VA — Pereat (2018)

TL;DR? Then check out video version of this post!

Hi everyone, we're happy to present you our annual sampler! This time it's called "Pereat", it's a Latin word which can serve as sort of pessimistic motto, considering current situation.

The sampler starts with an anonymous short intro, it's an electronic instrumental by our long-time collaborator who decided not to sign this time:

Then goes a song by Concern Void band, it's titled Conscience, and we're really proud of it as it's a result of hard work on creating authentic minimal synth sound. I provided lyrics and vocals for the song, the music was written by Vladimir Laznev.

Then we have a new "Handshaker" by Snowbringer, and now it's "Modern Handshaker". It's a noise record, the sound is quite abrasive though it's not disturbing. It's also the longest track on the sampler. Snowbringer shows truly mature sound here.

Track #4 is a hip-hop by Alogical, he didn't write the beat, but the lyrics are original. It was first published as a part of Alogical Vlog, psychedelic and astonishingly modern. It's titled "Let's Get It", so it's based on a meme, and it's totally the least oldschool track on the sampler, which brings us diversity and all other valuable things nowadays.

The next track is an oldschool minimal instrumental "Time" by Vladimir Laznev, and it's supposed to be part of forthcoming soundtrack. It sounds really promising, and I'm looking forward to seeing the whole soundtrack released.

Then we have a new Nervöse Leute track, "Erziehung". It's a noise record and it's sort of a preview of their 3rd longplay hopefully to be released this summer/autumn. It's going to have less radio / tape noises, focusing on different noise sources instead; this track is an example of shifting quite primitive music to the spheres of sort of sophisticated noise.

Next track is a cinematic instrumental "Creeper" by Hipstor Smith. This track was written exclusively for our radio broadcast, Shadowplay FM, and it was aired earlier this year during a radio play "Post-irony".

The final song on the sampler is "Хуже не будет" by Лосины Маршала Потемкина. The title means "It won't get worse", and it's much a sardonic mood spread in the air these days. Together with a slogan "Pereat" it can be understood as a manifesto, and it was already honored to receive a comparison with a "sarcastic bomb". It's basically post-punk song, recorded in studio with live drums, though bass probably wouldn't sound really post-punk'ish, as it's too smooth. Anyway we hope to do something less sad next time we'll be heading to the studio.

  

So I gotta say we're proud of what we presented this year. From the one hand, there are no new projects / bands which would join us, there are even no guest artists this year, but I feel our "roast" is strong, mature and ready for new achievements. Hope you'll appreciate the result of our long and hard work.

What would you expect from us later this year? Well, we still hope to have 1 or 2 physical releases (they're on the go) by some of artists represented here. We hope to release a soundtrack by Vladimir Laznev, new Лосины's.. songs, and we also plan to release 3rd longplay by Nervöse Leute.

Probably we'll do something more. I feel like I need to invite new artists to our informal label. Let's see if I'll get lucky.

Instant free download (mp3 VBR) (Right click on "Click on this link — Save object as...").

Stay tuned!

Sincerely yours,

John "Grey Lenses" Grey  

Snowbringer — Perfect Handshaker (2017)

Happy All Saints Day everyone!

We've prepared a special gift for you on this occasion: a new release by Snowbringer which differs greatly from other works by him, and, in my opinion, is so far his best!

Now this is not typical classic "bright ambient"; it's more noisy experimental stuff made with synth emulators (as far as I remember). These structures are filled with various emotions, and may even entertain the listener.

Also, pay special attention to the cover: this is a sculpture of a sheep: very fascinating and maybe even scaring! So awesome and suitable for Halloween!

By the way, Snowbringer had performed live for the 2nd time just a couple of days ago, so, stay tuned and remember to check out our YouTube channel to see more from us!

I gotta add it's a Snowbringer's own release, not a Concern Void one, but I liked this stuff so much that I even added vocals & lyrics for one piece, and this collaboration is about to be released on Concern Void sooner or later.

There's always more to come, guys. Just stay here. Don't leave :)

Sincerely yours,

John "Grey Lenses" Grey

VA — Coldspot Muzak (2017) [VIDEO]

Hi everyone, check out a new video about our sampler "ColdSpot Muzak", released this year. The text version is right here.

Sincerely yours,
John "Grey Lenses" Grey

Snowbringer — The Places I've Gone Without Going Anywhere (2016)

Hi everyone, I've just noticed I hadn't posted one of albums by Snowbringer released by him in 2016.

This "missing" album is called "The Places I've Gone Without Going Anywhere", and it's a classic "bright" ambient record divided into two parts: "The Places I've Gone..." and "...Without Going Anywhere".

