FLIGHT OF THE SOLSTICE QUEENS
A deep dose of sonic escapism served in a variety of flavors, from the layered drone of pure head music to earthy krautrock grooves, full-on noise, and sound collage. With assistance by Michael Shanahan (Reanimation, drums), Jason Mullinax (Pilesar, percussion & acoustics), Gary Rouzer (of Vector Trio, bass & amplified textures), and Jeff Surak (Violet , other). Available for $10 from Zeromoon [here].
"Music that is made with some imagination, and care, and dare. This guy may be all over the place, but he knows what he is doing. An excellent release." -Vital Weekly
"Flight of the Solstice Queens succeeds in inducing a trance-like sensation, even for those who may be less open to non-traditional sounds." -DCist.com
"Music that is made with some imagination, and care, and dare. This guy may be all over the place, but he knows what he is doing. An excellent release." -Vital Weekly
"Flight of the Solstice Queens succeeds in inducing a trance-like sensation, even for those who may be less open to non-traditional sounds." -DCist.com
BARBARIAN FLOWERS: 1987-2009
Not sure if you'd call it a "greatest hits" or a "best-of" compilation, more like a teasing sampler of Blue Sausage Infant through the ages. Thirteen tracks arranged chronologically that capture key evolutionary stops in the journey: the early tape-Dadaism of the '80s, experiments with blended noise+swinging space rock techno excess, the discovery of drone... baby's first steps.
22 years of BSI crushed down into one hour; some are pulled from previous releases and some are brushed off from the dusty archives. To be released in the spring of 2010 as a free download with cover art on Pilesar's fine Chameleon Dish Archives.
22 years of BSI crushed down into one hour; some are pulled from previous releases and some are brushed off from the dusty archives. To be released in the spring of 2010 as a free download with cover art on Pilesar's fine Chameleon Dish Archives.
EGG
"Blue Sausage Infant presents a sigil for Jhan Dean Egg on the tenth anniversary of his death."
2010 Zeromoon netlabel release. Live recording from a performance at the Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring Maryland 14dec08. This one captures the style of the collaborations that BSI and Egg (a.k.a. Haunted Toilet) performed in the 1980s and 90s: Long passages of distorted, pounding rhythms and stabby electronics, with swooning waves of vertigo trance drones. This release contains the full live set, which oddly clocked in at exactly 23:00. Dedicated to Jhan and the Zen Hospice of San Francisco. Available here.
2010 Zeromoon netlabel release. Live recording from a performance at the Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring Maryland 14dec08. This one captures the style of the collaborations that BSI and Egg (a.k.a. Haunted Toilet) performed in the 1980s and 90s: Long passages of distorted, pounding rhythms and stabby electronics, with swooning waves of vertigo trance drones. This release contains the full live set, which oddly clocked in at exactly 23:00. Dedicated to Jhan and the Zen Hospice of San Francisco. Available here.
SCALPELS FOR THE ANIMAL GOD
2009 Zeromoon netlabel release / 2009 Intangible Arts CDR (IA015): The first proper BSI release after an 8-year silence: A proper return to power with three extended pieces of dark drone and noisy paranoid strangeness. "Scalpels for the Animal God" began as a netlabel release on zeromoon, then was remastered and issued as a CDR with a new track (Tactile). Two live performances and one live-in-studio set, all recorded straight from the mixer for enhanced eyelid cartoons.
"Once you get this record glued to your own deck, you may find it hard to pull it off again, feeling yourself drawn inexorably into a devilishly fascinating vortex. Much more structured and intelligent than most ‘dark ambient’ records we have encountered." -- The Sound Projector, 3jan10
"...the missing link between Horizon 222 and zoviet*france." -- Vital Weekly
"Once you get this record glued to your own deck, you may find it hard to pull it off again, feeling yourself drawn inexorably into a devilishly fascinating vortex. Much more structured and intelligent than most ‘dark ambient’ records we have encountered." -- The Sound Projector, 3jan10
"...the missing link between Horizon 222 and zoviet*france." -- Vital Weekly
SUPPLE SUPPLE
Intangible Arts (IA014) - Reissue of the cassette/CDR from 2001.
Heavy analog synth-based trance ambient darkness with moments of krautrock-flavored psychedelia. File under VICODIN ROCK? 47 minute CDR
Heavy analog synth-based trance ambient darkness with moments of krautrock-flavored psychedelia. File under VICODIN ROCK? 47 minute CDR
MOTHER'S MEAT
Intangible Arts (IA013) - Reissue of the cassette from 1996.
46 minutes of experimental compositions and tribal dada using sample loops, analog synth, and sound collage. It's a weird one. 46 minute CDR.
