Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Instrumental 7" on Stationary Heart Recordings

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John from Stationary Heart wrote me an actual letter (mailed...with a stamp!) about his labels latest release from Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. It's a play on the DJ plain sleeve stamped 7" with the traditional instrumental tracks which eventually became part of the Vs. Children sessions among others. Apparently these tracks existed as instrumentals for a long time while he wrote and recorded the lyrics. They really started out as independent tracks on their own, that might not have ever had lyrics before they became a part of an album...it's an interesting way to look at it...I guess he felt they deserved a life on their own...as almost karaoke versions, or fodder for remix projects, or as in my case, it took me a while to really make the connection with the vocal/album material, they feel so different...definitely Casiotone sounding, starting with catchy sampled break beats, or cheap drum machine. Add subtle, slight synth with quirky time signature change-ups, alien sounds, unexpected pieces right next to each other. That's all there, but minus the story, I was reaching to remember the original.

I've been a fan of Owen from CFTPA since I heard about about his now mythologized conceptual idea of betting someone he could make an entire album with the cheapest Casio available. Ever since that first album the project has evolved of course, but in the best possible way.

I was talking with a friend the other day about that inevitable evolution of a band. The way producers/labels get involved and start introducing instruments and influences to the artist, which changes the sound, in the way they've changed all their other artists they worked with....usually for worse. A 30 piece orchestra is layered into the sound, studio musicians who worked with other greats are brought in for solo's, ...it just seems to always follow that overproduced formula. Unless a band/individual is strong willed enough to say no, or know exactly what they are trying to achieve, then it's going to eventually be a diluted mess...I'm thinking of Bright Eyes, Built to Spill...lately they have lost the things that made me like them in the first place.
This isn't the case with Casiotone...instead it seems to be this ever evolving project, he's willing, maybe even forces himself to take his music in all kinds of directions....soundtracks, ringtones, instrumental recordings. It feels to me like he's more of an artist who happens to record audio. He's ready to change the context and medium for the music, for whatever the situation dictates. A site specific musician if you will.
But this isn't even his first 7" in this direction. He scored the soundtrack for Laurel Nakadate's film 'Stay the Same Never Change', even recording ringtones for the characters in the film...putting it all together for an extensive 7" from OIB Records.
I just love that there are the albums, which are the museum shows...the almost overwhelming side of the artist. It's hard to absorb it all in one sitting...it takes weeks. Then there are these little public projects or individual paintings you can take home for a while, borrow them, live with them, and all of a sudden that album has changed. I got a chance to crack open the journal for a few pages thanks to Stationary Heart.


Stationary Heart has a few of these left, available directly from their website.
Or you can get it direct from Owen along with a bunch of his other 7" experiments.

The Barcelona Chair - ...

I'm going to just come out and say it....yes this is a 12" I know...I must be selling out, I'm corrupting everything seven inches dot blogspot has stood for...give me a break...anyone reading with 12" and feels strongly enough to send a copy for review...well then here it goes:

I've been living with this pretty heavily the last few weeks coming up with a few words about this exceptional release from Barcelona Chair.

First of all I have to note this packaging, I think it really says something about whats in the grooves when every inch of this is stunning....the silkscreened insert on green cardstock , the messy typewriter font, and the clear green vinyl with a print on the opposite side of...actually a Barcelona Chair, screams handmade, and I love the idea of DIY projects like this where the band probably was sitting around for days putting these together. You have to appreciate the artifact and give it time to sink in.

The first track, "Destroy this night" starts with possibly a guitar, but heavily effected, really turning into pure sustained notes. It's really split between the channels, with different dissonances panning back and forth, until one side cuts out its hard to distinguish the layers. This is slightly looped and creates that kind of tension right before more guitar samples work their way in just under the drawn out violin notes. The violin addition to this genre is genius, a unique sound to accompany this instrumental post rock, it has everything those high melodic parts explosions in the sky are trying to achieve with guitar. It's a single expressive changing sustained note, it's impossible not to sound beautiful against the increasingly distorted melodic loops underneath. The near drone over modulated guitar chords, left to slowly play out into feedback, echoing what the violin has been doing all along. It's a great sound... that back and forth of sweeping high melody from both sides that continues through this EP entitled "..."

