News → 2003 → May

May 18, 2003

1. INTRO

it's been a while since we've announced new free downloads on this mailout, hasn't it? well, today is the day when the wait ends. 6, count them, six new albums which we hope will make you forgive us for our permanent slackitude. you know how it is, right? well, there's the goods. don't download them all at once!!

2. NEW RELEASES

Cal Crawford, David Turgeon, Jon Vaughn: Every so often or traces thereof. NT 072.
as you will peruse today's new releases, you will notice how some of them have taken some time before seeing the light of day. what you will also find out is that none of them got stale in the meantime. this one, for instance, sees three improvisers who thought they were completely different, until they got to play together at david's place sometime in june 2001. there is a link, but what is it? we think it's in the dynamics of the improvisation, made even further evident by cal crawford's ever adroit editing. Jon Vaughn (a saskatoon folk which you will hear more from in the near future) manages a chaotic web of electricity feedbacks on three no-input mixing boards, Cal Crawford (now a household name in the no type circuit, who will open for the mego showcase at this year's mutek) does his usual laminary cuts, & david turgeon (also known as Camp, & as the guy who started this label) adds up some bruitist backgrounds. minimalism & complexity in the same package?! you've got to hear it to believe it...

sine fiction (featuring Julie Rousse): Sine Fiction vol.IV) Foundation. NT 073.
a unique staple of the no type catalogue since 2000, the sine fiction series continues today with the debut no type release from montreal-based soundresse Julie Rousse. to recap: yes, sine fiction is a series of imaginary soundtracks to science-fiction books, so far releasing at the rate of one issue a year, but that might get faster in the near future, as sine fiction will move into its own, independent web space, outside of no type's astringent release schedule. those who have heard julie rousse on the famed The Freest of Radicals compilation know how meticulous this improcomposer is, & this new release is no exception. abstract, disquieting, & always oddly beautiful.

Kanovanik: Kanovanik. NT 074.
another album that's been waiting in the no type vaults for way too long is this lovable atmospheric release from virginia-based five-piece Kanovanik. yes, it's got drums, guitars & *ack!* female vocals. yes, it's tuneful, & it has lyrics & melodies. "so," the confused downloader asks, "what's it doing on no type?" well, it's good, & when something's good & wants to be heard, i can't really pass it up just because it's not electronic music or properly "experimental." hey guys, are we called Very Specific Type or are we called no type? on this debut release, kanovanik present 6 songs, 2 of them which are covers, respectively from the teddy bears (you might recognise it when you hear it, really!) & from neu!... let the melancholy loose for a cloudy late night walk with kanovanik. & don't forget your umbrella.

n.kra: Bits.pieces. NT 075.
at no type, we like short songs. for one, they are fast to download. & they are often a great way to experiment with sound, especially when one ventures into this vastly uncharted land that is digital electroacoustics, as is brooklyn-based approximate crafstman n.kra. using the simplest tools as his disposition, our own nicholas krapels goes the extra mile with 13, well, bits and pieces. what's interesting with n.kra's work is that it's always insanely varied. you never know where you will go from one (piece) to the next (bit), which adds a lot of attraction to this already fairly wild exploration.

Click Tracy: Warren Beatty. NT 076.
todd drootin is everywhere, & he makes music like he breathes. which, perhaps surprisingly, doesn't translate into him making the same song over & over, although his highly singular signature sound should be well recognised by now. not content to make music under his famous {?[not_found]:bio@books on tape$titre} moniker, todd invents new ones, such as this Click Tracy. we will leave it up to the reader to complete the connection with the title of this release. so, as click tracy, todd declares his unrequited love to free jazz (i.e. he samples the hell out of a couple free jazz records he likes.) if this release sounds slightly more offbeat than the usual bot gig, that might be due to this. otherwise, there's your favourite beatpunk on the run again...

Martindx & Elasticlego: Bipolar Transmission. NT 077.
one fantastic aspect of running an internet label is that it provides a more than potent space for international collaboration. in this case, Martindx (a discreet briton making his first appearance on no type) & Elasticlego (california-based, real name dustin craig, also known as Headphone Science) exchanged samples & songs through the mail & went to work on new material for this project. each artist has contributed 5 pieces, making this an actual full-length worth of unreleased tunes. elasticlego continues his jittery skittery atmospheric beats (as heard on the previous headphone science release on no type, Number 65) & martindx mixes in domestic recordings, phat bass & assorted sound tools. you can tell the difference between the approaches, but they work together surprisingly well here. the results are solid & highly lovable. yet another opportunity to give your ears a treat, oh yes.

3. GRAND REDESIGN!

no type's last design was the longest running of our history, can you believe it? well, every once in a while this has got to change & that's why there is a redesign! as a bonus to our nostalgic longtime visitors, a new design history section has been added to the site. i hope you like the new place--don't hesitate to let me know if you encounter any problems.

4. NEW LABELS SECTION!

we have been telling you all about the fantastic (sub)labels which no type artists have been starting in the past 2 years. you know them well already: subverseco, delete:thought, nishi, slapart, & so on. well, now they've got their own little place on the no type website. wanna find out all about their catalogue? then don`t wait & plunge into the link above which will tell you plenty about those labels that satellite around no type planet. delve freely, discover much free quality stuff & get yourself a smile.

5. & THEN ONWARDS

there's undoubtedly more to say, but really, this is the important stuff to know so far as today is concerned. but there is more to come, as promised in the last mailout. first off, with the long awaited launch of our two new 10" vinyl releases from Books on Tape & Claudia Bonarelli, as well as Headphone Science's stunning CD debut _we remain faded_. all of the above will be launched during the mutek festival in montreal, at which occasion you may also hear morceaux_de_machines, A_dontigny, Diane Labrosse, samiland, Coin Gutter & Cal Crawford.

following that, there are quite a few online releases planned out, & that's not counting our now fledging sublabel series!

that's that. hope you're doing well,

— david