After countless remixes and guest appearances, DENEIR releases the his debut solo recording. The 7 track Nowhen EP curves acoustic sounds into new electronic shapes. Nowhen features contributions from The Weird Weeds‘ Nick Hennies, Melk The G6-49’s Karl Hoffstetter and Chris Schlarb. Not to be outdone, the EP also features a rare remix by Warp Records legends, Autechre.

Track Listing
1. Quantum Foam and Non-Spagettification
2. Load Universe Into Cannon. Aim At Brain. Fire!
3. n’exprimez rien
4. The Ten Thousand Things
5. Piaf Peeloff [mp3]
6. The Winding Ladder
7. The Winding Ladder (Autechre Mix)

Written and Produced by DENEIR

Kris Castro- guitar on “n’exprimez rien”
Nick Hennies- drums on “n’exprimez rien”
Karl Hofstetter- drums on “Piaf Peeloff” and “Quantum Foam and Non-Spagettification”
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar on “Piaf Peeloff” and “Quantum Foam and Non-Spagettification”
Giovanni Serrato- field recordings on “The Winding Ladder”

Artwork by Jonathan Dueck

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Washing hither and thither through the rip tide of the Los Angeles music scene, Rare Grooves was formed out of break up of The Widow Babies. Guitarist Danny Miller and drummer Tabor Allen launched themselves into fresh ideas and new singing duties, arriving very quickly at a recording date with their hero and bass master Mike Watt. Produced by long-time collaborator Chris Schlarb, Rare Grooves‘ songs are saturated in bay city sunshine and breezy palm tree shade.

Track Listing
01. Cause For Concern [mp3]
02. No Garden

Tabor Allen- drums
Danny Miller- electric guitar
Andrew Pompey- congas
Chris Schlarb- tambourine, electric guitar solo on “No Garden”
Mike Watt- electric bass

Songs by Tabor Allen and Danny Miller
Produced by Chris Schlarb

Recorded at The Compound in Long Beach, CA. on February 3rd, 2010
Engineered by Jeff Lewis and David Macwean

Artwork and Design by Danny Miller and Tabor Allen

A Co-Release with Papermade Records

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“Song For Charles Rocket” is the high energy, debut recording from Los Angeles-based free jazz ensemble, Destroyer Of Brains. The band features members of I Heart Lung (Asthmatic Kitty Records), The Widow Babies (Ol Factory Records), Breakestra (Stones Throw Records) and Ventriloquists.

Tabor Allen- drums
Danny T. Levin- euphonium, trumpet
Danny Miller- electric guitar
David Moyer- tenor saxophone
Chris Nowak- electric bass
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar

Composed and Produced by Chris Schlarb
Engineered by Jeff Lewis at The Compound in Long Beach, CA.
Artwork and Design by Danny Miller

Track Listing
01. Song For Charles Rocket
02. Love Is The New Black

In the winter of 2007, musician Will Donaldson assembled a music festival so ambitious the rest of the country has yet to catch up. In a pastoral field, on the weekend of December 8th and 9th, Donaldson’s Next To Last Fest brought together iconic hip-hop duo Themselves, beat-maestro Daedelus and transcendent singer-songwriter Diane Cluck with psychedelic rock collective Dark Meat, Elephant Six’s Circulatory System and three Asthmatic Kitty artists: Jookabox, Liz Janes and Chris Schlarb.

Highlights include Themselves‘ “Poison Pit” (with DoseOne’s hilarious stand-up banter), Hope For Agoldensummer’s beautiful and delicate “Love Like A Sailor” and former Dirty Projectors guitarist Spenking’s “Bad Blood Bubble-Up”. Daedelus masterfully mixes disparate elements into a massive 10 minute live mix, “Jerusalem” finds Liz Janes in fine voice accompanied only by her acoustic guitar and both Daedelus, Liz and others join Chris Schlarb for a live interpretation of Twilight & Ghost Stories.

Diane Cluck performs three songs (two from her masterful album, Oh Vanille / Ova Nil) while Circulatory System and Long Legged Woman provide fascinating demos recordings. All together, the album features over an hour and half of live recordings, radio performances and unreleased demos.

The recordings on Next To Last Songs Vol. 2 are smudged with distortion, cracked with wind and alive with the electricity of a unrepeatable moment in time.

