LP Edition of 300.
OUT OF PRINT
Three:four Records (Switzerland) and Feeding Tube Records (USA) are pleased to announce the release of Early Abstractions, Vol. 1 by Danny Oxenberg (Supreme Dicks), Bear Galvin, and Friends (Pillow Mt. Conspiracy). Early Abstractions, Vol. 1 is the follow-up their 2016 release Late Superimpositions (three:four records), and contains recordings made in New York, Western Massachusetts, and Los Angeles…some old, some older, some relatively new, some borrowed, some blue. Maxime Guitton produces the album, with original art by Hippolyte Hentgen and design/layout by Darryl Norsen.
Of their previous release Late Superimpositions, Singsing wrote: “Ce que ce duo flou ramène de telles pérégrinations est comme la carte brûlée d’un territoire authentiquement sauvage où mélodies radieuses et dissonances plus ou moins consenties, bruit lymphatique et lyrisme enroué, mélancolie indélébile et profusion d’épiphanies s’entrecroisent, s’échangent et se relancent pour mettre en branle quelque chose comme de la grâce…une raison supplémentaire de croire que les fantômes sont parmi nous et qu’ils n’en finissent plus de mourir d’amour.” (Translation: This hazy duet brings back from such peregrinations what sounds like the burnt map of an authentically savage territory, where radiant melodies and more or less agreed upon dissonances, lymphatic noise and hoarse lyricism, indelible melancholy and profuse epiphanies cross, substitute and rekindle each other, setting in motion something that could be grace…one more reason to believe that ghosts are among us and that they can’t stop dying of love.). Marc Masters (The Out Door: 200 words) wrote: “Subdued and patient, these simple, guitar-weaved tunes keep tilting to the side, wobbling away from the straight path into the weeds of something more interesting. They’re also just plain gorgeous…”
Around the world in 90 days, it feels like, this album has taken many forms. Originally it was going to be a Double Album of all older music that I recorded mainly at 76 Charles Street in NY in the ’90’s, and since then this has evolved to include other stuff from the 2000’s. So originally this was going to be titled Early Abstractions (a nod to Harry Smith) and now it is kind of still half that, and other stuff. Still I would like to thank all of the friends who have played on this and helped record it. Like Julian Koster who played the Banjo, did some vocals, and recorded the track here called “Banjo-Coke” (I “played” the Coke) at his Grandmother’s house I believe in Long Island. I would also like to thank Shannon Ketch and Adam Langellotti who both played on and helped to record, “Crackers”. Thanks guys, you have all been a big help, and also thanks to Jenna and Les and Beverly and of course Mark Hanson for playing with us over the years. And I would also like to give a big thanks I guess to Steve Shavel, who we are all missing a lot and hope he reappears, but he played the majestic lap steel slide guitar here on “Waves”, and also did the background talking vocals. Mark Hanson played drums on that track. And maybe some day we will release an album of the “Blinded Sphinx” music we recorded back then. Also I would be remiss not to thank Jane F. King and Tim Wilson for playing on “Star Spangled to Death”. So that is about all the news that’s fit to print, as far as the thank yous are concerned. And now maybe I can start my Rehearsal for Retirement! Though perhaps there is still a Tape from California in my future. Okay enough already with the Phil Ochs references. I was not planning that at all by the way, it just came out of nowhere. I could have just as easily said maybe I would still make some Songs from a Room, in The Future, in Various Positions for example.
Danny Oxenberg NYC March 2019
