Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
A composition for five shakuhachi that was inspired by a profound literary experience. When composer and performer Devon Osamu Tipp read Yoshimoto Banana's novel "Argentine Hag," they experienced a sort of two-way deja-vu; Tipp felt an inkling that events that occurred within the book's plot might happen to them in the future, or had perhaps … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Devon Osamu Tipp – Smell of the Sun 太陽の匂い
Experimental trio I4A specializes in winding vamps that traverse peaks and valleys. "Fence of Pearls," the longest track from the group's new release, I4A 2--which is saying something when the shortest one clocks in at 7:26--is a radiant musical monolith. It takes its time to build up from a base of gentle strums, cycling through … Continue reading Daily Yinz – I4A – Fence of Pearls
Every so often, you come across an album that truly confuses you. Stabscotch's PRISON JAR is one of those albums. Prison Jar sounds like the narrator from Naked Lunch holding court on Instagram Live, ranting into the mic and noodling on a keyboard while a grindcore band plays behind him. On the album, the four … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Stabscotch – XALLELUJAH DÆMON
Water armor, a side project of FLOOR BABA, sets aside the former's hyper-expressive video game sounds for something a bit more meditative. Where FLOOR BABA's chiptune synths and frenetic beats bring to mind images of sleepover-happy middle schoolers crushing energy drinks, button-mashing XBOX, and hurting themselves on a friend's trampoline, water armor's most recent release, … Continue reading Daily Yinz – water armor – My Reflection
Experimental artist David Bernabo recently released the latest installation of his That's What They Told Me series (Ongoing Box), which features sound collages built around recordings from the Library of Congress. After digitally crate-digging his way through Georgia and Montana, Bernabo finds himself in New Jersey, land of casinos and beaches, birthplace of the great … Continue reading Daily Yinz – David Bernabo – Tabernacle to Mount Holly, 1983
On their second album, fittingly titled Cartoon Forest II (Crash Symbols), ambient trio Cartoon Forest meld computer sounds with nature sounds to hypnotic effect. Recorded in a cabin way up north in Harborcreek, CFII contains eight tracks full of drifting, faded tones augmented by squelches, clicks, gurgles, and the occasional birdcall. The atmosphere is muffled, … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Cartoon Forest – The Unknown
Glitchy, gothic duo Hemlock For Socrates recently shared a remix of "warren," a track from their 2019 album, Paper Animals. The remix holds on to the original track's insinuating sense of obsession (when vocalist Heather Shore sings, "I won't hurt you," you're not sure if it's a promise of devotion or some You-level shit), but … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Hemlock For Socrates – warren-abyss mix
Six O'Matic, an experimental artist whose compositions range in style "from ambient to Appalachian," released his latest album, The Mayor of Yesterday (Wild Kindness), in December. Where Six O'Matic's last release, 2019's Aging, comprised a series of glacial drones, Mayor plays out like a funhouse ride, with bagpipes, digitized drums, and electronic wobbles all competing … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Six O’Matic – The Mayor of Yesterday
Although she may currently reside in New York, multimedia artist Corrine Jasmin has strong Pittsburgh ties, having been a fixture in the city's creative community before relocating. Jasmin's debut EP, Fever Dream Insomniac (released in November), explores themes of reckoning--with self, with grief, with love--through an immersive blend of spoken word, hip-hop, and electronic styles. … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Corrine Jasmin – Missed Connections
Alma Maru is a two-piece experimental outfit comprising Ryan Unks and Nathan Berlinguette, both of whom are veterans of Pittsburgh metal bands Creation Is Crucifixion and The Human Quena Orchestra. The sounds featured on Alma Maru's self-titled debut, conjured via guitar and synth, vacillate between haunting, atmospheric drones and abrasive sheets of noise, sometimes within … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Alma Maru – am18
Bored In Pittsburgh 