138 son 04 : gulls : FREEer 12″
from the sessions and original masters of the famed eats and opus debut, gulls‘ jesse munro johnson (evolutionary jass band, owl dudes, modernstate, die bomb shelters) unleashes another beast. a very much alive beast beating drums with four arms, shredding cymbals with eight limbs, bouncing bass with two hips, and breathing fire through two headed trumpets. delays shower down from brown skies, blending all sounds together and only mike mckinnon (wet confetti, reporter), scott blais (die bomb shelters), and sam schauer (modernstate, …worms) can add to the longevity of this now freeer beast.
side b reveals michael bruce’s retelling of this adventure, substituting 100% analog drum machines, synths, and effects to coincide with freeer’s composition. “than richer” as in a revert to what once was a popular practice of playing machines as well as programming them. this, in fact is a blend of the two…
limited to 300 hand stamped records and cdr
in hand screened brown, red, and blue jackets
design and printing by okayokayokay.org.
release 02-29-08
track listing
side a) gulls : FREEer - 14:20
side b) michael bruce : FREEer than richer - 14:20
download
freeer excerpt
freeer (than richer) excerpt
147 cylic defrost thaws FREEer
australian mag, cylcic defrost explores the unchained bounds of the new gulls 12″ :
“…things get freeform with drums, percussion and bass joining the electronics and trumpets. A single live take spans the entire first side of the vinyl, building, as improvisation often does, in intensity as it progresses. There is a consistent aesthetic across the track’s quarter of an hour, though each musician moves through musical ideas so that things constantly shift and hold interest. It’s an interesting half-way point between abstract sound and musical deliberateness. side 2 is a very interesting blend of remix and cover version and, while very obviously based on the same piece of music, sheds completely new light and is just as listenable in itself. Mention must also be made of the hand-printed artwork, always a major plus in my opinion. If it is psychedelic-tinged contemporary improv that suits you, then the music and packaging of this work will definitely not disappoint.”
-adrian elmer
read the entire article here.
146 strategy approved
paul dickow rates sonic lozenge for textura magazine as one of his top ten tiny labels!
“A relatively new label in Portland I don’t know well, but they’ve done a couple of super strong local releases with almost no means or distribution. Their Gulls (aka Jesse Johnson, trumpet player for Evolutionary Jass Band) CD and recent 12-inch are totally perfect examples of Portland’s NO GENRES ethos. I expect to hear great music from this label, centered around electronic musician Michael Bruce, and other pals related to the Trade Up gear shop gang.”
strategy has been a long time electronic dance wizard in portland with releases on kranky, audio dregs, and his own super rad community library record label (which, if i was asked, would certainly be one of my top ten tiny labels). if you are unfamiliar with this man’s work, you must acquaint yo self!
145 FREEer gets dusted…
dusted magazine’s doug mosurock gratefully reviews the new gulls FREEer 12″ :
“One sidelong cut of SUPER righteous interaction, trumpet meets percussion, steadily morphing bass, and a huge bed of synthesizer stratus reverberating inside the walls of the UFO floating above Kilimanjaro, and one side of BUGGED OUT uncanny electronic reinterpretation of the very same jam. Some real Sun God eternal rhythm here, immense and aligned with the cosmos. Massive end of the night bonfire sounds. This was one of the last records I reviewed and I am so relieved that it was as the experience it turned out to be. Silkscreened sleeve, few hundred copies. Run.”
check it and other rad vinyl selects of doug’s in the “still single” column here.
144 slm : audiocrip, michele wylen vs. michael bruce, cuss cuss cuss, fade13 and more! @ rotture march 20
the final sonic lozenge showcase (for now) at rotture featuring the vs. collaboration between the effervescent michele wylen and the deep destructive michael bruce! also, audiocrip will lay down some fresh new mpc/mc glitch bangers from his upcoming release on sonic lozenge. cuss cuss cuss will amuse you with intense 12 bit beats and maniacal pop songs. and fade13 will lift you to the heavens with a heap of synthesizers and alesis drum machines via original compositions which should have been huge hits (and still should) 20 years ago. also just added are the exuberant trash orchestra from santa cruz to raise the notch of what all can be jammed into one crazy night of wild sounds. a night you will remember…
141 gulls and michael bruce record release party on leap year
been waiting a long time for this… a night that only comes along every leap year…
two long sets with gulls and michael bruce, sandwiched in between old skool party spins. large new print works by okayokayokay, constant psychedelic visual displays from johnne eschleman, and a quick set via the country-psych-noise-funk of justin ready. this evening at the rad n steady work/sound gallery will be ALL AGES!!
