<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?>
<label id="alien8" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/boutique/alien8/">
  <name>Alien8 Recordings</name>
  <shortname>Alien8</shortname>
  <recording id="alien_53" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_53/">
    <artist>[va]</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/53_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Blank Field</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 53</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Blank Field is a program of experimental music that was curated by Francisco
    L&#243;pez for the event &#8220;Cit&#233; des ondes&#8221; organized by Champ Libre in
    Montr&#233;al from September 16 to 23, 2002. This collection of excerpts features performances
    by Oren Ambarchi, Daniel Menche, Merzbow, Shunichiro Okada, Manon Anne Gillis and Michael
    Northam. The live material has been mixed, edited and mastered by Francisco
    L&#243;pez.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_14" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_14/">
    <artist>[va]</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/14_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Coalescence</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 14</catno>
    <year>1999</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_06" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_06/">
    <artist>[va]</artist>
    <artistdetail>Aube, Knurl</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/06_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Split</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 06</catno>
    <year>1997</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_08" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_08/">
    <artist>[va]</artist>
    <artistdetail>Kristian, Sian</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/08_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Tacoma Narrows Bridge / Someday Anywhere</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 08</catno>
    <year>1998</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_34" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_34/">
    <artist>Acid Mothers Temple</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/34_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Electric Heavyland</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 34</catno>
    <year>2002</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Alien8 Recordings continues to invade different areas of psychedelia and is
    pleased to present the most groove-heavy release yet by Osaka&#8217;s Acid Mothers Temple.
    Electric Heavyland graces the areas of extreme stoner-rock, full-on psych freak-out and even
    heavy metal. Acid Mothers Temple have become the most spoken-of in the new wave of Japanese
    bands that are breaking into European and North American markets, due mostly to their
    relentless touring and release schedule. Over the last couple of years the band has performed
    in Japan, UK, Scotland, USA and Canada. Electric Heavyland is one of the most over top releases
    to come out of the Temple so far, and is perhaps Kawabata Makoto&#8217;s heaviest
    groove-oriented material since the classic Mainliner debut, Mellow Out. The recording is made
    of three tracks that at times will have listeners reminiscing over the likes of early Mudhoney
    and Monster Magnet&#8217;s Spine of God era sound. It&#8217;s the one of the catchiest records
    from the incredibly prolific psych unit in recent times and can be best compared to the heavier
    tracks on Absolutely Freak Out Zap Your Mind or the bordering-on-metal sound the band often
    seems to take on in live situations. Atomic Rotary Grinding God opens up the recording with
    Cotton Casino&#8217;s droning vocals and spacey electronics which slowly build momentum and
    eventually give way to an explosion of High Rise-paced mayhem that will have even the most
    jaded rockers bobbing their heads. While the rock and psych influences are the most obvious,
    closer attention reveals beautiful kraut rock inspired patterns. Comparisons to Mainliner hold
    especially true during Electric Heavyland&#8217;s second track, Loved and Confused. This track
    wastes no time building up - it is heavy grooving rock from start finish, 17 minutes of pure
    psychedelic bliss. The record closes with Phantom of Galactic Magnum, which closes the record
    the same way it opened: slow-building electronic drone with treated vocals. Speed guru Kawabata
    Makoto leads the way with his trademark solo drone guitar sound which again is taken over by
    phases of electronic washes eventually dissolving into another hard rock assault at the five
    minute mark. The release is beautifully housed in our custom cardstock double gatefold
    packaging. The artwork on this release veers off the usual path of bright colors, naked women
    and flying saucers to pay homage to King Crimson&#8217;s highly regarded Earthbound bootleg.
    The packaging is also quite similar to that of the Mainliner&#8217;s Mellow Out release. The
    inside of the gatefold sleeve features a classically psychedelic photo of the band in full
    color for maximum effect. The Acid Mothers Temple are on a tour of North America which will
    include the record release party and only Canadian show in Montr&#233;al. Then they will be off
    to perform shows in the UK. This will mark our first of two planned releases with the Acid
    Mothers Temple. The other is a forth-coming split release with Montr&#233;al-based collective
    set fire to flames.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_44" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_44/">
    <artist>Acid Mothers Temple</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/44_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Mantra of Love</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 44</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Alien8 Recordings has been exploring a more melodic brand of psychedelia recently
    through releases with Shalabi Effect, Soft Canyon, and Tanakh. We are now pleased to continue
    our work in this direction with &#8220;Mantra of Love&#8221; by Japan&#8217;s Acid Mothers
    Temple. &#8220;Mantra of Love&#8221; will be the feature release for Acid Mothers
    Temple&#8217;s North American tour that begins on May 21, 2004. &#8220;Mantra of Love&#8221; is
    destined to be a classic release in the expanding catalogue of one of today&#8217;s most
    exciting psychedelic ensembles. It is beautifully recorded, featuring the group&#8217;s
    cleanest production thus far. Cotton Casino&#8217;s vocals been beautifully captured, rivalling
    the &#8220;Univers Zen ou de Z&#233;ro &#224; Z&#233;ro&#8221; release on France&#8217;s
    Fractal label. Our previous release by the band, &#8220;Electric Heavyland,&#8221; became one
    of their most notorious efforts due to its over-the-top intensity. While &#8220;Electric
    Heavyland&#8221; served AMT diehards with more of their patented psyche mayhem, it also struck
    a chord with the metal set due to its undeniable heavyosity. The recording is made up of two
    tracks. &#8220;La Le Lo,&#8221; a traditional Occitan piece, is somewhat similar to the classic
    &#8220;La Novia&#8221; release. It is largely based around the very melodic vocals of Cotton
    Casino. Halfway through the track speed guru Kawabata Makoto let&#8217;s the thunder roll,
    giving the feeling of an entirely new track until it becomes melodic again towards the end.
    &#8220;Mantra of Love&#8221; is the perfect release for those who enjoy the more melodic,
    drone-out, hippy elements of the band, but also want the piece to let loose from time to time.
    The recording&#8217;s fifteen minute closing piece, &#8220;L&#8217;Ambition dans le
    Miroir,&#8221; starts of with Casino&#8217;s gurgling synth washes panning from left to right,
    and then a beautiful guitar melody reminiscent of &#8220;Lady Pink Lemonade&#8221; is
    introduced. This track remains incredibly melodic and easy-listening throughout, with spacey
    electronics and great guitar lines. Once again on center stage is lead vocalist Cotton Casino.
    Our obsession with the psychedelic genre can be traced back to our involvement with Japanese
    noise. One of the main attractions to the noise of fellow Japanese artists such as Haino Keiji,
    Masonna and Merzbow has been the psychedelic elements layered within the barrage of sound. When
    it comes to documenting Japanese artists we are very pleased with our roster, and Acid Mothers
    Temple have been one of Japan&#8217;s most exciting exports over the last few years. The
    recording will be beautifully package in our custom gatefold packaging.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_62" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_62/">
    <artist>Acid Mothers Temple</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/62_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Starless and Bible Black Sabbath</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 62</catno>
    <year>2006</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Starless and the Bible Black Sabbath, our third release with the Japanese
    psychedelic ensemble known as Acid Mothers Temple sees the band paying homage to Black Sabbath.
    With respect to its heaviness this release has similarities to Electric Heavyland our first
    release by Acid Mothers Temple, however this recording is richer, clearer and less
    harsh.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_26" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_26/">
    <artist>Artificial Memory Trace, Brume</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/26_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>1st Encounter</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 26</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>An electroacoustic masterpiece which unites the talents of France&#8217;s
    Christian Renou [Brume] and Belgium&#8217;s Slavek Kwi [AMT]. Each artist has constructed and
    deconstructed the other&#8217;s original material, and through this process they have created
    beautiful fluid collaborations. These two sound artists fit perfectly together and truly
    demonstrate a clear understanding and appreciation of each other&#8217;s ideas. 1st Encounter
    was completed in 1996 and is part of an ongoing series of releases by Artificial Memory Trace.
    The sound on this particular installment is as one would expect given the backgrounds of the
    two artists: a mixture of electro-acoustic and concr&#232;te sounds. The two artists are forced
    to create their music using the other&#8217;s music as the principle source material, and it
    really changes both of their sounds quite a bit. Often people think of collaborations in the
    same sense as split records, but this is not a split release. There is really is a good sense
    of the interplay between AMT and Brume. It is difficult to classify the works of these two
    gifted composers, because their work is clearly void of the academic rigidness that defines
    much of the electro-acoustic scene. There also seems to be a greater flexability in terms of
    sounds being employed and more freedom to really let loose in terms of intensity. Brume has
    released solo efforts for the likes of Korm Plastics, Crowd Control Activities,
    Relapse/Release, ND, Old Europa Caf&#233; and others, and has been included on far too many
    compilations to mention. In the time it has taken to prepare this recording for release,
    Christof Renou aka Brume has stopped recording under the name of Brume and now releases work
    that focuses more in the direction of techno, under his own name. Artificial Memory Trace has
    recorded and released works for Lowlands, Sonoris, Selektion, Swill Radio, RRR, Staalplaat and
    Xerxes. 1st Encounter is packaged exquistly in a digi-pack with full colour artwork and is a
    limited edition and will not be repressed.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_02" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_02/">
    <artist>Aube</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/02_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Cardiac Strain</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 02</catno>
    <year>1997</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_21" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_21/">
    <artist>Aube</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/21_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Sensorial Inducement</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 21</catno>
    <year>2000</year>
    <format>
      <code>LP</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_18" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_18/">
    <artist>Bastard Noise</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/18_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>The Analysis of Self-Destruction</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 18</catno>
    <year>2000</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
    <description>In the works for nearly a year and a half, Bastard Noise&#8217;s The Analysis of
    Self-Destruction marks our second release with an American artist. We are the first Canadian
    label to document this super unit, featuring multiple members of the almighty Man is the
    Bastard [M.I.T.B.], including Barnes, founding member of the Amps for Christ project. Bastard
    Noise come from California and for a long time were considered a side project of the legendary
    sludgers Man is the Bastard. During the production of The Analysis of Self-Destruction things
    came to a halt for Man is the Bastard. The line up for the recording is main man Wood with
    participation from Barnes [Amps for Christ], Connell [M.I.T.B.] and Baker. The Analysis of
    Self-Destruction serves perfectly as the soundtrack for man&#8217;s destruction of the earth,
    with an orchestra of home spun instruments and loads of lo-fi electronics, field recordings and
    power electronics. Bastard Noise are in top form on this recording and the production is
    excellent. Throughout this six track odyssey they coax the sounds of animals and birds out of
    cheap electronics, fused with cascading washes of ambient noise to create imaginary rain
    forests. It also features voice samples and an absolutely terrifying use of seemingly inhuman
    vocals. Brotherhood - Execution Style features Bastard Noise at their smallest yet, with only
    Wood contributing to the track. An Obstacle to Murder bears a very strange resemblance to the
    dark minimal piano parts in the Eye&#8217;s Wide Shut soundtrack, but is perhaps the hidden gem
    on The Analysis of Self-Destruction. Repeated listening reveals a multitude of layers and
    previously unnoticed sounds. Bastard Noise have released material on quite a few different
    labels often splitting releases with other artists. They have only released a couple of full
    length releases thus far and have collaborated with the likes of Merzbow, Spastic Colon,
    Bizzare Uproar and Hermit. Exquisitely packaged in a shit brown card stock gatefold jacket,
    with the Man is the Bastard and Bastard Noise trademark skull logo printed in blood red
    foil.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_60" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_60/">
    <artist>Books on Tape</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/60_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Dinosaur Dinosaur</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 60</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Dinosaur Dinosaur is the latest release by Los Angeles based Books on Tape, Todd
    Drootin&#8217;s project dedicated to the style he terms &#8220;beatpunk.&#8221; The tag is
    definitely apt as Drootin has gained a reputation for fusing hip hop and electronic beats with
