Jon Mueller
Alphabet of Movements
LP (clear vinyl + signed)

U.S. and Canada
$30.00

International
$40.00

I have a handful of the limited (100) clear vinyl edition of this record. Each copy comes signed and with a full set of Rhythmplex cards. First come, first served.

From Type Records:

With the music of Milwaukee-native Jon Mueller, patience is the key. His radical snare workouts are meditative master-classes in drumming, but require a distinct offering of time and attention to truly enjoy the dense clouds of sound his music creates. After crafting last year’s critically acclaimed ‘The Whole’, Mueller decided to put together a live set that, while not reflecting the over-dubbed nature of the album itself, reflected the philosophy held within. The result was ‘I Almost Expect to be Remembered as a Chair’, and Mueller proceeded to perform this piece at various venues across the USA. Utilizing a unique snare drum setup, which finds the drums mounted on small amplifiers, Mueller’s enviable focus is put centre-stage and his resolve transferred absolutely into this dense, moving twenty-minute piece. Here, the composition has been recorded to tape with a tireless attention to detail by Greg Norman at Steve Albini’s legendary Electric Audio studio. The haunting, resonant drones spring to life with a surprising clarity, and the silo’s natural reverb gives the percussion a deeply human quality.

On the first piece, Mueller sticks to his chosen snare, slowly ramping the buzzing rhythm into near-cacophony. By the time the piece is fully formed you barely notice the change you have witnessed, but are surrounded by a cloud of thick, resonant, cavernous drones. The second rendition moves the composition to gongs and sees the dense resonance enhanced by the instruments’ singular plethora of harmonics. It is hard these days to emerge with music that could honestly be described as original, but ‘Alphabet of Movements’ is a truly singular piece of work. The focus that Mueller injects into his composition is unmatched, and his interpretation of drone and noise is absolutely on its own. Listen, absorb, and let the sounds permeate; you’ll be coming back for more in no time at all.

Collections of Colonies of Bees
Giving
CD

U.S. and Canada
$15.00

International
$17.00

GIVING is the highly-anticipated new album from the Milwaukee six-piece Collections of Colonies of Bees. The first music we’ve heard from the Bees since their joint project Volcano Choir with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and the 2009 release of Unmap, GIVING continues the intricate, virtuosic, and emotional dialogue begun by the band thirteen years and six records ago. Now a part of the Hometapes label family, Collections of Colonies of Bees are connecting the dots between their rich history, their infinite influence, and the sheer joy of Rock.

The cover art features the low fire porcelain sculpture art of Portland, Oregon-based artist Cameron D. Stewart. Design by Hometapes.

About the CD:

Heavyweight CD wallet printed in CMYK, including interior printing in black. Full color, forced-perspective insert. Silkscreen-printed CD face featuring an analog ink design, made to mirror the LP vinyl swirl, by Hometapes’ Lyndsey Denyer.

Tracklisting:
01. Lawn (5:33)
02. Vorm (6:46)
03. Lawns (6:51)
04. Vorms (9:13)

Hal Rammel
Like Water Tightly Wound
10″ (signed)

U.S. and Canada
$15.00

International
$20.00

Rhythmplex is offering 15 signed copies of this long unavailable release.

Original label description:

Visual artist and musician Hal Rammel has been involved in the creative arts for the past 40 years. “Like Water Tightly Wound” marks Rammel’s latest installment of his recorded documentation of solo Sound Palette studies. Beginning with a series of three separate 7″ records (titled LOST DATA), released on his own Penumbra Music in early 2006, “Like Water Tightly Wound” captures every nuance of this intriguing instrument. Invented and built by Rammel, these instruments are as curious for their sounds, as they are as artifacts – finely crafted wood and metal devices one would expect to find in an obscure section of a museum. Melodic, yet buzzing with texture, these Sound Palette recordings represent an overview of artistic endeavor, ranging from electro-acoustic theory and practice, to sculpture and craftsmanship.

“I’ve let the form of the palette be my launching point for opening possibilities and followed the road of possibility. That is the advantage of mixing media, that music might be shaped by a sculptural form rather than the instrument shaped to play any preconceived notion of what should be musical.” – Hal Rammel

Released in a limited, numbered edition of 300 with an exclusive photographic print by Hal Rammel. Extended liner notes included, housed inside an antiqued-themed 78 record package.

Reviews:

“This is music for which descriptions are useless – a record that by its existence alone fails a description merely in words. Accompanied by a photograph of his invention and a detailed description of the process, it comes as beautifully packaged as the music contained inside. In a nutshell, an instant classic record.” – GAZ-ETA

“The music retains a ruminative character but balances careful consideration with a willingness to just let things happen and see what transpires. The results are simply lovely, deep and, for some of us, intensely nostalgic.” – Bagatellen

Jeph Jerman + Jon Mueller
Nodes and Anti Nodes + 7″
DVD + 7″

U.S. and Canada
$20.00

International
$25.00

“For anyone who has an interest in the obsessive study of sound and the music that is around at any given time, it is a compelling document that allows for a look inside the creation of this type of material.” – Brainwashed.com

“an intriguing experiment, one that should appeal to fans of both musicians” – The Squid’s Ear

About Nodes and Anti Nodes:

After years of working with sound and vibrations, and documenting prepared and unprepared situations on recordings, Jeph Jerman and Jon Mueller now present a tapestry of visualizations to these sounds with ‘Nodes and Anti-Nodes.’ The DVD shows close-up views of the subtle actions in vibrating bodies, both audible and not. These scenes are glimpses into situations that Ernst Chladni and Hans Jenny might have pursued in a more scientific direction. But for the lay viewer, it’s simply interesting to watch the real-time relationship between sound and material, and the juxtaposition of the results of natural movements paired with absolute silence. For those that would enjoy listening to the audio portion on the go, an individual MP3 file of the audio can be pulled from the disc.

This bundle includes the Nodes and Anti Nodes DVD plus a split 7″ release with a track from each artist per side. Available together at a special price will supply lasts. Few copies remain.

More info on Jeph Jerman and Jon Mueller can be found in the Case Studies section.