Track Listing

01. I’m Not Who You Think I Am (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Diane Cluck

02. Ponta (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Grampall Jookabox

03. Night Court (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Deaf Judges

04. Love Like A Sailor (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Hope for Agoldensummer

05. Boy Moses (Viking Moses cover, live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Spenking

06. (untitled) (Unreleased demo)
Artist: Circulatory System

07. Live at the Next To Last Festival [mp3]
Artist: Daedelus

08. (excerpt) (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Geoff Reacher

09. The Southern Suite (Unreleased demo)
Artist: Here Comes A Big Black Cloud

10. You Devil You (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: themselves

11. Sandy Ree (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Diane Cluck

12. Bad Blood Bubble-Up (Live at WUGA, Athens) [mp3]
Artist: Spenking

13. Home of the Brave
Artist: Ishues

14. Poison Pit (Live at the Next To Last Festival) [mp3]
Artist: themselves

15. Jerusalem (Live at WUGA, Athens)
Artist: Liz Janes

16. My Ghost (Unreleased)
Artist: Long Legged Woman

17. Fourth Night (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Hope for Agoldensummer

18. 1/2 A Million Miles From Home (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Diane Cluck

19. Twilight and Ghost Stories (Live at the Next To Last Festival)
Artist: Chris Schlarb

20. Pony Express
Artist: Daniel Clay

In his first release since 2007’s Twilight & Ghost Stories, Chris Schlarb presents his jazz quintet alongside the analog warmth of fusion trio Nathaniel Frank and the Wisconsin Magic. Each group follows its own muse, with the Chris Schlarb Quintet incorporating loose compositional structures in addition to free jazz mash. Drums, vibraphone, upright bass, euphonium, and dueling electric guitars converge on this unique archival recording from 2003 featuring Noah Phillips, Justice Constantine, Anthony Shadduck, and Danny Levin.

Nathaniel Frank and the Wisconsin Magic, led by their multi-instrumentalist front man, take a hard-charging approach to small unit jazz fusion. Reminiscent of Frank Zappa’s stripped down Hot Rats album, the trio runs through four tight original compositions with time signature changes, inspired melodies, and youthful exuberance.

Chris Schlarb Quintet Credits
Justice Constantine- drums, vibraphone
Danny Levin- euphonium, valve trombone, trumpet
Noah Phillips- electric guitar, electronics
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar, electronics, percussion
Anthony Shadduck- acoustic bass

Produced and mixed by Chris Schlarb
Engineered by Christian Bebawi and Chris Schlarb
Recorded at California State University of Northridge Room 120
November 1st, 2003 from 3pm until 8pm

Track Listing
1. Love Is The New Black [mp3]
2. Near Seven
3. Aleyse (Levin)
4. Two Planes For Elliott Smith
5. Love Is The New Black – Alternate Take

Nathaniel Frank and the Wisconsin Magic Credits
Jay Spanbauer- percussion
Matthew Priewe- bass
Nathaniel Frank- guitar

Recorded live in Nate’s basement by Bryan Rynearson
Special help from Sir Corey Lafontaine

Track Listing
6. Break Down Those Walls Mallory
7. Biamplified Audio Field
8. Attack Octopus
9. Freakish Noise From A Man Less Traveled [mp3]

The debut release from upstart Los Angeles band The Widow Babies could have been alternately titled, “The Lamb Lies Down In San Pedro”. This six song, 13-minute concept album features a brilliantly conceived story that pits Minutemen bassist and erstwhile folkhero Mike Watt against a world domination-minded vampire who looks like Abraham Lincoln.

Produced and recorded by Asthmatic Kitty recording artist Chris Schlarb, the album features tightly focused songs that expand into Brazilian and West African rhythms while the raw energy hints at early influences of The Urinals, Die Monitr Batss and yes, the Minutemen.

Formed in January 2007, The Widow Babies got their start playing DIY venues around Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The four piece bands includes members Danny Miller (guitar), Tabor Allen (drums), Elise McCutchen (vocals), and Neal Marquez (bass). The group met producer Chris Schlarb during the filming of a Sean Carnage production and, becoming fast friends, made plans to record in Long Beach, CA. The group worked quickly and in one eight hour recording session laid down the entirety of The Mike Watt E.P.