    the energy and mayhem of punk rock. Dinosaur Dinosaur further cements this style by
    incorporating more of the rock spirit of his animated live performances. This release comes in
    a standard jewel case with cover art by Nick Diamonds ofThe Unicorns.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_52" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_52/">
    <artist>Et Sans</artist>
    <artistdetail>St-Onge, Tellier-Craig</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/52_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Par noussss touss les trous de vos cr&#226;nes!</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 52</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_45" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_45/">
    <artist>Les Georges Leningrad</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/45_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Deux hot dogs moutarde chou</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 45</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>[Not available from this site; point to www.alien8recordings.com for further
    information.] Alien8 Recordings is excited to announce the re-issue of &#8220;Deux hot dogs
    moutarde chou&#8221; from Montr&#233;al&#8217;s most notorious post-punks, Les Georges
    Leningrad. Hailing from one of the most fertile scenes in North America of late, Les Georges
    Leningrad&#8217;s completely over-the-top stage show and totally unique sound has made them one
    of the city&#8217;s most beloved bands. Described on their press kit as a three-headed monster
    who perform &#8220;petrochemical rock,&#8221; Les Georges Leningrad have become one of
    Montr&#233;al&#8217;s most popular bands. They have also made a major impact in the United
    States following successful touring stints with the Le Tigre, Locust and Numbers. Recently they
    made their mark in the UK by landing a track on the &#8220;Rough Trade Shop: Post Punk&#8221;
    compilation on Mute alongside pioneers ESG, 23 Skidoo, DNA, Gang of Four, The Fall, the Pop
    Group and hipster newcomers the Rapture, Erase Errata and Chicks on Speed&#8212;an incredible
    feat for a band with a self-released LP and CD with minimal distribution outside of Canada. Our
    edition of &#8220;Deux hot dogs moutarde chou&#8221; has been re-mastered and re-packaged. Also
    exclusive to this release is the addition of a bonus track not included on the original
    release. The sound captured by this band is an indescribable mix of demented
    electro-noise-post-punk backed up with their own invented language. Plans are already in the
    works for their follow-up that will be available exclusively on Alien8 Recordings in the fall
    of 2004. Also expect to see Les Georges Leningrad on another Rough Trade comp entitled
    &#8220;Counter Culture 2003&#8221; plus covering a Birthday Party song on a forthcoming Three
    One G compilation. Les Georges Leningrad will be touring France and the UK during the month of
    April, including a stop at the prestigious Domino festival in Belgium. They will return in May
    to perform a month&#8217;s worth of shows throughout the United States with Trans
    Am.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_49" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_49/">
    <artist>Les Georges Leningrad</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/49_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Black Eskimo</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 49</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Les Georges Leningrad&#8217;s sophomore album is without a doubt catchier than
    their debut release, boasting a number of potential hits. Black Eskimo mixes elements of
    post-punk and noisy improv to deliver a completely unique hybrid. Now operating as a trio, they
    are leaner and more dangerous than ever. On this album, Poney, Bobo and Mingo present Black
    Eskimo with disconcerting homage of rare and sadistic music resonating from the purebred
    lineage of petrochemical rock.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_03" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_03/">
    <artist>Keiji Haino</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/03_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>So, Black is Myself</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 03</catno>
    <year>1997</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_27" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_27/">
    <artist>Keiji Haino</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/27_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Abandon all words at a stroke so that prayer can come spilling out</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 27</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>2xCD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>We are very pleased to announce two new recordings by Keiji Haino, focusing on
    hurdy-gurdy and wave drum. Continuing in the vein of our previous release with Haino (the 66
    minute drone So, Black is Myself ) this double CD remains very dark and very ambient for the
    most part. Each disc features one long piece using one of the two different instruments and
    each is individually titled. The main title as well as the individual track titles perhaps give
    the best insight into the mind of this enigmatic performer and the message he is trying to
    convey. Keiji Haino is easily one of the most exciting live performers of our time, exuding a
    passion and an intensity rarely matched. He has become well-known as a solo artist, most often
    working with guitar and vocals, as well as the ring leader of the psychedelic power trio
    Fushitsusha, not to mention countless other offshoots with the likes of Derek Bailey, Boris,
    Peter Brotzmann, and Loren MazzaCane Connors. The two discs come off like the soundtracks to
    dark rituals; both are incredibly spiritually heavy. The emotion most often displayed here is
    very dark and sad; a period of mourning occasionally interrupted with moments of rage. Disc One
    [hurdy-gurdy] 47:13: Whereto can I cast away this fragrant echo called The End, so that I may
    summon an awakening from the other side? This solo piece for hurdy-gurdy is an absolute gem. It
    is among the most gentle and beautiful pieces of work we have been graced with by His Darkness.
    At times comparable with elements of the Affection recording that came out PSF in the early
    nineties and like disc two recalls the work of Nijiumu, another project of Haino. Of course
    comparisons can also be made with Haino&#8217;s two previous efforts for hurdy-gurdy. Mind you,
    this one is far more subtle than the previous two and includes lots of vocals. At times
    Haino&#8217;s softer vocals remind one of some of Arvo Part&#8217;s compositions. Disc Two
    [wave drum] 44:18: I have decided to tear you to pieces Whether you become darkness or light
    depends on you I wonder, which shall you choose? This disc starts off really quiet with
    metallic resonation, slices of treated voice fragments and loops of feedback. It continues with
    rattling and bursts of vocal shrieks, with periods of absolute silence shattered by jarring
    belches of sound. It then settles down to some percussion and dark chanting. The outcome is
    very similar to Haino&#8217;s quiet project, Nijiumu. Haino uses the wave drum to generate
    electronic drones, which are quite unusual sounding for him, and layers them with vocals. The
    level of intensity is constantly fluctuating, occasionally becoming quite intense. What works
    most effectively however, are the stretches of electronic drone that are guaranteed to stick
    out in anyone&#8217;s Keiji Haino collection. This is certainly one of Keiji Haino&#8217;s most
    psychedelic sounding solo releases, at times reminiscent of early works by Amon Duul&#8217;s
    Psychedelic Underground and Experimante recordings and at times it recalls some of the work by
    pioneering psychedelic ensembles from Japan such as Kawabata Mokoto&#8217;s Acid Mothers
    Temple, East Bionic Symphonia and Taj Mahal Travellers. This double CD is exquisitely packaged
    in beautiful black card stock gatefold jacket with purple and silver metallic ink
    artwork.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_59" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_59/">
    <artist>Glen Hall, William Hooker, Lee Ranaldo</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/59_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Oasis of Whispers</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 59</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>A journey in free improv performed by a trio comprised of Lee Ranaldo (Sonic
    Youth) on guitar, audio collages and effects, free jazz legend William Hooker on drums, and
    multi-instrumentalist Glen Hall on tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, piccolo, bass flute, bass
    clarinet, and percussion. The set was performed live at the Tralfamadore in Buffalo, NY in
    September of 2001 and represents the first recorded document by this formidable
    unit.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_47" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_47/">
    <artist>Tim Hecker</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/47_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Mirages</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 47</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Tim Hecker&#8217;s Mirages is the follow-up and succession to the critically
    acclaimed Radio Amor (2003) and his somewhat more sentimental Haunt Me (2001). Mirages further
    erodes the vapid predispositions of electronic music, uncovering a terrain where dissonance and
    melody coincide in a near-bohemian unison. Hecker has indeed developed a unique approach to
    music in an increasingly overcrowded and generic field. This is a challenging work, which
    reconciles a highly experimental approach to song craft that is at once beautiful and
    unnerving.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_66" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_66/">
    <artist>Tim Hecker</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/66_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Radio Amor</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 66</catno>
    <year>2007</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Originally released on Mille Plateaux in 2002, and out of print for two years now,
    Radio Amor is a key release in Hecker&#8217;s discography, bridging his output between our
    Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do It Again (2001) and My Love is Rotten to the Core (2002) releases and
    2004&#8217;s Mirages.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_09" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_09/">
    <artist>Kengo Iuchi, MSBR</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/09_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>One</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 09</catno>
    <year>1998</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>We are finally releasing our long spoken of collaboration between Tokyo&#8217;s
    Koji Tano, AKA M.S.B.R., and Kengo Iuchi. The release features three live duets nested between
    a solo studio track from each artist. Tano&#8217;s Molten Salt Breeder Reactor opens the disc
    with the epic Psychic Blue. Excellent harsh noise with strong influences of musique
    concr&#232;te and electro-acoustic. The great production on this 22 minute track makes it so
    powerful that it is frightening at times. Kengo Iuchi&#8217;s style is the polar opposite to
    that of M.S.B.R. He describes it as death folk. It incorporates maniacal guitar clanging and
    insane banter in a style comparable to elements of Keiji Haino or Diamanda Galas in their most
    demanding moments. During the collaborative work M.S.B.R. lays low providing spacy electronics
    with streaks of noise between the insane banter of Kengo Iuchi.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_23" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_23/">
    <artist>Tomas Jirku</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/23_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Variants</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 23</catno>
    <year>2000</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
    <description>We are very pleased to introduce Tomas Jirku, a fantastic newcomer to the IDM and
    minimal techno movements. Jirku&#8217;s sound is an excellent and really fresh approach to the
    minimal techno genre. At times it seems highly influenced by the Cologne scene, with very slow
    throbbing minimal dub and plenty of electronic glitches, scratches, noises and echoes.
    It&#8217;s also reminiscent of material from the Chain Reaction label, only far more enjoyable
    for people who find that imprint&#8217;s style too housey much of the time. Jirku works solely
    with computers, giving him a very rich and modern sound, with a lot of punch. We discovered
    Jirku via MP3 label, Notype (www.notype.com), and were lucky enough to be passed one of only 20
    copies of his CDR release, Immaterial. The Immaterial MP3s were generating so much attention,
    that even Spin mentioned notice of Jirku and the Notype site. After Immaterial, Jirku started
    experimenting with pieces he called &#8220;variants&#8221;. As he would complete new pieces, or
    rather, new variants, he would upload them to the Notype web site. Throughout this process,
    Jirku created 59 compositions at a furious pace and just as quickly deleted them, making it
    difficult for people to keep up with the project. Each &#8220;variant&#8221; within a
    &#8220;group&#8221; is a remake/restructuring/refinement of those that preceded it, while the
    first piece in each group is a new idea all together. Jirku undertook the project to expose his
    creative process. We approached Tomas about the idea of releasing some of his work and he came
    up with the idea of reworking his favourite results from the Variants research. At times
    Variants is reminiscent of Pole, with dense production and dub-like beats, but the end result
    is not nearly as dubby as that overly hyped German act. Imagine if Mego artists started doing
    minimal techno and then you&#8217;re beginning to get the idea. Jirku&#8217;s work is all the
    more enjoyable for his restraint: he doesn&#8217;t over-work his tracks, or feel the need to
    keep adding extra sounds to them. Rather, he manages to construct really solid bouncy bass
    backgrounds, that are very rich in sound. The minimal nature of the recordings are what really
    makes Variants interesting on a more experimental electronics level, with beats that are really
    catchy and current. Variants is recommended for fans of SND, David Kristian, Pole, Porter
    Ricks, Senking, and Vladislav Delay. The Variants launch marked Tomas Jirku&#8217;s
    Montr&#233;al debut, when he performed live withThomas Brinkmann and Triple R at the very hip
    Mutek festival which took place in Montr&#233;al June 7 through the 11.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_55" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_55/">
    <artist>Kiss Me Deadly</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/55_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Amoureux cosmiques</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 55</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_57" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_57/">
    <artist>Kiss Me Deadly</artist>
    <title>Misty Medley</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 57</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Kiss Me Deadly is a Montr&#233;al-based quartet that has progressed from an early
    Dischord influenced emo/math-rock sound to an epic, deeply melodic, danceable style of music.
