Go here:
http://www.bsrlive.com/playlists/live-block/391375
We played live and it was fun, the recording quality isn't great but I think you'll get the point!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tour thanks for folks who helped out!
We had a very nice time indeed in New England and would like to thank the Apohadion in Portland along with Ed and Dave, and thanks to the Hersey State house for having us even with loudmouth Sonny along, and HUGE thanks to Erika in Easthampton who's played our music on her radio show for years, it was great to meet and hang out with you, and Chris at the Flywheel too, a helpful fella, in Providence we have to thank all the peeps at Brown Radio, Tim, Eric, Dannie, John, and the West House who gave us a roof to sleep under, in Belfast a real big thanks to all the people, Dan, Amy, Olai, Eva, Troy, Rose, and of course the Ro He Ge barn.....oh and don't forget that cop who busted up the party.
Good times.
Good times.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
New England tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes folks, we're making a visit to New England and playing some shows too. We're bringing our buddy and roommate Dann Pell along too.
Here's what's happening:
Sept 20th----Portland Maine @ the Apohadion Theater, w/Big Black Cloud and others, I heard this was the last show ever at this space!!!
Sept 21st--Easthampton, MA @ the Flywheel w/ Tongue Oven, Beek
Sept 22nd--Providence RI @ BSR (Brown U. Radio, live on the air)
Sept 25th--Belfast, Maine @ ro he ge Magikal Theater
Probably some other things will pop up too, this is a vacation as much as a tour, get some fresh air, wide open spaces, yeah!
Here's what's happening:
Sept 20th----Portland Maine @ the Apohadion Theater, w/Big Black Cloud and others, I heard this was the last show ever at this space!!!
Sept 21st--Easthampton, MA @ the Flywheel w/ Tongue Oven, Beek
Sept 22nd--Providence RI @ BSR (Brown U. Radio, live on the air)
Sept 25th--Belfast, Maine @ ro he ge Magikal Theater
Probably some other things will pop up too, this is a vacation as much as a tour, get some fresh air, wide open spaces, yeah!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
NOT a Portland duo!
Oh the Volcanic Tongue people said we were a Portland duo..........NOT!!
We WERE..........NOW we be a Philly duo, but folks, we're an OUTER SPACE duo!! Space is the place!
We WERE..........NOW we be a Philly duo, but folks, we're an OUTER SPACE duo!! Space is the place!
New Cassette new cassette NEW CASSETTE!!!
Hammer Of Hathor
The Ineluctable Modality Of The Visible
Goaty Tapes No Cat
Cassette
£6.99
New cassette from this psychedelic Portland duo who navigate their way between monochord/Parson Sound-style wipeout, ethno-tinged almost-AACM style percussive improvisation w/plenty of zonked fourth world detail and classic cultic flutes and bongo style levitations ala Kalacakra/Yatha Sidhra/Paivansade et al. “These veterans of instrumental psychedelia offer up a sundry set of new works, rotating between sparse single-instrument meditations, cyclical atmospherics, and some profoundly groovable full-scale jammers. This is Hammer of Hathor at their best, weaving imperceptibly between cool La Monte Young meditations and sweltering Wattstax commotion.” – GT.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
This was a few years a ago, touching isn't it?
Our son was born in that Airstream trailer.
We spent the winter in it. At one point during an ice storm i had to kick our door open in the morning, it iced shut. We ran two space heaters all winter long!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Oh boy, the new release on Goaty Tapes!!!
Hammer of Hathor - The Ineluctable Modality of the Visible $6
These veterans of instrumental psychedelia offer up a sundry set of new works, rotating between sparse single-instrument meditations, cyclical atmospherics, and some profoundly groovable full-scale jammers. This is Hammer of Hathor at their best, blurring the lines between cool La Monte Young paeans and sweltering Wattstax commotion.
www.goatytapes.com
These veterans of instrumental psychedelia offer up a sundry set of new works, rotating between sparse single-instrument meditations, cyclical atmospherics, and some profoundly groovable full-scale jammers. This is Hammer of Hathor at their best, blurring the lines between cool La Monte Young paeans and sweltering Wattstax commotion.
www.goatytapes.com
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Old sights and sound
Here's an old clip from back when we thought we could just play jazz and do whatever we wanted, Heather was very pregnant, we were in Tuscany at this point in the midst of 20 shows in 23 days all over Italy with dear Tiziano driving us around. Fantastic time. We don't play jazz anymore.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Live in Philly ya'll!
It was a nice evening on Frankford Ave in the lovely city of Philadelphia June 13 2011.
