Hello!

Some news from Humbug here, sorry for any cross-postings.
Again, the label isn´t dead even if the web site has been
down....on the contrary! A bunch of fine releases has seeped out
this autumn, starting with the Avarus 7" we co-released with
countless other labels, and followed by a couple CDR releases
(Maskinanlegg, Tape That, Noise-Makers Fifes, and the various
artists "Cottage Industrial volume 3" ). Also some lathe 7"es
arrived from Peter King last week, and not least the long awaited
Phô CD is here since a month or so! So it´s been a good and
busy year.
If you´d like to check out any of this, please drop me a mail w/
your address and get a free "label sampler" CDR, it´s EUR 2,00
(or US $ 3,00) anywhere, simply to cover postage (paypal
preferred for this purpose). But first, read on about these new &
hot-selling items (ha) below. More news to follow very soon, as
we are preparing to announce the release of The Skaters "Dark
Rye Bread" on LP in January. So, here´s some info/hyperbole for
your perusal.....

Humbug e-mail is: tchartan [at] yahoo [dot] com



**** PHÔ "This is Handiwork" CD (Humbug040) EUR 12,00 ****

The three henchmen of the apocalypse have released their
long-awaited debut album on Humbug! We are super proud to
present this ferocious, volatile, and above all FRESH blast of
gnarly free jazz for the 21st century! "This is Handiwork" contains
9 tracks of gourmet music, recorded in the legendary
DUPER studios, produced by Sir Duperman himself. Also
featuring guitarist and noisemaster John Hegre of Jazzkammer
on two tracks. Comes in a nice digipack with a cover design by
Lasse Marhaug. Check www.bek.no/~bjornar/index.html for
more info and preview. Some quotes from the press:

" They focus instead on building huge juggernauts of atonal
sound from heavy associative gestures and the kind of passion
for sonic viscera that fuels all the most far-out rock music. File
somewhere between MEV, Mats Gustafsson and Wolf Eyes, and
it´s almost in the right place." - David Keenan, The Wire
(December 2004)

"You may feel that noise music as an experimental genre has
grown stale, that once its farthest extremes reached, nothing can
surprise you or be innovative to your ears. Behold PHÔ's debut
CD, a highly refreshing take on the high-octane noise fest." (...)
"...sound like hardcore free jazz anthems (think Melt Banana
covering Albert Ayler)" (...) "This is Handiwork is a rollercoaster
ride through 10 fast-paced pieces" - Francois Couture, All-Music
Guide/CFLX.

"Flutes and drums may sound like a strange line up, but the
result is even stranger....certainly not improvised music for the
weak at heart"
-Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly

Watch out! Phô is on tour now, the remaining dates are:
15/12 Bruxelles, 16/12 Zurich, 17/12 Geneve, 18/12 Stavanger



 
**** TAPE THAT "Autumn Collection" CD-R (Humbug 042) EUR
6,00 ****
 
What is THAT? TAPE THAT tapes almost everthing and layers it
with almost everything else. Not soundscapes, but pieces of
music created by juxtaposing different sounds in different
spaces. Live playing in the studio layered, in real time, with
ambient recordings from other places, complex microphone set
ups recording the sounds up close and afar, samples put
directly to TAPE as well as being recorded in the room, switching
from this to THAT according to different principles of
organisation and different structural limitations; different species
of hits: The Background Hits, The Very Room Hits, Hit Hits, Pure
Tape Hits, etc.
The autumn collection can be listened to in numerous ways:
Loud and up-close, soft and in the background. Add sounds to
your house or hear speleologically through the layers of the
sounds taped onto the CD. Everything you hear is taped live in
the studio. No overdubs have been added in post-production. A
little cutting here and there, though.
Please enjoy it... -TT, november 2004
 
Finally! The debut release from the Dutch duo, Tape That. Who
are part of the fabulous Amsterdam based "N collective" along
with PHÔ and many other improvising groups. Check
out: www.radiantslab.com/n
Comes in a full colour cardboard packaging, with a Tape That
collage on the
cover, insert, liner notes. 




**** NOISE MAKERS FIFES "Monomania of Instinct" CD-R
(Humbug026) EUR 7,00
(CO-RELEASED WITH GOLD SOUNDZ) ****
 
Finally this great NMF live recording from Stockholm 1998 is
seeing the light of day (after many delays). Loosely based on
Bachelard's animalistic aggression theory applied to the
writings of Lautreamont ("Les Chants de Maldoror"), this MS
Stubnitz live audio-visual performance stands out as one of
NMFs perhaps strongest live performances. One very long track
(65 minutes), it takes you from the inaudible to the full-on sense
attack and back, it's exploding with strong emotions... Perfomed
partly on homemade sound sculptures, they have developed a
musical language that is quite unique. Edition of 250 numbered
copies in fold-out slipcase cover.