Each part lasts more than 1 hour 16 minutes, so this journey is about to be long, though, I believe, it would be rather calm and inspiring. Even the idea of "remote control" journey is something which really seduces the mind, when one allows oneself to dream without limitations. Anyway, the author could imply something different from my interpretation.

So, check out this album — and stay tuned!

 

Sorry for brevity, got too much work these days.

Sincerely yours,
John "Grey Lenses" Grey

Grey Lenses — Demotivating Tunes (2017)

Hi everyone, we're back with my new release, "Demotivating Tunes". The title says it's the opposite to my previous record, and actually it's a commission record, a soundtrack for my fiction story, published recently as an electronic edition.

The story has 7 chapters, and for each chapter there's an instrumental track lasting 5 minutes, so it's supposed that you should read a chapter in 5 minutes. The track's titles are actually the chapters' titles. Unfortunately, the story hasn't been translated in English yet, but I hope one day it will happen.

The photos for covers were taken by me in my native town in Siberia, in 2015–2016.

Musically, it's some dark ambient with some industrial and melodical pieces, and the mood of the tracks somehow reflects the mood of a chapter and even some events happening there.

There's not much to add, fellows. Hope you like it!



 

Instant flac download

Or check out YouTube playlist or SoundCloud set


Sincerely yours,
John "Grey Lenses" Grey

VA — In Vacuo (2016) [VIDEO]

Hi everyone, check out a new video about our sampler "In Vacuo", released in 2016. Or read more about it!

Sincerely yours,
John "Grey Lenses" Grey

Nervoese Leute / Snowbringer — Split (2016)

 Hi everyone, I finally managed to put everything together and tell you about our 2nd and last (so far) physical release. I’d honestly say in the very beginning that I feel sort of pessimistic regarding the possibility of releasing cassettes in the future, but this tape has become some true piece of art.

 
First and foremost, this C80 tape looks very rich. Hipstor Smith, who designed the cassette, has made truly huge amount of work. Just look: this tape is a very limited edition (37 copies), made manually recording analogue equipment, even the tracklist, included in a tape, was printed manually using a typewriter, and it was printed on authentic tabulating cards. Moreover, each copy has a different, unique cover which has originally been a part of geological map. 

Hipstor Smith was very enthusiastic in putting Nervoese Leute’s music back to analogue form, when he has found frames from analogue photo film, and the pictures were taken in 1983. I thank Hipstor Smith for such great work! You may purchase a tape or two directly from him, the price per copy is somewhat around $3.5 + shipping costs.

Now, let’s switch to music. Side “A” is filled with the second album by Nervoese Leute. It was meant to be called “Insane Cassette”, as it consists of tape collages made using analogue equipment. Sometimes humorous, sometimes scary, these 40 minutes hopefully demonstrate the further development of the project. Tape samples include ones recorded from FM-radio in 1990-2000’s and it shows the atmosphere of Russian mainstream radio back in those days. Nervoese Leute, as always, worked under Creative Commons License (Some Rights Reserved), and, as always, worked in a style somewhat similar to bands like Negativland.

On the side “B”, there’s a new album by Snowbringer. It’s untitled, and all the tracks are untitled. Snowbringer did it on purpose as he believes that listeners can name them whatever they like. He also claims this album is a result of long experiments, and the final track represents a darker side of this project.
So, this album is not available online, and, at least for Nervoese Leute, will not be available online at least for 2–3 more months, so the only chance to listen to it now is to buy it. Please support us, as it may play a significant role in a decision we have to make soon: if we continue to make physical releases, or not.

And stay tuned, we have some encouraging plans for future web-releases!

Sincerely yours,
John “Grey Lenses” Grey

Acid Socks — Good (2016)

Hi everyone, we’re back with the new release, the 2^nd EP by Acid Socks, “Good”.

Photos by Pavel Chainichkov

Their 1^st EP was released in 2013, after that Socks were not active, and recently they were revived and participated in our sampler “In Vacuo”.

I think I should tell you what the name “Acid Socks” means. It actually means the color of the socks of the founder of this project, green, “acid”; nobody had such socks: that’s why the founder chose such name: something which makes you different.

We can be different

That’s what makes us good
 

Says the speech robot in the title track “Good”. The music for this EP was recorded by Acid Socks in 2009—2013, and remixed in 2015—2016 by me. I also contributed English lyrics and vocals and created samples using previously mentioned speech robot. The photos for covers were contributed on the courtesy of our long-time collaborator photographer Pavel Chainichkov; it’s also from his album of impressions of Southern Russia.

Every track of this EP was made in a different style: “Good” provides solid electro while “Still a Factory”, previously released on “In Vacuo” is something little more melodramatic in its 2^nd part.
 

