Armchair Migraine Journey - Dying Time Machine

Available at long last: Dying Time Machine, featuring collaborations with Randall Frazier (Orbit Service), Scot Solida (Christus & The Cosmonaughts), Prajna, and Edward Ka-Spel (The Legendary Pink Dots).

DTM is an inspired and deeply personal album started nearly 5 years ago, set aside for a year and completed in 2017, and then set aside for another 3 years. We're proud to finally bring this one into the light.

1.  Rapture of Rupture:

AMJ - pulses, drones, modular, ipad

Randall Frazier - vocals, synths, loops

Ty Hodson - guitar, bass, drums

Edward Ka-Spel - lyrics, inspiration

Mixed by Ty Hodson

2.  Rupture of Rapture:

AMJ - bass, drones, modular, voice

Scot Solida - guitar, rhythms, hammond

Ty Hodson - drums, synths, bell

Prajna - vocals

Mixed by Scot Solida

https://armchairmigrainejourney.bandcamp.com/album/dying-time-machine

New blog: Serge Modular Synthesizer Info

I've started up a new blog focused on the Serge Modular Music Systems. A labor of love, really, for information on the Serge has lately been scattered hither and yon. Some of the best info was in the SMOG and Quadslope forums, which evaporated years ago (there's still an active 4U Format Modules + EMS subforum at Modwiggler). Happily, the Serge itself didn't go anywhere and has even cropped up in new and unforeseen places, including a vibrant DIY community.

Serge Tcherepnine's circuits are pretty legendary, and while some designs have changed over the last 40 years, much of the core stuff that makes the Serge system so great has remain unchanged — so much so that even most of the oldest catalog descriptions are still relevant.

And that's where my labor of love began: collecting those various catalog details into a single place, which ended up being a monstrous spreadsheet. I finally decided to migrate that info to a blog format, and then that awoke my hunger to have fresher, deeper information on the Serge. And here we are.

I've only begun writing up detailed walkthroughs of the Serge, with pretty oscilloscope images, patch tips with diagrams, and explanatory video demos. I also recently reconnected with cebec from those halcyon SMOG and Quadslope days, and he has graciously offered up his archive of patch suggestions & explanations from those groups for me to cull for future blogfodder.

Check it out here: https://serge.sublevel9.net/

New gradenko album: NOVI NORI

I'm excited to announce the first gradenko album, available now at bandcamp. NOVI NORI, a love note to Krautrock, was recorded last winter and seems fitting to see release now with winter fast approaching.

Mastered by Randall Frazier (Helmet Room Recordings, Orbit Service), with artwork support provided by Chris McBeth (Beta-lactam Ring Records, Armchair Migraine Journey).


All songs written and performed by gradenko
Recorded Feb/Jun 2015 & Nov 2016-Feb 2017 at sublevel9 studios
Mixed and Produced by Ty Hodson
Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room

Ty: photography, design, layout
Chris: photo treatment

gradenko.bandcamp.com/album/novi-nori

square_wave / Prajna - Inside Suns, Perfect Gaze

BlRR recommended! Edition of 250 copies with the first 100 numbered.

Available Sep 15. Split release by square_wave / Prajna. Two long lovely, floating tracks.

1.  square_wave - Lovers Slumber  (21:59)

Ty Hodson - monome, estate sale records, synths, percussion, vocals, mix

Prajna - supine presence, rummaging

Drifting through mists hanging heavily on forests coming to life under sun-kissed clouds, playful Oni lure lost children. 

2.  Prajna - Want to Need  (20:34)

Prajna - bowed and tapped violin, gas tank bells, vocals, processing, mix

Ty Hodson - field recording, processing, mix

Slipping like ghosts through thousand-year-old monastery walls, crossing hidden courtyards where Buddhist monks make their cell phone calls.

Ty Hodson has released music under the square_wave moniker since 2007, having released four albums on his sublevel9 studios imprint. On the side, he writes and records under the name gradenko, with a post-rock/prog album slated for future release on Beta-lactam Ring Records. Ty also represents one half of Armchair Migraine Journey.

Prajna has appeared previously on Armchair Migraine Journey’s ‘Blood Coupling Magnet’ on vocals alongside Soriah. "Want to Need" is her first published solo work.

Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room

Chris: artwork, design, layout

https://squarewavehq.bandcamp.com/album/inside-suns-perfect-gaze

Edward Ka-Spel / Armchair Migraine Journey - Transmit Acoustique Abstraction Three

Issued Sept 15th to coincide with the N. American tour of The Legendary Pink Dots and Orbit Service. An edition of 111 copies available on the tour with 39 copies available via the label mail-order (first edition of 150). Packaged in a French Black six panel CD case. Two years in the works and finally seeing the light of day. 