 

**** AVARUS "Vaahtera Jäniksen Hännänkieliset Seikkailut" 7"
(Humbug038) EUR 6,00 (Co-released with Gold Soundz, Veglia,
Imvated, Audiobot) ****
 
Finland's Avarus come from the same family as heavyweights
Kemialliset Ystävät and The Anaksimandros. As with both of
these acts, Jan Anderzén plays an integral role. The other main
culprit is Lal Lal Lal kingpin, Roope Eronen. The two tracks on
this 7", presented in beautifully silkscreened covers, cover
similar ground as the aforementioned bands, but do so in
Avarus's own, bizarre way. Tribal pounding and violin hypnotics
are the centerpiece of side A's, "Matti Maapahkina Ormylat." This
sounds like the music of gnomes, pulsating out of the forests in
Tampere. There's so much chaos and energy on this track that
it's contagious. As it slows down into an organic drone, your
eyes start to get heavy and Avarus do their best to induce sleep.
This is fantastic. Side B is less raucous, but just as crazy.
Melodica provides a foundation for keyboard blips, feedback,
and other droning instruments to play. By the end of the track, the
drums return and it feels similar to the opening of the first piece.
It gives this entire single a circular aspect that is brilliant. Avarus,
once again, prove that in Finland, there are no substitutes.
Tampere strikes again. -- Brad E. Rose, Foxy Digitalis



 
**** V/A "Cottage Industrial Volume 3" CD-R (Humbug037) EUR
7,00 ****

Third instalment of our eclectic compilation series, fully sucked
to capacity at 79:59, though there´s "only" 17 tracks this time.
You get two tracks from norwegian duo RYFYLKE (Humbug
releases an LP with them sometime in 2005!), bristling with
heavy frequencies. A sample of up-close "selbstverprügelung"
and subtle barnyard heckling from unidentified mental patients
RAIONBASHI. Crude electronics from WAWA. A glacial and
feverish meditation for metals, springs, radio and wire hangers
by ORANGE, MANIFOLD. SINISTRI are sculptors of molten
pulses and charged convulsions. Look out for their album on the
Häpna label in the spring. There´s two tracks from PHÔ - a short
blast taken from "This is Handiwork" CD + a live track from Rhiz
in Wien where the boys are fronted by one Didi Bruckmayr in
best maniacal form. Also from Italy (along with Sinistri) are OvO,
hot on the heels of their fully cracked jamz of the live tape on
Imvated. This tracks´s for guitar and whistles, Stefania and
Bruno captured here in full stereo sound. WOODEN WAND &
SATYA SAI BABA exhales and hits a strident rock chord, trances
out, lays it bare. "Wet Margarete" by EXCEPTER is a keening call
to hush things down, before the gorgeous slow movements of
LUNT´s "You Keep Me Unafraid", a daydreaming haze of
crystalline guitar loops. MASKINANLEGG tests your stereo
output, while MOTH´s "Ohne Titel" (the final Moth recording),
draws to a fried conclusion with subliminal hum and skeletal
buzzes. ANDERS HANA´s piece is quiet and poised, barely
pinches the skin. VIOLETS ROCK N ROLL suggests in the
crudest of terms you better get the hell out of here, and finally
IDEA FIRE COMPANY offers a salute to the weary listener with
the epic 11-minute "Heroes". Comes in a heavy cardboard
packaging, stupefying "pensjonist" themed artwork, an insert
and a sticker. Limited to something.

A quote from the Italian Sands-zine, processed via Babelfish
translator to wonderful effect: "If then, as qualitative level
happens in this occasion, to pregevole corresponds also a
quantitative optimum, the floppy disk is full as an egg, and a
confection simil-de luxe, the promotion cannot be that to full
ballots. "Cottage Industrial Vol. 3" contain all mark them coming
from from the odierno underground, without psichedelico
distinction between noise and folk or elettro-electronic
and improvisation."