The third track, “Low Speed”, is the only song here. It’s some very, very lo-fi garage post-punk, the music is not even in stereo. Acid Socks, as far as I’m concerned, used standard “garage rock band” equipment consisting of a drum kit, bass and electric guitar. I applied heavily the variety of effects trying to master my production skills to make it sound “wickedly” to fit the lyrics.

Is that unfair:

Things we’ve repaired

Are breaking again,

Breaking so fast

The lyrics are mainly about Nikolay Stavrogin, fictional character created by Dostoevsky in his novel “The Possessed”, the lyrics touch upon his suicidal way of life, tendency to play suicidal games, desperately craving for “raising the bets”. That’s what the chorus is about:

Reasons vary

No reason why

The speed is still low

We need to speed up

The reasons are actually “reasons to die”. The novel portrays several ideologists who have very different reasons to live and end up that way, although everybody has similar tragic “result”.
 

The final track “The Harbor” is an impression of visiting the harbor, it’s reading of a poem with some cinematic piano sounds and seagulls’ samples. Interestingly that Acid Socks were inspired by Aivazovsky’s picture of the harbor, while I was inspired by actual harbor when I was writing the poem.

Visiting the harbor, witnessing the grace

This world is actually an abandoned place

Ghostly and eluding, everything is gone

I am so confused now, don’t you see: I’m stunned

Dreams are dying quickly, touching this cold sea

I am trembling here, don’t you see?

Endings and beginnings, heads and tails

Help me now to leave these mysterious ways

This EP is very short but important to us. Hope you find it interesting! Stay tuned!

Download for free from BandCamp (lossless)

Or check out YouTube playlist

Yours sincerely,

John “Grey Lenses” Grey

VA — In Vacuo (2016)

TL;DR? Then watch a video:

 

Hello, dear fellow travelers! We’re happy to present you our brand new annual sampler! It’s called “In Vacuo”, which means not physical term of an experiment in airless conditions, but a philosophical term as it was originally understood in ancient Rome: an experiment without object.

You see, we’ve been around in Russian web for more than 7 years, remaining obscure and unknown to the majority of listeners, not gaining enough feedback from the efforts we’ve been making; having turned to a broader international audience last year we hoped for more, but we didn’t receive a comment, although I got some encouraging personal messages from readers from the UK, the US, etc., which I cherish a lot.

That’s why I picked name “In Vacuo” for this release: it’s like we’re acting disregarding the listener, the object of creative activity. Some of my peers who probably wanted to make fun of it, wrote me “You guys record it, and then only you listen to it”, and now it’s up to you to prove he was wrong :)

All right, no more lamentations, let’s switch to the sampler. Photos were provided on the courtesy of our long-time collaborator photographer, Pavel Chainichkov, and I thank him for it. The picture for front cover was taken in Moscow, the picture for back cover was taken presumably in Samara, Southern Russia.

Photos by Pavel Chainichkov

The introduction, a track by our new member; it's a neoclassical improvisation «Лидер не имеет права на безрассудство» (“The Leader Has No Right to Be Reckless”), of the project called «Наброски Арни» (“Arnie’s Sketches”), mixed by me. Actually, I suggested more radical remix, but the author rejected it by some unclear reason, and this mix is sort of compromise. Anyway, I find neoclassical style important in outsider music of Russia. We've already included neoclassical stuff by another project in our sampler "Music for Homebodies" (2013) which I'll review one fine day, and this sampler surely represents the direct evolution of our community.

Second song is my remix of Пророк СанБой’s nice pop song “Rainbow”, recorded in 1996, remixed in 2016. Our collaboration continued until this but I remain uncertain about its perspectives. The music video was filmed for the original version, but I changed the soundtrack by request of the artist.

Track 3 is a comeback of Acid Socks, awesome electronic track “Still a Factory”, a part of which was used in our promo video in 2015. Again I presented lyrics and chant, while Acid Socks wrote music. I want to believe Acid Socks will be revived for a solo release. This is the first appearance of Acid Socks on a music release since 2013, too.

Track 4 is a new composition by Snowbringer; still "brightest" ambient ever possible, dedicated to the famous ambient composer. Snowbringer released another "magnum opus" lasting about 2.5 hours just a few days ago, but we, Concern Void Records, anyway hope to release a split with Snowbringer this summer, so maybe there’ll be this track, too :)

Then goes the comeback of Man With a Dictaphone who also appears at our releases first time since 2013. I really like their instrumental electronic track “87+3”, filled with positive energy. Man With a Dictaphone has a lot of awesome unreleased stuff I wish to see released.