'Sundaycomedown' starts with a little almost uneffected simple guitar melody then electronic drums break in...a lot like some This Will Destroy You tracks and it's just as jarring... unexpected to hear the cold mechanical beat against this emotional human instrumentation. At times the violin and programming here blend together in a single layer of sound, they start to lose their individual voice and become that great wall of shoegaze knob twisting sound.

This barely prepares you for the Young Sheilds Casiotone for the Painfully Alone cover, which is probably as up tempo as Barcelona Chair is going to get but still has to be a quarter of the tempo of the original, the violin takes the rhythm keyboard's place and works to balance the ominous bass synth chords while Mike Woznesnesky sings, completely buried behind more cavernous reverb. It's a great interpretation, faithful to the tone of the original, but definitely filtered through Barcelona's unique layers of instrumentation.

Little Odessa is the most explosive, but you won't see it coming. A heavy drum track, accented by electronics of some kind and the violin sets this slowcore song in almost Rex territory. It's plodding along while the sustained violin melodies are feeding back on themselves, the echo is always in the distance ever building underneath the surface. Then the whole thing speeds up and explodes with the rush of guitars and a frantic violin, but they don't dwell in the chaos and it's immediately over too soon. Easily my favorite track and is worthy competition to Explosions, or Red Sparrowes while at the same time venturing into Tortoise or Sea and Cake territory...

It's just amazing enough to forgive the vinyl sin of a completely blank B-side...

One of the 499 copies left can be had at their myspace. It's fucking beautiful. And if you could love the baby of Explosions in the Sky and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone then by all means paypal them 10$.

Just so I won't let the tiny vinyl feel left out....CFTPA still has a couple of 7" from his collaboration with Laurel Nakadate - Stay the Same Never Change, the Town Topic EP, instrumental tracks from the film and a tour split single....all available for $5 each from his webstore.

There's 3 so that should make up for it.

PIAPTK has the Casiotone!

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Owen's bedroom heartsleeve electronica and recently he was approached by video artist Laurel Nakadate to score her film Stay the Same Never Change. A lot of her previous work I've seen is about the weird uncomfortable relationships between men and women with a lot of voyerism and general creepiness. So it's kind of appropriate to have an equally nontraditional score. I really hope I get a chance to see this eventually, between this instrumental single and the other on on OIB records you practically have the soundtrack. Owen is insanely prolific and keeps adding instruments and vocalists to his formula of sincere naked songwriting.
Not only that but he keeps popping up on amazing labels that have led me in all kinds of new directions. PIAPTK also just announced this incredible release from Golden Boots who I haven't even heard yet, but was supposed to be part of thir trust subscription series and
this record has a couple of very peculiar qualities:
SIDE A - PLAYS FROM THE INSIDE OUT!
SIDE B - HAS DOUBLE GROOVES that run parallel, meaning that if you put the needle down on the lead-in groove, you will play either the odd or even grooves, and each set of grooves has a different set of songs.


PIAPTK#25 - Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - STSNC Instrumentals 7" - $5
Owen Ashworth (CFTPA) was recently commissioned to do the music for an indie film called Stay The Same Never Change. He wrote all the music, including the ringtones for the character's phones. Owen asked PIAPTK to release a very limited 7" with some selections of this score. We were very happy to ablige. These should be available just in time for CFTPA's
West coast tour that starts on May 21st. However, they are available for preorder right now! He will also have some copies available at the merch table. There were only 300 of these made, all on mixed (random) colored vinyl. These will probably sell out extremely quickly, so order soon.

