched and, by the end, downright musical. The album title and completely black cover suggests this may be the soundtrack for the void.
Rating: Kevin Drummm
#075
“Blast of Silence”
Kevin has a bit of a running joke where he indicates recording was done at a certain studio, but the studio name somehow relates to the particular album. This one was allegedly recorded at “Almost Inaudible Studio,” and boy is that accurate – no joke. These are three long tracks. The first was barely, and I mean barely, there. A few brief sounds during the 55 minute run time offer some relief, but otherwise I found this to be a slog. The 49 minutes of track two were only slightly better, with an interesting deep rumbling that made it feel like my house was shaking for a few brief moments. “Blast of Silence 3” saved this from being only a 1-m-rated release. The first 10 minutes started out with simulated idyllic nature sounds plus a swarm of bees, which evolved into other sounds. Unfortunately, the remaining 37 minutes were back to the quiet and minimal noises; while by far the best track, it didn’t salvage the overall experience for me. I can appreciate when silence is used in music, even for long durations, but the payoff was just not there for me on this one.
Rating: Kevin Drumm
#074
“Imperial Horizon”
I assume this is a sister release to2008’s “Imperial Distortion” (which, oh look, you can find as #047 on this page). And like that album, this one ended up in the Wire Top 50 (albeit for 2009). But, like what often happens with siblings raised in the same home, this one turned out very different. One long track of ethereal drones that really transported me to a place of bliss. So I floated away for an hour, but then made an interesting Bandcamp discovery. On my computer it’s just the one long track discussed above; on my phone there’s an extra track of “source material.” This extra has a similar sound (not surprising), and it’s fine, but is not as captivating as the main track. It just makes me wonder what else I’ve missed on computer vs. phone (and why there’s a difference). So many mysteries in this world yet to be explained.
Rating: Kevin Drummmm
#073
“Another Set of Days Now Over”
This is so, so good. ASODNO is one of Kevin’s shorter releases (with two tracks coming in at just a speck under 19 minutes) and is also one of the most interesting. While it features some other noises at times, like high pitches or some crowd voices, “One” is largely built on a repeating pattern of sound. That pattern includes a low hum, what sounds like a small rockslide, and then some minimal noises. “Two” has a base of vague drone hum and individual rocks falling, or being thrown. Released on Boxing Day in 2017, maybe that title refers to the holiday season or a year ending. In any case, don’t give this box of rocks away to your servants; this is a keeper.
Rating: Kevin Drummmmm