We played and some other folks played like Jacob Felix Huele, Tony Dryer (they are also Basshaters), Jack Wright, and an ensemble of Philly out jazz folks.
Earlier in the day we had a wonderful time playing music in the Spring Garden house with Jacob, Tony, Jack, Kelvin Pittman, and a trombone player named Dan Blacksburg.
AND YESTERDAY! Yesterday we were blessed with having a FREE 6 hour performance of Morten Feldman's String Quartet #2 being performed at this amazing Episcopalian cathedral here in West Philly. We took turns watching Sonny outsdide and went in for what was a truly amazing sonic experience. Wow.
Its been a blurry day. So many things happened, here's the video snippet from our performance. It felt good. And Sonny had a good time running up and down the sidewalk and finding kids and empty lots to play in. yeah!
We played and some other folks played like Jacob Felix Huele, Tony Dryer (they are also Basshaters), Jack Wright, and an ensemble of Philly out jazz folks.
Earlier in the day we had a wonderful time playing music in the Spring Garden house with Jacob, Tony, Jack, Kelvin Pittman, and a trombone player named Dan Blacksburg.
AND YESTERDAY! Yesterday we were blessed with having a FREE 6 hour performance of Morten Feldman's String Quartet #2 being performed at this amazing Episcopalian cathedral here in West Philly. We took turns watching Sonny outsdide and went in for what was a truly amazing sonic experience. Wow.
Its been a blurry day. So many things happened, here's the video snippet from our performance. It felt good. And Sonny had a good time running up and down the sidewalk and finding kids and empty lots to play in. yeah!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Our 1st Philly show!!
Yes lovely folks, whoever you are:
we're playing our 1st show in Philly after moving here on April 1st.
Its at the Highwire Gallery on Frankford Ave.
Its Monday June 13th. Its a Fire Museum event.
Also playing are Jack Wright and an ensemble called "Live Like a King". More info to follow.
We're on 1st I think. We have a set dreamed up that involves tape loops (of course, cassette and reel to reel), banjo, electric guitar, drums, xylophone, mbira, and drums. Some new things and some other things.
Yeah!
we're playing our 1st show in Philly after moving here on April 1st.
Its at the Highwire Gallery on Frankford Ave.
Its Monday June 13th. Its a Fire Museum event.
Also playing are Jack Wright and an ensemble called "Live Like a King". More info to follow.
We're on 1st I think. We have a set dreamed up that involves tape loops (of course, cassette and reel to reel), banjo, electric guitar, drums, xylophone, mbira, and drums. Some new things and some other things.
Yeah!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Hammer of Hathor in Brooklyn June 5th!!
See this folks: http://roulettenyc.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/roulette-musicircus-june-4th-5th/
We're playing as a part of Roulette's 2 day John Cage Circus piece, yeah!
Doing two versions of "For Guylene"
Check it out!!
We're playing as a part of Roulette's 2 day John Cage Circus piece, yeah!
Doing two versions of "For Guylene"
Check it out!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Review of Vroom Psycho on Auxillary Out
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2011
Hammer of Hathor - Vroom Psycho [Field Hymns]
Following up the last review of tapes on Field Studies, is another sterling young label, this time outta Portland OR, called Field Hymns. Hammer of Hathor, also from Portland, is the subject of this review, the duo of Mark Kaylor and Heather Vergotis doing their terse, veiny improvmpositons with electric guitars, drums, trombone, tenor sax, analog synths, 1/4" tape loops and live tape processing. The only other release I've heard from HoH was their tape on Stunned which had some good stuff, but they're sounding sharper and leaner (and maybe a little bit meaner) on Vroom Psycho."Mt. Tabor" kicks off with tapped cymbals and a repeated guitar phrase. The track seems to be stuck in first gear, building towards something. When the levy breaks, it's modest but still a little cathartic. The drums give in to the groove and guitar begins to lay into its riff a bit more. When all's said and done though, it comes out like an 8 minute intro. An exercise in hypnosis. A bit like that Ex Models' Chrome Panthers record minus the copious amounts of octave fuzz, ring mod and nervous energy. This stuff sounds way more strung out than hopped up. "Alice and John" (a tribute to the Coltranes?) is a strange piece of trombone and sax. Each moves in short bursts, sometimes they seem to align and at others they don't seem to notice the other horn in the room. It features a similar approach to "Mt. Tabor" where repetition is pretty key but HoH go in a different direction not making their playing painstakingly exact, instead letting it wander drunkenly. "Air Pain" features a loopy, atonal guitar. Two of them actually. After a skronky conversation they lock into a seasick melody, sliding back and forth, back and forth. It is interesting how HoH dismantle the idea of the brief, repetitive riff over the course of the side ultimately descending into dual free guitar gibberish. You know how much I love guitar duos, so you know I'm on board with this track. Lunging between detuned primitivism and what are more or less riffs, the track as a cool vibe. The band obviously has interests broader than just the guitar, but they have a really unique dynamic as a guitar duo that I wouldn't mind seeing explored and developed further.