Casiotone - loves vinyl 7"'s

This was in my email, more 7" vinyl from the hardest working man in the 7" business, Mr Owen Ashworth from Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, he did the soundtrack for video artist Laurel Nakadate's new video. I'm a fan of hers as well and this should be pretty awesome. I tried to email her on her website to reserve a copy of the DVD, but her inbox must be overloaded because it got kicked back.

And I'm told it will also eventually be available here at southern records, so don't blow your wad on the shipping, just try to wait, if you can. This should be a great vinyl only release of stuff that won't end up anywhere else and Owen keeps getting better and better these days with the goves off and any instrument up for grabs.


OIB Records in Brighton, England will be releasing a 7" EP especially for the UK tour. The EP will feature four previous unreleased tracks recorded for the Laurel Nakadate film STAY THE SAME NEVER CHANGE. You can watch the trailer here: http://www.staythesameneverchange.com

Here is the tracklisting:

1. Ice Cream Truck
2. Town Topic (instrumental)
3. I Love Creedence (instrumental)
4. Green Cotton Sweater (version)

"Ice Cream Truck" is streaming now on my page, where you can also see a sneak peak of Laurel Nakadate's cover photography.

The Town Topic EP is a VINYL ONLY RELEASE and won't be available in shops until after the tour. An extremely limited tour edition of the 7" will be pressed on light blue vinyl.

Casiotone / Concern split 8"- PIAPTK series suspended

Good News and Bad news as usual. Good news first.
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone is covering Bruce Springsteen on an 8" lathe cut by New Zealand's very own Peter King. It's a split with his brother's side project Concern. Maybe both tracks listed below are from both of them, collaboration style? Not a lot of details on the site other than it's one sided, and you can pick brown or tan vinyl on the order page.
That's pretty amazing, I don't know how limited this is, but it's only $8 from People in a position to know.
Now the bad news sadly the 8" lathe piaptk subscription series announced earlier last week has been canceled. This release was most likely the first in the 8" series, now available separately. I don't know if people are getting their money back or too many bands dropped out or what, but at least they should be sold individually through PIAPTK's site. I'll keep tabs on future releases.

12.15.07 - Casiotone For the Painfully Alone/Concern Collaboration Square, Brown or Tan Marble 8 & 3/8" vinyl. We are now accepting pre-orders for the Limited Edition, CTFPA/Concern split, which is a one-sided square 8 & 3/8" on Tan or Brown marble vinyl. The records should ship shortly after New Years Eve. It contains 2 Bruce Springsteen covers; Born in the USA and Streets of Philadelphia. CTFPA and Concern (Gordon Ashworth, Owen's (CTFPA) brother) will be doing a Northwest (Anacortes, Portland, Seattle, Olympia, Eugene) tour in early January to celebrate the release. Preorder them on the discography page.

Casiotone & Fox pause split 7

I don't think there has ever been a more limited edition release, that I will own. Well I hope so, I paypaled someone and haven't heard anything back. Well...knowingly that is nothing, why do I even care? Well it just seems ridiculous. A lot more people like these two bands. I think anyone could press a record and sell it to the few people they know and 350. It's like they are just waving them in front of our faces...'yea you probably won't get one', and then they will have a pile in the livingroom. 'What am I going to do with all these?"It's such a mystery, it makes me LOVE YOU EVEN MORE 7 INCHES! I have a problem.

'Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Fox Pause team-up to deliver a tag-team tournament of stripped-down, distorted pop. Utilizing only synthesizers, a pile of mini-amps, and the occasional Radio Shack standard-issue effect, these one-man/woman bands craft DIY-pop that your mind won't be able to shake. His female counter-part, Fox Pause makes her recording debut, delivering witty first-hand accounts of un-requited love and the odder side of humanity. Her infectious pop songs are colored by West Coast culture and people and yet feel at home in Anywhere, USA.
These seven never before released songs of heartbreak, triumph, and cinematic self-doubt are wrapped in a beautiful full-color sleeve, designed by San Francisco's Xacto-wielding tape artist Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough This unique release is limited to 350 copies!'