Hey Starz,
It’s been a while & I hope you’re doing well. A lot has been going on at Silber, but I’ve been sick with a bronchitis/sinusitis/ear infection that didn’t really respond to antibiotics that has slowed me down the past couple months that I am finally getting over. Getting older & admitting the slow down is hard, but enough excuses & sob stories, on with all the good things happening.
The Droneuary series (a drone piece by a different artist each day) ended up lasting 80 days & you can hear or download the whole thing on Bandcamp at name your own price. It was a lot of fun & I’m planning on doing it again in 2020.
https://silbermedia.bandcamp.com/album/droneuary-2019
It’s been about two years somehow, but I got together a new QRD with 27 interviews with artistic dads, guitarists, record label owners, cartoonists, & touring musicians. Hopefully something for everyone. Probably another issue fairly soon as this fall marks 25 years since I did the interviews for the first issue. If you have any words (kind or unkind) to say about the thing let me know, as it’d be nice to have a little letters section or what have you for the anniversary.
http://www.silbermedia.com/qrd
I finally finished a new issue of my original micro-comic Lost Kisses. It continues the time travel story arc you forgot all about, but has a recap page so it’s easy to walk into. Meanwhile my three year old drone cub made a comic with an all star cast illustrating it like Jason Young, Nate McDonough, Michael Neno, Bob Corby, Kurt Dinse, Eddie Delaney, JM Hunter, Chelsea Fields, Dan McCloskey, Shawn Atkins, & Jared Catherine called In The Spooky Jungle. Lost Kisses is $2 with shipping, Spooky Jungle is $4 or get both for $5 Paypal-ing to silberspy@silbermedia.com
The 5in5 EP series has officially re-launched with new EPs from Bryce Eiman, Ocean in a Bottle, & Day2 Alliance. More info on all of those below & more coming soon from Baptizer, Vlor, & more. Of course you can listen to the entire 5in5 series on Spotify to hear how everyone has faced the challenge over the years.
https://play.spotify.com/user/silberspy/playlist/7ge7yufxSf6IR9Tpu7YIgh
Finally we have a new album from Electric Bird Noise continuing the ambient jazz for art gallery elevators of the last few years, but this time collaborating with drummers. A little more info below.
Here are a few releases from some of our good allies that you might want to check out:
M is We – https://bst009miswe.bandcamp.com/
Irata – https://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/tower
Nonconnah – https://nonconnahordeath.bandcamp.com/album/dead-roses-digged-up-zombies-broken-pieces-of-diamonds-live-cats
There’s other stuff, but that’s enough news for now. Probably some more news & new music in a couple weeks. Thanks for your interest & support, spread the word if you can.
Hrt
Brian John Mitchell
Silber Records
www.silbermedia.com
OCEAN IN A BOTTLE: A Simple Case: I’m sorry… looking at the moon
File Under: Piano, Melancholia, Introspection, Minimalism
Recommended if you like: Brian Eno, Zoviet France, Harold Budd
Following on from his Droneuary release on Silber, “Dawn Chorus”, Manchester based Andy N, aka Ocean in a Bottle, has an entry for the 5 in 5 series. “A Simple Case: I’m sorry… looking at the moon” while still using recorded ambience with live instruments goes further with the five pieces uniting together to tell a fragmented tiny story, taking the listener on a journey across emotions with live rain as bookends of the story & layers of drone like synths & looping piano as symbols of aching sadness & heightened reality stepping into rain building a new reality that one can be more immersed in with more listens.
Listen or download on Bandcamp – https://silbermedia.bandcamp.com/album/a-simple-case-im-sorry-looking-at-the-moon
Listen on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWgtn5vR-euF990OphZMzcjaPFnm-vGlz
Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/3TgGrw6nMMddRVtR9j77yE
DAY2 ALLIANCE: Pardon the Interruption (Commercial Themes Volume One)
File Under: Experimental, Drone, Indie
Recommended if you like: Drekka, music by your friends
It’s kind of embarrassing that the idea of a 5in5 as a compilation came from Day2 Alliance instead of Silber. A compilation to sample some of the flavors of the art collective featuring Drekka, 144,000, Porir Georg, Eating Canada. Minute long ambient soundtracks for spooky moments. Day2 Alliance TV, signing off.
Listen or download on Bandcamp – https://silbermedia.bandcamp.com/album/the-day2-alliance-media-network-presents-pardon-the-interruption-commercial-themes-volume-one
Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/6iADDTn7AKNh1ftDO2QXHu
BRYCE EIMAN: More Than a Second, Less Than a Moment
File Under: Experimental, Noise, Minimalism
Recommended if you like: Nurse with Wound, Nocturnal Emissions, Aube
Silber’s prodigal father Bryce Eiman returns with a new entry in the 5 in 5 series. For those not in the know, Bryce Eiman has been releasing experimental music since 1989 varying from aggressive & caustic to soothing & ambient to rhythmic & danceable both solo & in various collaborations. Since 2008 he’s been the curator of 919Noise & it’s monthly series showcasing experimenters from around the world as well as showcasing local talent & giving an outlet for live performance to Silber artists like Electric Bird Noise, Small Life Form, slicnaton, Konbanwa, & countless others.
“More than a second, less than a moment” is minute long electronic meditations on the lyrics of Appalachian folk songs. Soothing & menacing, just like man’s relationship to both creation & the creator.
Listen or download on Bandcamp – https://silbermedia.bandcamp.com/album/more-than-a-second-less-than-a-moment
Listen on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWgtn5vR-euGniVzZZL7RhLapm5ff4CTC
Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/3PsZnrMnjbztenZK3piHzE
ELECTRIC BIRD NOISE: Hearn-Roberts-Strong-Watts
File Under: Experimental, Ambient Jazz, Outer Space, Minimalism
Recommended if you like: Lubormor Melnyk, Brian Eno
Hailing from America’s party city Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Electric Bird Noise has been Brian Lea McKenzie’s outlet for sound experimentation for 20 years. Varying from prog rock to post rock, new wave to ambient, jazz to noise, Electric Bird Noise has always been uniquely itself.
On Hearn-Roberts-Strong-Watts EBN continues the guitar based ambient jazz experiments for art gallery elevators of the past few years with the addition of percussionists as a natural expansion of the sonic pallet. Shut your eyes and wait for the elevator to let you out in outer space.
Listen or download on Bandcamp – https://silbermedia.bandcamp.com/album/hearn-roberts-strong-watts
Listen on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kvov_nQVNbpmo48B2ILdC3Ww4Bzqi8tbQ
Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ie4phHPFV82JC9EP7zToj