New Batch – Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
2.4.15 by Mike Haley

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I assume that after it’s dozenish years of curating DIY grey scale greatness, with release numbers in triple digit territory, that most noise denizens are familiar with Dumpsterscore Home Recordings. If not, I would advise a plunge into their back catalog where you’ll find plenty of stalwart turbulence, including much from label head Andrew Quitter’s various projects (under his own name, Regosphere, Suburbia Melting, et al). Go ahead, I’ll wait……. Caught up? Good. Now let’s get to the three latest cassettes.

All part of the ongoing DS C20 series, which I can only assume was birthed by a bulk grip of C20’s out of a church dumpster or something, are tapes by Arjen Schat, Self-Shadowing Prey, and Shift. Each bringing their own brand of chilling sound affairs. I don’t have the tapes in hand, and only excerpts are readily available on the world’s widest web, but I think it’s safe to say that a complete listening to these mugs is sure to please. Arjen Schat’s “CrO2” dons flickering analog synth jaunts and pensive drone canvases. Looks like his two side-long stretchers have no problem floating up into the sky and lingering in the clouds. “Illusion To Illusion” is three tracks from Portland’s A. Brasfield, appearing here as Self-Shadowing Prey. Kindly offered up are cutthroat and clammy oscillations and a thicket of opaque, horror inspired arpeggiated chords. Solid enough to make a clunk under your foot, but slippery enough to get your shoes caught. Rounding out the batch is veteran  power electrician Shift. Expect a severely savage encounter from Martin Willford on “Ruminations”, as resentful vocals slice through throbbing static electronics. Definitely brings the strength others in this style tend to lack. A relentless effort indeed.

Arjen Schat and Self-Shadowing Prey tapes are both editions of 50 copies, while Shift gets the 100 treatment. All are available for $7.00 (ppd in the US) or as part of a combo deal from Dumpsterscore. Sample excerpts from all of them here —>