Not all of Stereogum's favorite sounds conform to what folks expect us to cover. In this space, resident Bananafish fetishist Brandon Stosuy focuses on bands, albums, singles, and villages in Sweden that may otherwise pass by unnoticed. This installment's virtual milk crate contains King Darves, Darsombra, and Maja S.K. Ratkje.
Brian Daniloski is the Baltimorean who performs one-man ambient soundscapes as Darsombra. He's also a member of the awesomely fierce, sludgy Meatjack. Three years ago Daniloski released Ecdysis on At A Loss. It's Eternal Jewel, the second full-length Darsombra collection of dark, at times heavy, always beautiful, droning guitar-and-pedal drenched compositions, that's hooked me. Unlike Meatjack, the songs are more sad than sinister. Here he is doing an older song "Nymphaea" live at on April Fools at the Ottobar in Baltimore.
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I also have a "Lamentings / Auguries" from the new record.
[Photo by JR Fritsch]
Darsombra - "Lamentings / Auguries" (MP3)
You can hear a section of Eternal Jewel's 17-minute "Night's Black Angels" and the opening track "Auguries" over at his MySpace. If you're interested in the tangible, the album itself comes packaged in a six-panel black and silver letterpress gatefold sleeve with art by Stephen Kasner. It's out now on Public Guilt.
Another one-man band I've been listening to is Highland Park, NJ's King Darves, who just released The Sun Splits For The Blind Swimmer. As Tony Rettman, who ran Sound On Sound records when I lived in Highland Park, writes in the liner notes:
Much like a nice ass or a tasty meal, the appeal of King Darves' music is direct and easy to understand. No one needs to refer to anything to 'take it in,' which is a welcomed relief. His voice bellows a deep, rich and sweet smoke reminiscent of the pipe tobacco that old guy used to puff behind the dugout. And the great thing is -- IT'S HIS. The guy's not singing with a fucking twang or trying to sound like a nineteenth century druid and/or political activist. His musical arrangements burst down any of those tight assed traditions newly founded by a league of youngsters who think it's gotta be played wrong (or playbed by the book) to be heard right. I tell ya ... Calvin Johnson might have ruined music for an entire generation fifteen (or so) years ago, but this time 'round, it's the digitization of Jandek and Jackson C. Frank that's done did it. Going with his heart rather than his record collection, Darves shapes his songs from true force...
This is why you should be reading Tony's zine (and now 200LBU blog). Without further ado, here's King Darves. You may detect some Merritt in it.
King Darves - "Fishhook" (MP3)
King Darves - "Sea Bird" (MP3)
The Sun Splits... is out on the always reliable De Stijl. Find out more at KD's MySpace.
[King Darves]
Then we head to Norway for composer, vocalist, etc., Maja S.K. Ratkje's new solo album River Mouth Echoes, a cumulative 1997-2005 collection. She's also a member of the longstanding improv quartet SPUNK, the noisy duo Fe-mail and the epic metal band Trinacria, basically Fe-mail + Enslaved. She's also collaborated with Jazzjammer, etc. "Øx" is the opening track from River Mouth Echoes. The liner notes tell me it's Rolf-Erik Nystrøm on alto saxophone, Maja processing.
Maja S.K. Ratkje - "Øx" (MP3)
River Mouth Echoes is out on John Zorn's Tzadik. You can also visit Maja's site for more MP3s.
[Maja S.K. Ratkje live by Fabrice Allard]