Credits
All songs written by The Widow Babies

Produced, recorded and mixed by Chris Schlarb
Design and Artwork by Danny Miller

Track Listing
01. Mike Watt Created The Universe With A Bass Solo [mp3]
02. Vanity Thy Name Is Lincoln
03. Whatchu Thinkin’ Vampire Lincoln???
04. Evil Triumphs Over The Awesome Powers Of Kayak
05. In Which Watt Wins His Hands Back And Basses A River Into Existence
06. Epilogue

A collection of live recordings and trio improvisations with Create (!) saxophonist Peter Chan, Between Them A Forest Grew… finds the group performing songs from their debut recording Blood & Light, the split 12″ with Castanets as well as previously unreleased compositions.

Recorded from 2004 through 2007, Between Them A Forest Grew, Trackless and Quiet is the document of the duet in constant motion. I Heart Lung explores a wealth of improvisational material in addition to studio tracks, old and new, including a sketch from the band’s forthcoming album Interoceans.

Credits
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar, electronics
Tom Steck- acoustic drums, percussion
%with Peter Chan- clarinet, alto saxophone

Produced by Chris Schlarb
Design and Photography by Tom Steck

Track Listing
01. Maleem Ya Maleem* [mp3]
02. The Perennial Affair+
03. If I Were a Young Man Now+ [mp3]
04. Lycanthropy%
05. Useless, Useless%
06. Three (Siblings)+
07. Moving Through Color I#
08. Song of the Boatman on the River Roon+
09. Wheelchair Graduation+
10. Retrospective%
11. Moving Through Color II*

%Live at Bluebird Art Gallery, Whittier, California
Recorded by Chris Schlarb March 6th 2004

#Live at The Dome Room, Long Beach, California
Recorded by Shea Gauer April 23rd, 2005

+Live at High Mayhem, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recorded by Carlos Santistevan July 3rd, 2005

*Live at Portfolio, Long Beach, California
Recorded by Chris Schlarb March 16th, 2007

Press
“[I Heart Lung are] questioning modern conventions… and in the process they are creating music as beautiful as it is challenging. The contrast between hypnotic, driving percussion and susurrus, meditative guitar is a feature of the music. Meditative yet driving, understated and epic at the same time, this is music which courses through the veins as soothingly as an opiate and as sharply as electricity.”- Ian Patterson, All About Jazz

“…you never know quite what you’re in for at an I Heart Lung show– the performances range from free jazz skronkery (”Lycanthropy”) to roaming ambient pieces (”Maleem Ya Maleem”) and frenetic rhythm’n'drone workouts (”Moving Through Color II”). Steck’s drumming is able to stay focused while also including a great deal of embellishment over the top, and the contrast between his active style and Schlarb’s long, arcing notes is the band’s key strength… a solid record for fans of free improv.”- Joe Tangari, Pitchfork

A timeless collection of holiday cheer. Recorded in one afternoon and mixed in another, this five song EP includes four Christmas standards as well as the I Heart Lung original, “Santa Claus Vs. Dracula.”

An album destined to be included in the popular holiday lexicon with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and King Crimson, put this on at your next ornament exchange or Jello-swap and watch eyes, hearts and lungs fill up with the Christmas spirit!

Chris Schlarb- electric guitar, bells
Anthony Shadduck- acoustic bass, bells
Tom Steck- acoustic drums (no bells!)

Produced and Engineered by Chris Schlarb

Artwork by Tom Steck

Track Listing
01. Let It Snow [mp3]
02. Carol of the Bells [mp3]
03. Little Drummer Boy [mp3]
04. Silent Night, Holy Night [mp3]
05. Santa Claus Vs. Dracula [mp3]

Press
“I Heart Lung’s Christmas EP is full of free-form improvisations based loosely on themes from Christmas carols. “Little Drummer Boy” is the most interesting and coherent of the bunch. It takes its time getting around to the theme from the actual song, first delivered on hovering e-bowed guitar around four minutes in. Even then, you really have to concentrate to realize that the drawn-out phrases are echoing the “pah-rum-pah-pum-pums” we’re all used to. 3 out of 5 stars”- Pitchforkmedia.com

ellul’s massive, multilayered debut is born again in a series of specially commisioned remixes. Thavius Beck chops and screws “Esophagus” while Italian electronic duo Mickey Eats Plastic reconstruct “Freedom.” Fellow San Francisco-based artists Radius and Bookworms take completely original turns on their respective remixes while Siamese Sisters surmount a difficult task in re-approaching the delicate and powerful “Fragrance.” A trio of stunning remixes from Blevin Blectum, Deneir and Heezen with Xn. round out an impressive remix EP.

