» » High aura'd / Blood Bright Star - Split
High aura'd / Blood Bright Star - Split mp3 album

High aura'd / Blood Bright Star - Split

Musician: High aura'd
Album title: Split
Style: Avantgarde, Krautrock, Noise
Released: 2013
Size MP3 version: 1403 mb
Size APE version: 1677 mb
Size WMA version: 1569 mb
Rating ✫: 4.4
Votes: 851
Format: AU ASF MPC ADX MP2 MOD MMF
Genre: Rock

High aura'd / Blood Bright Star - Split mp3 album

High aura'd / Blood Bright Star - Split mp3 album

Tracklist Hide Credits

A High aura'd Remain In Light
Composed By – John KolodijMastered By – Brad BoatrightMixed By – Ken LinehanPedal Steel Guitar [Pedal Steel], Recorded By [Field Recordings] – John KolodijPerformer – John KolodijRecorded By – Ken LinehanVocals – Glenna Van Nostrand (Omnivore)*
5:02
B Blood Bright Star Golden Blood, Part II
Composed By – Reuben SawyerMastered By – Brad BoatrightMixed By – Reuben SawyerPerformer – Reuben SawyerRecorded By – Reuben Sawyer
5:20

Companies, etc.

  • Mastered At – Audiosiege
  • Printed By – VG Kids
  • Pressed By – Pirates Press

Credits

  • Artwork – Reuben Sawyer
  • Design – Reuben Sawyer, Sean McCulloch

Notes

Side A:
Mastered @ Audiosiege Engineering

Side B:
Recorded & mixed @ home
Mastered @ Audiosiege Engineering

www.highaurad.blogspot.com (High aura'd)
www.highaurad.bandcamp.com (High aura'd)
www.soundcloud.com/highaurad (High aura'd)
www.soundcloud.com/bloodbrightstar (Blood Bright Star)
www.rainbathv.tumblr.com (Reuben Sawyer)
www.audiosiege.com (Audiosiege Engineering)

