Ganser

Episode 166 - First Cow and Portland Protests for Racial Justice

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This week on the Talking to Ghosts podcast we talk about the 2020 Kelly Reichardt film First Cow (A24, written by previously featured guest Jon Raymond). We were supposed to see this film during the Portland International Film Festival, but it was shut down before we had the chance. Wes went to a rally in Portland to protest racial injustice and police violence and Michael watched some calming Vlogs.

In this episode we recommend: Ganser’s fantastic new album Just Look At That Sky; Voting! (and checking your voter registration); Joop Joop Creative; Buying stamps to support the US Post Office; and Beyond Press.

Talking to Ghosts is produced and recorded by Michael Kurt and Wes Mueller.

Direct Download.

Poltergeists: Week of November 28, 2016

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Michael

Weak Wrists - “Wither”

Weak Wrists is a combination of two of my favorite music genres, which has been accurately coined “emoviolence” (emo/screamo and powerviolence). “Wither” features some of the great elements bands like Oathbreaker and Fvnerals brought to my previous Poltergeists: powerfully chaotic sections, a break into more structured aggression, a wonderful breakdown with clean and mournful vocals, and a great chant at the end. The self-titled debut is a well-balanced mix of intense tracks like “Trail Stained” or “Leave,” which come in at 44 and 28 seconds respectively, and tracks that give the album atmosphere and space like “The Weight” or “In The Tangled Branches,” where time is set aside for the quiet and clean moments. It has a great impact on the album’s layout.     

Weak Wrists is an emoviolence band from North Carolina. Their self-titled debut is out now on their Bandcamp page digitally.

Chrysalide - “All Demons”

Chrysalide has been a perpetual source of influence and solace, especially in times like these. I recently went back and listened to Don’t Be Scared, It’s About Life and Personal Revolution back to back, which I highly recommend for anyone who has not heard these albums, or if it has been a while and you’ve forgotten what they sound like. “All Demons” was the first track that I heard from Personal Revolution (because the promo copy I received digitally from the PR company was in alphabetical order) and it was a jarring but compelling transition from the tracks on Don’t Be Scared, It’s About Life. There are trap and other modern electronic music elements mixed with a pointed and very personal message, which prevails throughout the entire album. I don’t think there has been an album, or band, that has more accurately echoed my own views or experience overall. Tracks like “It Gets in the Blood” and “I Had a Dream” are so personal and seemingly secretive testimonials. It is really something special and great.    

Chrysalide is a noise industrial project from France and all of their albums are the best, end of story. You can get their music directly from their label, Audiotrauma Records.

Wes

Nico Muhly, Nadia Sirota - “Viola Concerto Part. I”

Dipping into classical music can sometimes be a nice break from the musical realms I normally operate in. To that end, this release that I found through Bandcamp Daily exemplifies all the things I love about classical music that I find missing from much of the other music I listen to.

This concerto starts out so beautifully; the swells and pizzicato combine to build a feeling not dissimilar from waking up. Over the course of the song the dynamic range is quite broad - there are moments of relative quiet and calm that are interrupted by bombastic stanzas filled with horns and percussion. The song is a story told in its sounds, the way the violin moves, the way the bass swells. It is a fantastic reminder of the things that music can do.

Nico Muhly is a contemporary classical composer; Nadia Sirota is a viola player and member of Alarm Will Sound, a chamber orchestra from New York. Their collaboration, Keep In Touch, can be found on the Bedroom Community’s Bandcamp.

Ganser - “Strategies for Living”

On such a good release, it was hard to pick just one song to write about. “Strategies for Living” is a fantastic piece. Starting with chunky basses and chaotic guitars, the song has a feeling of unease - a feeling accented by the soft buzz and squelching in the background. That feeling of unease gives way to a more direct aggression as the song fully kicks in. The vocals float above the mix, pulling back on that aggression just a little bit, creating a mood that I can’t quite define. “Strategies for Living” is a good example of how This Feels Like Living differs from Ganser’s earlier Audrey; where Audrey felt a little more classic post-punk with chorused guitars and floaty pads, This Feels Like Living feels far more driven by its guitar work.

Ganser is a four-piece post-punk group out of Chicago. Their latest release, This Feels Like Living, is available on their Bandcamp.

Poltergeists: Week of March 7, 2016

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Poltergeists is a biweekly feature in which Michael and Wes share tracks that they have had on repeat over the past two weeks.

Michael

Downfall of Nur - “II - The Golden Age”

Downfall of Nur is an atmospheric black metal band from Argentina that bases its concept on Nuragic civilization and the folklore of Sardinia, which makes for some very interesting imagery. In sound, Downfall of Nur would fit very well with bands like Agalloch or Wolves in the Throne Room. There are passionate movements in “II - The Golden Age” that draw from the kind of folk metal roots that I often enjoy, with a lot of traditional folk instrumental sounds in the intro and breakdown of the song. I like that people making black metal are not afraid to explore these areas of sound because it is something that I have always linked stylistically. Neofolk and black metal are two of my favorite genres because they both play heavily on the slow, almost morose feeling of certain musical tones. Downfall of Nur is a great example of this. Antonio Sanna has a firm grasp on the way these songs tie together tonally and is someone who I will definitely be following in the future.

Myrkur - “Den Lille Piges Død”

After re-listening to our interview with Muscle & Marrow, I decided to give Myrkur another shot -  this was a project that I gave a brief listen to but clearly wasn’t in the right mood for. Myrkur has a unique black metal sound to me because it is so rooted in traditional elements but often includes her incredibly operatic singing. I fell into a bit of a rabbit hole with Myrkur last week and am continually impressed by not only the music that is put out under the name, but the artist herself. She is incredibly talented! “Den Lille Piges Død” is a stand-alone track that is, for me, perfect. It has all the elements that I need to get hooked. I have found that I really enjoy a song structure that goes from chaotic and fast paced to a plodding, nearly half-timed melody. It has such an emotional resonance. This song is a great example of this structure.

Wes

Ganser - “Audrey”

“Audrey” is exactly the sort of track I want from a post-punk/goth rock sort of band. I really enjoy the tone of the guitar, and how it’s backed up by those pads whirling away underneath. While some bands of this ilk tend to drown their vocals in reverb or chorus, Ganser opens it up, leaving the vocals drifting clearly through the track, much to their benefit. The little piano riffs help to punctuate the track nicely. Overall the track has a great sort of flow to it; it really makes you feel like you could get lost, swirling around in its rhythm.

Antoni Maiovvi - “My Moon”

For those of you not familiar with Antoni Maiovvi, you should definitely check out some of his other work, especially the 2012 Stockholm Syndrome EP. This track is a bit different from the more italo/giallo tracks I’m more familiar with from Maiovvi; it seems to pull a little more from a sort of goth pop sort of a feeling. The little guitar licks remind me vaguely of The xx, while the percussion feels more rooted in the sort of techno feel I’m a little more familiar with from Maiovvi. The vocals are delivered in almost a whisper, in a way the feels almost threatening. The threat feels heightened by the way the bass sort of slowly builds into the chorus of the track. Regardless of the semi-threatening tone, the pads, percussion and bass work wonderfully together in a way that makes me want to go find a dance floor.