New England

New England is a 5LP box set celebrating the 20th anniversary of seminal US noise label RRRecords, of Lowell Massachusetts. Featured are 10 artists (weighted toward harsh noise) from the New England area of the US. Each is given one LP side each. 500 box sets were released, each with a unique cover hand-made by one of the featured artists. Examples from five different artists are shown above.

The 50 Brutum Fulmen covers were designed by Jeff and executed by Linda. The covers were spackled, imprinted with the text "NEW ENGLAND RRR:XX" using old wooden type, and splashed with brown stain.

Below are descriptions of the Brutum Fulmen pieces, including track titles which were not included in the hard copy. The full New England track listing follows.

Brutum Fulmen side:

1. Grubs

   Manual typewriters. Cassette tape. Feedback. Metal shelving.

   One of my favorite tracks from the Spork days, for which I'd never found quite the right place to release.

2. Artificial Life

   Source sounds taken from the first performance of George Antheil's infamous Ballet Mecanique.

   Appropriately enough for the RRRecords tribute, this recording was made in Lowell, MA. The "Ballet" is a long and frantic workout for 16 player pianos, percussion, siren, and airplane propellors. I was determined to create a more atmospheric piece, though the material wasn't really well suited for it, especially since I didn't want to entirely obscure the original sounds. I had recorded this in hopes of submitting it to a compilation paying tribute to Antheil, which I never did.

3. Fever Dream

   Live solo improv for feedback, metal, voice, plastic reed.

   Recorded in my basement using some variation of my live feedback setup and a mic feeding a delay effect. Download the full track [9MB].

4. The Apparatus

   Manual typewriters. Metal trash can.

   This was the piece that first got me really interestined in exploring the sounds made by manual typewriters. I created this for an unrealized compilation of music inspired by the writings of Franz Kafka.

   This piece is based on the short story "In the Penal Colony" where The Apparatus is a torture device which inscribes the transgressions of prisoners into their skin. At some point before they die, there is supposedly a moment of enlightenment. The story ends with the warden strapped to the apparatus himself.

   My concept for this piece had something to do with author as penitent, and typewriter as "apparatus" and the act of writing as the sacrifice for enlightenment. Whatever, I liked how the sounds worked out.

Complete track listing:

Side 1: Diagram:A

1. (unknown)
2. (unknown)
3. (unknown)

Side 2: Human is Filth

1. (unknown)
2. (unknown)
3. (unknown)
4. (unknown)
5. (unknown)

Side 3: Karlheinz

1. Right Now!

Side 4: Brutum Fulmen

1. Grubs
2. Artificial Life
3. Fever Dream [9MB]
4. The Apparatus

Side 5: Immaculate:Grotesque

1. September Possession
2. Movement

Side 6: Prurient

1. Three Sisters

Side 7: Can't

1. Like Some Radios
2. Parasitics
3. Lullaby

Side 8: Mr. Brinkman

1. (unknown)
2. (unknown)
3. (unknown)

Side 9: Skin Crime

1. (unknown)

Side 10: Sickness

1. Drown - Sink
2. Drown - Swallow
3. Drown - Suffocate