46 minutes of experimental compositions and tribal dada using sample loops, analog synth, and sound collage. It's a weird one. 46 minute CDR.
OWL'S EGG
Intangible Arts (IA012) - Reissue of the cassette from 1993.
CHANGES TO blind+BLUE SAUSAGE INFANT
Intangible Arts (IA011) - Blue Sausage Infant and CHANGES TO blind met in 1992 to perform CTB's sonic tour of a house live at Troy, NY's Last Exit, and to create these improvised studio recordings. CHANGES TO blind is Squidco's Phil Zampino, augmented live with Robin Sumrall, creating organized sound recordings that utilize improvised approaches to create dense and expeditionary works that owe a great deal to the NY Downtown and artists like David Myers (Arcane Device). Blue Sausage Infant is Chester Hawkins' long-running sound project; for the live performance BSI was augmented with L. Pierce on tenor sax.
"House" was a conceptual or thematic work, reflecting various and often absurd views of the various rooms and facets of a house. The piece uses a range of treated and manipulated samples, effected free vocal improv, distant sax ruminations, and BSI's twisted psychedelic drive. These soundboard recordings capture the essence of the performance. The remaining tracks were recorded during the rehearsals for "House," where Hawkins and Zampino improvised freely using similar sound sources without thematic constraint, creating a disturbing set of recordings. Those tracks are epitomized in "Esophagus full of Marbles," a phrase heard early in that recording, an image that well captures the thick gargling sound of their collaboration.
"House" was a conceptual or thematic work, reflecting various and often absurd views of the various rooms and facets of a house. The piece uses a range of treated and manipulated samples, effected free vocal improv, distant sax ruminations, and BSI's twisted psychedelic drive. These soundboard recordings capture the essence of the performance. The remaining tracks were recorded during the rehearsals for "House," where Hawkins and Zampino improvised freely using similar sound sources without thematic constraint, creating a disturbing set of recordings. Those tracks are epitomized in "Esophagus full of Marbles," a phrase heard early in that recording, an image that well captures the thick gargling sound of their collaboration.
MARCH OF THE ZOOITES
Intangible Arts (IA010) - CDR reissue of the 1992 cassette.
Zooites: residents of the Zoo. It was a name meant to belittle and humiliate, but the Zooites bore it with feral pride and wicked abandon. This release contains a suite of transgressive audio rituals which attempt to burn the mind to extract purity. Gunfire, bitter feedback, walls of noise, stomping heavy escapism... and attempts at soaring peace, where the Zooites go to dream after they've scorched the kingdom. Lo-fi, self-indulgent, and crucial.
Zooites: residents of the Zoo. It was a name meant to belittle and humiliate, but the Zooites bore it with feral pride and wicked abandon. This release contains a suite of transgressive audio rituals which attempt to burn the mind to extract purity. Gunfire, bitter feedback, walls of noise, stomping heavy escapism... and attempts at soaring peace, where the Zooites go to dream after they've scorched the kingdom. Lo-fi, self-indulgent, and crucial.
LIGHTHOUSE
Intangible Arts (IA009) - CDR reissue of the 1991 cassette.
Blistering symphonies of feedback and surreal loop-based compositions. Self-indulgent noise for midnight mushrooms. You know who you are.
Blistering symphonies of feedback and surreal loop-based compositions. Self-indulgent noise for midnight mushrooms. You know who you are.
HAUNTED TOILET+BLUE SAUSAGE INFANT: warm human refrigerator
Intangible Arts (IA008) - CDR reissue of the 1991 cassette.
The collaboration of Haunted Toilet (a.k.a. Jhan Dean Egg of Brooklyn and San Francisco) and Blue Sausage Infant (Chester Hawkins, Washington DC) began in 1988. Haunted Toilet's approach to noise music involved an arsenal of toy samplers armed with loops taken from the best of the candy-coated pop music of the '70s and '80s. Abba, Prince, and Cyndi Lauper were frequent targets. The loops were then distorted beyond recognition until they became fiercely bitter, pounding, apocalyptic nightmare gales of ungodly noise.
In these improvised sessions, Hawkins/BSI would often meet Egg's onslaught with an evenly matched arsenal of distorted loops, or would supplement the audio terror with a warm bath of psychedelic ooze. The jams were telepathic and magical and reveled in the sheer JOY of noise. There was laughter in the harshness.
"Warm Human Refrigerator" compiles the best of these sessions, recorded into the night and early morning hours in Egg's Brooklyn apartment, fueled by caffeine pills, hot bagels, and outrageous volume.