Barcode and Other Identifiers

  • Matrix / Runout: AM-05 SIDE 1 45RPM
  • Matrix / Runout: AM-05 SIDE 2 45RPM

Macill
High aura'd is Massachusetts based John Kolodij. Herein, he explores sound, volume and depth. Forged in the outer rings of Boston in 2009, High aura'd was born of a mutual respect for what had come before and a longing for a timely future. Influenced as much by Richard Serra and Robert Smithson, Jarmusch and Jodorowsky as Loren Connors and Lichens, he set foot on a path of enlightenment through self exploration and innovation: trying to capture space, time, and raw emotion. Guitars of all sorts, acoustic, electric, pedal steel, field recordings are all utilized.Blood Bright Star originally took form under the given name of the solo artist Reuben Sawyer and released his first recorded output; a limited edition CD-R, in 2010. After about a year of using his real name, Sawyer took on the moniker "Blood Bright Star" named after the final track on that CD-R. Blood Bright Star remains a solo project which allows Sawyer to incorporate guest musicians and collaborate with an array of varying artists, depending on the desired intentions of a recording or live event. With undisclosed information about the instrumentation used, Blood Bright Star taps into many different elements to create their sound including elements of western occultism, psychedelia, magic and the private, sometimes dark world of one's own dreams and subconscious.All of the artwork for this split was supplied by none other than Reuben Sawyer of Rainbath Visual. The jackets are a single pocket wallet style gatefold jacket which were hand screen printed compliments of VG Kids on thick, uncoated stock using metallic silver and "doublemint" green ink. The release will also include black dust sleeves for housing the matching "doublemint" green vinyl as well as a complimentary download card to redeem digital versions of both tracks; which were beautifully mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Engineering.Edition run of 250 copies on the vinyl format on double mint green vinyl as well as an edition run of 14 white lathe-cut records.The video for High aurad's "Remain in Light" was edited from scans of 16mm film shot between 2011 - 2013 in Providence RI. These films are part of an ongoing documentation of a local snail colony and will be used in upcoming live collaborations between The Magical Approach and High aura'd. The song "Remain in Light" was recorded by Ken Linehan in Providence, RI and features guest vocals by Glenna Van Nostrand (Omnivore - Feeding Tube Records)
Punind
Via 7 Inches Blog, by Jason, November 17, 2013"Instrumental music can be some of the most challenging to create. The stakes feel higher when it comes to composition - you worry about being too complex or running into an alienating free jazz territory but simple post punk minimalism isn't going to cut it without the sharp social commentary vocal. It's also not something venues or bookers are falling over themselves to promote, it can be an awkward experience for an audience to stand in a room listening to instruments. The sex appeal and spotlight of a lead is inherently missing. I think it's for all these reasons that I really appreciate a band that can successfully do it, like Tortoise or Pullman, Explosions in the Sky or Mono. I'd even consider Harvey Milk instrumental the way Creston Spiers vocal is more of a tortured guttural cry on their albums. The two bands sharing this single approach the form in very different ways, High Aura'd is Massachusetts based John Kolodij who sounds like everything and anything is fair game for settling his epic scenes. Bright Blood Star is Reuben Sawyer who on this track takes a more traditional rock approach to his hypnotising psych.The A-Side from High Aura'd "Remain in Light" opens with swirling atmospheric raining and a deafening low rumble that crashes in waves. It's so foreign sounding it reaches deep into a primal sort of panic thanks to the low end of these frequencies. Like an alien soundscape field recording the tones are piled up in layers far off in the background and come slowly shuffling forward. The higher foggy tones slowly ringing like a slowed down church bell - a single strike endlessly sustained. A tiny bit of static crackle in the distance, the sort of thing you'd imagine would accompany those photos of deep space, pearlescent clouds hovering in darkness. A larger piece pierces his sonic cloud, a little harsher, a distant jagged chainsaw sound of thunder or sirens. What started out slightly calm has turned ugly. On the back of this moon spinning towards you impossible to stop or even understand what's happening. I'm all of a sudden making comparisons to outer space, but this epic track doesn't even fit on earth and slowly evolves from something non