Friday, June 30, 2017

CORY STRAND "SLEEPS WITH ANGELS: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 497)

Gorgeous, deeply melancholic and mysterious ambient rework of this mid-90's Neil Young and Crazy Horse record.  Generally regarded as Young's response to Kurt Cobain's 1994 suicide, "Sleeps With Angels" is something of a mess of an album-rushed, sloppy, passionate, imperfect, heavy and brooding while also optimistic.
My rework of the record has astounded even me with its beauty.  This sounds like a massive collection of unused Angelo Badalamenti synthesizer pieces from David Lynch's "Twin Peaks."  I have no real idea how they ended up this way, as my methodology and approach in crafting the rework remains the same as its always been.  Simply beautiful, haunting, dirging ambient music.
Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "I GET WET: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 496)

In honor of getting to see Andrew W.K. live in a few months time, i've created this amssive, glacially empty rework of his over the top "debut" record, "I Get Wet."  I've obliterated all of the rock excess of the record and transformed it into ambient drone excess, lengthy oceanic pieces of stillness and anxious drift. 
Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

Saturday, June 24, 2017

ADAM BIEL "WHEN ALL OF THIS FINALLY STOPS" 2CDR (AOW 486)

Very pleased to be doing the physical version of this deeply melancholic, glacially droning double album from fellow Minneapolis guitarist/sound artist Adam Biel.  I got turned on to Adam's work through the collaborative cassette he did for AOW with Family Planning; this particular album, released digitally through Black Dingo Records in early 2017, is simply gorgeous and heartbreaking.  Processed and manipulated guitars create deep, enveloping, sorrowful drones on par with such luminaries as Rafael Toral and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma.  A truly lovely and magnificent album that I am very proud to be issuing through AOW.  This physical edition adds a bonus track not found on the original digital release.
The album can be streamed in its entirety here:

https://adambiel.bandcamp.com/album/when-all-of-this-finally-stops-2

Packaged in an oversized double CD case, with a gorgeous and bleak minimal layout, as well as an insert.  Released in a limited edition of 12 hand-numbered copies.  $15 ppd. in the United States, $31 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "ELECTRORETARD: REVISITED" 4CDR (AOW 493)

A few years ago i did a harsh noise rework of this album for a private tape swap; this new version is a deep drone/ambient rework of each of the album's tracks.  Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case with an insert.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest or world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "HONKY: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 494)

Minimal drone/ambient rework of this much-maligned Melvins "noise" album.  Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "STAG: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 495)

Expansive drone/ambient rework of this classic Melvins album.  packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "PRICK: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 491)

Crushing drone/ambient rework of this seminal Melvins "noise" album.  Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case, with an insert.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "THE END: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 492)

Brooding drone/ambient rework of this very difficult to find Melvins live album.  Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "HOSTILE AMBIENT TAKEOVER: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 488)

Deep and sonorous drone/ambient rework of this later period Melvins album.  Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case, with an insert.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "YOUR CHOICE LIVE SERIES: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 489)

Huge drone/ambient rework of this revered Melvins live album.  Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "HOUDINI: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDR (AOW 487)

Massive drone/ambient rework of the classic Melvins album.
Packaged in an oversized quadruple CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "DEAD POETS SOCIETY: A REINTERPRETATION" 2CDR (AOW 480)

Official reissue of this unofficial drone release i made several years back, after hearing of Robin Williams' suicide.  This has since become one of my favorite records amongst fans of my work, and perhaps the recording most people have asked me to reissue.  So here it is.  The original release blurb, from August 2014:

"I heard of Robin Williams' suicide last night as I was working on another project.  The impact was immediate and I felt a true sadness at the loss of such an original and iconoclastic performer.  As my way of remembering him, I've produced this double album-a rework of the OST to my favorite Robin Williams film (and one of my favorite films overall), Peter Weir's masterful elegy to self-actualization, "Dead Poets Society."  The power of its message, and the enormous presence of Williams as John Keating, simply does not diminish.  I loved this film as a teenager and I still love it as an adult.  It makes me cry every time i watch it, and I am not embarassed to say so.
The music here is fittingly lovely and elegiac.  The final piece on the album is an original 24 minute synthesizer improvisation that I will offer as my tribute to Robin; it is one of the loveliest things I have created and I hope it's worthy.  This is not an official release-rather, it is something made from a place of response and feeling."

This new reissue features a much improved layout.  Packaged in an oversized double CD case.  Released in a limited edition of 6 unnumbered copies.  $15 ppd. in the United States, $31 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com