    Their sophomore effort, &#8220;Misty Medley,&#8221; is brimming with intoxicating pop songs
    that blend the anthemic power of indie rock with dance music. Kiss Me Deadly consists of Emily
    Elizabeth on vocals and guitar, Adam Poulin on guitar, vocals and programming, Mathieu du
    Montier on bass and vocals, Erik Petersen on drums and Sophie Trudeau on violin. This year saw
    the release of the tour-only EP &#8220;Amoureux cosmiques&#8221; and the band has just
    completed a well-received American tour with UK sensations Bloc Party. The release of their new
    full length will be sure to fuel the escalating buzz surrounding this talented young
    band.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_12" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_12/">
    <artist>Knurl</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/12_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Torus</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 12</catno>
    <year>1998</year>
    <format>
      <code>CDR</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_05" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_05/">
    <artist>David Kristian</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/05_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Cricklewood</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 05</catno>
    <year>1997</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_15" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_15/">
    <artist>David Kristian</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/15_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Woodworking</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 15</catno>
    <year>1999</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_16" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_16/">
    <artist>David Kristian</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/16_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Beneath the Valley of the Modulars</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 16</catno>
    <year>1999</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_19" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_19/">
    <artist>David Kristian</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/19_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Room Tone</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 19</catno>
    <year>1999</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_28" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_28/">
    <artist>David Kristian, Sam Shalabi, Alexandre St-Onge</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/28_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Kristian, Shalabi, St-Onge</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 28</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Alien8 Recordings is releasing the studio recordings from the trio of David
    Kristian on EMS VCS-3 synthesizer, Sam Shalabi on guitar and oud, and Alexandre St-Onge on
    upright bass. The material on this recording was recorded at David Kristian&#8217;s Mermaid
    Room during the winter 1998-99. Alien8 Recordings has released 4 full-length CDs with David
    Kristian (Cricklewood, Woodworking: Cricklewood Remixes, Beneath the Valley of the Modulars,
    and Room Tone) and a split CD with Sian. Sam Shalabi is a member of both Molasses and Shalabi
    Effect, as well as close to a dozen other projects. He is hands down Montr&#233;al&#8217;s
    busiest improviser. Following this trio release, Sam&#8217;s main project, Shalabi Effect will
    release the follow up to their very successful debut double CD. Alexandre St-Onge is also a
    member of Shalabi Effect and he appeared on Fly Pan Am&#8217;s first record. He has also
    released a solo CD for Alien8 Recordings entitled Image/N&#233;gation and a second solo release
    for Switzerland&#8217;s Namskeio label. The sound of these three musicians is a mixture of
    electronics with bowed bass and prepared guitar and oud. The results are quite impressive. Many
    may consider it unlikely that such a combination of instruments could successfully blend into
    something interesting and enjoyable. However, a precedent may have been set by projects like
    Otomo Yoshihide&#8217;s I.S.O. and his Cathode release, not to mention a number of Europeans
    who are blending electronics with their free jazz and avant-garde music, to an extent not yet
    seen here in North America. The trio presents a rather unique sound and the instruments blend
    beautifully together. At times it is reminiscent of Euro improvisers such as Polweschel [2]; a
    gentler Konk Pack or AMM come to mind. On pieces like Dirt Well, Building a Rope and My Name is
    Lemuel, Kristian keeps the electronics quite sparse and in the mix, with Alexandre St-Onge
    providing much of the track&#8217;s texture by bowing his upright bass, and at times Sam is
    doing the same on oud and guitar. The Heart of a Mouse features Kristian using a lot of sounds
    similar to those found on his Alien8 debut, Cricklewood, a tribute to Louis and Bebe
    Barron&#8217;s soundtrack for the sci-fi classic, The Forbidden Planet. Another track that
    really stands out in terms of its shape is Insistent Falls; Kristian is playing with repetitive
    sounds that swell in and out of the piece every 20-30 seconds, with Sam and Alex layering the
    track with oud and bass drones. This track really boasts how well this trio actually performs
    and listens to each other. The sounds Kristian is employing are not far off from what you would
    expect to hear on records by Mika Vainio or Ryoji Ikeda. The trio performed in the winter of
    1998 opening up for Loren MazzaCane Connors and godspeed you black emperor! at the hotel2tango
    and again there in late spring with Martin T&#233;treault and Monstre. The trio surprised many
    people, sounding like they had lots of experience performing together, when in fact they had
    performed live on only two occasions. The only problem with this project live was the lack of
    silence available in live situations; this was one of driving forces that sent these guys into
    the studio. We will try and persuade this trio to do another live show to celebrate this
    release, but all of the members have become incredibly busy in other projects and in
    Kristian&#8217;s case, working as a sound designer.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_51" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_51/">
    <artist>Lesbians on Ecstasy</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/51_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Lesbians on Ecstasy</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 51</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>LOE hijack the back catalogue of popular lesbian anthems, dragging them kicking
    and screaming out of the folk festivals and onto the drugged up revelry of the dance floor.
    They pillage shamelessly from the likes of Tracy Chapman and Melissa Etheridge, juxtaposing
    them against Tribe8 or Team Dresch, not forgetting the lesbian standards of the Indigo Girls
    and others. LOE don&#8217;t sample these artists, but cheekily reference their themes and
    lyrics, creating booty shaking dance hits that maintain the politically infused edge of these
    Sapphic songstresses.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_56" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_56/">
    <artist>Lesbians on Ecstasy</artist>
    <title>Giggles on the Dark: The Remixes</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 56</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>LP</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Announcing &#8220;Giggles in the Dark&#8221; - the Lesbians On Ecstasy (LOC) remix
    album. After a year of touring in North America and Europe in support of the debut self-titled
    album, Lesbians On Ecstasy, this vinyl-only release of remixes is guaranteed to keep the party
    raging. Featuring tracks by le tigre, Tracy and the Plastics, Scream Club, Sean Kosa, 1-Speed
    Bike, Katastrophe, DJ A&#239;, Jody Bleyle and Kids On TV.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_20" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_20/">
    <artist>Francisco L&#243;pez</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/20_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Untitled #104</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 20</catno>
    <year>2000</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Alien8 Recordings has undertaken a return to the extreme with an explosive new
    offering from Spain&#8217;s Francisco L&#243;pez. Finally, a studio recording that captures the
    awesome power of his live performances, without the requirement a massive pa. Generally
    speaking Francisco L&#243;pez falls into the school of sound being referred to as silent or
    quiet music. In fact up until this point L&#243;pez could go head to head with the likes of
    Bernhard G&#252;nter for the crown of silence. Both artists participate in a genre that
    requires plenty of attention, ear phones and absolute silence in order to make sense of the
    nearly inaudible soundscapes. To the untrained ear many of their recordings wouldn&#8217;t even
    register. We can assure you that this is not the case with untitled #104. This release has more
    resemblance to our releases by Masonna and Merzbow, not in terms of sound, but power. Untitled
    #104 was premiered in Barcelona this past summer at the hip Sonar event to a completely stunned
    audience. Onlookers that were expecting to have to strain themselves to hear L&#243;pez&#8217;s
    ultra silent environmental collages were shocked by what turned out to be the most intense
    performance of the festival. His releases rarely indicate which particular sound sources are
    being used. He is very open about the fact that he is often working with the sounds of insects,
    rain, wind and industrial spaces etc., but rarely reveals what sources are being used on which
    recordings. In fact the artist feels strongly about the idea of sound itself being the only
    thing of real importance within his work. During his live performances, L&#243;pez demands that
    all lights are turned off and blindfolds are then passed out to members of the audience. The
    outcome of the performance is an unforgettable listening experience. Keeping with the idea held
    by L&#243;pez that the less the listener knows the better, we have decided to not blow the
    surprise. Untitled #104 features a similar approach to many of his recorded works, although he
    is using a radically different sound source, not comparable with any of his previous efforts.
    Francisco has the very same opinions about artwork and packaging for his music. He would prefer
    to have his music released with absolutely no artwork, other than the essential information
    found on the cd itself. Respecting the vision of this incredible artist we have packaged
    Untitled #104 in a slim jewel case, with no artwork.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_31" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_31/">
    <artist>Francisco L&#243;pez</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/31_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Untitled #123</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 31</catno>
    <year>2002</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Announcing our second and latest release with Madrid, Spain&#8217;s Francisco
    L&#243;pez. &#8220;Untitled #123&#8221; follows the very successful &#8220;Untitled
    #104&#8221;, his death metal release, which appeared on Alien8 Recordings just over a year ago.
    While &#8220;Untitled #123&#8221; is devoid of any connection to metal, it has the same power
    and intense climaxes found in &#8220;Untitled #104&#8221; and in Lopez&#8217;s live
    performances. This latest outing by Spain&#8217;s most prolific experimental artist was
    prepared with sounds recorded in Grain Silo #5, in Montr&#233;al, Quebec. Last year the
    experimental duo known as [the user] began the Silophone project, transforming an abandoned
    grain silo into a gigantic instrument. The project ran for a year and artists from around the
    world were invited to Montr&#233;al to use the instrument. Participants included Aube, Carsten
    Nicolai, Martin Tetreault, [the user], Jaap Blonk and many others. Without question the
    year&#8217;s highlight was the live performance by Francisco Lopez that took place in an
    abandoned foundry with telephone links to the Silophone. &#8220;Untitled #123&#8221; is not
    simply a recording of Lopez&#8217;s live performance using the Silophone; the piece uses source
    material that was harvested in Silo #5 and then further developed at the Centre Cr&#233;ation
    Musicale Iannis Xenakis in Paris, France. &#8220;Untitled #123&#8221; starts off with a minute
    of silence, forcing the listener to pay close attention, like on many of Lopez&#8217;
    recordings. Incredibly subtle changes and fluctuations in volume and body begin to take place.
    The piece begins to display the Silophone sounds more clearly at the 10-minute mark, dark
    metallic resonation that feels strangely gothic. This continues until sharp piercing slices of
    mechanical sounds cut in an out of the piece every few seconds (imagine being subjected to
    giant blasts of machinery). This continues until the 19-minute mark where all audible sounds
    dissolve and all that is left is some of the most demanding low-end ambiance one is likely to
    experience. Later, sounds begin to take shape again and if you were not aware of the sound
    source you would swear this was the soundtrack to a very dark and frightening place. At the
    43-minute mark, with the power constantly mounting your heart pounding, trembling with fear,
    you wonder what lies ahead. You imagine being in absolute darkness and something incredibly
    loud, a mechanical drone is approaching and you have absolutely no idea of what it could be.
    Finally after an incredible 14-minute climax the piece falls into near silence. For the next 8
    minutes the piece continues with just a murmur of sound deep below the surface, is it really
    that low? Are your ears just not picking up sound due to what has just transpired? The end
    result is an incredibly unique listening experience that bears many of the qualities of the
    stunning concerts of Francisco Lopez. As far as we are concerned Francisco Lopez is the
    reigning king of what is being marketed as lowercase sound and we are incredibly delighted to
    be documenting another one of his glorious achievements. Packaged as one might expect at this
    point, slimline jewel case with next to no artwork. There is a photo of the Silo where the
    sounds were originally harvested accompanying &#8220;Untitled #123&#8221;.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_35" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_35/">
    <artist>Francisco L&#243;pez</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/35_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Addy en el pa&#237;s de las frutas y los chunches</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 35</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>At this point an introduction hardly seems necessary. Madrid, Spain&#8217;s
    Francisco L&#243;pez has developed his art over the last 20 some years to the point that he is
    rarely met or challenged. Much of this due to his ever-burgeoning collection of incredible
    releases on labels all over the world as well as a relentless schedule of concert, festival
    appearances and collaborations. We have already presented two separate releases by L&#243;pez
    in his on-going series of untitled recordings: &#8220;untitled #104&#8221;, the death metal
    release, and &#8220;untitled #123&#8221;. We are very pleased to be able to announce the
    availability of the artist&#8217;s most astonishing recorded work yet! &#8220;Addy en el
    pa&#237;s de las frutas y los chunches&#8221; was originally released in an edition of 500
    copies on the ND label in 1997. This release is most comparable to efforts that centered more
    on the environmental aspects of artist&#8217;s work and is somewhat comparable to releases such
    as &#8220;La Selva&#8221; and &#8220;Untitled Music for Geography&#8221;.
