SABBATICAL
COMPACT DISC SERIES
CASSETTE SERIES
VINYL SERIES
SHOP
BLOG
PO Box 504
Carlton South VIC 3053
Australia
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
SBB016 Various Artists Knife Culture: Buried Melbourne
Sabbatical is proud to present Knife Culture: Buried Melbourne, a double disc compilation housing 29 examples of buried Melbourne sound. The intention with Knife Culture is to profile Melbourne-based artists and projects we are collectively enthused with, and whom we feel are not being adequately recognised or documented elsewhere.
Knife Culture: Buried Melbourne
Two professionally pressed CDs
Twenty page booklet
Hard cardboard box
Artists featured:
AUTOMATING / AUX ASSEMBLY / SEAN BAXTER / BLEACH BOYS / BONE SHERIFF / MITCHELL BRENNAN & FJORN BUTLER / MATTHEW BROWN / ROD COOPER / CLEANINGLADY / DEAD BOOMERS / DEFAULT JAMERSON / DICK THREATS / DOTÅBÅTÅ / EBOLA DISCO / JUSTIN K FULLER / FTRG / MARCO FUSINATO / GALACTAGOGUE / JUDITH HAMANN / JUAREZ / KRYSTOFFKRVSTOFFISTON / STEVE LAW / ROB MAYSON / PSYCHWARD CULT / KRISTIAN M. ROBERTS / JAMES RUSHFORD & JOE TALIA / SCREWTAPE / WIFE / WORNG
Edition of 500
Released: June 2011
SBB015 Dead Boomers Family Money
Dead Boomers is a duo comprised of Mark Groves and Leith Thomas, both members of True Radical Miracle and operators of the Sabbatical label. Conceived initially as an easy outlet for the duos interest in contemporary nasty noise and binge drinking, recent activity has expanded the sound palette to take in additional repulsive capabilities of the selected instrumentation. This instrumentation is essentially comprised of accumulated analogue junk and garden variety rock apparatus. The resultant smut is centred squarely on metal abuse and screaming distortion, with cruelly minimal compositional ideas employed to establish structure. Family Money follows a short run double cassette on the Sabbatical label from 2009 titled Sharon Stone/Michael Douglas. Expanding on ideas from this earlier release, Family Money is comprised of edited live takes recorded at Melbourne’s PBS Studio 5 for broadcast on the program Ear of the Behearer. Recurrent throughout these pieces is a sinister narrative concerning a boomer seachange, and the abuse of privilege.
Edition of 200
Released: January 2010
PIVIXKI is a world-first melding of physical pianistic acrobatics and blitzing grind drumming, courtesy of musical chameleon Anthony Pateras (Tzadik, Editions Mego) and Max Kohane (punk/grind royalty from Agents of Abhorence, Cut Sick, George W Bush and Far Left Limit). From spacious doomscapes to blasting textures, this disc presents a unique take on the jump-cut duo format, exploding with ear-wrenching intensity and classy performances. Recorded at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s studios in Melbourne by master Melbourne avant-engineer Chris Lawson, and mixed by Chicago legend Casey Rice, this is a must for those who love their music fun, confronting and slightly insane.
Edition of 200
Released: August 2009
SBB013 James Rushford & Joe Talia Palisades
Palisades is the debut release by Melbourne based duo James Rushford and Joe Talia (SBB013). These gentlemen are active in an eclectic range of creative contexts, with sound as a shared recurring filament. This cavernous electroacoustic fabrication finds its heart in exploration of the unforeseen voices of their selected instrumentation and devices. These include prepared violas, autoharp, spring reverb tank, and various metal objects. The ensuing extended compositions incorporate elements of ethereal drone and instrumental concrète, with stasis as a recurring theme.
Edition of 200
Released: May 2009
Juarez is the solo project of Jessica Pinney, and Revontulet (SBB012) is her debut release for the Sabbatical label. This is a dark electroacoustic work centred on processed analogue electronics and the layering of rich vocal lines, generating an eerie intimacy that is equally inviting and unsettling. The four extended pieces comprising Revontulet were tracked and mixed by Marcus Cook at Head Gap in Preston, Victoria during July 2008.
Edition of 200
Released: December 2008
SBB011 Green Beret Self-titled
Green Beret documents an ongoing collaboration between three Melbourne based artists active in a range of contexts: Justin Fuller, Arek Gulbenkoglu and Henry Krips. This self titled work consists of two extended pieces recorded at MPS studio in 2007, hinged on deep electroacoustic explorations rich in gesture and texture. These three practitioners have been good friends for years, and despite extended periods of inactivity as a trio since the group first began in 2004 (largely the result of a mixed bag of creative involvements elsewhere, and the wonderful time consuming realities of adult life), these works bear the mark of a shared language built over time. Abrupt shifts in tone signal the application of this language, providing indication of agreed movement. At various stages these points may mark distinct tonal change, a reduction in activity (revealing the inner workings of these compositions), or an invigorating escalation in intensity. These transfers are not the core characteristic of this work however; it is an expansive assembly of concurrent electric drones that truly defines the sound of Green Beret.