threatening to mysterious and frightening only to fade off wondering if it could have really been that bad.A repeating electric riff and heavily distanced echo drum track fade in on Bright Blood Star's "Golden Blood Part II" and you've walked into a mesmerizing psych sound that keeps adding onto this foundation. A plodding tight track with a little bit of speed, a trot of tempo, getting louder as it grows. A second guitar plinks into focus which could actually be a synth it's so delicate without an attack. A larger distorted guitar then weaves another melody over these two, all independently coming together. A slide guitar then starts moving higher and a bigger gritty distortion with huge sustain and delay plateaus out over everything else. These tracks both seem to be studies in evolution with the kind of subtle changes you can't even pinpoint on a timeline. Where exactly did this sound begin or end? They're imperceptible and always shifting, "Golden Blood Part II" happens to be placed over an endless rock beat that in the end becomes like the pure sound of high Aura'd. Pick this up on Anti-Matter Records who pay tribute to the seriousness of the recordings with an impressive package. I'll let them explain:'All of the artwork for this split was supplied by none other than Reuben Sawyer of Rainbath Visual. The jackets are a single pocket wallet style gatefold jacket which were hand screen printed compliments of VG Kids on thick, uncoated stock using metallic silver and "doublemint" green ink. The release will also include black dust sleeves for housing the matching "doublemint" green vinyl as well as a complimentary download card to redeem digital versions of both tracks; which were beautifully mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Engineering.'"http://7inches.blogspot.com/2013/10/high-aurad-blood-bright-star-split-on.html
Faugami
Via Tiny Mix Tapes, by Gumshoe, November 12, 2013"With such immaculate presentation I would have afforded this split b/n High Aura’d and Blood Brightstar some leeway, but it wasn’t needed. At all. Both bands present a unique piece bold enough to justify the lavish jacket and doublemint-green wax (vinyl color the exclusive property of Anti-Matter Inc.), the audio lending energy to the visual accompaniment and vice versa. High Aura’d slip right into a drone coma the minute you lay needle to wax, and it’ll take you down with it until an unexpected locked-groove conclusion (when are they ever expected though?) seizes your nosehairs and demands you flip the record. Blood Brightstar await your proper-blackened ears on the other end, their Earth-y, filmic ruminations echoing loudly across the desert. I catch myself waiting for a King Dude vocal that never comes; remix? Not a rowdy release by any means and that’s the charm of it, as darkness comes in many forms. Don’t turn on the light if you want to see the true shape of the moon. Two-hundred-and-50 copies; get at least one."http://www.tinymixtapes.com/cerberus/high-aurad-blood-brightstar-split
Gavinranadar
Via Shoot Me Again, by Fred, September 25, 2013:French:"Issu de la scène underground et expérimentale des USA, HIGH AURA'D et BLOOD BRIGHT STAR dévoilent une trajectoire similaire sous la forme de ce 7''.Originaire de Boston et actif depuis 2009, HIGH AURA'D est le projet de John Kolodij. Son domaine, c'est l'expérimentation du son pour son volume et ses profondeurs. Sa musique drone est par conséquent vibrante, emplie d'échos et de résonances. Remain In Light sonde les profondeurs afin d'en faire émerger la lumière. Ce titre est une plongée abyssale, courte et ondulatoire. Trop courte d'ailleurs car au final, elle ne permet que d'approcher sommairement les abysses, minimisant l'impact de cette lumière.BLOOD BRIGHT STAR n'est autre que le projet de Reuben Sawyer qui avait débuté ses expérimentations sous son propre nom. On trouve ici plus d'instrumentation et de musicalité. Golden Blood, Part II hypnotise et atteint par le biais d'une musique répétitive, fluide et psychédélique l'inconscient. Une fois encore, la plage est relativement courte. Comme celle de HIGH AURA'D nous n'atteignons que les cinq minutes. Le voyage est donc bref.HIGH AURA'D et BLOOD BRIGHT STAR offrent deux interprétations voluptueuses où l'auditeur flotte en milieu aquatique pour le premier et dans les airs pour le second. Dans les deux cas, malheureusement le voyage s'avère écourté, ce qui désert ce vinyle tiré à 250 exemplaires."English:"Coming from the underground experimental scene and the USA, HIGH AURA'D and BLOOD BRIGHT STAR reveal a similar pattern in the form of this 7''. native of Boston and active since 2009, HIGH AURA'D is the project of John Kolodij. His field is the testing of sound for its size and its depths. His drone music is so vibrant, filled with echoes and resonances. Remain In Light