Paisley Babylon Dream Surgery Single

Dream Surgery by Paisley Babylon is a quite surreal experience. Nearly six minutes of electronic bliss recorded in Keflavik, Iceland in 1999 during a blizzard, this track was definitely influenced by the weather, the constant darkness in Iceland that time of year, and the lava fields stretching endlessly across the countryside.

Paisley Babylon specializes in electronic ambient journeys, experimental soundscapes, and more traditional sounds in the Morricone soundtrack vein. There’s also more than a hint of Stereolab and Coil influence here with a dash of Throbbing Gristle thrown in for good measure.

Dream Surgery has more structure than some of the other sounds on the album this was released on, Midnight Hallucinations, but there is definitely a trippy vibe going on here. This track is probably not right for road trips–it INDUCES highway hypnosis instead of driving it away. Never mind the surgery games, this track is all about the anesthetic.

This is the first post in a series of experiments to get projects like Paisley Babylon some wider exposure among people into sounds like these…Turntabling Records plans to offer these tracks as downloads direct from the site once our digital download interface is ready–we present this track via iTunes.

Download Dream Surgery in MP3 format via iTunes. Dream Surgery is a single track available for .99 cents. You can also explore the rest of the album, Midnight Hallucinations.

An Experiment With Music

Some regular Turntabling readers know that Turntabling isn’t just a blog, it’s also a micro-label featuring projects including Paisley Babylon, Thelema USA, Electronic Penis Choppers and other unusual electronic music delights.

I’ve long been fascinated by the decline of the music industry, the rise of the independent artist, and the whole indie music scene in genearal. From fascinating indie labels like Beta-Lactam Ring Records to the insanely prolific Legendary Pink Dots, there is plenty of life in indie music even as the majors crumble into nothing.

But I personally haven’t seen any site that has really taken full advantage of some of the tools and tricks other online retailers use to sell Widget X or Service Y. I have a theory that with the right kind of presentation, even a teeny tiny more or less unknown micro-label like Turntabling could get some new fans by presenting music in interesting, left-of center (but fan-friendly) ways.

So Turntabling begins an experiement with the micro-label stuff.

We’ll be posting a variety of individual tracks, singles, EP packages and full albums available for purchase and digital download. No postage to worry about (yet–we plan on offering some flexi discs and other novelties at some point) just pure digital downloads. At a buck per song, what’s the risk?

The toughest part about any experiment like this is cross-referencing unfamiliar music with better known artists to give people an idea of what to expect. Some Paisley Babylon tracks sound like the two-headed mutant offspring of Nurse With Wound and Brian Eno. Electronic Penis Choppers can be Aphex Twin-esque, but veer off into Coil territory with regularity. Thelema USA has an sinister ambient vibe but also winds up in Coil’s musical zip code…

But suffice it to say that this experiment will be quite interesting from both a musician point of view and a music sales point of view. It’s tough to make any kind of living at all from music, art, any creative pursuit. I’m hoping that this experiment gives Turntabling Records projects some added exposure to people who would enjoy these sounds and become part of the audio cult that is Turntabling Records.

Off we go!

–Joe Wallace

Rek-O-Cut Portable Vinyl Record Lathe

Yes, I’m obsessed with these portable vinyl record cutting units! I fully intend to purchase the first multi-speed unit that works I can find, and start cranking out strange lo-fi electronica. In the meantime I have to content myself with viewing vids like this and trolling places that might sell a unit like these:

If you happen to be selling a unit like this or want to chat about record lathes in general, please drop me a line…would love to get price lists or learn more about DIY record cutting.

Turntabling Presents Homeless Download: Chicago Indie Electronic Compilation

A hand-crafted and hand-lettered CD case, plus a dozen tracks of curious, left-of center electronic music from Chicago is what you get when you buy Homeless Download, the new compilation project from Turntabling.

Homeless Download features 12 tracks from a variety of Chicag0-based electronica projects including Paisley Babylon, Electronic Penis Choppers, Thelema USA, Satan’s Tea Boy VS. Toilet, and a surprise appearance by Texas sound manipulators Post-Mortem Telepathy.

Homeless Download ranges from Aphex Twin-style bouncy synth to distorted, near Power Electronics type electronica and a few shades of grey inbetween. This album is definitely the soundtrack to some kind of futuristic big screen madness, we’re just not sure what.

At press time this release is ONLY available as a physical CD purchase via Etsy.com in the Turntabling shop. It is a limited edition package, hand-crafted and lettered. No more than 250 of these editions will be made. Each one is hand crafted to order and may require 2 weeks to complete and ship based on order volume.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Robes Off
– Thelema USA

2. Ever Hear Me Screaming?
– Paisley Babylon

3. I Did I Number Two for the Republican Party
– Electronic Penis Choppers

4. Do You Question the Religion?
– Paisley Babylon

5. French Kissing Jack Kervorkian
– AUDITORTURE

6. Eternal Surveillance
– We Are Delicious

7. Play Now, Honey
– Satan’s Tea Boy Vs. Toilet

8. Watching The Golden Girls On Ketamine
– The Velvet Underdog

9. The Naked Pentagram
– Thelema USA

10. Cream Fist
– Murder City Devils

11. Savior Noise (Epic Quarter Hour Version)
– Paisley Babylon

Plus one “hidden” track by Post-Mortem Telepathy.

All material is copyright 2011 Turntabling Records except Post-Mortem Telepathy which appears courtesy of the individual artists.

The Latest Madness from Turntabling Records

Turntabling Records, our Chicago-based micro label, has been busy busy. Here’s a sample of the latest project, a little electronica studio band called CUDDLY ANTICHRIST. This video is a short sample of the work being done, soon to be unleashed (inflicted?) on the world in the usual places.

Cuddly Antichrist sounds like what The Orb would have become if Alex Patterson was a habitual shroom eater and Aleister Crowley devotee. Enjoy another feature from the chemical drive-in: