Crank Sturgeon - Crank Extrapolations in a Sturgeon Plantation (E.F. Tapes)
Made some oatmeal to this tape that my roommate let me borrow. Solid stuff from this strange fish. I really like what I have heard of this era of Crank Sturgeon, where it seems like he knows the weirdness factor is essential for him, but the custom build gear is not yet. As a result, there is plenty of tape creep, guitar noodling and more to be had here. Newer works still dazzle when I get my hands on them but there is just a darkness to this earlier stuff that resonates more with me. Of course, it is easy to forget that Crank rips on record when you consider how outrageous of a spectacle he is in the live arena. That should not be the case though, as tapes like these will slip through the cracks.
Prurient African Division (Hospital Productions)
A quick tape that is good to pop in before a team meeting. Tops the list of "crap sound" Dom for me. Also love the packaging of this mid-2000s era of Hospital, between the ripped logo paper across the tape to the stapled packaging. It makes up for the tape being so short in length.
Government Alpha - Erratic (Xerxes)
Talks of recent Government Alpha seem to suggest that he is actually making the best work of his career nowadays. I am glad to see the project getting its flowers, as it is deserved. That being said, I picked up this very old release before tape prices for this stuff jump to unjustifiable amounts with all this recent love. Upon listening, I wouldn't say people write off these early Government Alpha tapes when talking about his best works. They are simply a different beast.
On Erratic, you see Yoshida working with a mostly harsh palette, but taking some chances I don't really ever hear on the latest stuff. For as much as this tape blasts you with the harsh, it also offers plenty of strange moments of field recordings and tape work. He utilized those sound sources quite well too! So again, two different but equally great beasts this project has been.