Vital Weekly review of Sub Loam - Excavated Relics

Thanks to Frans de Waard for reviewing Sub Loam's Excavated Relics cassette:

'Back in 2016, Thomas Shrubsole released 'The Portable archive' under his Sub Loam name (see Vital Weekly 1051), which was culled from material he already recorded in 2009 and 2010. It is something I enjoyed very much, as Sub Loam is something along the lines of lo-fi electronics, drones, ambience, and field recordings. Now there is a tape with "two recently rediscovered examples" from the same period, which Sub Loam feels they should be heard out there as well, and, sure, why not? This is something that could have also been surely been on the original release. On the first side, there is 'Soil Surface', a slow rhythm piece. Or perhaps something that is on a loop device but slowed down quite a bit. In sync we have a mild synth sound burping away. It is a very moody piece and almost a dub-like one at that; all bass but no dance riddim. This is a particularly great piece by Sub Loam. The B-side contains 'Stone Fragment', in which the guitar plays quite a big role, strummed in a really odd way, and set against a set of misty electronic backing, with an odd flanging effect on the strings. It seems like he's playing the guitar with a stick, creating odd timbres. Buried in the background there is a bit of percussion. It is a totally different kind of piece and a most enjoyable one at that as well. I sure can believe that if you found this after ten years you would want to release it.' (FdW)

Review from Vital Weekly issue number 1208

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Frans de Waard encounters Jesus on Mars

JESUS ON MARS (CDR by Dissolving Records)
This release is 'dedicated to P. Dick, R. Pinhas and C. Schnitzler', it says on the cover and its not difficult to see why. I have no idea who Jesus On Mars, wether its a group or an one-man band, but it seems that they have acquired a bunch of analogue synthesizers to shape up their science fiction music, and as we know, science fiction always deals with the past, or at the best with the 'now' (which has become 'past' once we said the word). Fuzzy music of old synthesizers, with dust between the knobs and keys, sounding very 'old'. Like Pinhas and Schnitzler's 'non-keyboard electronics' in the seventies. Psychedelic music that takes the listener of an endless journey through the sky, and beyond, up into the dark, onwards to the planet Mars - as red as the cover of this CD. Its not that I hear anything 'new' in this release, hell no, but I played this twice in a row. Alright, I was too lazy to change the player, but also because these five pieces had something captivating. Wild, experimental and yet close to the world of cosmic music - a bumpy ride through the cosmic and one returns all refreshed and bright. Like waking up from a LSD trip, almost. Thoroughly psychedelic. (FdW)





(from Vital Weekly 842 http://www.vitalweekly.net/842.html )