Monday, June 25, 2018

Record Review //
Feel Guide Volume 7
by Various Artists
(ShanGORIL La Records)


$16 //
Edition of 300 //
https://shangorillarecords.bandcamp.com/album/feel-guide-volume-7 //

When I got this record (and it was forwarded to me from my old address, please ShanGORIL, reach out to me for my new address!) it came from within the United States which confused me.   What might even be more confusing is that this record was released by ShanGORIL La Records but the songs were all picked by Caliper Music which is a site worth exploring in itself.  It makes me wonder if I could create a record of 15 songs that best represent my musical tastes (And the answer is, no, I could not because I love everything I write about too much)

Some of these artists I recognize.   The song "Close" by Pollens is on here and there is some comfort in hearing that come on, like "Oh, I know this song.  It's going to be cool.  This record is going to be cool".   The Bongoloids and Crown Larks are also names I recognize so adding them to this record is a plus in my book, but it's also nice that out of the fifteen songs chosen I only really knew three of the artists going in because I enjoy listening to new music so much (despite what memes about my age might otherwise indicate)

It-Lo starts this record with an instrumental hip hop feel with horns that has that black and yellow thing going on and then the vocals kick in!   Such an amazing song in itself, can someone please link me to more music by It-Lo?  Hopefully I'll find it while browsing the Caliper site.    Doug Seidal has a mechanical winding feel to it while Quimper is like whispers with percussion and what sounds like a harmonica. 

Emerging Industries of Wuppertal has this chamber music type of vibe to it with lasers in the background but the vocals are all kind of chopped up and put back down in a weird order- like how they might sound if you play them backwards only instead of backwards these go every which way (Though if they are in a language I am just not familiar with, I do apologize if that seems insensitive to their culture-- if this is not the case perhaps they can create a new culture?)

Decomposer (who sounds familiar by name, but might just be that I've heard a similar name) closes out the first side with an instrumental electronic number and I've already been enjoying this record just based on how each of these songs is as different as they are stand outs in their field.    The flip side seems to open with a sped up version of these electronics and it has a definite alien feel to it as well.   Future Daughter also feels like a name that I know.

Crown Larks provides a nice change of pace with the rock music and much like hearing Pollens on Side A it's nice to have that familiarity with a song on Side B as well.    Zachary Zena Giberson has this winding and bouncing feel to a song which for some reason reminds me of the Disney animated series "Gummy Bears".    It feels like a shaker at times too, or a grinder like when you put fresh pepper on food.    Stereo No Aware comes up with singing the title "Cattle Calling" right away so you know that rocking synth song has started (Think Schatzi)

Ryan Carraher offers up guitar twang and Wall-E like electronics and then heavier guitar chords come through and it gets really rocking.    Distortion comes screeching through now like a modem while an acoustic guitar softly strums behind it.    This brings the record to a close and what a unique experience it has been but would you expect anything less from ShanGORIL La Records?










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