The collaboration of Haunted Toilet (a.k.a. Jhan Dean Egg of Brooklyn and San Francisco) and Blue Sausage Infant (Chester Hawkins, Washington DC) began in 1988. Haunted Toilet's approach to noise music involved an arsenal of toy samplers armed with loops taken from the best of the candy-coated pop music of the '70s and '80s. Abba, Prince, and Cyndi Lauper were frequent targets. The loops were then distorted beyond recognition until they became fiercely bitter, pounding, apocalyptic nightmare gales of ungodly noise.
In these improvised sessions, Hawkins/BSI would often meet Egg's onslaught with an evenly matched arsenal of distorted loops, or would supplement the audio terror with a warm bath of psychedelic ooze. The jams were telepathic and magical and reveled in the sheer JOY of noise. There was laughter in the harshness.
"Warm Human Refrigerator" compiles the best of these sessions, recorded into the night and early morning hours in Egg's Brooklyn apartment, fueled by caffeine pills, hot bagels, and outrageous volume.
CAPTAIN SMOOTH WANTS YOU
Intangible Arts (IA007) - CDR reissue of the 1991 cassette.
Recorded in 1990 in the infamous basement apartment in Columbia Heights, Washington DC that Hawkins would baptize as "Groovesville," this release stands as a document of a very strange era in BSI's development... Primal beats, waves of trance-noise, one-dimensional vapor demons living in psychedelic-saturated couch upholstery, amphetamine thumbtacks, hallucinations of ritual sexmagick on the Amtrak line from Syracuse to DC, sarcastic answering machine serenades, lo-fi space-rock hyperdrive sessions while drooling on the floor and nailing thousands of feet of audio tape to the ceiling, controlling indoor fires with tribal mindgames, and ultimately leaving home for uncharted lands........ This was the last BSI product recorded in DC, before the great migration to NY, Arizona, and elsewhere.
A surreal, nostalgic audio notebook of infinite ideas. A dada explosion of loops and drones and riffs and dreams.
Recorded in 1990 in the infamous basement apartment in Columbia Heights, Washington DC that Hawkins would baptize as "Groovesville," this release stands as a document of a very strange era in BSI's development... Primal beats, waves of trance-noise, one-dimensional vapor demons living in psychedelic-saturated couch upholstery, amphetamine thumbtacks, hallucinations of ritual sexmagick on the Amtrak line from Syracuse to DC, sarcastic answering machine serenades, lo-fi space-rock hyperdrive sessions while drooling on the floor and nailing thousands of feet of audio tape to the ceiling, controlling indoor fires with tribal mindgames, and ultimately leaving home for uncharted lands........ This was the last BSI product recorded in DC, before the great migration to NY, Arizona, and elsewhere.
A surreal, nostalgic audio notebook of infinite ideas. A dada explosion of loops and drones and riffs and dreams.
BLUE CLOWN TOILET
Intangible Arts (IA006) - CDR reissue of the 1991 cassette.
Epic collaboration between Blue Sausage Infant, Clowns In Space, and Haunted Toilet. Recorded live at Clown HQ, Washington DC. This release condenses the best moments of this gathering: A purely telepathic group improvisation with monstrous, pounding, sample-based percussion and distorted drum-machines, fuzzed bass riffs, analog synth waves, voices, toys, madness. Picture an unholy jam between Hapshash & The Coloured Coat, F/i, and Muslimgauze.... or something. Wild fun.
Epic collaboration between Blue Sausage Infant, Clowns In Space, and Haunted Toilet. Recorded live at Clown HQ, Washington DC. This release condenses the best moments of this gathering: A purely telepathic group improvisation with monstrous, pounding, sample-based percussion and distorted drum-machines, fuzzed bass riffs, analog synth waves, voices, toys, madness. Picture an unholy jam between Hapshash & The Coloured Coat, F/i, and Muslimgauze.... or something. Wild fun.
HAUNTED TOILET/BLUE SAUSAGE INFANT: sound for dreams
Intangible Arts (IA004) - CDR reissue of the 1990 cassette.
Originally a split cassette. Side one = Haunted Toilet, Side two = BSI. The idea was to present two half-hour interpretations of "dream enhancement music" -- play the cassette on an auto-repeat deck during sleep and let the sounds do a job on your mind.
And yet this is not "ambient" music. Haunted Toilet's contribution is an extended drone piece comprised of loops distorted by toy samplers; a rolling, subconscious perpetual motion study, with waves of church-organ-like tones that surge and retreat. It's a mighty heavy sound, which becomes oddly soothing in its repetition.
Blue Sausage Infant's contribution is typically schizophrenic. At first glance it wouldn't be pegged as "sleep music" but it's the pace that makes it so: Sonic washes of human heartbeat recorded from the uterus, organic throbbing, infinite layers of guitars strummed madly on infinite delay... The effect is very spacious while being rooted in a darkly disturbing place of flesh and organs and blood and sinew. This CDR reissue pairs both tracks in a suite that is unusually sedate for these two noisy characters... but still packs the punch of a surreal underwater pillow-fight.
