Arkadelphia – Islands of Mind

The record is mastered by Brassica. Available in a limited run of 200 copies, the record features artwork screenprinted across the inner sleeve, and a 2-colour screenprinted card jacket, sewn edges and protected in a heavyweight PVC sleeve. Purchases of the vinyl also come with a free download code… Woodsmoke is the debut release from Glottalstop. Sourced almost entirely from a collection of tape recordings dating back 20 years, the two long-form tracks that make up this LP are an exercise in slowbuild tension, unsettling claustrophobia, and dense textural collage. This distorted tape assemblage is tied together with additional improvised cello and electronics, never standing still, but letting each sound explore its full potential before moving on. In terms of reference points, the record perhaps harks back to the early tape work of Arthur Lipsett, or more recent offerings from Daniel Menche and the unclassifiable output of Akira Rabelais. But really we’re struggling for comparisons. Woodsmoke, like the mysterious building depicted on the artwork, is out on its own, in the middle of the woods, and it’s getting dark…