BLOOD RHYTHMS - CIVIL WAR (Noise/Experimental/Power Electronics/Industrial)

[no part of it]

https://nopartofit.bandcamp.com/album/civil-war

 

BLOOD RHYTHMS is an ongoing and constantly morphing collective spearheaded by veteran experimental artist and Chicago native Arvo Zylo. The unit's new LP, CIVIL WAR began its conceptual impetus before its vinyl debut, 2014's ASSEMBLY, which was a layered whale song / locomotive stomp of brass & wind instruments recorded in a meat locker, released in collaboration with RRRECORDS. In 2010, after a few years of makeshift group performances delivering noisy, loop-based industrial drones as a brass ensemble, and inevitably growing to incorporate a series of damaged synth/junk metal outings, the group's official debut was met with live accompaniment from legendary Chicago avant/industrial/gospel giants ONO. With that, the very beginnings of BLOOD RHYTHMS' new LP, CIVIL WAR, were set into motion.

 

From 2010 to 2016, Zylo exhibited either with BLOOD RHYTHMS or solo, at noise fests, radio stations, or various venues around the country, themes which evolved exponentially. Some of these pieces have been performed live close to fifty times, occasionally with as many as four drummers and a five piece brass section. Words like “cathartic” and “intense” were regularly used to describe the often blisteringly loud affairs-- with contact mic'ed heartbeats, aluminum mic'ed masks, sheet metal, belt sanders, amplified packing tape, and visceral, feedback-laden howls. CIVIL WAR is a studio culmination of nearly ten years of ongoing work; A synthesis of Zylo's main focus, and what has come to be referred to by some as outsider power electronics. The result is something that retains the meticulousness, nuance, and visionary drive of a reclusive studio rat, but without relinquishing the rawness and fortitude of a full group sonic assault.

 

CIVIL WAR features contributions from Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Bloodiest, Corrections House), Mike Weis (Zelienople, Kwaidan), Wyatt Howland (Skin Graft, Blackfire, Nevari Butchers), B. Zimimay (T.O.M.B., Dreadlords), Dave Phillips (Schimpfluch Gruppe, Fear of God), Michael Krause (Death Factory), Daniel Burke (Illusion of Safety), and Richard Syska (Secret Means of Escape, Dummy Antenna). It comes on 180 gram vinyl, and there are standard editions in black, or special editions both with opaque red vinyl or metallic silver ripple vinyl. It is housed in a thick gatefold jacket with a full varnish finish, and  special editions come with a 44 page art booklet which includes collaborative contributions from collage artist Bradley Kokay, and rogue taxidermist Sarina Brewer. Recorded mainly (initially) at Minbal, Chicago by Brian Sulpizio (Health & Beauty), and mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate, Khlyst, NAMANAX). Seven tracks, 38 minutes. Track A3 not for airplay. Edition of 500 copies: 350 black vinyl (180g), 100 opaque red vinyl (180g), 50 silver ripple vinyl (140g). Silver copies come with a unique piece of art.

No download code. No digital. 

www.nopartofit.com   www.nopartofit.bandcamp.com   www.soundcloud.com/nopartofit

[no part of it]

http://houdinimansions.com/features/2020/1/6/interview-arvo-zylo-talks-blood-rhythms-civil-war

 

Interview excerpt:

 

"AZ: There is an aspect of “The Face” that is personal to me. It is partially about the battle between empathy and narcissism. There is the image of the narcissist admiring himself in the mirror, and also the old command phrase “take a look in the mirror”, as if to say that a mirror humbles a person in some way. Some of my most revelatory experiences have been with what they call “mirror scrying”, and I'll tell you, some really unbelievable things happen when one manages to do that at length! In doing so, I see different aspects of myself, and eventually, I'm just sort of experiencing this disconnect, where I'm just observing this strange creature in a window, and I forget that it's me. Characters bounce around in the background sometimes, too.

Not necessarily an inspiration, but I find a kinship with an artist whose name I've never known.  I was a bartender for catering companies in Chicago, and I often bartended at art galleries or fundraisers exhibiting art.  One particular artist layered apparently hundreds of mugshots of abusers transparently on top of each other, and part of his artist statement was apparently about phenotypes; that we all do have a face that perhaps, to some extent, phrenology could measure and predict, despite current claims of pseudo science.  Of course, the notion that some of us were told as a child, that if we keep making ugly faces, they'll be stuck that way, has a different context now.  And there's always the episode of the Twilight Zone, where people wear masks at the request of a dying rich man, in hopes of gaining his inheritance, and at the stroke of midnight, their faces are stuck like that of the mask.

"