“Infernal Machine” a collaboration with Edward Ka-Spel and Armchair Migraine Journey delves deep into a psychedelic swirl of sounds. 

“Strands That Bind”, a new track by AMJ dives slowly into a sea of ambient drones and passages and develops along its 24-minute journey into an almost metal machine music dirge. 

1. Edward Ka-Spel / Infernal Machine: 

Edward Ka-Spel - vocals, synth noodling 

AMJ - drones, synths, processing 

Ty Hodson - drums, vocoder, processing 

Mixed by AMJ and Ty Hodson

2. Armchair Migraine Journey / Strands That Bind: 

Ty Hodson - guitar, drums, synths, processing 

AMJ - synths, drones, theremin 

Randall Frazier - The Voice of …? 

Mixed by AMJ and Ty Hodson 

Includes deconstructed elements of ‘Magnetic Blood Drowning’ with Peat Bog (Earthmonkey) and Randall Frazier (Orbit Service)

'Infernal Machine' by Edward Ka-Spel, AMJ, Ty Hodson 

'Strands That Bind' by Ty Hodson, AMJ

Mastered by Randall Frazier at Helmet Room

https://armchairmigrainejourney.bandcamp.com/album/transmit-acoustique-abstraction-three

AMJ to open for select LPD shows Sep/Oct

The Legendary Pink Dots are about to begin their Tour Aquarius 2016 with Orbit Service. Armchair Migraine Journey will also open for select shows, beginning with the first two shows of the tour: Portland (Sep 15) and Seattle (Sep 16). Other dates to be announced. The full Tour Aquarius schedule can be found at legendarypinkdots.org.

Armchair Migraine Journey - Blood Coupling Magnet

New album! Spacerock guitars, juicy dark drones, psych drums, dense otherworldly atmospheres, Tuvan throat singing, evocative Eastern drones, a lilting mantra for rebirth... A sonicosmic journey of endings and beginnings... Two epic tracks featuring guests Peat Bog (Earthmonkey) and Randall Frazier (Orbit Service) on one, and the vocal talents of Soriah and Prajna on the other. Edition of 450 numbered copies packaged in a custom gatefold book bound sleeve. Also, an edition of 50 numbered and signed copies with a bonus CD-Record of exclusive music (CD playable with an included adapter on a turntable) plus an original art print by AMJ. Available to order at Beta-lactam Ring Records.

"The emphasis is definitely on the “Journey” as mysterious drone-meets-psychedelia act Armchair Migraine Journey embarks on this new trip. Beginning with a medley of dark ambient drones, buzzes, fades and washes, MAGNETIC BLOOD DROWNING, the initial offering on the two-track Blood Coupling Magnet, lays on thick atmosphere before coalescing into a dark psych-rock jam backed by distortion-drenched drums. In the fashion of the best and most “out there” prog, it effortlessly skirts the line between noise and melody; just when you think things are turning into a morass of self-indulgent feedback, the guitar pulls back just enough to get your head nodding again to the moody Krautrock-inspired rhythm. The second composition, REBIRTH BLOOD ΩM, shifts even more drastically, traveling further out into the sonic and philosophical void. Industrial rock drums and heavy overdriven guitar chords straight out of some early Pigface demo open things before suddenly giving way to the gentlest ambient, delicately drawn out chiming tones over a quiet heartbeat punctuated by heavy breaths. Soon, the otherworldly growling trance-drone of Tuvan throat-singing—courtesy of Soriah's Enrique Ugalde—brings the ethereal down to earth. A Buddhist mantra, sung by Prajna, forms the backbone to the song's latter half, as the throat-singing takes turns with a fuzzed out, effects-drenched tanpura to follow the melody of the chant, drifting in and out of harmony with Prajna's voice. Cosmic, earthy, ominous, uplifting and even spiritual, Blood Coupling Magnet is sonically fascinating, but more than that, it's emotionally affecting. Plenty of experimental music can manage to do interesting things with your head (especially if you're that breed of music nerd that likes to spend time thinking about experimental music) but Blood Coupling Magnet works its way into your gut, too.” --Matthew Johnson

AMJ: sounds electronic, sounds imaginary, sounds found

Ty Hodson: rock and roll music, electronics, analogue processing

Peat Bog (Earthmonkey): guitar, atmospherics on MBD

Randall Frazier (Orbit Service): atmospherics on MBD

Soriah: vocals on RBΩ

Prajna: vocals on RBΩ

All songs by Ty Hodson/AMJ 

Mastered by Randall Frazier at helmet room 

AMJ: Artwork, design, layout

https://armchairmigrainejourney.bandcamp.com/album/blood-coupling-magnet