artist: VARIOUS ARTISTS
title: A Cleansing Ascension
label: Elevator Bath
format: CD
country: USA
title: A Cleansing Ascension
label: Elevator Bath
format: CD
country: USA
Track list:
1. Matt Shoemaker: Waning Ataraxia
2. Adam Pacione: Soilbind Morning Glory
3. Jim Haynes: Like A Thief In The Night
4. Keith Berry: Toward The Blue Peninsula
5. Rick Reed: The Fiery Sound Of Light
6. Dale Lloyd: Our Morphosis
7. Colin Andrew Sheffield: For Today
8. Francisco López: Untitled #194
9. James Eck Rippie: Hidden Mirrors
10. Tom Recchion: Drift Tube
"On the occasion of Elevator Bath's 10-year anniversary, the label has issued its first
collection of new material from 10 artists currently involved with Elevator Bath.
A Cleansing Ascension includes previously unreleased recordings from: Matt
Shoemaker, Adam Pacione, Jim Haynes, Keith Berry, Rick Reed, Dale Lloyd, Colin
Andrew Sheffield, James Eck Rippie, and Tom Recchion.
This is the ideal introduction to the label, offering a particularly cohesive yet varied
selection of works from some of the brightest names in the experimental music
community. Uneasy narrative, warm ambience, rusted drones, sine waves, field
recordings, meditative composition, plus a glorious photograph on the inner sleeve
(taken by Colin Andrew Sheffield's father in 1971) can all be found in this single, beautiful
package. Elevator Bath = A Cleansing Ascension.
As always, packaged inside two elegant, printed sleeves (this time in full color) with
soy-based ink on 100% recycled paper." (Elevator Bath)
"They don't make compilations like they used to; but this one from Elevator Bath is
certainly an exception to that rule. A good percentage of the currently released
compilations tend towards collections of impossible to find rarities (at best) or (at worst)
a random assortment of tracks which never quite made it onto proper albums, so why not
lump them all together on some disposable compilation with the good tracks just ending
up on the iPod anyway. But there was a day when labels took the job of curating
compilations very seriously with the artists rising to the task as well. One can think back
to the Perspectives And Distortion comp from Cherry Red back in 1981, or the eccentric
electronics on The Elephant Table Music Album, or those weird comps on United Dairies,
or even 4AD's Lonely Is An Eyesore. Dare it be said that A Cleansing Ascension might be
one of the few modern comps that even comes close to those seminal compilations of
post-punk atmospherics and obscure experimentation. Elevator Bath was birthed in
Texas, although relocated to Seattle in 2004; and this compilation marks the 10th
anniversary of the label, which has quietly and consistently released an excellent body of
deep drone construction, damaged plunderphonic collage, sound ecological research,
and even a few things which are down right sublime. The heavy hitters on A Cleansing
Ascension are LAFMS ring-leader Tom Recchion and the globe trotting field recordist
Francisco Lopez (operating here in a more musique concrete guise), with plenty of
Aquarius favorites as well: Keith Berry, Adam Pacione, Matt Shoemaker, and aQ's own
Jim Haynes. Shoemaker opens the album with a synthetic soaking of midrange din and
drone immaculated sculpted in a blur of mottled hiss. Pacione, Keith Berry, and label
boss Colin Andrew Sheffield conjure the more lush moments of Eno's Music For Airports
with remarkable flare for restraint through their smoke & mirrors. Haynes does his best
Organum impersonation with a cranky motor rumbling beneath a hallowed gasp of refined
long-form tones. Rick Reed moves from a Delia Derbyshire squiggle into a deep
reverberant belllow. The vastly under-published Dale Lloyd generates a thick rumble
dappled with bristled electronics and distant Andrew Chalk-ish half melodies. James Eck
Rippie turns toward a clank and clamor of found objects scraping across the patina of
vinyl surface noise and Phillip Jeck stabs at turntable manipulation. Tom Recchion's
maudlin lullaby reconstitutes haunted melodies of ye olde carnival into a beguiling
conclusion to the compilation. While each track is quite solid, the album also flows very
well, with somber drones dominating the palette of sound although similar themes and
complimentary sounds seem to return after small detours towards the heavy, the oblique,
and the desolate. Highly recommended!" (Aquarius Records)
1. Matt Shoemaker: Waning Ataraxia
2. Adam Pacione: Soilbind Morning Glory
3. Jim Haynes: Like A Thief In The Night
4. Keith Berry: Toward The Blue Peninsula
5. Rick Reed: The Fiery Sound Of Light
6. Dale Lloyd: Our Morphosis
7. Colin Andrew Sheffield: For Today
8. Francisco López: Untitled #194
9. James Eck Rippie: Hidden Mirrors
10. Tom Recchion: Drift Tube
"On the occasion of Elevator Bath's 10-year anniversary, the label has issued its first
collection of new material from 10 artists currently involved with Elevator Bath.
