so just last week, i was talking about how cool it was that wallingford-based redscroll records was releasing two new lp’s soon: reduction plan and kidnapped. well the fun doesn’t stop there because the label just announced another new physical release. this friday — yes my dude this friday, 7/19 — the label is releasing phemale’s mono no aware pt. 1 on cassette. this is release #3 announced in just as many weeks out of a prepared 6!
phemale, if you are unfamiliar, is the experimental, minimalist recording project of michael donahue. redscroll has previously released some phemale material — city silk was printed on vinyl — but physical copies of his work is hard to come by! mono no aware pt. 1 has been available on bandcamp (see below) for a few months; it is a score for a short film that has previously been shown at other live events, like the state house in new haven. a good musical reference point is hard for me to put my finger on, but it sounds like perhaps a cross between john kaada and john carpenter. but i get a little bit of a dirty beaches vibe too — this is music made in the bowels of the early morning hours. mono no aware pt. 1 is sparse, brooding, and filled with subtle surprises.
but there’s a catch. there are only 25 copies of mono no aware pt. 1 being sold. so if you want one, you’ll need to show up friday 7/19 at redscroll records, slam that fiver on the table, and say “give me a phemale tape and step on it!” to rick. if you aren’t so lucky to grab one (like if you are reading this a month from now), then you can find the digital release on bandcamp, and it makes for a tugging, dark listen.
