Saturday, November 17, 2007

Hello, everyone. Despite appearances Rebis is not dead, just waking from a long and much needed slumber. We're coming back feeling reinvigorated, rejuvenated, refreshed, ready and rarin' to go... you get the idea.

Good things are coming, we promise. In the near future expect Rebis releases from Number None and TorlesseSuperGroup (Roy Montgomery's new project). Further on the horizon are some other things we're very excited about. Can't say much right now, except damn! There's a lot of great music in our own backyard here in Chicago!

In the meantime, there's a brand spanking new slice of droney goodness from Rebis house band Number None on our friend Rob's superlative State Sanctioned Recordings label out of the UK! It's a split with Family Battle Snake, heirs apparent to the psychedelic drone mantle once worn by Double Leopards, Taj Mahal Travellers, and other first explorers of murky sonic waters. Number None contribute 4 new tracks of some of the deepest black hole sonics they've yet produced. It's all beautifully packaged in an astounding design by FBS's own Bill Kouligas. You can order copies from us, or talk to State Sanctioned in the UK.

If you made it to the merch table during Fugue State then you've already made the acquaintance of our friend, Chris Sienko. Recently, Chris undertook the arduous task of reviewing the entire Rebis back catalog, and shares his opinions here. Well measured, at times brutally honest, and frequently hilarious, we here at Rebis HQ alternately wept and pissed our pants as we read this!

In other Number None-related news, expect forthcoming full-length releases on American Grizzly and Apostasy, as well as the long-awaited Anemone Lodge ep, a collaboration between Number None and Beautiful Outlaw (see also Cave of Time, The Opera Glove Sinks in the Sea), curators of Bezoar Formations out of SF. And keep your ears open and an eye out for the pop drones of Flux Bouquet, a new project featuring Rebis roustabout Th' Exceptional Child and Unseen/Unknown (aka Steve Fors), who have been playing a bit around town lately.

posted by Th'ExceptionalChild   

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Friday, June 29, 2007

(Click on image for larger version as a PDF)

Schedule, band bios, etc., can be found here.

Of the fest, Time Out: Chicago writes:

How much mileage can you get from an endlessly sustained note? How far do you need to go? The drone will get you there. And back again. Associated with Indian ragas, Scottish bagpipes, American minimalism and the bowed strings of old mountain music, the drone is an elemental—perhaps the elemental—fact of so many types of music that it's the aural equivalent of oxygen. You never notice it. It's just there, like the 60-cycle hum of the refrigerator.

Yet, rather than be considered as a component, the drone is the whole raison d'être for Fugue State, a two-day festival featuring local acts committed to the drone in its every variation. Organized by Chris Miller and Jeremy Bushnell of Chicago’s Rebis Records, the event argues for our city as a major contender in the genre's international scene. Highlights are sure to include an opening-night performance by Dreamweapon, the best-loved and least-recorded--well, so far unrecorded--group in town. The ensemble, which features the members of Town and Country as well as a rotating cast of additional players, flips the switch on its other band's acoustic premise and reaches for an amorphous, yet enveloping, sonic glory. Also catch The Zoo Wheel, the ever-thoughtful project of Town and Country/Dreamweapon member Liz Payne, as well as NYC transplant and Rhys Chatham regular David Daniell.

With so many acts each night, it's tempting to come late. But be sure to make the effort early Friday for Miller and Bushnell's own outfit, Number None. The pair combines elements both traditional (harmonium, Tibetan singing bowls) and nontraditional (field recordings, digital manipulations) to create its own stunning version of the new electronic sublime.

Hope to see folks there!

posted by jpb   

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Friday, June 15, 2007

The Rebis-curated Fugue State—a festival of "expansive music"—coming up later this month at the Empty Bottle, now has a dedicated page with artist bios, links, etc.

Check it out: http://www.imaginaryyear.com/rebis/fuguestate/

Hope to see some of you there. Tickets are now available at the Empty Bottle website, for those of you who want to get a jump on such things...

posted by jpb   

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Wednesday, May 09, 2007

We're overjoyed to finally be able to announce Fugue State, a Rebis-curated 2-night festival of "expansive music" (drone, for you thicker types) taking place at the Empty Bottle club in Chicago, IL on Friday, June 29th, and Saturday, June 30th. Fugue State is a celebration of experimental long-form music in all its many manifestations, as interpreted by some of Chicago's most innovative musicians. An eclectic array of approaches to sound forging will be represented over these two nights, ranging from harsh noise to deep drone to gentle melodicism; from crafted composition to spontaneous improvisation, often within a single set. Five acts will perform each night, each performing a single long-form piece.

To sweeten the pot even further, a visual art component of the artists' choosing will accompany each act. Some acts will present visuals of their own creation, while others are collaborating with a visual artist to provide accompaniment to their live set. A variety of media will be represented, including film, live video manipulation, and other forms of visual expression. Here's the line up:

Tickets are available at the Empty Bottle website. Admission is $12 for a single evening, or $20 for both nights. Posters, programs and t-shirts will also be sold.

See you there!

posted by Th'ExceptionalChild   

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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Greetings to Time Out: Chicago readers new to the site. As a special "hello," we're offering a few one-week-only sales to Chicagoland residents only.

First we'll be offering Lead Into Gold, a 2-disc compilation of fine drones from around the world. Chicago's well-represented on this pair of discs, which features tracks from The Zoo Wheel (Liz Payne from Town and Country), White/Light, and a collaboration between Bird Show and Lichens. Normally it'd be $18, but we're offering it this week for $15. And the postage is on us.

Our second deal is a two-disc package: White/Light's self-titled debut and Number None's most recent full-length release for Rebis, Urmerica. Individually, these discs sell for $14 each—a total of $28—but take advantage of this package deal and we'll pass them both off to you for just $20. Chicagoland residents only, please.

Also, you can get added to the Friends of Rebis mailing list by sending an e-mail request to rebis@imaginaryyear.com. The very occasional mailings we send out will give you the early heads-up about forthcoming releases, free MP3s, and upcoming performances by label members and allies. If you were to sign up today, for instance, you'd soon get an e-mail about Number None's show next week at Danny's Tavern. (See the sidebar calendar, above, for more details on that.)

posted by jpb   

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Thursday, March 08, 2007

A few new Number None shows coming up in and around the Chicago area. This Saturday they'll be at a house party in Evanston (at a place called the Optima Shithole) and then performing an early show at the Empty Bottle on Sunday.

Also, the first wave of reviews of Roy Montgomery's Inroads are now up on its catalog page... and don't forget that two MP3s are available on the sounds page, if you want to see what all the fuss is about.

posted by jpb   

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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Chicago lovers of heavy guitar drone action would do well to brave the miserable weather that's afflicted us this week and get on over to the Empty Bottle for tomorrow night's show, where White/Light will be opening for guitar-drone godfather Rhys Chatham (performing as the Rhys Chatham Guitar Trio). Rob A A Lowe, aka Lichens, will also be performing.

Both Lichens and White/Light are represented on the still-in-stock Lead Into Gold two-disc drone compilation: copies will likely be on sale at the show, but out-of-towners can always buy one from us direct for the staggering price of $18 (postpaid!).

posted by jpb   

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