Infinite Number of Sounds Rec.Co.

First volume of new series by Oblique Orchestra now available!

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:04:59 -0400

It is the end of the wonderful Summer of 2009 and we are happy to present the first volume of explorative improvisations by Cleveland�s Oblique Orchestra! Oblique Orchestra is a free-improvisation group of extraordinary skill and talent. They have an extensive catalog of recordings of live performances spanning several years. This first recording represents a collection of trio performances recorded at the 1Way, a monthly event at the AllGoSigns Factory in Cleveland, Ohio, featuring Dan Wenninger (Saxophone), Carmen Castaldi (Drums) and Bill Nichols (Double Bass).

Trio Sessions Live Vol. 1 is available on both standard and deluxe formats. The deluxe version includes three additional tracks, totaling to over 30 more minutes of improvisations!

Electric Grandmother's Entire Catalog Available Now!

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:35:46 -0400

Fueled by the same fire as punk rock legends like the Residents and the Queers, Columbus, Ohio's Electric Grandmother has made a name for himself through years of DIY recording or and lo-fi shows that demonstrate his passion and recollection of our youth. EG, aka, Pete Faust, has been on our radar since the beginning and when Dave and I first heard that his previous label, All Hail Records, was having some trouble, we swept in to offer him a new home.

In a fury of encoding, we are very excited to unleash his ENTIRE CATALOG - that's right - 5 full albums of what has come to be known as SITCOM-CORE! All are available in both standard and deluxe formats, with our normal pricing scheme and his latest album, The Stenographer's deluxe version includes 8 exclusive bonus tracks that have never before been released.

Download 'em all at http://www.infinitenumberofsounds.com/electricgrandmother !

CWQ and medjool added to the INS family

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:05:41 -0400

Straight out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Creamy Water Quiz (CWQ) drops a lo-fi electronic timebomb on our unsuspecting fans. We first met Adam Walker through his work with Detroit's Twilight Babies and were thoroughly impressed with his production chops. With CWQ he teams with long-time collaborator Ryan Delano to utilize classic synths, ancient midi-less drum machines, cheap guitars, even cheaper basses, samplers, and far too many effects, they create exploratory, ambient-electro-rock improvisations.

We're happy to release their new collection - Flojo, Loco y Enigm�tico.

But that's not all - we also have new work from Jeremy Bleich who has graciously allowed us to release a self-titled collection of work from his exotic 5-piece Sante Fe group medjool. The 8 tracks on on this release mix "the traditional rhythms and melodies of Arabic and Gyspy music with Western harmonies to create an atmosphere that is both traditional and experimental."

Third INS Album Available Now!

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:19:12 -0400

The Island of Misfit Noise is the third official full-length release from media-art performance group Infinite Number of Sounds. This collection of edgy electronic compositions represents the music Brent Gummow and David Mansbach performed live as an electronic duo, then as a trio with Jeremy Aker between the years 2007-2009.

Download now in both Deluxe and Standard formats!

Live Webcast Tonight - New INS Release on Saturday!

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:20:49 -0400

Infinite Number of Sounds, the band, will be doing a live webcast show tonight from our living room in Lakewood, Ohio. Stop by http://www.infinitenumber.com at 10pm EST (Tonight - Thursday, March 12th) and enjoy the set! There is a playlist of old classics and random video footage playing throughout the day as we wait for the live broadcast.

Also - we are VERY excited to announce that the third and final new Infinite Number of Sounds release will be available on Saturday. Entitled "The Island of Misfit Noise", the album will only be available in digital formats. A B-sides collection entitled "Curio" will follow and be released in a few months. Stay tuned for more details!

Great Trepanning Reviews!

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:54:57 -0500

Music Zeitgeist, a premier music blog from Los Angeles - http://musiczeitgeist.com - posted a fantastic review of the two Trepanning trio discs. Check it out!

ALBUM REVIEWS: Trepanning Trio�s dual release I Am A Crooked Arrow and The Man Killed The Bird
Posted by Truffle Jones

The conceit of Trepanning Trio is that they play only instrumental compositions on classical, traditional or homemade instruments. And while this type of endeavor is usually steeped in academia and its requisite accompanying pretension, this self-dubbed �avant-chamber ensemble� manages to avoid such mantles by taking a garage approach to their material.

The results are badass.