    &#8220;Addy&#8230;&#8221; was the first American release by L&#243;pez and to this day remains
    the artist&#8217;s favorite release. The sound world created and captured by Francisco
    L&#243;pez on this recording is absolutely incredible, a beautifully horrifying listening
    experience. This could very possibly be one of the most important ambient records of the last
    10 years and truly reinvents the concept of field recordings. Without a doubt, this could
    easily serve as some of the most effective soundtrack music ever. This recording transcends
    mundane aural experiences. The listener will recognize many sounds but will have never quite
    heard them like this. It is environmental music without even the slightest influence of New
    Age. Far from it, this is much more in the area of massive drone music or even at times dark
    ambient. It should also be an important release for fans of electro-acoustic music. It is
    astonishing how many sounds are perceivable and coming from every direction. Listening to this
    in the dark would probably prove to be too mind bending for many people. As you know by now,
    Alien8 Recordings greatly admires the work and vision of Francisco L&#243;pez. Having already
    released two previous recordings and having presented five live events, we couldn&#8217;t be
    happier than the prospect of re-issuing one the artist&#8217;s most substantial recorded
    offerings. We have reworked the packaging with the input of L&#243;pez and are pleased to that
    the reissue will be one of the few L&#243;pez release to feature full-colour
    artwork.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_54" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_54/">
    <artist>Francisco L&#243;pez</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/54_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Live in Montr&#233;al</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 54</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>This live offering marks our fourth release with Madrid, Spain&#8217;s Francisco
    L&#243;pez in as many years. Over the same period we have organized nearly a dozen live events
    with the artist. This release documents an especially memorable performance from 2002. While it
    may be a little difficult to relive the evening, this recording, packaged with a blindfold will
    allow one to come as close as possible to actually having attended this event.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_07" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_07/">
    <artist>Masonna</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/07_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Frequency LSD</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 07</catno>
    <year>1998</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Maso Yamazaki a.k.a. Masonna is undoubtedly the most over the top player in the
    field of extreme noise. He has been dominating the Japanese underground since 1987 with his
    barbaric mix of vocals and noise. The results on Frequency L.S.D. are incomparable to other
    noise makers, due to Maso&#8217;s obsession with Sixties and Seventies pyschedelia. Only in the
    last couple of years has Masonna come to prominence here in North America. Much of this
    attention is due to the success of Inner Mind Mystique on Release/Relapse. At the same time
    Beck, Sonic Youth and most recently Faust have all hand picked Masonna to open for their
    Japanese appearances. Frequency L.S.D. is highlighted by tripped out tonal works intertwined
    within its overall chaos, giving it a much different feel than past efforts. This recording
    features 14 ear wrenching tracks and is beautifully packaged in a limited edition special
    packaging (5 1/4&#8221; by 7 1/4&#8221;). &#8220;Frequency L.S.D. is the best Masonna CD ever,
    and one of the top five noise albums of all time.&#8221; - Matt Kaufmann, Exile
    Osaka.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_11" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_11/">
    <artist>Loren MazzaCane Connors</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/11_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>In Twilight</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 11</catno>
    <year>1998</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Like many of the artists we have been working with here at Alien8 Recordings,
    Loren MazzaCane Connors is a rather prolific musician. Over the last twenty or so years this
    gifted guitar player has been documented, upwards of 40 recordings. While he has always
    maintained a rather regular profile, it seems lately he is quite possibly at the apex of his
    career. In Twilight is made up of two parts. In Twilight Part One features Connors solo,
    recorded live in Olympia, Washington. The opening track begins with indecipherable silence,
    eventually building both texture and volume, occasionally swelling up revealing beautiful
    guitar chords. In Twilight Part Two displays the work of the recent pairing of LMC and bass
    player Matthew Heyner of the No Neck Blues Band. The duo formed under the suggestion of
    Thurston Moore and the results were recorded live at the Cooler in New York City 9/21/98. While
    this track hovers over the same ground as the previous one, the bass really adds quite a lot in
    terms of texture and nuance to give it a very different feel. The first half of the cd gives
    further exploration into very quiet area&#8217;s of Connors sound, reminiscent of the sparser
    moments of Evangeline and The Bridge. Throughout In Twilight, Loren MazzaCane Connors works
    with very subtle sounds and showcases his great ability to allow resonance and distortion to
    take shape. Listening to this recording, especially part two, comparisons could be drawn to
    Keiji Haino&#8217;s psychedelic trio Fushitsusha Considering that the two have already released
    two collaborations, this may come as no surprise. In Twilight is handsomely packaged in a jewel
    case with textured card stock paper with silver ink.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_50" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_50/">
    <artist>Mecha Fixes Clocks</artist>
    <artistdetail>C&#244;t&#233;</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/50_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Orbiting With Screwdrivers</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 50</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_36" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_36/">
    <artist>Daniel Menche</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/36_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Beautiful Blood</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 36</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Daniel Menche is one of the most exciting experimental music artists currently
    active in North American. His live performances and numerous recordings have earned him a
    growing following around the world. Recently Menche came out of a two year hiatus to resurface
    with some of his best work, both live and recorded, including his recent releases Face of
    Vehemence and October&#8217;s Larynx, and now the much anticipated Beautiful Blood. A
    collaboration between Alien8 Recordings and Daniel Menche has been in the works for years and
    we are finally able to present one of the artist&#8217;s most accomplished recordings,
    Beautiful Blood. The sound on this recording is what one might expect?insanely powerful drone
    based music composed of the richly layered sounds of different instruments and field
    recordings, allowing the listener to pick up on new sounds and subtleties with every listen.
    This is incredibly unusual music that takes influence from both ambient and noise circles and
    blends the two to fantastic results. The final product is a very unique style of drone music
    that has incredibly rich and powerful sound. This work can be compared to works and stylistic
    approaches taken by the likes of Francisco Lopez, Phil Niblock and Hermann Nitsch, in terms of
    their use of layering massive drones to create portions of their work. Early on in his career
    Menche developed a reputation for creating a different type of noise that relies more on the
    human body than various types of electronic instruments. While issuing countless CD and vinyl
    releases on labels such as Trente Oiseaux, Soliel Moon, Tesco, Ant Zen and Touch, Menche
    constantly gained more and more control over his art. More recent efforts such as the Crawling
    Towards the Sun CDEP (Soleilmoon) and October&#8217;s Larynx (Alluvial) have focused on the
    more ambient aspects of his work. It is only &#8216;Beautiful Blood&#8217; that truly manages
    to capture the power and beauty of both the more ambient elements as well as some of the most
    brutally powerful moments to surface from Menche thus far.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_01" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_01/">
    <artist>Merzbow</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/01_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Akasha Gulva</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 01</catno>
    <year>1996</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Masami Akita, possibly Japan&#8217;s most respected and prolific extreme artist,
    delivers his debut release for both Alien8 Recordings and Canada. Akasha Gulva was recorded
    live in Tokyo on June 29, 1996. The seventy minute-plus piece is relentless and without pause.
    Akasha Gulva demonstrates many of Merzbow&#8217;s trademark techniques in creating extreme
    soundscapes. This recording marks the premiere release for Alien8 Recordings and is limited to
    1000 copies.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_04" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_04/">
    <artist>Merzbow</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/04_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Space Metalizer</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 04</catno>
    <year>1997</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_10" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_10/">
    <artist>Merzbow</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/10_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Aqua Necromancer</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 10</catno>
    <year>1998</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_17" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_17/">
    <artist>Merzbow</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/17_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Door Open at 8 am</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 17</catno>
    <year>1999</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_38" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_38/">
    <artist>Merzbow</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/38_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Animal Magnetism</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 38</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>After an extended period of four years since our last release by the artist,
    Alien8 Recordings is pleased to announce a new recording from Masami Akita&#8217;s Merzbow. No
    musician has so completely ruled a genre for as long as Merzbow has and Animal Magnetism is
    another gem in the discography of this incredible artist. Alien8 Recordings came to life with
    our first release, Akasha Gulva, by Merzbow and to this day it remains one the artist&#8217;s
    most brutal affairs. But Merzbow has never been happy merely himself. Rather than continuing to
    try to test the limits of how harsh his followers are willing to go, he has changed gears and
    now works with more subtle qualities of sound. In some respects the music of Merzbow has taken
    on more of an electroacoustic angle, playing with the spatial aspects of sound. While
    comparisons can be drawn to the electronic and tape music works of Iannis Xenakis, the work
    remains incredibly catchy and is full of tricks and turns that keep the music invigorating. On
    Animal Magnetism Akita blends his passion for guitars and more rhythmic elements of progressive
    rock, metal and his love for animals, even bringing to life the sounds of his very own pet
    chickens to mind bending results. It is truly incredible when the chickens appear amidst dense
    layers of ambient noise and actually add the percussive elements to the piece. Aside from the
    title track, pieces like Super Sheep continue with the animal theme and add a sense of humor to
    the music. While a lot of people have criticized Akita for not changing his sound and style,
    this charge is completely false. Over the last decade, since moving away from his custom-made
    instruments and concentrating much more on laptop as his main instrument, Akita has come up
    with some of his best recordings. At this point Alien8 Recordings can be fully trusted with
    regard to our Merzbow releases as our back catalogue with the artist speaks for itself. Many
    critics have cited both Aqua Necromancer and Door Open at 8am as among his very best material.
    This marks our fifth release with Merzbow and will certainly not be our last. We are also very
    pleased to offer this release in our beautiful custom designed gatefold packaging, featuring
    artwork of the chickens that appear on the record.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_25" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_25/">
    <artist>Christof Migone</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/25_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Quieting</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 25</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>&#8220;In 1996 I recorded the cannon that is fired every day at noon in Halifax,
    Nova Scotia, all pieces here are based on that recording or inspired by the shock of the
    shot.&#8221;Christof Migone, 2001. Alien8 Recordings brings you the fourth solo recording from
    conceptual sound artist Christof Migone, presenting Quieting. Perhaps this is the recording
    people were expecting us to release from Francisco Lopez, incredibly minimal indeed. Quieting
    is a fine example of the artist&#8217;s ability to pay attention to minute detail. The record
    runs just over 40 minutes and features 18 different tracks that play in and out of each other
    in a similar vein to Ryoji Ikeda&#8217;s +/- cd. Sounds on the recording range from pulsing
    electro glitch popularized by the likes of Pan sonic, Rehberg &amp; Bauer and Migone&#8217;s
    own duo Undo with Alexandre St-Onge. It features field recordings and experimentation with
    periods of silence, reminiscent of projects by folks like Brandon LaBelle, Steve Roden, Achim
    Wollscheid and Tokyo&#8217;s WrK collective of Minoru Sato, Atsushi Tominaga and Toshiya
    Tsunoda. Christof Migone, currently residing in NYC, has been active in the sound art scene
    quite regularly for the last decade and generally operates out of Montr&#233;al, Quebec. Migone
    has released his previous solo full-length works with Avatar, ND and Squint Fucker Press.