Side B kicks off with "Invincible Armour" which in my opinion is the most smokin' track on the tape by far. I don't mean to disparage the rest of the tape at all but simply share the straight-up "killerness" of this bastard. A guitar leftover from the previous track skronks around for a bit and another six string shows up quietly playing a simple riff. It gets louder little by little until BOOM, the drums enter out of nowhere and blow the track wide open. It's so damn grooving and heavy and dead-eyed and tough as nails. The track's relentlessly minimal rock 'n roll stylings could beat the masters themselves, A Frames, into a coma. Gnarly genius at work here. "For Guylene" closes out the tape. Commencing with offset loops of stuttered hi-pitched melodies and continuing with them too, the prickly tones simmer for around 8 and a half minutes repeating in slight permutations. At that length it's not the most engaging jam on the tape, particularly after following up the fireworks of "Invincible Armour," but I guess once you get your fill you can always fast forward to the end and start over on the A side. Or am I violating the cassette code of ethics in suggesting that?
There's some great stuff here, it's not totally cohesive as an"album" but I'm not really sure Hammer of Hathor is too interested in that sort of idea anyway. They have their style and they'd rather explore it through a number of instrumental avenues on a piece by piece basis.
Excellent(!) artwork all over for the tape, totally Vertigo-era Saul Bass-gone-futuristic stuff. Much adulation to Field Hymns. The tape is pro-dubbed and comes with a download code. Still in print.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Foxy Digitalis Review of Vroom Psycho
Hammer of Hathor is minimalism with muscle. The Portland duo/trio has a basement-jam feel to it – a couple of kids with some guitars/amps and drums, a tape machine, horns and various other noisemakers. Each kid picks one, hits ‘rec’ on the tape deck, and then proceeds to just let ‘er rip for a few minutes. Sometimes, they not only rip but absolutely destroy and devour. But no matter what, no matter how “jammy” Hammer of Hathor is in theory (and the music for the most part is steadfast in its improvisatory approach, highly akin to free jazz giants like Sonny Sharrock or Ornette Coleman), the ensemble manages to formulate five distinct, succinct, and coherent statements on this tape, each with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
There’s no rocket science here. No theory, skill or any kind of instrumental mastery at work. But what results are maddening, insanity-incarnate tracks that build with focused inertia and then succeed to piss you off by notexploding into a million pieces. This, of course, is why “Vroom-Psycho” is such an entrancing, engrossing listen, though – especially the album’s magnificent centerpieces (one for each side), “Mt. Tabor” and “Invincible Armor,” which both feature noisy, shrapnel-shards of guitar and skull-pounding, overdriven drums. The former sets up a 6/8 waltz feel with a single guitar note pulsing a simple rhythm for a bass drum/crash cymbal combo to simply pound the notes alongside in an eight-minute pressure-cooker crescendo. “Invincible Armor” is a bit more diverse in the way the drums move through three different thematic rhythms for the guitar to embellish with nervous, skittering lines. And though the sounds are dark, menacing, powerful—evil even—Hammer of Hathor still produces a thoughtful, weirdly playful exchange between aligned voices – a stylistic element that ultimately binds the entirety of the tape into a satisfying, unified statement.
The remaining tracks round things out with shorter compositions, and highlight one of the best features of “Vroom-Psycho,” which is how different each track is composed instrumentally, and how they contribute to the bigger picture of what Hammer of Hathor accomplishes beyond a basic guitar/drums arrangement. “Alice & John” is like two saxophones learning to talk with each other for the first time in muted honks. “Air Pain” is a scathing cacophony of harp strings atop a deep, cavernous baritone that wavers and wobbles below (like a timpani drum with someone massaging the tension pedal, perhaps). Album closer “For Guylene” is a duet of either ocarina flutes or guitar feedback (it’s seriously tough to tell). The effect is what is important here: two distinct pitches, throbbing at near-similar tempos, then successively bending themselves up or down. Overall, listening to “Vroom-Psycho” is like quitting smoking: you get that edgy, nervous feel of despair, anger and frustration, all focused here into instrumental chaos. Sometimes there’s pleasure in this kind of pain, like chewing on the inside of your cheek or stretching your back in hopes of getting that one final crack – a sigh, a moment of release that may never come. Hammer of Hathor finds a horrifying beauty in impatience.
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