The brainchild of David Mansbach, an autodidact multi-instrumentalist composer and producer (who, Will Hunting-like, learned about classical and world music by raiding local libraries for stacks of dusty CDs which no one ever signed out), TT achieves accessibility by never pretending to be something they�re not. By simply refusing to acknowledge they�re not ethnomusicologists or first-chair orchestra members, they�re free to perform as they see fit, the only rule being that their contributions meet the mettle of Mansbach�s inventive and precise compositions. Not dissimilar from Rachel�s, who take inspiration from worlds larger than their own, TT�s music springs from an almost punk-rock desire to chart unknown territories from musicians who�ve tired of inhabiting all-too familiar states.

Though that proposition is both dangerous and suspect, Trepanning Trio�s offerings are frequently cinematic and arresting, from the dream-like waltz of �I Wonder If They Will Eat The Rest Of Me,� � the lead track from I Am A Crooked Arrow � to The Man Killed The Bird�s subterranean noir, �Lucy Toes (Take 2)� � which evokes Ascenseur pour L��chafaud-era Miles Davis rubbing shoulders with Portishead. The moments are rare between these two albums where you�ll think to yourself that you�ve �heard this all before� � such is the benefit of TT blending their rock, punk, jazz, electronic and classical chops outside normal environs.

I Am A Crooked Arrow feels to be the more concise of Trepanning Trio�s dual release by way of six same-era tracks, which are essentially violin-based kissing sisters capable of being grouped into a single suite. Even so, there aren�t any lazy repetitions to be found here. The haunting �Eleanor Rigby�-like theme of �Lament (Don�t Go Alone)� is related to the post-overture operatic breath of �The Inevitable Return� in primary instrumentation only. The Astor Piazzolla-influenced �The Lightning Rod Salesman (Parts I, II and III)� reinvents itself with startling Mexican horns partway through before descending into an urgent, repetitive theme, which builds then simmers�before all hell breaks loose in a wholly unexpected manner.

Lest the sturm und drang become too much, �Danielle�s Elephant Song� � a jaunty reprise � and the whistle-based �Sherpa�s Song� ensure sunny moments for the listener en route to the album�s standout track, the delicate and very aptly titled �As If Simply Holding Hands Could Keep The World At Bay.�

Having started as a trio and then swelling Broken Social Scene-like to include 14 contributors from North America and beyond, Trepanning Trio visits other lands entirely on The Man Killed The Bird, with instrumentation exploding to include kalimba, viola da gamba, ukulele, flower pots, guzheng and a �long stringed thing.� Compositions are longer and more sophisticated here, but no less engaging.

On �Nocturnal,� a dark exploration in a Shakti-like frame, Jeremy Bleich wields an Oud � a stringed instrument with roots in ancient Mesopotamia, said to be created when Lamech, the sixth son of (the biblical) Adam, was inspired by the shape of his dead son�s bleached skeleton hanging from a tree � now how rock & roll is that? �Seven And Eight,� so named for its alternating time signature, lopes hypnotically for almost two minutes before kicking in, transforming into a disconcerting yet elegant crepuscular symphony. �Freediver,� �Kalimba Song For Baby Rabbits Wearing Owl Masks� and the caravan-esque �Balinese Love Song� are other star attractions. And between �Mountain Alchemy� and the aforementioned �Sherpa�s Song,� one has to wonder if Mansbach might not be on a crusade to recapture common whistling from the likes of Guns n� Roses, Bobby McFerrin and Peter, Bjorn And John.

Trepanning is the act of drilling a hole into a human skull, exposing the dura matter which covers the brain. Though modern science doesn�t agree, the effect was originally believed to release evil spirits, and more recently, to increase blood volume to the brain, resulting in a perpetual high. To adventurously inclined listeners, the music of Trepanning Trio might very well accomplish both. With the nuanced groaning, knocking and chirping of their instruments and with themes both bold and subtle, Trepanning Trio has harnessed unique, artful experiences with the release of these two albums.

For fans of Shakti, Mogwai, Rachel�s, Album Leaf, Barry Adamson, et al � 5 Stars

For people who listen to NPR, shop at Whole Foods, have art museum memberships or have seen Yo-Yo Ma live � 5 stars

For people who patronize independent coffee houses, ever bought tablas, or have tied themselves to trees� 5 stars

For musicians with ethnomusicology degrees stuck playing keys for up-and-coming emo bands � 5 stars

For people who liked Amnesiac and Kid A when they came out and weren�t just saying that � 3 3/4 stars

For people who bought a Radiohead record, loved it � then bought a Tortoise record and pretended to like it � 1 star

Trepanning Trio CD Release Show!