An interlude sound collage “Tonic Seizure”, edited for the sampler, is actually the evolution of “Nervoese Leute” project, which I renamed for “Insane Cassette” as I’ve been running it alone. I guess I'm gonna rename it again :)

It’s an analogue tape collage in a venue of Negativland, probably Culturcide, including cut-ups and mixes or Russian analogue radio stations from 2000's. I believe a long-play (or a split release) by “Insane Cassette” will follow. It’s published under Creative Commons license; if you own any samples used in a collage, please contact me, and it will be removed from the track.

Track 7 is a new dark ambient composition by Hipstor Smith, it’s important as it catches his mood, his state of mind during writing, I guess, overall weary state, so peculiar for spring.

Final track is by Лосины Маршала Потемкина, they tend to change the direction, releasing electronic stuff. The song «Нудный» (“Boring”) tells a story of a dull life of a dull man: I’m boring; it’s hard to deal with me.

It's also the very first music video we ever filmed, hope you enjoy it :)

The sampler can be downloaded for free (mp3, direct download)

Please leave some feedback, it’s much appreciated!

Your sincerely,

John “Grey Lenses” Grey

Grey Lenses – Motivating Tunes (2016)

Hello again, we’re back with my brand new EP "Motivating Tunes", released less than 2 weeks ago! I’m proud to announce this release has solemn “CV 20” mark, as it’s 20^th release of our Concern Void Records informal label.

Mostly this post is about informing you about the news, as it’s kinda hard to review a record which has been released almost yesterday.

I recorded this EP in late 2015, the album cover again shows snow in my native Siberian town, but this time the snow gets dirty, as well as the sound goes harsher, with more noises – and it represents what (in my opinion) a noise-pop record should sound like.

Actually, additional noises is the only major change, this is still minimalistic, “cold” EP inspired by our ruthless winter, a lo-fi minimal synth which I wanted to be as “icy” as it was a year ago on my previous EP.

The title track, “Cell” has its roots in the very early times of my existence as “Grey Lenses”, a metaphor of being put in a cell where the only thing you could do is beating its walls by your own head (this is what the noises in the interlude are supposed to express). This image got stuck in my mind for years, and finally I found courage to express my feelings in the song. Moreover, it’s a humble tribute to one of my favorites, a song “White Cell” by Clock DVA; also it was partially inspired by Coil’s “Cold Cell”, but I tried to express feelings and thoughts without any quotes or tendencies to sound alike, to resemble, and to remind of these songs.

Teach me, mother’s little helper,

‘cause my patience’s growing thinner

Things are still the same: “forced” sense of guilt, lack of “metaphysical” freedom (something what the Underground Man constantly craved for). The lines

I reject to make a fortune

If we’re fortunate with none

Are about famous poem “How Fortunate the Man With None” by Berthold Brecht, also known for its interpretation by the legendary Dead Can Dance.

The second song, “The Windstorm”, is mostly inspired by winter, the cruel wind in the Siberian plain, the blizzard, etc. (noises again serve their purpose), but it also touches upon some topics which I found bothering me again and again, like the poseur suicide, this time about the story of a “brave just for a day” German philosopher Philipp Mainlaender who hanged himself by jumping from the pile of copies of his freshly published book “The Philosophy of Redemption”:

Why does the salvation come too late?

Why do we think our doings were that great?

And then I reflect everything on me and see myself as a web-partisan hiding behind the mask for these long years, which is corresponding with an ad of Laibach’s app which should be downloaded to help me “be a better partisan”. An image of Sisyphus and a novella by Akutagawa, “Dialogue in the Dark”, are also mentioned in this song.

The third song, “Curiosity (Lead Masks)” is a topical song about a creepy story occurred in 1960’s in Brazil. Having read about this story, I was shocked for its desperately tragic character, almost cathartic and sacrificial, while it is most likely to be a murder for money. Such examples teach us that sometimes it is better not to have faith at all than to trust that much.

The final test of your belief

A secret mission of New Dark Age.

How much would you pay for curiosity?

The motive of climbing a hill repeats here and in the previous song, the state of “climbing up” is what I’m currently trying to do, and I experience certain difficulties connected with it.

The final track, “External Approval”, is about motivation and dependence from others’ points of view, about lack of confidence in order not to overestimate myself; and also about the tendency to hold my ambitions. The final words have also been in my head for a long, long time, and finally found their expression. The line “I’d like to hear a new noise” nods towards Tuxedomoon’s “What Use”, which, I dare to say, has quite a similar mood.

Download for free from BandCamp:



 

Or listen to YouTube playlist 

Well, that’s it, I hope you like my new EP. Anyway, your feedback is desperately needed! Please recommend this EP to your friends if you like it. Remember that I need you and

Remain, yours sincerely,

John “Grey Lenses” Grey