**** MASKINANLEGG "Ringsaker Rocks" CD-R (Humbug027)
EUR 6,00 ****

A concept album of the most questionable kind. Its all about one
Bjørn Hatterud shaking his proverbial fist at his home place,
Ringsaker. So he calls it his "heimstadsplate". Well, I must
admit I do not always understand Bjørn. What I do know is that
this album brings out all his best and worst in an ambivalent
clash of heartfelt proportions.
Witness the bad puns (you will not get them), the sweat, the
confusion. The rhythm-box assault and tasteless audial-collage.
The righteous flux of quaint and useless noises. Yes, this is a
noise album, but his style is loose and cool - ranging from the
"cover" version of "All tomorrow's Parties" to the epic throb and
screech of the title track. Comes in a colourful, painted
cardboard packaging. Edition of 80 copies. A very special
limited to 10 copies edition in a silkscreened package with a
bonus 3" CDR of Hatterud favourites and authentic Ringsaker
inserts is available (EUR 12,00)




**** ANDREAS MELAND "Lenestol" B/W "Nålepute" 7" lathe-cut
(Humbug013) EUR 7,00 ****

Back by "popular demand"! A second edition of 30 copies.
Andreas Meland´s only solo release to date. PS! Lathes are in
small editions so they are more expensive priced, sorry. No
wholesale for these titles!

"Andreas Meland, in addition to being a longstanding member of
the experimental trio Düplo and the man behind two
experimental music labels (Safe as Milk and Melektronikk), has
also been keeping busy developing his solo work. Here
Norway's Humbug label presents two of his latest pieces. Side
A, Lenestol, opens with waves of shimmering distortion, a
piercing, static-washed drone that moves in slow curves, which
comes to a halt halfway through and introduces a more tranquil
and warm set of tones with digital crunches punctuating the
foreground. Side B, Nålepute, is another shapeshifter,
radiowaves and restless interference lead into some beautiful,
shifting electronic tones, abstract yet comforting, a drone of
sunlight streaming in through the windows. With a new full
length on the way, Andreas Meland is definitely one to watch. -
Richard di Santo, Incursion Org.




**** RATS WITH WINGS "Black Label" 7" lathe-cut (Humbug025)
EUR 7,00 ****

"Nice percolated noisetronik action courtesy of Australias Bill
Burston" - Arthur magazine. Another repress of 30 copies.
Permeating golden blackness.





**** LASSE HONORÉ BØE / TORE MARHAUG "Scum Noise
Renditions" 7" lathe-cut (Humbug035) EUR 7,00 ****

A little scum-noise never hurt no one. It is reassuring to have a
new release by the boys from The Nordic Miracle (even if "This is
NOT a THE NORDIC MIRACLE product", as it says on the back).
The ubiquitous Lasse H. Bøe and Tore Marhaug´s good
manners are as contagious as always.....this is a live recording
from a small and stuffy room full of drunken Belgians. So, sing
along, to the scum noise! Edition of 60 copies, with a jolly good
"Cow" B/W "Horse" artwork!




Coming soon (January):

The Skaters "Dark Rye Bread" LP
Anti/Uton "Borrowed Antennas" CD-R
Mem/Viön "12'00" & "tsch" 2 x CD-R set
Edward Ruchalski "Radio Journal" CD-R
The Wesley Kern Gun "Rocket to the Room" CD-R
Bjørkås/Andreassen "F/RAN_SoundtracksEP" CD-R
Tore H. Bøe "Freezer Burn" CD-R


Later:

1/3 Octave Band "Sub Lumina" CD
Ryfylke "T.B.A." LP
Tore H. Bøe "(Confessions of a) Poolboy" CD
V/A "T.B.A." CD
V/A "Cottage Industrial volume 4" CD-R
The Skaters/Claypipe "split" 7"
Séan Óg "TheGarbledMessage" CD-R


Still available:

Crank Sturgeon "E-Z Voiceover Box-Top Living Solutions" 7"
Fredrik Ness Sevendal/Bill Wood "Song of Degrees" LP
The Nordic Miracle "We Shall Provide" CD
V/A "Untitled double Humbug compilation" 2xCD
.....and CD-Rs by: Polio, Shifts, Edward Ruchalski, Reynols,
Culver, Id M Theft Able, etc, full catalogue available...)



HUMBUG c/o
Anders Gjerde
Thorvald Meyersgate 76 C
N-0550 Oslo
Norway


Humbug is also running a small mailorder. We´ve got a host of
excellent stuff to offer, some of our favourite releases from the
catalogues of underground labels around the world, including
Gold Soundz, Audiobot, Veglia, Imvated, Roggbif, Tochnit Aleph,
MSBR, Deserted Village, Pseudo Arcana, Celebrate PSI
Phenomenon, Psych Form, Psychochrist, Absurd, Intransitive,
Some Place Else, Bar La Muerte, Gameboy, De
Hondenkoekjesfabriek, Gameboy, Lal Lal Lal, Peer Pressure
Zombie, OHM, Rhizome, Apartment, Early Morning, Haamumaa,
Last Visible Dog, Drone, Anomalous, Jazzassin, Fusetron,
etc.......ask for a catalogue, at tchartan [at] yahoo [dot] com. Your
interest + support is totally appreciated, and necessary to
sustain the label....THANKS.