the depths in order to shed light emerge. This track is an abysmal diving, and short wave. Too short also because in the end, it only allows to approach the abyss summary, minimizing the impact of this light. BLOOD BRIGHT STAR is none other than the draft Reuben Sawyer began his experiments in his own name . Here we find more instrumentation and musicality. Golden Blood, Part II hypnotizes and reached through a fluid repetitive music, and psychedelic unconscious. Once again, the range is relatively short. Such as HIGH AURA'D we reach the five minutes. The trip is short. AURA'D HIGH and BLOOD BRIGHT STAR voluptuous offer two interpretations where the listener floating aquatic in the first and in the air for the second. In both cases, unfortunately shortened the trip turns out, that this desert vinyl fired 250."http://www.shootmeagain.com/chroniques/3820_highaurad_bloodbrightstar_st
Olma
Via Black Online, by Rezis, September 23, 2013:German:"In einem frischen Minzgrün veröffentlicht Anti Matter Records eine Split-7“ und das was sich darauf befindet, verschlägt gehörig den Atmen. Da starten auf der A-Seite die durch ihre Kollaboration mit André Foisy (LOCRIAN, KWAIDAN) bekannten und wohl beleumdeten HIGH AURA`D. “Remain In Light“ heißt ihr Fünfminüter und öffnet mit einem düsteren Drone, welcher sich in der Folge durch diverse Lichtebenen die Bahn bricht und sich – in einer Melodie illuminiert – ausbreitet. In dieser Ausdehnung liegt das Übergreifen auf den Hörer. Er bleibt hier Ziel und Mitte. Um ihn dampfen HIGH AURA`D Feedbackschleifen und Stimmensamples in den Dronenebel ein und die Soundschwaden umkringeln den Hörer wie die Rauchringe einer Meerschaumpfeife. Reuben Sawyers etwas martialisch betiteltes Projekt BLOOD BRIGHT STAR schickt seinen Fünfminüter namens “Golden Blood Pt. II“ in die Arena. Dort scheint der geeignete Platz, für die Sanguis lastigen Metaphern. Zu einem sehr finsteren Gitarrenakkord pumpt sich ein zunächst feiner und später immer dominanter werdender Rhythmus auf. Ein Kreiseln um einen Akkord – ein Tänzeln um diesen Nexus und das Martialische des Wortes wird umrundet von der Erhabenheit des Klanges und definiert die entscheidende Note aus dem Wirbel, aus dem Dreh. Anti Matter Records senden eine musikalische Flaschenpost über den Ozean der Klänge. Nichts Stickiges dringt hervor, löst man dann den Verschluss der Pulle. Vielmehr weiß eine wundersame Mintfrische zu überraschen und zu gefallen. (D.L.)"English:"In a fresh mint green Antimatter Records released a split 7 "and what is it, verschlägt belonging to breathe. since starting on the A-side by their collaboration with André Foisy (Locrian, Kwaidan) and well-known repute HIGH AURA `D. "Remain In Light" is her Fünfminüter and opens with a somber drone, which subsequently through various levels of light breaks the web and - illuminated in a melody - spreads. In this expansion the encroachment is on the phone.He stays here destination and center. To him steaming HIGH AURA D `feedback loops and samples into the Dronenebel voices and the sound plume circling the listener like the smoke rings of a meerschaum pipe. Reuben Sawyer's something menacing project titled BLOOD BRIGHT STAR sends his Fünfminüter called "Golden Blood Pt. II "in the arena. There seems to be the appropriate place for the heavy Sanguis metaphors. At a very sinister guitar chord is a fine first and later more dominant rhythm expectant inflated to. A revolving around a chord - a prancing around this nexus and the martial of the word is surrounded by the grandeur of the sound and defines the key note of the vertebrae, from the rotation. Antimatter Records Tell a musical bottle across the ocean of sounds. Nothing stuffy penetrates forth, then you release the shutter of the cake. Rather, a miraculous white Mintfrische to surprise and please. (DL)"http://www.blackmagazin.com/?p=15251
Kison
Via Cvlt Nation, by Rob Rubsam, September 19, 2013:"There is something perhaps necessarily schizophrenic about the split. After all, what you frequently have are (at least) two different bands, recording in different studios with different producers, and (hopefully) not writing identical songs. Even for the best split records released, their quality has more to do with that of the songs presented, as opposed to whether the two songs really work together as companion pieces of music.Enter High Aura’d and Blood Bright Star. For their upcoming release on Anti-Matter Records, the two solo projects have managed to create two unique pieces that nonetheless flow together as a unified whole, each completing the other. Whether the two collaborated or just entered the same headspace, I cannot say, but the results speak for themselves.High Aura’d open the barrage with a blissed-out track of ambient drone. John Kolodij’s pedal steel guitar buzzes among