Richmond Tape Club
4.14.14 by Mike Haley

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With the third RVA Noise Fest going down this weekend, and the release of volumes 5 – 8 tomorrow, it seems like a fitting time to focus a bit on the Richmond Tape Club. A series of cassettes from RVA noise heads, curated by Jonathan Lee.

Lee introduced the series last year with tapes by Negative Gemini, Slow News Day In The Vampire World, Elian, and his own project Anduin in editions of 30 – 70 copies, and available digitally through Morr Music, as a way to exhibit awesome shit going on in his hometown. “When I was growing up” Lee said “every local band put out demo tapes. Following local demos was a way to look at a community. There’s a lot of great sounds coming out of Richmond and this was an affordable way to showcase them. The physical object connects locally. The digital connects globally”.

“Negative Gemini is the solo electronic project of musician Lindsey French. Using various synths and a vocal loop pedal, she layers new wave-inspired melodies and beats underneath brooding lyrics that become, at times, abstracted into canorous trances amongst ambient shimmer. The result is gloomily bewitching pop landing somewhere between Grimes, Laurel Halo, and Zola Jesus. Hallucinatory and powerfully fun.”

“Slow News Day In The Vampire World is the ambient dub project of recording engineer / producer John Morand and his wife, artist Tara Morand. Mainly utilizing a DJX, drum machine, and turntable, this EP also features edited live inputs from acclaimed artist Stephen Vitiello, Molly Berg, Jonathan Lee (Anduin, Souvenir’s Young America), Bobby Donne (Labradford, Cristal, Pan-American), and Miguel Urbiztondo. Some of these tracks also appear in the Irish horror film Portrait of a Zombie.”

“Created between November 2012 and May 2013, these are the first new tracks from Michael Duane Ferrell’s Elian project since 2011. Originally recorded and arranged on computer, each track was then signaled out to external effects and accompanied by synthesizer. This marks a change in technique from his previous releases on labels like Home Normal, providing a much warmer, fuller sound that’s always changing, never still, and heavily dark. Huge, engrossing dronescapes.”

“Developed from some of the sounds and themes used in a series of installation performances titled “Sketches of the Lesser Death,” these are the first new tracks from Jonathan Lee’s Anduin since 2012’s Stolen Years LP. It’s the beginning of a dream narrative where each song is a chapter, every sound a character in motion. Includes contributions from Stolen Years and Lesser Death collaborator Jimmy Ghaphery on saxophone along with former Souvenir’s Young America mates Graham Scala and Noah Saval on guitar and harmonica respectively.”

The Jcards and system for signifying which volume of the series you’re looking at is pretty sweet. Every Jcard is black with RICHMOND TAPE CLUB on the spine and a snippet of map on the cover. The first four tapes have red squares silk screened on the front, the number of squares being the volume number of that jam. So one square = volume one. Two squares = volume two. You see where this is going, right? Good. The next four modify the theme a touch, stuffing black squares into red squares to get the particular volume number. One large red square with four smaller black squares in it for the fifth in line. Number seven has two red squares, one with a four black squares and the other with one in it. Four red squares, each with it’s own black square is number eight. Good idea, looks dope. I like it.

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Volumes 5 – 8, all of which you can order up right now and preview below, will be from Stephen Vitiello, Brandon Hurtado, Mutwawa, and Matt Boettke. The first four, including a 4B addendum by Andiun, are still available. Each cassette in the series will set ya back an measly $5.50 (aka: no brainer). Grip em at SMTG Limited. You also have the option (this week only) to grab the whole digital shebang for a $25 donation to RVA Noise Fest III. Whatever floats your boat, get to work!