Edition of 200
Released: August 2008
SBB010 Absoluten Calfeutrail & Blarke Bayer Conflict Resolution Seminar
A live in the studio collaboration between Absoluten Calfeutrail (Mark Groves) and Blarke Bayer (Ben Andrews) Conflict Resolution Seminar offers five violent harsh noise and monstrous electric drone takes, at times also pushing towards terrain associated with present day power electronics. Text used as the basis of vocal content was appropriated from the corporate context, and deals with leadership, management and the resolution of workplace conflict. Listeners struggling with the expectation to exercise assertive behaviour and settle absurd disputes between colleagues during business hours should pay attention. Tracked and mixed in April 2008 by Marcus Cook (Default Jamerson) at Head Gap studio in Preston Victoria, during a windstorm that tore sections of the studio roof off and created intermittent brown-outs. Nature may have sought to sabotage, but this work exists regardless.
Edition of 200
Released: June 2008
SBB009 Default Jamerson Stable Government and Adequate Sanitation
The past couple of years have seen a gradual honing of Marcus Cook's work as Default Jamerson. From his early distortion-drenched industrial estates, recent releases on labels such as Diagnosis... Don't! and Isolated Now Waves (in addition to a number of self-released efforts) have pursued a more tone-driven pure ambient path. Stable Government and Adequate Sanitation comes as a neat distillation of this activity, comprised of a range of components now familiar within Cook's work. Brilliant tone vapours glide and lethargically evolve, largely defining the spirit of this extended piece. This is no bliss-out mind you, as throughout proceedings diseased dives in pitch intrude and trouble the wash. Occasional deep rumblings also swoop into view, at times leading to an ominous atmosphere and augmenting the scope of this spacious composition.
Edition of 200
Released: March 2008
SBB008 Pikelet Pre-Flight Jitters
Following a warmly-received self titled album on Chapter Music, Evelyn Morris presents a new collection of Pikelet material for Sabbatical titled Pre-Flight Jitters. This EP was recorded at Head Gap studio in Preston with Marcus Cook in May 2007, with production duties handled by Evelyn and Marcus. While the narrative elements of her self-titled debut are largely absent here, vocal harmonies continue to play a key role alongside melodic cycles and deceptively complex rhythms. Pre-Flight Jitters also pursues some unexpected textural qualities and compositional approaches, while maintaining the rich layering typical of Evelyn's recent work.
Edition of 200
Released: February 2008
SBB007 Maximum Awesome Maximum Awesome
Maximum Awesome is Michael Bray (Snap! Crakk!, Jemima Jemima) and Jarrod Zlatic (Fabulous Diamonds, Oh! Belgium etc), two restless artists often found residing continents apart but sharing much in spirit. Maximum Awesome is a live in the studio document of a brief period of intense activity in which Bray returned from abroad and resumed this duo project with Zlatic, utilizing his command of keys and delay. Recorded by Marcus Cook at Headgap, these four extended electronic meditations pulsate and fold over in a gorgeous fashion. This is truly a welcome balm for the anxious, taking in a remarkable expanse of terrain. Mare Tranquillitatis!
Edition of 200
Released: September 2007
SBB006 Naked on the Vague Sad Sun
Following a warmly received debut 7” on the Dual Plover label, Sad Sun finds our hosts Lucy Phelan and Matthew Hopkins building an edifice of tense ambiance. Stuttering and severe machine rhythms anchor many of these looping arrangements, pointing to an unexpected industrial undercurrent within the duo’s sound. These throbbing components are positioned adjacent to comparatively serene and reverberant corridors, exemplified by the delay-saturated title piece closing this EP. Four of these dark, alluring compositions were captured by Marcus Cook of Sabbatical at the Headgap Studio in February 2007, while the stunning title track was recorded by the duo themselves in Sydney.
Edition of 200 SOLD OUT
Released: August 2007
SBB005 Bone Sheriff Moonee Ponds
Bone Sheriff is made by blending the finest quality contact microphones and pure ground tone generators and is enjoyed in so many ways by millions of consumers each year. This perennial 'Winter Warmer' is the perfect way to relax on the long dark evenings. Some of the most stylish bars are now creating new drinks by exploiting the, perhaps, unique potential of Bone Sheriff. Not to be outdone, the current generation of chefs have smuggled Bone Sheriff into the kitchen to bring the smooth, rich ginger flavour to any number of dishes, sauces and puddings.