Originally a split cassette. Side one = Haunted Toilet, Side two = BSI. The idea was to present two half-hour interpretations of "dream enhancement music" -- play the cassette on an auto-repeat deck during sleep and let the sounds do a job on your mind.
And yet this is not "ambient" music. Haunted Toilet's contribution is an extended drone piece comprised of loops distorted by toy samplers; a rolling, subconscious perpetual motion study, with waves of church-organ-like tones that surge and retreat. It's a mighty heavy sound, which becomes oddly soothing in its repetition.
Blue Sausage Infant's contribution is typically schizophrenic. At first glance it wouldn't be pegged as "sleep music" but it's the pace that makes it so: Sonic washes of human heartbeat recorded from the uterus, organic throbbing, infinite layers of guitars strummed madly on infinite delay... The effect is very spacious while being rooted in a darkly disturbing place of flesh and organs and blood and sinew. This CDR reissue pairs both tracks in a suite that is unusually sedate for these two noisy characters... but still packs the punch of a surreal underwater pillow-fight.
INFINITE SKY
Intangible Arts (IA003) - CDR reissue of the 1990 cassette.
TRANCE WARFARE
Intangible Arts (IA002) - CDR reissue of the 1989 cassette.
COMPILATION TRACKS & GUEST APPEARANCES:
2010: "District of Noise Vol.3" CD edition, DC Sonic Circuits. Track "Sodom is Risen" by Blue Sausage Infant. Compilation released to support the 2010 festival.2010: "District of Noise Vol.3" vinyl edition, DC Sonic Circuits. Five tracks (Bark, Gut, Jig, Sodom, Weep) by Blue Sausage Infant. LP of 100 locked grooves, released to support the 2010 festival.2010: "Gone in 60 Seconds" web streaming/download compilation of one-minute tunes, hosted by I HEART NOISE. Track "Krackrock" by Blue Sausage Infant (with Jason Mullinax, voice)2009: "Corn Weenie" compilation CD, WFMU marathon premium curated by station manager Ken Freedman. Track "Corn Weenie: Ephiphany at Port Said" by Blue Sausage Infant.2009: "District of Noise Vol.2" compilation CD, DC Sonic Circuits. Track "Flight of the Solstice Queens" by Blue Sausage Infant. Compilation released to support the 2009 festival. This is a shorter remix of the title track to the "Flight of the Solstice Queens" CD released in the Spring of 2010.2008: "District of Noise Vol.1" compilation CD, DC Sonic Circuits. Track "Nectar of the Dogs" by Blue Sausage Infant. Compilation released to support the 2008 festival.2002: "Krautrock Karnival" compilation CD, St. David's Ambience Society/Future Sound of Exeter. Track "The Devil Himself, Part 1" by Blue Sausage Infant (credited to "Bluesausageinfant"). Compilation released to support the 2002 Krautrock Karnival festival in Exeter, UK.2001: "Cosmic Vibrations" episode 2 compilation published by Krautrocknet. Track: "Embryo Returning" by Blue Sausage Infant1991: track "Locust Dance" by Blue Sausage Infant appeared on split cassette with Haunted Toilet, packaged with issue no.5 of uTOPYa magazine / April 1991 issue.1991: tracks "Secret Ecstacy," "Estrus," "Middle Earth" by Blue Sausage Infant appeared on split cassette with Haunted Toilet, packaged with first issue of Sigillum Uno magazine.1991: "Mollusc" compilation cassette, Intangible Arts / IA005: track "Nerve Jelly" by Blue Sausage Infant.1991: Lida Husik: "Bozo" lp, Shimmy Disc / shimmy046. Guest appearance on tracks "Farmhouse" and "Up"1989: "Media Sabotage" suite by Pythagoras. Split cassette with Haunted Toilet, Lethal Dose Musick / LDM0091989: "Turn of the Grindstone" compilation LP, K.O.City Studio Records / ko14. Credited as "Slug" on the track "Chantilly Stomp" - collaboration with Stolen Government Binder Clip and New Carrollton: industrial funk dance remix of the "Minor Admittance" show by Ferd of Gelatinous Citizen.1988: New Carrollton + Stolen Government Binder Clip: "Minor Admittance" cassette, Zeromoon / zero148a. Collaboration with Stolen Government Binder Clip and New Carrollton (Hawkins credited variously as "Pythagoras" and "Slug") for a live performance at Lee Center, Arlington VA 8march88.1988: "Electricity" cassette compilation, Megalomania Cassettes / MC03. Track "Margarine Cheese" by Pythagoras. Earlier editions of the comp. released under the title "Electricity/Housing."