    Christof Migone has performed at Experimental Intermedia, Khyber Arts Center, Resonance FM,
    Musique Fragile, KunstRadio, Radio-Canada, Ars Electronica, and has had installations exhibited
    at the Banff Center, Gallery 101, Studio Five Beekman, Art Lab, eyelevelgallery and the Forest
    City Gallery. He is the co-editor with Brandon LaBelle of the book and cd project Writing
    Aloud: The Sonics of Language (Errant Bodies Press, 2001). Quieting is packaged in beautifully
    in a digi-pack with very sharp minimal artwork, designed by Migone himself.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_46" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_46/">
    <artist>Molasses</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/46_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Trouble at Jinx Hotel</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 46</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>We are extremely pleased to announce the release of &#8220;Trouble at Jinx
    Hotel,&#8221; the fourth album from sprawling Montr&#233;al ensemble, Molasses. This inspired
    example of the group&#8217;s utterly original music displays the raw, world-weary voice of old
    Americana, the abandon of improvisation and experiment, the spiritually-charged atmosphere of
    church music, and the adventure of the avant-garde... all swirling around the musings of
    singer-songwriter Scott Chernoff, whose poetic confessionals have been compared to illustrious
    songwriters like Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Will Oldham. Molasses itself also gets
    many disparate comparisons, best illustrated by this line from the Boston Phoenix:
    &#8220;Sweepingly cinematic, cracked-dry arrangements take in everything from disembodied
    bowery guitar orgies to lonesome whistles &#8216;round the bend, tracing an unlikely path from
    Skip James to Sonic Youth.&#8221; But make no mistake: this is not music caught between worlds
    -- it is music made in a world of its own... ...Music for guitars, strings, banjo, oud,
    percussion, piano, organ, harmonium, singing saws and voice. Thirteen titles and ten tracks
    from some of North American underground music&#8217;s brightest lights, featuring members of
    the Shalabi Effect, set fire to flames, GY!BE, Codeine, Come, Boxhead Ensemble and the Bonnie
    Prince Billy band. &#8220;Trouble at Jinx Hotel&#8221; didn&#8217;t begin as a Molasses record
    so much as it evolved into one. Scott initially went alone into the studio at
    Montr&#233;al&#8217;s infamous Hotel2Tangoto record a handful of sparse guitar songs. Then,
    just to see what would happen, he invited fifteen Molasses musicians in to improvise
    arrangements around the loose compositions. The result was some of the most exciting and
    adventurous music this collective of friends has ever made. But there was also misadventure,
    strange and ugly circumstances that inspired Trouble&#8217;s name and which are all
    tragicomically recounted in the liner notes. &#8220;Trouble at Jinx Hotel&#8221; opens with the
    spine-chilling music of an Iraqi air-raid siren and ends 43 minutes later with &#8220;Songs
    From the Basement,&#8221; a dissonant finale whose lyrics refer to all the music which precedes
    it: songs of love and hate; songs of sorrow and hope; songs sacred and profane: There&#8217;s
    the choral protest of &#8220;La La La, Amerika,&#8221; sarcastically borrowing words from the
    inscription on the Statue of Liberty; the sultry and slow-creeping &#8220;Saint
    Christopher&#8217;s Blues,&#8221; awash in tremolo and violin; the strangely Middle Eastern
    &#8220;You Can&#8217;t Win,&#8221; written on the road to New York City in the wake of
    September 11, 2001; the mournful bowed-piano ballad, &#8220;No Love Lost&#8221;; and the
    quietly lovely little lullaby, &#8220;Lynn Canyon Wedding Song.&#8221; There&#8217;s also a
    ferocious version of the old blues &#8220;Trouble in Mind,&#8221; a massive, haunting rendition
    of the 1930s Kid Prince Moore gospel, &#8220;Sign of Judgment&#8221;; and &#8220;Miss
    Peach&#8217;s Pawnshop,&#8221; Scott&#8217;s eerily autobiographical adaptation of a prayer by
    acclaimed Canadian poet Hilary Peach. Cut among these songs are some stunning drone-driven
    outros and four instrumental interludes culled from field-recordings, found sounds and
    makeshift instruments. Molasses receives lavish praise from around the world for its music and
    for the exquisite hand-crafted packaging of its albums. Most recently, the esteemed French
    music and culture journal Les Inrockuptibles named their spectacular third album, A Slow Messe,
    among the fifteen best releases of 2003. Trouble is a stellar addition to Molasses&#8217; fine
    discography, well-deserving of new accolades. It is housed in a beautiful tea-green gate-fold
    sleeve featuring a hotel photograph by viola player David Michael Curry; inside is a
    startlingly intricate lyric sheet, hand-lettered by Scott in Tokyo, where he is temporarily
    living and recording new songs with Molasses co-vocalist Jennifer M&#233;nard.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_24" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_24/">
    <artist>Monstre</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/24_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Sucre 3</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 24</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Montr&#233;al boasts quite an exciting improvised/underground music scene these
    days, popularized by the likes of GYBE!, Shalabi Effect, Fly Pan Am, Martin T&#233;treault,
    David Kristian, Mitchell Akiyama, One-Speed Bike, Alexandre St-Onge and many others. Leading
    the second generation of experimenters we are very pleased to introduce Philippe Lambert, aka
    Monstre, with his debut full-length release, Sucre 3. Monstre is one of the most interesting
    live acts currently operating in the bustling local underground, with performances ranging from
    full-on noise assaults, to Balinese style jams, quirky electro-pop to psychedelic-style freak
    outs! The recording is constructed mainly with voice-based sounds, processed, looped, treated
    as well as various toy instruments, primitive drum machines and samplers. We will refer to
    Monstre&#8217;s sound as &#8220;harsh pop&#8221;. In this respect it may remind some people of
    the beautiful music of Slap Happy Humphrey, a supergroup fronted by Alchemy/Hijokaiden&#8217;s
    Jojo Hiroshige. They released a record years ago on the Public Bath label that remains to this
    day one of finest mixtures of noise and pop. Monstre has a very interesting approach to
    music-making, not to mention a gift for creating incredibly catchy songs. Sucre 3 is certainly
    the most playful release to surface on Alien8 so far, but fits quite nicely with our output
    from the likes of Masonna, David Kristian and Shalabi Effect. It may seem like a stretch
    comparing Monstre to those three artists, but noise, psychedelic and techno are some of the
    main ingredients here. After all, we are talking about an artist who is making pop under
    influence of folks like Demetrio Stratos, vocalist of Italy&#8217;s 70s avant-garde group Area
    that also featured Walter Marchetti. Monstre is also influenced by the likes of Robert Ashley,
    Henri Chopin and more current sound artists as well. Comparisons can definitely be drawn to
    Boredoms main man Eye, with regard to the abstract style of Monstre&#8217;s methods of sound
    construction, and also to the later work from Richard D. James which experiments with voice.
    Tracks like Sugar Rainbow and Moonlove really evoke past memories of Aphex Twin and Boards of
    Canada despite the fact that you can&#8217;t really refer to what Monstre is doing as techno.
    There is also a perceptible influence of trance, Balinese and Kraut style movements on Sucre 3,
    but always remaining playful. Littlestars is an awesome vocal drone that is quite similar to
    masterpiece vocal drone between Eye and John Zorn, called Bad Hawkwind. Sucre 3 is handsomely
    packaged in a glossy digi-pack with full color artwork done by the artist himself as a
    child.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_58" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_58/">
    <artist>Nadja</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/58_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Truth Becomes Death</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 58</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Finally a full-fledged metal release on Alien8 Recordings. Alright, perhaps
    that&#8217;s a bit of an exaggeration but the music of Nadja comes pretty damn close. Nadja is
    an ambient doom metal monster fronted by multi-talented Toronto musician and writer Aidan
    Baker. Formed in 2003 as a solo project, it has since been augmented by bassist Leah Buckareff.
    The music of Nadja will certainly be name-checked with current rulers of the genre Sunn(O)))
    and with good reason. Having said this, Nadja is different than the bulk of bands operating in
    the outsider metal movement these days as they employ a much heavier use of ambient aesthetics
    and influences that help forge their sound.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_30" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_30/">
    <artist>Set Fire to Flames</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/30_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Sings Reign Rebuilder</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 30</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
    <description>set fire to flames are a collective of thirteen musicians from the musical
    community of Montr&#233;al. Brooding and beautiful, haunted and haunting, sings reign rebuilder
    is so stunningly / lovingly played and skillfully assembled, infused throughout with a massive
    sense of slow-burning tension and periods of weighty, rousing release. Initially the idea was
    to gather a group of folks together in a members Montr&#233;al apartment and record as much as
    they could over a five day period. As set fire to flames explains, &#8220;...[we wanted] to
    conduct the whole five day recording session like a series of experiments--- to get lost in the
    sound as it was actually happening---to make the whole recording an exploded intense event---to
    push tolerance levels and limitations with a group of people sonically---to become
    shut-ins---to operate on no sleep/confinement/ intoxication---some of us were interested in
    seeing what would actually happen if we attempted to record improvised drones and textures
    under those conditions---and what impact that might have on yr. head---how
    individual/collective tension would play out---and what the end result would sound like---so a
    lot of experimentation with tolerance, repetition and duration---drones...&#8221; &#8220;And so
    these set fire to flames recordings happened---we piled all of the gear into the first floor
    (kitchen/living room) of this old, falling down apartment in Montr&#233;al (the place has a
    crazy history to it...built in 1878...used to be a 10&#162; shoe shine parlour and a brothel in
    the forties)--- the control/mixing room was in a bedroom on the second floor (up a rickety
    wooden staircase)---you can hear the house all over the recording---(the staircase/ groaning
    floorboards/creaking chairs/traffic and police cars outside/men coming out of the mosque
    downstairs)--- all of these sounds became an important part of the final recording...&#8221;
    &#8220;Five days of continuous recording netted us roughly twelve hours of raw sound---all of
    it was hacked apart and later rebuilt---and the final document of that five day period (which
    was magic and the fucking house was levitating.....) now makes up &#8216;sings reign
    rebuilder&#8217;---the record is about 60% improvised and 40% composed---the five-day recording
    stint turned into something more than originally intended---it wasn&#8217;t just thirteen
    people droning aimlessly to infinity---things worked out somehow and we got lucky...&#8221;
    Packaged in beautiful full-colour gate-fold heavy paper jacket, including a 24 page booklet.
    Available as a single compact disc or a double vinyl. This title is being released by Alien8
    Recordings for the territory of North America only. A new label by the folks at Fat Cat will
    release the CD and vinyl for Europe and the UK. P-Vine will release the CD for
    Japan.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_39" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_39/">
    <artist>Set Fire to Flames</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/39_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Telegraphs in Negative / Mouths Trapped in Static</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 39</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>2xCD</code>
      <price>28.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Following the critical success of set fire to flames&#8217; 2001 album,
    &#8216;sings reign rebuilder&#8217;, the 13-piece Montr&#233;al-based collective return with an
    eagerly anticipated follow-up. Forming a double album, &#8216;telegraphs in negative / mouths
    trapped in static&#8217; is a haunted, intense and highly diverse collection of material.
    Continuously shifting off at tangents, its slow sprawl creeps from heartbreaking guitar
    melodies to sparse string compositions; concrete flickerings and modified machine-crunch to
    tranced-out kraut-ish rhythm-pieces; cyclical minimalism to awe-filled drone-spaces;
    free-flowing improvised skitter and spark to raw location / life recordings. Beautifully played
    and composed, and far more than merely a follow-up, &#8216;telegraphs...&#8217; sees set fire
    to flames pushing beyond the gains made on that previous effort and forging an increasingly
    autonomous space for the group. Once again, the album was founded in a situation of
    self-imposed isolation, with the band operating both individually and communally in states of
    little or no sleep, in varying levels of intoxication, and in physical confinement. Where the
    previous album was recorded within the band&#8217;s home, a creaking, rickety, semi-collapsing
    19th century building (whose atmosphere seeps deeply, palpably throughout the release), the
    recordings for &#8216;telegraphs...&#8217; again took place within the confines and strongly
    influential character of a specifically chosen environment. Having located a huge,
    cathedral-like barn at an old, abandoned farm in rural Ontario, the band rented and hauled a
    mammoth twenty-four track machine and a cube truck full of gear out to this desolate site and
    set up to record. Audible throughout the album are the building&#8217;s creaking doors and
    timber frames, the clanking of chains, birdsong outside, the shuffle of feet and the movement
    of bodies. The recording process is honestly rooted in the recording location itself -
    accepting and openly admitting the sounds of life around, rather than eliminating this element
    and disappearing entirely into the abstract &#8216;perfection&#8217; of the mixing desk. This
    foregrounding of architecture and willingly experimental approach to recording is a wholly
    integral part of the band&#8217;s mode of existence, and leaks heavily back through their
    music. To some members, settling on the barn as a single location was actually a compromise.
    Originally they had intended to rent a couple of generators, build a mobile recording studio
    inside a van, and then drive from Montr&#233;al to the Pacific Ocean - along the way looking
    for interesting pieces of abandoned/isolated architecture (derelict drive-in movie palaces /
    barns / silos / factories / gas stations / etc.) within which to record - attempting to draw
    out their ghosts / histories; allowing the different sonic characteristics of each space to
    dictate what or how they played. This idea of leaving things to chance, of journeying cross
    country in a cramped van as a magnet for strange occurrences was eventually rejected and
    discarded as a blueprint for disaster. In compromise, they eventually settled on a single
    location - the collapsing barn - and in July 2002 spent five days playing, improvising, and
    recording there. Some additional recordings occurred back at 15 Ontario (the aforementioned
    house that played host to the recordings on &#8216;sings...&#8217;), before the following month
    was spent mixing down the twelve hours of sound they&#8217;d accrued. Finally, this material
    was obsessively pored over, hacked apart, reduced and rebuilt via computer in the same isolated
    shack on Vancouver island in which &#8216;sings reign rebuilder&#8217; was eventually compiled.
    Whilst most of these recordings were born of extended periods of group improvisations, some
    were the results of calculated compositions, and others the product of roughly drawn charts.
    Again, the alchemical attempt to reach into different states, to communicate together and zone
    into some kind of collective magic through intensely-focussed continual playing was sought.