137 paper/upper/cuts, michael bruce, eet, dusty dybvig @ rotture february 21st : slm
paper/upper/cuts
freshly done with his debut solo album, david fimbres has shown what big things can be done with so little. recorded in less than 24 hours with the assistance of gulls’ jesse munroe johnson, the twenty minute quip spans heavy dubbed drums smashing you in the face, while synthesizer burrows into your brain, giving you that “buzz” so sought after with any music completely contrived of pure positive energy. this is an understatement for his live performances where the simple drum kit, synth, looper, delay and flute, appear in every song, however different each time due to the amount of free improvisation left in between the minimal, but clever composition. pure brilliance.
michael bruce
as the currator of both local experimental label sonic lozenge, and the third thursdays at rotture, michael bruce will continue to define what dance music can be made with two drum machines and two synthesizers. NOT using a laptop, all beats, and tones are created, performed, and sequenced live allowing for a “rough around the edges” mix of grimy beats with sometimes terrifying sound scapes. improvised? yes. michael bruce believes the art of live dance electronic music either no longer exists, or is dying out like kraftwerk, this is an attempt to keep it alive. this was made for your ass and your brain.
eet
how can something so dissonant be something so cute! this young couple (school teachers by day), somehow find that thin line between what your ears don’t want to hear and what they really do. as ryan stuewe lays down sampled acoustic instruments, drones, clicks, and well… actually i don’t know what the hell that sound could be, alyssa reed moans and hums along as if the sounds were as common day as the “rockin beethoven” sprint cell phone ring. not only does this leave you completely infatuated, but also feeling good knowing you just witnessed an extremely rare and unique performance.
dusty dybvig
a drum kit and a theremin. and i will add an extremely good drummer at that. as a kid of only 19 years old, dusty has proven himself in many facets with a blossoming future as well. on the verge of opening a professional recording studio with his father, and supporting the beats for the effervescent twang rock of “bark, hide, and horn“, and producing beats for improv logic, dusty is already a very busy boy. tonight marks the debut of his solo arena. with a minimal drum setup, some weird delays and loops, and the classic moog theremin, dusty will condense all of his avenues into one quick performance, leaving you spinning and wondering what were you doing when you were 19.
thanks again to secret asian trustfund for the uber rad poster!
at rotture thursday, february 21st 9:30 $5
132 slm : big bad deep dark : thursday january 17 at rotture
ryze + fall with dj harp
a long time dark drum n bass producer and lifer of portland, ryze + fall will shake your view of what deep can mean in electronic music. having never “graduated” into the common computer recording bedroom, he has achieved the nowadays uncommon mastery of old skool samplers and synthesizers. building tracks via live sequencing and tedious programming, the “limitations” of these vintage machines reward with a unique blend of deep, slowed out drones under heavy bass hits, fuzzy (but tight) scattered amen breaks and cleverly layered d n b rolls. most recently, add super-nar grime and dubstep to jostle you back to familiarity thanks to the new specops.
michael bruce
this night’s set will bring some raw beat booty shakin’. in response to the nature of the collabors on this particular evening, stir in some grimy beats ducking underneath quick and snappy snares n shivering hi-hats. whoa, acid bass lines weave in, but don’t forget the underlying dark textures… we may have a stew thicker than a portland evening fog here.
beaverton
the live debut of a pro boomarmer, this solo act will feed you a meal as thick as oatmeal, as bloody as kentucky, as dark as space, and as important as daily bread. we are talking about breathy synthesizers spiraling with sustained guitar drones, chunky drum machines speckled with analog pings, and tape loops conducting their orbits. silence? no. more like a space blanket which keeps you warm in a desolate place.