Glenna Van Nostrand’s floating vocal harmonies, ascending and descending in the peak of a single, gradual wave. For all of its five minutes, “Remain in Light” never wavers, simple and contemplative yet loud as a motorized drill when it needs to be. I arrives, shines, and fades.The ouroboros is completed by Blood Bright Star, the project of Reuben Sawyer. Following the grooving psychedelia of latter-day Earth, “Golden Blood, Part II” emerges as a counterpoint to “Light’s” single-note minimalism, though it is not without an element of drone. Over thumping bass and a simple drum pattern, Sawyer picks a classic rock guitar melody, and a distorted squeal drones. For all of its sonic differences, the song actually follows a similar pattern to “Remain in Light,” peaking at the 3 minute mark and decreasing in volume and intensity from there on out.Both tracks seem to be grasping at similar ideas of transcendence, whether by using or avoiding standard forms of music. Where High Aura’d is meditative, Blood Bright Star is propulsive, though in a decidedly low-key way. In fact, if these two tracks had showed up on an album by any single artist, I wouldn’t have assumed them that different; that is how close to one another these two musicians hew. Yet it is more about shared vision than sonics, as these two pieces feel more alike than they sound., and that makes it a superior split."http://www.cvltnation.com/high-auradblood-bright-star-split/
Vudozilkree
Via Brainwashed, by Creaig Dunton, September 22, 2013:"Two different artists who both work within the realms of psychedelic tinged minimalism share this split single that in a genre sense are very different from one another, but thematically and conceptually make an excellent pairing and compliment each other quite well.John Kolodij's High Aura'd supplies "Remain in Light," and while any specific references to the Talking Heads slipped right past me, the conceptual flow of the song matches the title well. Initially a wall of shifting rain like noises, it slowly enters the sunlight with a melodic tone to it, offset by a bit of looping, textural like static. However, extended sun exposure can damage, and as the piece wears on it concludes in a noisy, swirling vortex of what sounds like guitar noise and destruction.On the flip side, Blood Bright Star, a relatively new solo project by Reuben Sawyer, goes right into a more straight forward krautrock sound. Heavy, tremolo laden guitar echoes and slithers about while propelled by a rock solid motorik rhythm on "Golden Blood, Part II." Even with these pieces put together, the result has a sort of blues swagger that gives it a unique edge and sound.Both halves of this single clearly work in the realms of minimalism, but taking notably different approaches. Kolodij’s contribution does this via instrumentation, doing significant work with a sparse collection of tools, while Sawyer uses it as a compositional framework, building upon the signifiers of blues and rock to create a repetitive, but constantly evolving song."http://www.brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9804:high-auradblood-bright-star&catid=13:albums-and-singles&Itemid=133
Runehammer
Via Thepostrock, September 8, 2013:"Split 7inches are always nice. The format is right, the price also and at least you get to hear a musician, you did not know before in most cases. Ideally, the music fits together well on both sides also. All this is true in the case of high Aura'D & Blood Bright Star Split. High aura 'D is the solo project of John Kolodij from Massachusetts. Almost secretly he has made ​​in recent years about smaller releases a name in the experimental music scene. With "Remain In Light" controls high aura `D at a booming barrage of sounds that can be difficult to assign a style. Somewhere between Americana and Dark Drone flow guitar, organ and voice in harmony towards the listener and take this with Aura'Dschen in the world of high sounds. Blood Brightstar is the project of Reuben Sawyer, who is best known for his artwork (eg for Utech Records). "Golden Blood Part II" is a slow-driving piece that can best be described as occult Western rock. The mood fluctuates between relaxed and tense and challenges the listener to formally mitzuwackeln nasty looking.At times to venture a comparison: If you like the music of Barn Owl, Horseback and Earth, which is here to have his joy.The artwork of the plate comes naturally from Reuben Sawyer and convinces with high-quality b / w print on black cardboard. The 7inch shimmers in mint green. Available on Antimatter Records ."http://www.thepostrock.de/high-aurad-blood-bright-star
OwerSpeed