A Cleansing Ascension includes previously unreleased recordings from: Matt
Shoemaker, Adam Pacione, Jim Haynes, Keith Berry, Rick Reed, Dale Lloyd, Colin
Andrew Sheffield, James Eck Rippie, and Tom Recchion.
This is the ideal introduction to the label, offering a particularly cohesive yet varied
selection of works from some of the brightest names in the experimental music
community. Uneasy narrative, warm ambience, rusted drones, sine waves, field
recordings, meditative composition, plus a glorious photograph on the inner sleeve
(taken by Colin Andrew Sheffield's father in 1971) can all be found in this single, beautiful
package. Elevator Bath = A Cleansing Ascension.
As always, packaged inside two elegant, printed sleeves (this time in full color) with
soy-based ink on 100% recycled paper." (Elevator Bath)
"They don't make compilations like they used to; but this one from Elevator Bath is
certainly an exception to that rule. A good percentage of the currently released
compilations tend towards collections of impossible to find rarities (at best) or (at worst)
a random assortment of tracks which never quite made it onto proper albums, so why not
lump them all together on some disposable compilation with the good tracks just ending
up on the iPod anyway. But there was a day when labels took the job of curating
compilations very seriously with the artists rising to the task as well. One can think back
to the Perspectives And Distortion comp from Cherry Red back in 1981, or the eccentric
electronics on The Elephant Table Music Album, or those weird comps on United Dairies,
or even 4AD's Lonely Is An Eyesore. Dare it be said that A Cleansing Ascension might be
one of the few modern comps that even comes close to those seminal compilations of
post-punk atmospherics and obscure experimentation. Elevator Bath was birthed in
Texas, although relocated to Seattle in 2004; and this compilation marks the 10th
anniversary of the label, which has quietly and consistently released an excellent body of
deep drone construction, damaged plunderphonic collage, sound ecological research,
and even a few things which are down right sublime. The heavy hitters on A Cleansing
Ascension are LAFMS ring-leader Tom Recchion and the globe trotting field recordist
Francisco Lopez (operating here in a more musique concrete guise), with plenty of
Aquarius favorites as well: Keith Berry, Adam Pacione, Matt Shoemaker, and aQ's own
Jim Haynes. Shoemaker opens the album with a synthetic soaking of midrange din and
drone immaculated sculpted in a blur of mottled hiss. Pacione, Keith Berry, and label
boss Colin Andrew Sheffield conjure the more lush moments of Eno's Music For Airports
with remarkable flare for restraint through their smoke & mirrors. Haynes does his best
Organum impersonation with a cranky motor rumbling beneath a hallowed gasp of refined
long-form tones. Rick Reed moves from a Delia Derbyshire squiggle into a deep
reverberant belllow. The vastly under-published Dale Lloyd generates a thick rumble
dappled with bristled electronics and distant Andrew Chalk-ish half melodies. James Eck
Rippie turns toward a clank and clamor of found objects scraping across the patina of
vinyl surface noise and Phillip Jeck stabs at turntable manipulation. Tom Recchion's
maudlin lullaby reconstitutes haunted melodies of ye olde carnival into a beguiling
conclusion to the compilation. While each track is quite solid, the album also flows very
well, with somber drones dominating the palette of sound although similar themes and
complimentary sounds seem to return after small detours towards the heavy, the oblique,
and the desolate. Highly recommended!" (Aquarius Records)