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 09:32:11 -0500

David Mansbach met with John Panza of Heights.Arts.Radio to talk about Trepanning Trio and its Friday, February 13, double CD release at The Beachland. Listen to the interview here: http://heightsartsradio.blogspot.com/

New Release by Jeremy Bleich

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:36:18 -0500

It is one month after the grand launch of the new INS Rec. Co. store and Dave and I are already proud to announce our first album release of 2009. Birth bassist Jeremy Bleich has graciously allowed us to distribute a new collection of music that he composed for Circus Luminous in New Mexico! We think it's very cool, we hope you like it too!

While you are expanding your boundaries... check out our other exclusive digital releases: To Mock and Love by Nemo Nemon and Antecedent by Ancillary.

Our last piece of big news: The group below will represent Trepanning Trio (plus 7) at the big album release show on Friday, February 13, 2009. It's going to be a VERY interesting group:

David Mansbach, Cleveland, Ohio - Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Stem Glasses, Melodica
Ron Tucker, Brooklyn, New York - Drums, Percussion, various key and mallet instruments
Bob Drake, Cleveland, Ohio - Various hand-made acoustic and electronic instruments, Banjo
Andrew Ludick, Kilkenny, Ireland - Kalimba, Ukulele, Percussion, Melodica and Harmonica
Kris Morron, Cleveland, Ohio - Guzheng and Trombone
Dan Wenninger, Cleveland, Ohio - Saxophone
David Badagnani, Kent, Ohio - Accordion, Oboe, English Horn, Fiddle & Viola da Gamba
Tyler Horter, Cincinnati, Ohio - Guitar and Banjo
Eric Alleman, Cleveland, Ohio - Keys and Percussion
Brent Gummow, Cleveland, Ohio - Video

This show will be at the Beachland Tavern, in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, February the 13th, 2009. Ancillary will also be performing a short set on that night as well to help promote his release.

Grand Re-Launch

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:11:25 -0500

Greetings fellow music lovers! Dave and I have spent the last several months working diligently on several projects, including this online store for the Infinite Number of Sounds Recording Company. In addition to our previous CD releases, we're offering two brand new CD releases and two new digital-exclusive releases, but that's not all!

INS Rec. Co. is proud to announce that we've jumped into the world of digital music sales with both feet. But what does this mean?

We understand that "music ownership" has changed. People have the opportunity to download music for free and we certainly understand the allure. However, keeping that in mind, we also understand that more discerning listeners want to get the maximum quality available. These listeners want to hear all the sonic craftsmanship that exists in a recording. Therefore, in an effort to appease both audiences, we've decided to release all seven albums in not one, but two different digital "flavors".

For those unfamiliar with our artists, or with less demanding listening needs, we are offering each album in the "standard download" version. These mp3's are encoded at an industry standard 128kpbs mp3 format. This flavor will be offered on an honor system of "pay what you like". Many acts have been trying this lately and it has worked to varying degrees. With our version, when you "purchase" one of our standard downloads, you will be able to select the price you'd like to pay from a drop-down menu. You can download these for free with no guilty feelings, or you can choose to pay up to $5 for the album.

Why only $5? Glad you asked. These are the full albums in mp3 format, they include artwork all conveniently packaged into a zip file for easy download, but they are still only 128kpbs mp3s. If you are willing to spend more money, we want to give you a superior product. This is why we are also releasing each album as a "deluxe download". These album tracks are encoded at the maximum bit-rate possible for the mp3 format - 320kbps! But wait, there's more! In addition to more than doubling the sound quality, we are also including exclusive bonus tracks for each release! So not only do you get better quality of music, but you also get more of it! Some releases even have more extras including videos, additional artwork, and assorted "easter eggs". So how much will all of this run you?

INS Rec. Co. is proud to offer every album in its catalog as a deluxe download for only $7 each! And if CD's are still your thing, we are remaining true to our philosophy of "fair to the artist/fair to the consumer" and keeping prices at $10/ea., but now with free shipping! So please browse through our artist pages using the links to the left and drop me a note if you have any questions!

Sincerely,
Brent Gummow
Infinite Number of Sounds
Recording Company
brent@infinitenumber.com
http://www.infinitenumberofsounds.com