    Beyond a previously-stated interest in the duration-experiments of 1960s New York
    experimentalists like Tony Conrad and La Monte Young, set fire to flames reach back to past
    ancestors like Harry Partch (the self-built or modified instruments; the autodidactic,
    wandering spirit), Harry Smith (the importance of documenting/archiving a time and place), the
    minimalists, Gyorgi Ligeti, and to a present conceptual connection with groups like AMM, Jackie
    O Motherfucker, or the Boxhead Ensemble. &#8216;telegraphs...&#8217; utilisies a wide range of
    instruments - guitars, electric bass, double bass, strings, horns, glockenspiel, marimba, bass
    clarinet, drums and other percussion, saw, cymbalon, hurdy gurdy, music boxes, audio fishing
    tapes, modified electronics, and contact microphones. Whilst the product of an equally intense
    and gruellingly-focused recording process, the results of &#8216;telegraphs...&#8217; are
    undeniably sparser and more tempered than before, allotting far more space and time for the
    music to work its magic, evolving slowly and revealing itself over time as a beautiful, richly
    varied and stunningly played series of pieces. There is a deeper studio sorcery at work here,
    and more tape manipulation / composition this time around. Drifting between a beautifully
    radiant, elevated drone-shimmer and a totally tactile, dirt-grained grounding in location, the
    album is perhaps even scarier / more abrasive than its predecessor, and confirms set fire to
    flames as one of the most adventurous, skilled and ambitiously creative groups of their
    generation.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_29" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_29/">
    <artist>Sam Shalabi</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/29_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>On Hashish</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 29</catno>
    <year>2001</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Sam Shalabi is the most active player in Montr&#233;al&#8217;s blossoming improv
    scene. Over the last couple of years has been documented on releases by Shalabi Effect,
    Detention, Molasses and A Silver Mt. Zion. In the next six months Alien8 Recordings will also
    be releasing the follow up effort by Shalabi Effect as well as the third cd by Klaxon Gueule,
    which features guest appearances by Christof Migone and Sam Shalabi. Sam Shalabi has played or
    collaborated with the likes of Evan Parker, Alexandre St-Onge, David Kristian, Tim Berne,
    Charles Papasof and Frank Gratkowski among others. On Hashish is dedicated to German historian
    Walter Benjamin and highlights Shalabi&#8217;s compositional skills. Here he has enlisted the
    help of a dozen musicians from the local scene, recorded them at the Hotel 2 Tango, then
    spliced and diced their playing and shaped it into his own compositions. We are very proud to
    be the first label to document the vision and beauty of one of Montr&#233;al&#8217;s most
    exciting improvisers. The recording is broken up into three sections; one very long piece at 27
    minutes and two others averaging 7 minutes each. The sound here is comparable in some respects
    to the sounds of legendary euro-improv super group AMM. The first track is long piece that
    weaves piano, bowed bass, flutes, percussion, distorted voice samples and other sounds. The
    peace moves along quite smoothly until the eleven minute mark, when the piece takes a
    psychedelic twist, due to the bizarre tape splicing of flutes. Following the flutes unusual
    voice samples burp in and out of the track until quieting down at the eighteen minute mark
    after which the piece then slowly comes to an incredible finish. The sound on this recording is
    based largely in the free jazz or free improv tradition and also incorporates a very strong use
    of space and silence. The second track is a much shorter piece at 5:41, a chaotic symphony of
    sorts that brings to mind some of Hermann Nitsch&#8217;s orchestral aktions. The third and
    final track weaves field recordings of various forms of static with sparse piano. The piece
    gently glides with increasing static type distortion before dissolving just under the
    eight-minute mark. The following people played on the record: Thierry Amar (GYBE!, Molasses),
    Serge Boisvert, Jacques Gravel, Corinna Hagel, Bryan Highbloom, Norslola Johnson (GYBE!,
    Molasses), Anni Lawrence, Kate Lawrence (Molasses), Gabriel Levine (Sackeville), Sean
    &#8220;Fluffy&#8221; McDonald (Molasses), Delphine Measroch, Samuel Roy-Bois, Alexandre St-Onge
    (solo, Shalabi Effect). Packaged beautifully in Alien8 beautiful custom gate-fold
    packaging.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_37" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_37/">
    <artist>Sam Shalabi</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/37_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Osama</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 37</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>We are very pleased to present Osama, Sam Shalabi&#8217;s &#8220;protest music
    about arabophobia in a Post 9-11 World&#8221;. Sam Shalabi is the hardest working person to
    emerge from Montr&#233;al&#8217;s vibrant music scene, appearing in over a dozen projects
    including Shalabi Effect, Molasses, Detention, and a trio with David Kristian and Alexandre
    St-Onge, among others. Musically, Osama takes quite a leap from the territories occupied by
    Shalabi&#8217;s last solo outing, On Hashish, which comprised field recordings, tape music and
    improv sewn together to fantastic results. Osama features contributions from over thirty
    Montr&#233;al musicians and takes a straight-ahead hard rock, psyche and pop approach, but
    still utilizes many improv and experimental techniques. Osama opens with &#8216;The
    Wherewithall&#8217;, a track that mixes elements of hard progressive rock with mysterious
    vocals and then breaks into spoken word segments that include references to such things as rare
    guitars and Keiji Haino, among others. &#8216;Der El-Bahri from the Air&#8217; features one of
    Shalabi&#8217;s other projects, Poseidon Council, taking the lead on this incredible
    psychedelic pop piece. It features vocalist Billy Mavreas sounding quite a bit like solo-era
    Syd Barrett and some incredible guitar soloing, as well as cat sounds. The recording&#8217;s
    closing and golden moment is the incredibly beautiful seventeen minute epic, Guantanamo Bay,
    which begins with an eerie similarity to Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips. Once again the
    blissful pop elements fade and dissolve into layers of sound. This track builds into an
    incredible crescendo driven by static, brushes, crackles, noise and the distant sound of
    muffled epic soundtrack music. Here are some thougths that Sam wrote down about his new record:
    This album was started, in earnest, as &#8216;Protest Music&#8217; about arabophobia in a
    &#8216;Post 9-11 World&#8217;. I wanted it to be auto-biographical (my given name is Osama) and
    somewhat clear in its intended dissent. After about six months of working with these goals in
    mind, things turned ugly... The whole notion of &#8216;artistic dissent&#8217; felt like a very
    slippery form of self-aggrandizement. I began to think about how this all &#8216;fit
    into&#8217; both marginal and mainstream culture. Why was I doing it? Who was it for? What was
    it supposed to do? And, what does it mean to say &#8216;I&#8217; or &#8216;We&#8217; in this
    context? The fact that over one year later very few of our &#8216;artists of dissent&#8217; had
    anything to say, in their own work, about what was and is happening, darkened the mood of the
    album. After September 11, 2001 it really seemed like there was a semantical Crisis Point - an
    actual, little opening, the kind that &#8216;artists of dissent&#8217; spend their lives
    dreaming about, and very few of them (and us) dared or cared enough to step through it. It was
    another year and the same song... So, when I started to work on the album again my original
    &#8216;themes&#8217; had turned ugly, frustrated and absurd. All of this was filtered through
    my own personal experiences (or vice-versa, maybe). Then, Voila! The album &#8216;pretty
    much&#8217; finished itself... My friend Adam Frank&#8217;s description of the album as being
    about &#8220;the shit that doesn&#8217;t say or do anything ? that has no meaning&#8221; is
    very apt. All I can say is that the album was done under a cloud of anger, joy, sadness and an
    involuntary absurdity. I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s cynical. I didn&#8217;t feel cynical when
    I was putting it together. I tried to make it an index, to let these voices (no matter how
    cryptic) speak for themselves. Beyond that, I don&#8217;t think the album &#8216;means&#8217;
    anything, there&#8217;s no univocal message to it. It was a response to a difficult year and,
    as such, has no intellectual, political or artistic agenda. Hopefully, it &#8216;says
    something&#8217; though; about &#8216;arabophobia in a Post 9-11 World&#8217; in an inormative,
    entertaining and rockin&#8217; kind of way. - Sam Shalabi</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_22" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_22/">
    <artist>Shalabi Effect</artist>
    <artistdetail>Eizlini, Seck, Shalabi, St-Onge</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/22_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Shalabi Effect</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 22</catno>
    <year>2000</year>
    <format>
      <code>2xCD</code>
      <price>28.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Originally slated for release as the flip side of a split cd/lp with godspeed you
    black emperor! entitled Aural Florida, this release just kept growing and growing. Now finally
    finished and ready to go, the Shalabi Effect present their debut with a staggering 131 minute
    psychedelic blow out! On this debut double CD somewhere in the vicinity of forty instruments
    have made their way onto the recordings. It is very difficult to describe Shalabi Effect,
    because the sound is varied and changing so frequently, but we can definitely trace influences
    of AMM, Organum, and Pink Floyd, and psychedelic music. In terms of Psych, we are talking about
    the brand perfected by the likes of Acid Mothers Temple, No Neck Blues Band and Ghost, as well
    as more pioneering projects such as Amon Duul, Popul Vuh and the Taj Mahal Travellers. Anthony
    Seck, Sam Shalabi, Alexandre St-Onge and Will Eizlini are joined by various guests, including
    members of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Strawberry, filling in on violin, vocals, Tibetan
    bowls and sax. Together they blend middle eastern influenced folk with spacey electronics and
    really beautiful trippy guitars. The overall experience is incredible; sounds and styles change
    drastically and seamlessly, bringing you to a new place with each new movement. Shalabi Effect
    went all out, spending nearly a month in the studio recordings and mastering on 1/2 tape to
    capture the warmth of the music. We thought they were kidding when they said they were setting
    out to create the ultimate drug record. Now we know that they were serious. The first of the
    two discs opens up with a beautiful display of early electronic drones, Muslimgauze styled
    tablas, Oud, guitar, scraped metal and bowed instruments. The sound is so incredibly rich and
    organic, you could swear this was recorded somewhere beautiful outdoors. Aside from the Shalabi
    Effect, Sam Shalabi either anchors or at least plays in the following projects: a trio with
    David Kristian and Alexandre St-Onge, and more... Shalabi&#8217;s free jazz duo Detention
    performed at this years Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville and he
    immediately returned to Montr&#233;al the following day to perform with Kevin Drumm and Pillow,
    as member of Molasses. Anthony is the other driving force in the project and is a film maker
    and video producer. Shalabi Effect are one of the most important projects in the Montr&#233;al
    underground for the sole reason that it is Sam Shalabi&#8217;s main project. During the last
    few years Alien8 Recordings have been setting up challenging evenings of live music at a loft
    space run by GYBE!, the Hotel 2 Tango, as well as at other spaces. During that time only David
    Kristian comes close to having played in as many live scenarios as Sam Shalabi. We have had
    Shalabi Effect perform with the likes of Aube, Kevin Drumm, Pillow, Fly Pan Am, Godspeed You
    Black Emperor!, Government Alpha, David Kristian, Sabir Mateen, Loren Mazzacane Connors,
    M.S.B.R., No Neck Blues Band, Pillow, Royal Trux and Martin T&#233;treault. Occasionally
    Shalabi will even book his own shows, including gigs with Tim Berne and Brandon Labelle. We are
    very happy to finally be able to share the music of the Shalabi Effect with people outside of
    the Montr&#233;al underground.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_32" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_32/">
    <artist>Shalabi Effect</artist>
    <artistdetail>Eizlini, Seck, Shalabi, St-Onge</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/32_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>The Trial of St-Orange</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 32</catno>
    <year>2002</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Following the success of Shalabi Effect&#8217;s staggering self-titled debut
    double CD, a 131-minute epic, we are excited to present their full-length follow up &#8220;The
    Trial of St-Orange&#8221;. Made up of six tracks and with a duration just shy of an hour, this
    disc continues in the exploration of Middle Eastern-influenced psychedelia. Between their two
    releases the band has become more radical in terms of their experimentation with different
    sounds, and this is clearly evident on this sophomore disc. Without a doubt Montr&#233;al
