the Unseelie Court



       The Unseelie Court was originally a collaboration between myself, and my first contact in the cassette underground, Terry Burke (a.k.a. Dr. Terrence 13). I had just completed recording not named, didn't have my own 4-track at that point, so I recorded some tracks to regular stereo cassette tape and mailed those off to Terry. This was during the Fall of 1992. I also didn't have much in the way of musical equipment, so household items and things I found around became what I used to make the original tapes.

       Terry did some work on those tapes about a year after that, in November of 1993. I remember that I was a bit frustrated that he hadn't done anything in such a long time, but he had been busy with some other things, and didn't really have the time. After he'd worked on the tapes some, he and his wife moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. The tapes for the Unseelie Court got lost in the move.

       By this time, I had pretty well given up on the possibility of the project ever being finished, however, early in 1995, Terry found the tapes and mailed them back to me.

       I had just bought my first 4-track recently beforehand, and when I got those tapes, after having not even heard them for well over 2 years, it was inspirational, and I decided to finish up the tracks. It turned out Terry had only contributed to three or four tracks, so I had plenty of room to work with.

       caerie also was inspired to help record, and she contributed to several of the tracks.

       Two different versions were released of this tape, each coming from a totally different mixdown. AudioFile Tapes (sadly, no longer in operation) released a more refined mix, without the controversial "CRK=Asshole", and I distributed a rawer mix, including the abovementioned track that names names, but leaving off "To Ship the Thumb".

       The new release (expect it sometime in 2003) will be a mixture of the two releases, with everything cleaned up and remastered.

--cr

"Full of noisescapes and sound collages: floating space noises, high voltage vibrations, electronic growling, suggested and actual voices emerging from the cryptic mix. "CRK=Asshole" leaps out as Terry Burke's "public service to other home tapers." Must be heard."
-- AUTOreverse #2

Tracks:
  • Birderuker
  • tch tch
  • yw?
  • Gridlocks
  • Ant
  • to Ship the Thumb
  • Harry Truman (Volcano Mix)
  • CRK=Asshole
  • ILILIIL::
  • Abrasion
  • Tiilt
  • Singularity
  • Tophead
  • the Poisoned Lambs

Instrumentation:
(In order of appearance)
bamboo flute, casiotone CT-360 (with pulse code modulation!), moog, korg poly-800, metal tone whistle, ceramic tone whistle, microphone scraping on bass guitar strings, amp toggle, surprise mystery sound, voice of caerie, 1/2" pvc pipe, glass jar, metal coupling from swingset, kazoo, plastic water jug, keys, crickets, voice of c. reider, 4 string bass guitar, 6 string electric guitar, WOXY-FM radio DJ, alternative tunings, guitar saw, slide, voice of Dr. T13, 1/4" input open, circuit bent electronic device (props to Qubais Reed Ghazala), taped voice of unknown interviewer, taped voices of Reba and Harold Colvin, found telephone signal (natural modulation), pause loop, gergorian chants, Chopin, metal pipe, bed frame, bed mattress, vibrator, VAV control mechanism, mini-trampoline, concertina, dremel rotation tool, destroyed CD, abused CD, polished stone, malfunctioning delay pedal, tape of "sugar", live (at the time) recording of George Bush's acceptance speech at the 1992 Denver Republican convention, glass container as sound chamber for said broadcast and layered performances, taped voice of Alan Watts, true whistle, whammy carriage springs, guitar headstrings, flat surface, metal wire, tape of rain hitting rainguard of chimney with Alec H. playing flute in the background, tape of thunderstorm and churchbells, scrap iron touch instrument, wire to contact microphone as percussion instrument.

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