Via The Post Rock Blog, September 8, 2013:German:"Split 7inches sind immer wieder schön. Das Format stimmt, der Preis auch und man bekommt in den meisten Fällen mindestens einen Musiker zu hören, den man vorher nicht kannte. Im Idealfall passt die Musik auf beiden Seiten auch gut zusammen. All das trifft im Falle der High Aura´D & Blood Bright Star Split zu.High Aura`D ist das Soloprojekt von John Kolodij aus Massachusetts. Fast heimlich hat er sich in den letzten Jahren über kleinere Veröffentlichungen einen Namen in der experimentellen Musikszene gemacht. Mit “Remain In Light” steuert High Aura`D eine dröhnende Flut von Sounds bei, die sich stilistisch schwer zuordnen lässt. Irgendwo zwischen Dark Americana und Drone fließen Gitarre, Orgel und Stimme im Einklang dem Hörer entgegen und nehmen diesen mit in die Welt der High Aura´Dschen Sounds.Blood Bright Star ist das Projekt von Reuben Sawyer, der vor allem für seine Artworks (z.B. für Utech Records) bekannt ist. “Golden Blood Part II” ist ein langsam treibendes Stück, das man am besten mit Okkult-Western-Rock umschreiben kann. Die Stimmung schwankt zwischen entspannt und angespannt und fordert den Hörer förmlich auf böse blickend mitzuwackeln.Um mal einen Vergleich zu wagen: Wer auf die Musik von Barn Owl, Horseback und Earth steht, der wird hier seine Freude haben.Das Artwork der Platte stammt natürlich von Reuben Sawyer und überzeugt mit hochwertigem s/w Druck auf schwarzer Pappe. Die 7inch schimmert in Minzgrün. Erhältlich über Anti Matter Records."English:"Split 7inches are always nice. The format is right, the price also and at least you get to hear a musician, you did not know before in most cases. Ideally, the music fits together well on both sides also. All this is true in the case of high Aura'D & Blood Bright Star Split.High aura 'D is the solo project of John Kolodij from Massachusetts. Almost secretly he has made ​​in recent years about smaller releases a name in the experimental music scene. With "Remain In Light" controls high aura `D at a booming barrage of sounds that can be difficult to assign a style. Somewhere between Americana and Dark Drone flow guitar, organ and voice in harmony towards the listener and take this with Aura'Dschen in the world of high sounds.Blood Brightstar is the project of Reuben Sawyer, who is best known for his artwork (eg for Utech Records). "Golden Blood Part II" is a slow-driving piece that can best be described as occult Western rock. The mood fluctuates between relaxed and tense and challenges the listener to formally mitzuwackeln nasty looking.At times to venture a comparison: If you like the music of Barn Owl, Horseback and Earth, which is here to have his joy.The artwork of the plate comes naturally from Reuben Sawyer and convinces with high-quality b / w print on black cardboard. The 7inch shimmers in mint green. Available on Antimatter Records ."
Dyni
Via NPR, by Lars Gotrich, August 8, 2013:"We forget to listen closer, look closer. As a big-picture kind of guy, I do that myself, and that means missing details that make day-to-day life more vivid. Listening to High Aura'd, it's apparent that creator John Kolodij hears life with great clarity. Last year's Sanguine Features was a personal favorite of mine: a dark and buzzing LP that, when turned up loud, felt like a dark hallway with treasures tucked away in the corners. It's sound that demands deep inspection, and director Kenneth Linehan's 16mm-shot video for "Remain in Light" — from Kolodij's forthcoming split 7" with Blood Bright Star — is filled with those oft-unseen moments. You'll want full screen on this. Credit: Courtesy of the artistThis is the extent of my snail knowledge: Snails move really slowly (unless mutated by nitrous oxide or something), chew up gardens and aren't terribly into salt. And up until this video for "Remain in Light," I don't know that I've ever seen a snail this close up before. How are these creatures even real? Somehow, the goo that is the snail's body molds and re-molds like a Swedish mattress on an endless glide. Kolodij's music does much the same thing, as if he's bending circular saws and Glenna Van Nostrand's (Omniviore) angelic coos in some ancient gastropod ritual. In an email from director Kenneth Linehan, that doesn't sound too far off.For several years, I lived in a rundown old house on the east side of Providence, R.I. The house was on a steep hill, and the green space in front of the house had been left to do its own thing for over a decade. This seemed to make it a particularly desirable haven for snails as, during the warm summer months, whenever there was wet weather, hundreds of snails would emerge from the undergrowth onto the sidewalk, stairs and other landscape features. I decided to start trying to document the phenomenon and have spent the last few years returning during the summer to capture them on film. John from High Aura'd suggested that we collaborate on a video, thinking that the snail footage would work well in sync with the track "Remain in Light," so we decided to use some of the footage to make this video for the song. The movements of the image and music seem to flow very naturally together, and we've discussed a future collaboration on a live 16mm projection of the snails during a High Aura'd performance.The High Aura'd/Blood Bright Star 7" comes out Sept. 3 on Anti-Matter Records."http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2013/08/08/206706276/vikings-choice-stunning-high-aurad-video-reminds-us-that-snails-are-a-real-thing