    boasts one of the most interesting and versatile music scenes currently operating in North
    America, comparable to that of Chicago and New York City. There are many concomitant factors:
    decent venues paying attention to the local scene, motivated promoters and people who actually
    bother to check out bands on a regular basis contribute to an incredibly vibrant underground
    scene. Usually the bulk of attention when speaking about Montr&#233;al focuses on godspeed you
    black emperor!, but not far behind you will find Shalabi Effect. This past year the band had an
    opportunity to play alongside the likes of John Zorn&#8217;s Bar Kokhba, Fantomas, Otomo
    Yoshihide&#8217;s Cathode and Francisco L&#243;pez among others at Canada&#8217;s most notable
    experimental festival, FIMAV, which takes place every spring in Victoriaville, Quebec. The band
    performed a 70-minute set, which could be best described as drug rock. They are constantly
    changing and no live performance ever resembles the last. At Victo, Shalabi Effect resembled
    Seattle&#8217;s metal drone masters Earth as much as their first recording. Shalabi Effect is
    made up of Sam Shalabi [Molasses, trio w/ David Kristian and St-Onge, Detention] on
    electronics, guitar, prepared guitar and oud, Anthony Seck on electronics, guitar and moog,
    Alexandre St-Onge [Et Sans, Undo] on electronics and upright bass and Will Eizlini on
    percussion. The sound on the &#8220;Trial of Saint-Orange&#8221; is incredibly rich in texture
    and boasts a very organic feel. This is psychedelic music done in a way that is incredibly rare
    these days; the band is more about creating lush texture than rocking out. A good comparison
    would be the more ethereal side of the Acid Mothers Temple, the La Novia recording in
    particular. There also seems to be influence drawn from the style of horror/drama soundtracks
    conducted by Ennio Morricone and much of the accompanying music to Argento&#8217;s more
    memorable films. This is most notable in the recording&#8217;s closing epic piece, which has a
    duration of over 20 minutes. &#8220;The trial of St-Orange&#8221; opens with the sounds of
    nature, birds, leaves rustling in the wind; even the sound of tree sap dripping into a bucket
    is layered in there somewhere. The third track, &#8220;Mr.Titz [The Revelator]&#8221;, may
    shock people as it enters the area of techno. The backbone of this track is an incredible loop
    of pulsing low-end bass constructed with a mini moog and a break-neck paced oud solo, joined by
    what can best be described as a drum&#8217;n&#8217; bass beat. As horrible as this may sound
    the results are really quite amazing. Shalabi Effect will be doing a European tour in support
    of this record and have already secured a date at the prestigious Taklos festival in
    Switzerland, where they will share the bill with the aforementioned GYBE. The band is also
    planning select dates throughout North America. &#8220;The Trial of Saint-Orange&#8221; is
    handsomely packaged in our custom gatefold packaging with beautiful psychedelic photographs by
    Guylaine B&#233;dard.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_42" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_42/">
    <artist>Shalabi Effect</artist>
    <artistdetail>Eizlini, Seck, Shalabi, St-Onge</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/42_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Pink Abyss</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 42</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Shalabi Effect refer their latest effort, Pink Abyss as their &#8220;pop
    record&#8221;&#8212; an apt description in comparison to their two previous releases. While
    Pink Abyss retains elements of those efforts, there is decidedly more emphasis placed on melody
    on this release, with more use of vocals and more prominence given to the guitar. Without a
    doubt, it is Shalabi Effect&#8217;s most rocking effort thus far, featuring impeccable
    musicianship and a brilliant and powerful recording quality that will blow away the
    band&#8217;s loyal following. Pink Abyss continues to solidify Alien8 Recordings&#8217; growing
    interest in the psychedelic milieu and fits rather well alongside label mates Acid Mothers
    Temple, Set Fire to Flames, Soft Canyon and Tanakh. Since the band&#8217;s inception back in
    1996, Shalabi Effect have become one of the pillars of Montr&#233;al&#8217;s free improv
    community and established a solid reputation in both the much-ballyhooed post rock and more
    recently-flourishing psychedelic scenes. The band has toured Europe twice and played select
    festivals and Canadian concerts. Over the last seven years Sam Shalabi has established himself
    as one Canada&#8217;s most important music artists, known for his talents on guitar, oud and
    various electronics. Alien8 Recordings has proudly documented his work both as a solo artist on
    2001&#8217;s On Hashish and this year&#8217;s Osama recordings and in a trio setting with
    electronic musician David Kristian and band mate Alexandre St-Onge on their eponymous recording
    from 2001. Shalabi was also a member of folk noir ensemble Molasses, with whom we have released
    three albums in conjunction with Fancy Records, and he has participated in many free jazz
    ensembles and made countless guest appearances. Alexandre St-Onge is also a highly regarded
    Montr&#233;al talent. With three solo recordings under his belt (one on Alien8 Recordings) and
    a fourth on the way, he is also a member of both the improv ensemble Klaxon Gueule and a
    project with Roger Tellier-Craig (Fly Pan Am, gy!be) called Et Sans. Anthony Seck is Shalabi
    Effect&#8217;s guitar player and much of the band&#8217;s more psychedelic side can be
    attributed to his often reverb-soaked guitar stylings. He is set to throw down with his first
    solo release early in 2004 on Toronto&#8217;s Arts and Crafts label. Will Eizlini plays tabla
    and various percussion for Shalabi Effect, and he is also a member of Land of Cush, a project
    that plays Eastern ensemble compositions by Sam Shalabi. Some highlights on Pink Abyss include
    Bright Guilty World (track 2), which features beautifully seductive vocal work of Elizabeth
    Anka Vajagic who will be releasing a long-awaited solo record on Constellation early next year.
    This piece moves along gently at a slow patter, with an unusual combination of cracked
    electronics, guitar and jazz-styled percussion giving it a very cinematic feel. The somber
    chanting on I Believe in Love (track 5) lends an deep eeriness to the piece, also bearing a
    certain resemblance to the outsider folk that is booming in the United States of late. Another
    absolute gem is the &#252;ber-poppy Blue Sunshine (track 4), featuring a beautiful guest
    appearance from Charles Spearin of Broken Social Scene and Do Make Say Think on trumpet. This
    track recalls the over-the-top sensibility that seems to have informed many seventies TV show
    theme songs or the hits of Burt Bacharach. The closing piece, The Kinder Surprise, has a very
    gentle, ambient feel and could blend in on a release from the Boards of Canada or Mogwai. Other
    guests on Pink Abyss include Sophie Trudeau (gy!be, set fire to flames, a silver mt. Zion),
    Genvieve Hiestek (Hanged Up, set fire to flames) and Gabriel Levine (Sackville). We have
    handsomely packaged this releases in our beautiful cardstock jacket equipped with photographs
    taken by various members of the group.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_61" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_61/">
    <artist>Shalabi Effect</artist>
    <artistdetail>Eizlini, Seck, Shalabi, St-Onge</artistdetail>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/61_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Unfortunately</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 61</catno>
    <year>2005</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>This fourth and latest offering from Shalabi Effect was recorded over three
    consecutive evenings during the band&#8217;s recent residency at the Montr&#233;al arts
    interculturels institute in Montr&#233;al, Quebec. The practice and performance sessions in
    front of a live audience resulted is a record that truly represents the band&#8217;s appetite
    for experimentation and their desire to keep things interesting for their loyal following as
    well as for themselves. Following last year&#8217;s critically acclaimed and more accessible
    &#8220;Pink Abyss,&#8221; some will see &#8220;Unfortunately&#8221; as a return to Shalabi
    Effect&#8217;s earlier sound and many will be happy to follow them on another journey into
    paths unknown.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_40" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_40/">
    <artist>Soft Canyon</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/40_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Broken Spirit, I Will Mend Your Wings</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 40</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Announcing Alien8 Recordings&#8217; latest signing and the first release from
    Montr&#233;al&#8217;s very own Soft Canyon, Broken Spirit, I Will Mend Your Wings. We are
    incredibly pleased to announce the beginning of this incredible band that has risen from the
    ashes of Tricky Woo. The band takes cues from across the music spectrum, but unlike many of the
    rock bands to achieve success recently, they shape their sound into something fresh and
    personal. Soft Canyon borrows heavily from the Laurel Canyon sound that spawned the likes of
    producer, arranger and musician Jack Nietzsche as well as absurdist popster Van Dyke Parks, not
    to mention the great influence it had on Arthur Lee&#8217;s Love and former Canadian Neil
    Young. This is most evident on the anthem style track Hope&#8217;s Great Divide, a track that
    is incredibly catchy and chock full of studio trickery that will have you thinking it must be
    one of those lost gems from the 70&#8217;s. Soft Canyon layers the sound of two or three
    guitars with keyboards with incredible depth in the vocal department and a drum sound that
    recalls the studio wizardry of Phil Spector. The band also blends heavy influences of Pink
    Floyd&#8217;s Atom Heart Mother era, with early Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers, but without
    falling into the trap of ripping off or rehashing the same old sounds. In this respect they are
    comparable to Royal Trux or Acid Mothers Temple in the sense that they are paying homage to
    their influences but still changing the face of rock at the same time. One listen to Broken
    Spirit&#8217;s epic track We Threw Our Love Into The Universe will have the listener traveling
    back in time recalling the glory days of prime-era Floyd. This track, through the use of
    incredibly powerful orchestration and unbelievably psychedelic flavored vocals, comes closest
    to matching that band&#8217;s undeniable live power. Soft Canyon blend in incredibly well with
    the more psychedelic side of Alien8 Recordings&#8217;s roster and would make excellent touring
    companions along side acts like Acid Mothers Temple, Shalabi Effect, Tanakh and newcomers The
    Unicorns. The recording is gorgeously housed in our custom glossy gatefold card stock jacket
    with beautiful artwork courtesy of Soft Canyon&#8217;s front person Andrew Dickson and his
    brother. Broken Spirit will also be released on the vinyl format with a beautiful printed
    insert. Much like many records from the glory days of rock&#8217;n&#8217;roll Soft Canyon elect
    to keep things brief, 11 tracks with no filler, that will keep the listener hungry and eagerly
    awaiting the next release.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_13" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_13/">
    <artist>Alexandre St-Onge</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/13_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Image/N&#233;gation</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 13</catno>
    <year>1999</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>out of print</availability>
    </format>
    <description>We are very pleased to announce the debut solo release from one of Canada&#8217;s
    most exciting free music/experimental artists, Alexandre St-Onge. The three track debut
    experiments with extremely subtle changes, with great importance being placed on the contrasts
    between noise and silence. Admirers of sound sculptors such as Bernhard Gunter, Alan Lamb and
    Francisco Lopez should enjoy this body of work. St-Onge&#8217;s debut can be compared to, or at
    least resembles in some respects some of Jim O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s electroacoustic outings,
    such as Terminal Pharmacy and others. At the same time it displays a very subtle ferocity,
    comparable to that of John Duncan, Daniel Menche, and the gentler side of Knurl.
    Image/N&#233;gation is a concept recording right down to it&#8217;s unusual packaging. It is
    packaged in a jewel case with a transparent acetate tray card and including a 4" piece of 1/8
    inch copper wire. The packaging was inspired in part by Table of the Elements&#8217; untitled
    release by Francisco Lopez. The idea of including an actual tangible object was that of the
    artist. This recording will be our first to focus on concrete music, the parallel universe to
    harsh noise. We are very pleased and equally confident to debut in this area of sound with
    Alexandre St-Onge. Also look for his contribution of bowed bass, as part of the Shalabi Effect,
    on the new upcoming split cd release with Constellation/Kranky&#8217;s Godspeed You Black
    Emperor! St-Onge has already recorded and performed with the likes of David Kristian, Martin
    T&#233;treault and Christof Migone and begins a tutelage with AMM&#8217;s Keith Rowe in Paris,
    this spring. Also, Klaxon Guelle, a free jazz trio featuring Alexandre St-Onge will perform
    this spring at the very prestigious Festival Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville, Quebec.