Contrabass, mandolin, melodica, ride cymbal, Stones Green Ginger Wine, splash cymbal, Turkish wok, floor tom, keytar, lap steel, tone generator, Coopers Sparkling Ale, broken amplifier, contact microphones, ring modulator.
Bone Sheriff is Robert Mayson (Grey Daturas, Whitehorse, EOH, It's Is, Maggoted) and Simon Taylor (Whitehorse, Malakat, EOH, Hommes). Three extended pieces comprise Moonee Ponds, recorded late night by Marcus Cook at Head Gap studios in Preston late 2006. Moonee Ponds follows Huh Again, a 2006 3”CDR on Mayson’s own Diagnosis… Don’t! label.
Edition of 200
Released: April 2007
SBB004 Absouten Calfeutrail Total Scum Materials
Total Scum Materials is the debut solo release from Northcote resident Mark Groves (Whitehorse, True Radical Miracle). Recorded during Semester 2 2006, synth-muck, spring reverb cracks and MS20 headaches characterize these demented Vangelis gunk bursts and Frostwave tantrums. The skuzzy error bank on offer is clearly perceptible: audible mobile phone interference peppers opening tirade ‘Tenant Howl’, while loop start/end points hiccup and derail the drones under ‘Perpetual Quandary’. Maybe that kind of garbage is your thing. Maybe you like to hear broken, wasted sounds. Hey maybe you would even like to hear a grown man impotently rage against a real estate agent! Black comedy! Proceedings conclude with a totally diseased take on the USHC classic ‘Negative Approach’. Cover art by Seldon Hunt.
Edition of 200
Released: April 2007
SBB003 Aux Assembly Even Cowgirls Get Dementia
Five apparitions, five hazy hallucinations borne from considered gesture and calm contemplation. Even Cowgirls Get Dementia is the debut release from duo Aux Assembly - Elise Bishop (On, Badcopbadcop) and Dimitra (Archaic Forms). This gathering of phantoms meanders in, quietly rearranging the furniture until a moment of recognition, followed by mesmeric observation. Although primarily a tranquil affair, the tempest associated with the previous output of these artists is given some opportunity for release, creeping up slowly in the ascending drone of ‘Accordion Madness’ and crashing down in the concluding feedback squalls of ‘Battlesub Galactica’.
Edition of 200
Released: November 2006
SBB002 Mof Far Far Rah Little More
Mof Far Far Rah a.k.a. Moth Tha Tha Ra is Christopher LG Hill, Northcote local and member of numerous units (Bohemian Knights, Castle Mice, Paeces, MofHoprah, KkrissKkristofiston, Dumb Crystals, Allley Oop, Galatick Locksmith and Slotholith) associated with Sean Bailey’s Inverted Crux label. Little More is Chris’ first full length as Mof Far Far Rah, following a series of self released CDRs (and several variations on his moniker). Structurally Little More is simply described as a dense library of vocal miniatures leading toward a comparatively expansive concluding piece. This portrayal reduces Little More however, for the trail through these 75 growing odds and ends reaches from fragments of necro-growl through Eye-shriek to reverb-drenched moans and onward. By number 75 growth reaches a whopping thirty seconds, but is then dwarfed by 51 minutes of a monolithic planet teeming with gorgeous commotion. Ever seen a scaled diagram of our sun next to red giants like Betelgeuse or Antares? That’s what this feels like. Beautiful cover art developed in collaboration with Josh Petherick, and in accordance with instructions utilising the same blue as the back of the Carpenters Greatest Hits.
Edition of 200
Released: November 2006
SBB001 True Radical Miracle Roaches Parts 1 & 2
A companion piece to the 2006 full length album Cockroaches (Missing Link), two-track EP Roaches (SBB001) collects improvised material generated during the Cockroaches sessions with Neil Thomason and Brent Punshon at Sing Sing South in late 2005. This side of True Radical Miracle is rarely seen, and in fact has only been attempted publicly once in Brisbane as a part of a national tour surrounding the release of Cockroaches. In this mode the group’s distinctive rhythmic crux is abandoned in favour of an isolated drift. This is in keeping with the loose thematic approach of the album, expressing another dimension of the alienation and remoteness that is the foundation of Cockroaches. The two numerically-titled pieces comprising the Roaches EP are devoid of vocal input from Mark Groves, opting instead here for simple effected oscillators, and drummer Evelyn Morris shifts to piano, exploiting various elements of the instrument. Leith Thomas allows his bass to rumble and ring out, while Scott O’Hara revisits the diminutive guitar manipulations not heard since his early solo recordings and collaborations in Adelaide.
Edition of 200
Released: November 2006