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Mental Anguish - Red Eclipse CD

5/19/2019

24 Comments

 
Circa 1985 or so, if my memory is correct (definitely 1980's), one DJ Christophe Broqua solicited music from cassette culture artists, labels, individual artists. It didn't matter long as it was cassette and electronic. Tapes were of course sent to him for radio airplay on Radio Bordeaux for airplay and exposure in France. In return one got that and a printed playlist mailed to you.
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Tristan Koreya at La VAGH, early 90s
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Tristan Koreya at La VAGH, early 90s
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Let's move ahead. Christophe, now known as Tristan Koreya, same individual, broadcast cassettes, LP's etc. DJing in the 90's at La Vie Au Grand Hertz! 99.2 in France. He did the same thing with playlists, exposure etc. Playlists sent mostly via email now. A true champion of the underground and cassette culture is Tristan. A year or so ago Tristan sent me a email and asked me as a fan of my music would I be interested in releasing something on his label Nostalgie De La Boue. I agreed. The music had to be brand new and exclusive or unreleased no specific time frame but also exclusive to his label. I sent him a CDR of unreleased recordings choosing out of nine CDs I had mastered but never released. I have eight more mastered CDs of unreleased material that need a home if any label is interested being that I no longer run my old label Harsh Reality Music. I do still have and maintain all the releases on HRM. These masters were recorded from 2006 or so to 2010, all mastered as a release in 2010 -2011 from individual tracks. They are all electro and experimental and were recorded during the later part of my Tapegerm years. That's a story in itself. This brings us to the release itself.
Mental Anguish - Red Eclipse
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A 12 track CD of electro and experimental electronics
All unreleased material, recorded 2010-2011 at Harsh Reality Music.

Chris Phinney: synths, VSTs, sequencer, drum programs, loops, fx, guitars,
programming, mastering, etc.

A special thanks to Tapegerm for their technical support.

recorded using Audition, Mastered using T - Racks, VSTs controlled using
M-Audio's Oxygen 8 v2 25-key USB Midi Controller.

released May 17, 2019

​Here is a list of the tracks and a brief description below:
1 - Rotund Toad - A slice of strange electro with horns.
2 - Danger Humidity Cloak! - A blend of electro and experimental.
3 - Sucking The Oxygen Out Of The System - Pure electro with a bent twist.
4 - TG Day Impromptu Mix #1 - A track of experimental electronic improv played live on the internet thru my PC, software and internet provider at the time. It was broadcast all over the world on various channels and radio stations, using live streaming software with a IRC chat station so the other Tapegerm artists and other worldwide artists and listeners could shoot the breeze during performances and know exactly when to start their piece.
5 - TG Day Impromptu Mix # 2 - My second composition of the event all the same methods used as # 1.
6 - Every Good Boy Deserves Glitch - Dedicated to glitch. A strange mixture of experimental electronics.
7 - Another Day, Another Sin, That I'm Thankful For - A piece of pure electro, with a trace of trance maybe thrown in for good measure. Thanks to S.L.I.P.
8 - Walking Through The Walls - A lot of tribal African beats and samples with bits of electronics to add some flavor. Thanks to Rootsy Records.
9 - Head as a Hat, Now It's Your Turn - More electro with experimental electronics and samples.
10 - Long As She Can - A droney type experimental electronics piece with
samples thrown in for good measure and in a dark ambient mood throughout.
11 - Becoming Vitreous - A piece of experimental electronics and noise.
12 - Red Eclipse - Lots of guitar loops, with bits of ambient in the beginning
building to an electro-driven, guitar-driven piece with bits of trance interspersed.
Now this brings us to Tristan's net label Nostalgie De La Boue.
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All releases on this fine label are exclusive. Famous old cassette culture artists, others and newer artists working in the electronic field.
​I list a few here: Zoviet France, Mystery Hearsay, Big City Orchestra, Vox Populi, The Haters, M. Nomized, fellow EC'r Gen Ken Montgomery, Rafael Flores, and Hunting Lodge, just to name a few of the numerous artists who have tons of outstanding releases on this net label.
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But don't take my word for it, check it out yourself. The label is dedicated to well
established as well as lesser known and younger artists working in experimental and unconventional musics.
24 Comments
Rafael González
5/19/2019 12:59:50

I'm here! I will listen and read carefully!

Reply
Rafael González
5/19/2019 13:30:22

Enjoying! Good work, Chris!

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Chris Phinney
5/19/2019 20:23:46

Rafael so glad you enjoy the article & the music amigo!

Rafael González
5/21/2019 14:53:10

My big pleasure, Chris!

Ditlev Buster link
5/19/2019 16:56:59

Cool shit!
Makes me even more exited for working with you on our mailart project!
For most of you, everyone except Aimee and Adam, Penny and Leslie ,who don’t know, Chris and i started a band! He sends me microcassettes that i score on the piano! Leslie and i have a similar digital project too!

Reply
Chris Phinney
5/19/2019 20:25:57

Ditlev,

I think its going to be a very cool project!

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Phillip Klampe
5/19/2019 19:30:35

Nice work Chris! Cool sounds you have going. There is a lot of good music to check out at that label. I don't know if I trust my memory, but I thought there was a blog that went by that name sometime ago. Thanks for sharing.