Kipabi
Via Decoder Magazine, by Steve Dewhurst, September 6, 2013:"It’s been too long since we heard anything from High Aura’d, whose Sanguine Futures LP for Bathetic featured on many an end-of-year list in 2012, including my own. Over a year later, Anti-Matter Records has dropped a tantalising bloom of new music from John Kolodij in the form of a split 7″ with visual and audio artist Reuben Sawyer’s Blood Bright Star. Featuring artwork by Sawyer, whose stark ink sketches as Rainbath Visual have previously found favour amongst the doom metal community (check out his covers for Moss’s Horrible Night and Agarttha’s A Water Which Does Not Wet Hands LP), the split presents two musicians working in contrasting realms. Whereas High Aura’d's “Remain in Light” is a typically deep and slowly evolving combination of field recordings, earth-splitting drones and ghostly atmospherics, Blood Bright Star comes from an altogether more immediate plain. More often than not, Sawyer uses BBS as a vehicle for spiritual exploration, weaving mumbled poetic incantation throughout his chiming guitar work and propulsive percussion. It echoes like a dark response to the clean, peaceful drones he creates under his birth name (this year’s gorgeous Constricting Realities tape for Constellation Tatsu being a perfect example), almost as though one guise cannot form or function without the other’s encouragement.“Golden Blood, Part II,” Blood Bright Star’s side of the Anti-Matter deal, progresses like the march of time across a desert landscape. The track exists in a motorik state of high entropy; it’s constituent parts may gradually fluctuate over time but its overall feel and form does not, and you get the impression that this would remain true no matter how long you were to listen. In that respect the track is a kind of sonic snapshot – no matter where you were to dip in, whether that be a thousand years into the future or fifty years into the past, it would still loop out like cosmic microwave background."http://www.secretdecoder.net/blog/2013/09/06/premiere-blood-bright-star-golden-blood-part-ii
Qumen
Via Black Metal and Brews, by Ben, September 1, 2013:"Today we're examining a new release from two challenging acts who function quite differently from each other, yet have come together to put out this lovely split 7" record. While both were names I'd encountered before, I'd heard little from High Aura'd and only knew Blood Bright Star from their recent split cassette with Obsidian Towers.High Aura'd holds down the A-side of this split with the track "Remain in Light." (Link goes to NPR feature with the song's video). While hardly an homage to Talking Heads' album of the same name, this song does create a fearful atmosphere that would make anybody wary of the darkness, at least initially. As the song grows from heavy bleak drone into an almost ethereal humming, one can hear the crackle of the world awakening, entering the sunlight. The shifting beauty mesmerizes here and captivates me as a listener. While far shorter in length than I would prefer, High Aura'd manages to achieve in five minutes what many artists take a whole album to create.Visiting the B-side, we are presented with Blood Bright Star's "Golden Blood Pt. II." I haven't heard part one, but this feels like a song unto itself, with no prior context needed to enjoy it. With a downtempo, minimal song structure, this song is still notably more "busy" than "Remain in Light," yet it feels like a solid accompaniment. In a strange sense, this feels like an odd jam between Portishead and mid-90's Godflesh, with vocals thrown out the window because the music's solid enough not to need them. Dark, urban, yet outside of the normal social boundaries, the song serves as a backing track to mysterious activities of some sort. This release begs for repeat listens due to its brevity, however I'd selfishly like another song from each group so that I can really lose myself in this as an album rather than a teaser.This limited edition (250 copies) split is currently up for pre-order at the Anti-Matter Records webstore, along with great releases by artists like Gates, Onibaba, and Swamp Witch. Hop on it now, as this split is shipping out this coming week."http://blackmetalandbrews.blogspot.com/2013/09/high-auradblood-bright-star-split-7.html