    Image/N&#233;gation opens with an epic track of incredibly dense mixture of rhythmic rumbles
    and various field recordings beautifully sewn together. An absolutely moving experience on
    headphones or very powerful sound systems. The remaining two tracks are less subtle in their
    sensory attack. Strong influences of electroacoustic and musique concrete intertwined with a
    positive use of noise, result in a very rewarding listening experience.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_33" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_33/">
    <artist>Tanakh</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/33_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Villa Claustrophobia</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 33</catno>
    <year>2002</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Introducing Tanakh, an incredible new project headed by Richmond, Virginia&#8217;s
    Jesse Poe. Tanakh is a layering of sound and structure that combines songwriting sensibilty and
    improvisational abstractions that are as thick and rich as they are minimalist. These two
    seemingly opposed forms fluidly combine to forge dark sweet lulling gypsy melodies dug from
    middle-eastern sands that have been knuckled across Appalachian washboards that shadow the city
    in which they live. Villa Claustrophobia marks the debut of this new project and features an
    all-star ensemble including Mick Turner (Dirty Three), Jessica Billey (Lofty Pillars), David
    Lowery (Cracker), Ned Oldham (Palace) and Nirmal Bajekal (Ravi Shankar&#8217;s band) amongst
    others. Between them they bring vocals, violin, viola, cello, bass, percussion, electric and
    acoustic guitars, flugel horn, trumpet, clarinet, and various ethnic and home made instruments
    to the recording. Villa Claustrophobia is undoubtedly the most accessible release to surface on
    Alien8 Recordings thus far. While not a pop record by any stretch of the imagination, most of
    the recording is made up of actual songs, which for the most part is new territory for us. Yet
    Tanakh&#8217;s debut certainly fits in quite nicely alongside our releases by set fire to
    flames and Shalabi Effect in the sense that it blends middle-eastern influenced improv
    alongside drone based composition and improvisation. It is an organic marriage between
    structured songwriting and free-floating improvisation beginning with Bajekal&#8217;s beautiful
    and ethereal Carnatic vocal stylings, which both open and close the recording, bringing a sense
    of both infinite circularity and completion to Villa Claustrophobia. They interweave the warp
    and weft of Indian folk upon western minimalism&#8217;s loom. Disappearing into free form
    abstractions that lead into the rich timbre of Poe&#8217;s voice, which starts lonely and low
    singing of real life human obsession, desire, and the shifting of power in relationships while
    Bajekal&#8217;s disembodied female vocals float, ebb over and under the course you are drifting
    drown. As the recording progresses Poe takes over the floating drone styled vocals. Gently
    Johnny stands as a great example of Poe&#8217;s vocal abilities, as well as his talent for
    creating simple but very full and rich arrangements. This track is an English folk song whose
    original lyrics had been censored and sterilized over the years. Poe brings the standard back
    to life unadulterated and newly empowered. As well as performing on others&#8217; recordings,
    such as Bonnevill (Pelican), Anomoanon (Monster), and Koester (Oh! Turpentine), to name a few,
    Poe has worked extensively in the recording studio as an engineer recording tracks for Pelt
    (Ayahuasca) and the Iditarod (The Ghost, the Elf, the Cat and the Angel), amongst others, and
    his skills in this area are very evident on this release. However, for the majority of this
    recording he gave up that control in order to benefit from the experience of Brian Paulson
    (Slint, Royal Trux, Beck) and John Morand (Labradford, Sparklehorse). This recording will also
    be available on both CD and LP. The LP will include a bonus CD of six songs, five of which are
    only available to those who purchase the LP. The sixth is from the Villa Claustrophobia
    recording, which due to space limitations on the LP format, was omitted on the Villa
    Claustrophobia LP but is included on the bonus CD.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_43" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_43/">
    <artist>Tanakh</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/43_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Dieu Deuil</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 43</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Tanakh&#8217;s newest record, Dieu Deuil, commands a nautical embrace of wet boots
    and November days filled with rain. It sings stories of loss, hope, and transcendence amidst
    the swirling cyclone of mundaneness. Dieu Deuil, which takes it name from the architecture of
    Daniel Libeskind, successfully integrates improvisation and song writing, and communicates an
    interior intimacy, which previously was only hinted at in the drifting exterior world of Villa
    Claustrophobia. Dieu Deuil is a small warm caf&#233; in the cavernous arcades of Villa
    Claustrophobia, where the air is moist with smoky teas and steam hoarfrosts the windows. Dieu
    Deuil maintains the outer-national feel of Villa Claustrophobia but focuses less on a pneumatic
    exotica and more on a rich interior journey that communicates the warmth of human touch and the
    frigid burn that such contact can leave when it is taken away. Dieu Deuil captures a particular
    gentleness of the 70s-era folk psychedelia inspired by the likes of John Martyn, Tim Buckley,
    Fairport Convention and Pentangle, both in it&#8217;s inventive orchestration and in it&#8217;s
    vocally charged delivery. Dieu Deuil begins with the unassuming lushness of November Tree,
    which moves in like a slow fog and as this fog lifts, the stripped down intensity of Exegesis
    is revealed, an absolutely incredible psychedelically charged song that through unbelievably
    passionate vocals achieves an amazingly intense impact while remaining soft and subtle. And so
    forth, the record takes its journey through the interior like a Basho Haiku, recalling points
    of reference from Villa Claustrophobia and then exploring entirely new ports of departure. One
    such point of reference to Villa Claustrophobia, both in its lush arrangements and physical
    obsessions, is the fecund rosary of a love song, Lady Eucharist, which follows well the wake of
    the ancient English folk song Gently Johnny, recorded on Villa Claustrophobia. And as the
    groves spiral inward to the closure of the record it ends in a tumultuously decadent
    self-destruction, Lock the Door When You Leave, that shows a snapshot of the entirety of the
    record Dieu Deuil in one song. Despite the project&#8217;s recent relocation to Florence,
    Italy, Tanakh is definitely still a major voice in the outsider folk movement that is currently
    flourishing in North America. They fit nicely alongside former collaborators and friends Pelt
    and Six Organs of Admittance, as well as a slew of other folk heroes staking their claim in the
    American Folk Renaissance, yet sharing many characteristic ties to their Montr&#233;al label
    mates, Molasses, Set Fire to Flames, Shalabi Effect and newcomer Harris Newman. With a clarity
    of sound and love of things beautiful and grandiose, Tanakh bring a unique voice to this
    movement that glides ever towards the dark lambency of the setting sun. Dieu Deuil is
    gorgeously packaged in our custom sleeve with an illustrated booklet. All artwork was created
    and designed by Chia-chi Charlie Chang.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_48" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_48/">
    <artist>Tanakh</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/48_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Tanakh</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 48</catno>
    <year>2004</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Our third release with American singer-songwriter Jesse Poe&#8217;s project Tanakh
    strays from structured songs and resides much more in the regions of the avant-garde. This
    double CD features more drone-oriented elements comparable to the debut Tanakh release, Villa
    Claustrophobia, and the collective ensembles of the Mile End music scene of Montr&#233;al. It
    is based around a unique hand-made instrument constructed from the salvaged ruble of a
    destroyed piano. This instrument resonates with a deep sonorous drone heard throughout the
    recording.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_63" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_63/">
    <artist>Tanakh</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/63_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Ardent Fevers</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 63</catno>
    <year>2006</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Tanakh&#8217;s fourth release finds Jesse Poe and company continuing to delve
    deeper into the world of psychedelic pop music. On Ardent Fevers the listener is treated to a
    beautiful array of lush compositions that capture the listener with memorable choruses and well
    thought-out orchestration. Over the last couple of years Tanakh leader Jesse Poe has been
    living in Florence, Italy, resulting in a temporary hiatus in the band&#8217;s touring
    schedule. Poe is now planning to return to his native U.S. soil this Spring, in order to play
    this year&#8217;s edition of the prestigious Terrastock festival which will take place in
    Providence, RI.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_65" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_65/">
    <artist>Think About Life</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/65_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Think About Life</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 65</catno>
    <year>2006</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <availability>not in catalogue</availability>
    </format>
    <description>Announcing the self-titled debut from Montr&#233;al&#8217;s Think About Life.
    Think About Life have been causing panic on dance floors and concert halls alike since the word
    began to spread quicker than avian flu following their first couple of shows. Think About Life
    bring the party like no other band currently operating in Montr&#233;al area and their debut
    consists largely of party anthems from start to finish.</description>
  </recording>
  <recording id="alien_41" href="http://www.electrocd.com/en/cat/alien_41/">
    <artist>The Unicorns</artist>
    <cover href="http://www.electrocd.com/res/couv.lrg/41_ALIEN.gif" />
    <title>Who Will Cut Our Hair When We&#8217;re Gone?</title>
    <catno>ALIEN 41</catno>
    <year>2003</year>
    <format>
      <code>CD</code>
      <price>25.00 CA$</price>
      <availability></availability>
    </format>
    <description>Get yourself ready and put your hands together for the &#8220;blow-up&#8221;
    sensation of the rest of your lives: The Unicorns, Alien8 Recordings&#8217; latest addition,
    have arrived to save you, to let you save them, and consequently make-up the face of modern
    music. Having blossomed in Montr&#233;al, Quebec, The Unicorns have packed their things and are
    heading to all the roads in all the world for an unforeseeable amount of time, backing up their
    reputation as being Canada&#8217;s most promising new band, and planet Earth&#8217;s next big
    thing. FACT: The Unicorns have a gift for blending a morbid sense of humour with irresistible
    pop melodies caked with beautiful vocals employing thoughtful, near-sacred lyrics. FACT: The
    Unicorns don&#8217;t push the envelope, these assholes sign, seal and deliver their work to the
    north, south, east and west, in limited edition holographic 3-D! Upon seeing this band live,
    it&#8217;s impossible to deny that there are supernatural forces at play. You&#8217;ll never
    know what you are in for &#8212; a performance (i.e. a puppet show, a homeless person hired to
    impersonate the band, bizarre costumes, a bloody fight between band members) or simply sweet
    boys delivering the sweet goods. But regardless of what shape their live performance takes on,
    it never fails to be deeply moving and highly entertaining. You will leave a believer.
    &#8220;Who Will Cut Our Hair When We&#8217;re Gone?&#8221; features thirteen tracks deeply
    rooted in careful songwriting and lo-fi pop experimentalism that scream &#8220;FRESH&#8221;,
    &#8220;INCOMPARABLE&#8221;, &#8220;AHEAD OF ITS TIME&#8221;, &#8220;HAUNTING&#8221;
    &#8220;CHARMING&#8221; &#8220;SEXY&#8221;, &#8220;FUNNY&#8221; and &#8220;FUCKING
    BRILLIANT&#8221;. The recording opens with &#8220;I Don&#8217;t Wanna Die,&#8221; a plea to the
    makers of the universe to &#8220;grant me one more breath&#8221;, setting the tone for the
    overall theme of the album. &#8216;Tuff Ghost&#8221; takes the intensity up a notch with The
    Unicorns&#8217; attempt to cash in on the disco punk sound. &#8220;Ghost Mountain&#8221; is a
    lyrical tale of colonialism blanketed in a taut metaphor of one journey to the top of a haunted
    mountain, boasting classic lines like &#8216;There was heat from the fire, but I still froze
    when I saw the ghost&#8217;. Completing the ghost trilogy, &#8220;Sea Ghost,&#8221; a pithy pop
    tune in the purest form, will stick with you for days, eating at your insides and turning your
    skin green, not unlike a parasite attached to your leg at the bottom of the ocean. In terms of
    sonorous diseases, &#8220;Jellybones&#8221; is maybe the most infectious pop tune on the
    record, ending too soon, but sticking around so long. Analog synthesizers never sounded this
    good. But suddenly, the smoking urgency of &#8220;The Clap&#8221; re-awakens the unsettling
    undercurrent of the album, in a wiry, unforgiving 1:25. The band&#8217;s sing-along
    Motown-inspired &#8220;I Was Born a Unicorn&#8221; serves as the band&#8217;s confrontational
    anthem, flatly asking: Are you a believer?. &#8220;Tuff Luff&#8221; will make Jay-Z wet his
    pants when he hears it! The song&#8217;s hook comes in the form of a penny whistle, but the
    impact remains in the wry critical observations of U.S.A. foreign policy. And then, just as
    you&#8217;ve embraced the Unicorns as your favourite band... it&#8217;s over, sharply abrupt
    and sad (like slipping off a cliff to one&#8217;s demise) with &#8220;Ready to Die&#8221;, a
    naive dirge, relenting to the unavoidable reality of mortality. Recently the Unicorns added a
    third permanent member on drums to fill out the group&#8217;s sound, which has proven to be a
    tremendous help in live situations. The trio completed a countrywide tour of Canada in August
    with label mates Soft Canyon. More plans for touring North America, and the World are in the
    works. The band has already shared the stage with Daniel Johnston, Cat Power, I am Spoonbender,
    Metric, the Microphones / Mt. Eerie, and the Walkmen. &#8220;Who Will Cut Our Hair When
    We&#8217;re Gone?&#8221; is housed in our custom gatefold package, featuring original artwork
    by Unicorn Nicholas Diamonds.</description>
  </recording>
</label>