Artwork by Matias Coduri

Track Listing
01. esophagus (Thavius Beck Remix) [mp3]
02. freedom (Mickey Eats Plastic Remix) [mp3]
03. maniacs collide (Radius Remix) [mp3]
04. blood (Heezen with Xn. Remix) [mp3]
05. fragrance (Siamese Sisters Remix) [mp3]
06. enamel on iron (Blevin Blectum Remix) [mp3]
07. around the bend (Bookworms Beck Remix) [mp3]
08. swamp king (Deneir Remix) [mp3]

Press
None at this time.

Recorded in vaulted hill top church, an industrial warehouse, a community center and a living room, up and down the California coast, over the course of five months, ellul’s self titled debut is surprisingly established. Produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb the group added his electric guitar to contributions from Adam Garcia (Timonium, belltower) on drums and Anthony Shadduck (Nels Cline, I Heart Lung) on bass.

Dueling live/programmed drum patterns, shimmering guitar distortions and stunning choral harmonies are unearthed upon repeated listens. ellul have crafted a stunning debut album that reveals heavy doses of progressive electro-acoustic musicianship with each spin.

ellul is:
Joel Brown-Tarman- vocals, acoustic piano, organ, sythesizer, melodica, programming, drums, radio
Joel St. Julien- vocals, electric & acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums, programming

with:
Adam Garcia- acoustic drums
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar, electronics, drums, radio
Anthony Shadduck- electric & acoustic guitar

Produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb
Artwork by Matias Coduri

Track Listing
01. Ballet Faces
02. Maniacs Collide
03. Blood
04. Esophagus [mp3]
05. Listen
06. Freedom
07. Swamp King [mp3]
08. Around The Bend
09. Fragrance
10. Enamel On Iron

Press
“…nothing short of masterpieces of the songwriting craft. This is soul music for the turbulent 2000s. If quality equated with sales then Ellul would sell by the bucket-load… “- Ian Patterson, All About Jazz

“If you can imagine a vocal, instrumental, and lyrical collaboration between Radiohead and Neutral Milk Hotel, I think you’re about halfway to ellul’s sound… There is a beautiful balance of acoustic and electronic sounds throughout… I’m reluctant to highlight individual tracks because I think this set of songs is best enjoyed as a whole. There is a true sense of mood and flow here as one song carries flawlessly to the next… Skipping anything would just be missing out on a strong piece of the album. 9 out of 10″- Foxy Digitalis

“…an enjoyable if not totally surprising debut… the continuum can be more accurately labeled as the kind of not-unknown but not-top 40 version of rock and roll moodiness of bands like the Flaming Lips as well, fitting in a niche while not being entirely part of it.”- Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

“Over time, the LP proves itself as interested in hooks as much as atmosphere. And hooky or not, it is most often beautifully scary.”- Stereo Subversion

“Ellul’s music may be slow and quiet most of the time, but it is engaging enough to resist fading into the background. 4 our of 5″- Owl Magazine

“Ellul have created an utterly surprising collection of songs for their self titled debut album. Ranging in emotion and composition, the album has amazing production values…”- The Deli Magazine

“The production value of the album is stunning. Ellul manages to skirt the line between experimental and minimalist pop, mastering the ability to dip into both sides while maintaining the breathy subtlety that is the band’s signature.”- West Coast Performer Magazine

“Somewhere in between the darker side of late ‘90s indie rock and dissonant shoegaze comes the San Francisco duo Ellul. The band’s self-titled debut was recorded along the California coast in places as diverse as churches, industrial warehouses, and living rooms–which isn’t too surprising given the the guys’ lust for indie guitarscapes…”- XLR8R Magazine

“This is the sound of clouds not burning off. The sound of sleep seeds building up in the corners of your eyes. The sound of that last five minutes and five seconds before your alarm goes off. The sound of empty impossibility and pregnant pauses.”- Music For Robots

“Just another Radiohead rip-off? Only until you grasp Ellul’s reasons for calling its style “contemporary vocal music” by digging into upfront lyrics about “the painful history of a transplanted Haitian son.” Intriguing music and vocals give this debut two legs to stand on.”- East Bay Express