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Chris Phinney
5/19/2019 20:28:34

Thanks Phil glad you are enjoying. Its a great label!
Not sure if there was ever a blog by that name?

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Jerry Kranitz
5/19/2019 20:08:21

Great stuff Chris. Tonight I’m having my first “official” listen! (nudge nudge wink wink.... 😉)

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Chris Phinney
5/19/2019 20:31:01

Glad you like Jerry! Official listen yes indeed lol nudge nudge wink wink back! :)

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Leslie Singer
5/19/2019 21:37:10

Chris, congrats on your latest album release—very cool!

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Chris Phinney
5/20/2019 06:43:24

Leslie, thanks & very glad you like it! :)

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CIII Goff
5/19/2019 22:59:25

Ooo... Some late Tapegerm era Phinney! What a treat. Lotsa beats in these pieces. And some fun vocal samplings too. I am particularly drawn to the bookends of this one -- the big Toad and the title track. Some fine playin' and mixin' here, Chris. I hope Nostalgie brings you some new fans. Great cover art too.

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Chris Phinney
5/20/2019 06:50:46

Charles, ha yeah never released to much personal shit went down then & durind seemed like forever, yes lots of beats, cool you are drawn to the bookends. Thanks for the comments on the playing & mixing. Glad you like. Yeah never now Nostalgie may bring some new isteners seems to have broyght a few. Glad you like cover art as well :)

I await L.A. Woman I know not in the plan but I know you can do it!

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Jeff Central
5/21/2019 09:02:46

Great stuff Chris!! I would definitely be down to releasing some or ALL of the unreleased material you have. I am in the midst of relaunching Exoteque Music (again) and this would make fine material I'm sure. Maybe a box of some sort. Knox Mitchell and I are already working on a box set of ALL known Undercurrent material. Let's talk dude and keep up the good work!!

Reply
Chris Phinney
5/22/2019 08:00:21

Jeff,

Glad you like !
Releasing some or all of those would be great if your up to it? They need a home & Since relaunching Exotique what better place than it. Be like the old days with the tapes. We need to talk via email or phone. A box of some sort would be cool. Lets discuss in email like said or phone I think we have each others #s if not we exchange via email. That is cool on Undercurrent damn not thought of dude in forever, we used to trade back in the day. We traded more bootlegs from our old bootleg lists like did with you, Das, Don, Doug. Yes lets talk, I dont output near as much new material as used to but I will defo keep up, time is my enemy lol :)

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Aimee Naworal
5/22/2019 00:49:32

This is pretty rad I also really like the Artwork! :)

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Chris Phinney
5/22/2019 08:02:30

Aimee, Glad you think so! Thats great, glad you like the artwork as well :)

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Thomas Park
5/22/2019 18:43:42

Chris, this stuff is a** kicking! Great job.

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Chris Phinney
5/22/2019 19:52:15

Thank you Thomas, glad you like it. Makes me think of our our mix remix days :) We did some good Stuff!

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P-A.H
5/22/2019 19:45:31

Great album, Phinney! I really enjoy it.

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Chris Phinney
5/22/2019 19:55:17

Thanks P- A - H so glad you like it. A fun one to do for sure.

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Penny
5/23/2019 03:13:31

Chris!!! Chris!!! Chris!!! Way wicked wonderful. U are very talented and rad. I love the art. There is so much to read here and listen to going to spend some time digesting your works.

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Chris Phinney
5/23/2019 10:53:54

Penny,

So glad you like the cd, art etc, thanks for your compliments but I am just me. :) I hope you enjoy digesting the music, reading & check out Tristans bad ass label! Thank you!

Reply



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    Chris Phinney

    I used to run Harsh Reality Music, started the label in 1982 releasing my own music in various groups. They were Mental Anguish, Pungent Odor who became The Skoptzies, Misfeasance, Macroglossia, RSVP which became Cancerous Growth, Viktimized Karcass, Planet Zero. 

    Anyway I started releasing tapes by artists that I liked. Over 350 tapes, some vinyl, CDs, CD-Rs, and videos on VHS. Also did distribution of some LPs. Did some writing for mags, some mail art, I did a lot of compilations as well.

    Helped run Tapegerm with Bryan Baker, Scott Carr & J Mundok, for 10 years or more, a collaborative site too intense to explain here.

    Had my own domain for HRM, shut down the label due to several reasons around 2006 if memory serves.

    You can see some of the releases on Hal’s site, the HRM section. Quit Tapegerm around 2010.

    Took a 5 year hiatus due to personal reasons but came out of it & did Mental Anguish - Frozen Lake & a few Phinney/McGee microcassette releases.

    I have collaborated extensively with Hal McGee, Carl Howard - Nomuzic, Mike Jackson, plus others Prescott, Jeff Central, Charlie Goff, John Hudak, Minóy, Alien Planetscapes, Lord Litter, Don Campau, Angwana which was with Al Margolis hence the name, Pat Grafik, Isaac Ersoff, & a CD-R with a PDF comic book by Matt Howarth released on his label!

    email
    Memphis, Tennessee, USA

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