RBLU
slidy (but ending with a punch) bass lines, gritty loops, and downright nasty beats give birth to this man’s repertoire. massive gain leading to explosions worthy of a new year’s tribute. it’s hard to believe something this spooky can be one half of brilliant telephone pop group, die bombshelters. yoah! did you hear that? where did that noise come from? and where? and how?
once again, january 17th at rotture at 9:30 $6
131 slm : walls of noise : thursday december 20 at rotture
doug theriault
Doug investigates the reciprocal contamination of creative means and sensibilities. He uses varied organic and electronic sound instrumentation, light gradients (sensors), space and performative movement in connection with the conceptual development of live electronic systems that he has created. Building instruments for controlling sound through light, touch, heat, etc.. via voltage change programming and real-time light changes. From a wave of the hand in midair to the guitar’s own internal feedback, signals produced from the guitar are manipulated and replayed in unpredictable complex permutations through the use of gestural controllers that control external electronics. The instrument can control effects boxes, synthesizers, lights and computers equally. always a rare and unique performance and not to be missed. (toast and jam recordings)
michael bruce
this noise set will consist of two self-oscillating digital feedback loops drenched in analog spring reverb showering over scattered pcm 12-bit scrapings. high flirting frequencies who tickle the hairs on your neck and low talking bass drops who ruffle your bottom ones.
bird costumes
this is Daniel Osborne. a two-half stack playin sound of a gun. this guy is the loudest looper i have ever heard. playing through two large guitar amps and effecting both independently, or against each other, 10 minutes in, you may jolt with a realization that you have been staring at a smiling, tired bear’s head and your ears feel fuzzy and good. then you space off and forget again…
r. o’shaughnessy
this is ryan’s debut solo performance. he is excited and a little nervous, but his long, beautiful guitar loops, delays, and pings will relax the both of you. i would guess the color of his ambient guitar work would be somewhere between orange and sky blue. a nice last deep breath before the pummeling of the rest of the evening.
a loud thanks to okayokayokay for the 25 devine hand-screened posters! available to you…
once again, december 20 at rotture at 9:30 $6
128 introducing the new monthly at rotture on nov. 29th
this show marks the beginning of “th-th-th-third thursdays with sonic lozenge”, a night featuring artists on the roster and their respective collabing collabors. at this show, are the main residents and the upcoming new one (debut audiocrip release soon!)
AUDIOCRIP : now splitting ears and sides at once!
GULLS : warming up to the inevitable club-bangers!
MICHAEL BRUCE : new toys from the arsenal uncovered everytime!
CUSS CUSS CUSS : finally the portland debut of marcus winthrop, mathematical genius breaking free for 12-bit pop stop.
the fantastic run of 24 four-color silk-screen posters by OKAYOKAYOKAY and are available to you! plus, yall will get your own copy of the first release from neh a year ago, “they come in pairs” just for being cool and comin down!
126 gulls, michael bruce, eet - valentines nov. 13th
this ones for jesse! it will be his birthday at midnite sos yall come on down to riot in the cozy and comfy valentines!
gulls : b-day beat bashing
michael bruce : featuring new dance-squelchisizer
eet : cutsy wootsy dissonance upstart
recommended as top 5 upcoming shows in willy week! cake provided?
125 newd downloads - a tongue extender for longer lozenge lasty
hey yooze yallz!! michael bruce hear to let you know about a few items on the horizems :
first check out the slick downloads page with new tracks by cuss cuss cuss, gulls, and michael bruce all organized into one page for long lasty tasty in the depths of this violent orange.
ALSO : there are some sick-ass shows comin up in november as well as the kickoff for the beginning of the sonic lozenge monthly “th-th-th-third thursdays” at rotture featuring all lozenge reppers and their cohorting collabors! the first of which will actually be on the 29th (fourth thursday - dern thanksgaving) of november with :
cuss cuss cuss : his portland debut (finally, i know)
michael bruce : new beats, dips, and slips on a showly basis
gulls : getting thicker and deeper like good oatmeal
audiocrip : now ears and sides can be split at once
AND : its been a bit since the last release but soon will be unleashed two more monsters!!!
the cuss cuss cuss : rufus redfield vs. the penguins storybook operatic with real book illustrated by the wonderfully wonderment cari vander yacht.
the gulls/michael bruce split : a 12″ with an extended jam cut from the eats and opus release and the michael bruce remix of it. club bangers?
fuck yeah, feels good, stay tuned
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