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Alexander Tucker began as the vocalist in post-rock hardcore 5-piece ‘Unhome’ who released one album “A Short History of Houses” (Unlabel) and a split single with Papa M. Unhome split in late 1999 and Tucker went on to tour with Detroit space-rockers ‘Fuxa’. Simultaneously, Tucker had been developing his interest in improvisation using detuned guitars, tape loops, mini disc player and fx pedals. In early 2000 Tucker recorded a solo self-titled album of acoustic finger-picking, experimental electronics, field recordings and spooked vocals, which was picked up by Tom Greenwood of Jackie-O-Motherfucker and released under his U-Sound Archives label.

Brand new slab of avant weirdo sounds from Ali of Usurper. Slurping, sucking and squeaking insanity opens up this five track disc. As it progresses it may well just get more and more weird, pouring water, some sorta mic-ed up pipe actions, weird tinkerings of househeld objects, layered talking (at times saying that talking is a terrible idea – ‘why are you talking’). Ali’s work with Usurper and his solo work retains a great sense of humour, with the pure weirdness of what is going and lack or knowing what the hell is making half the bizarre sounds. Limited to 50.

Culled from hours of orchestrated tape loops, “Against a Backdrop of Blue Hills, They Were as Beautiful as a Lullaby” finds Jannick Schou circumnavigating the folds of a rich, effervescent landscape with monsoon-like drones, mountainous drifts, and suspended tones. Tape loops designed as torrential storms, evasive sounds peak from crevices, me sat transfixed in a half-conscious state, between wake and sleep, exploring the nether regions with a thousand yard stare. “Against a Backdrop of Blue Hills…” provides the canvas for a drifting stasis, wavering and dissolving amongst glimmers of thoughts; me, immobile, intent on the far reaches of the ether, a study of the minutia, the cataclysm of antimatter, an assured focus of the universe condensed in my writhing hands, my feet seemingly suspended above the floor, weightlessness, a “Departure”, fleeting tracks such as “Untitled II (For Tape) and “A Wave in My Backyard” allow distance from the body, now a separate entity; the mind is adrift. All extremities go numb in “Blue Hills”; the listener is left with an awareness of location but one’s surrounding are intangible—the closeness of the music develops even further; an overwhelming oneness ensues.

The CD features a fantastically detailed drawing from Bleeding Heart Narrative, folding out around the gatefold thick-card sleeve in a two colour print. All copies come with a 12-panel foldout insert, and the 200 limited copies also include an extra two-colour numbered screenprint, and are also hand-numbered and sewn together.

Bridge Carols is the meeting of two artists with unique timeless approaches to music. Neo-Americana folk singer Laura Gibson is gifted with a soft and singular voice (not unlike the voices of Josephine Foster and Joanna Newsom) and writes songs that could date back a century or foretell a future rural life. Electronician Ethan Rose is vested in antiquated instruments and technologies – a sonic recycler who, out of the old, has been creating a new form of ambient music.