#tremulant

April 2:

On this date in 1987, Voivod released their third studio album, Killing Technology.

On this date in 2002, post-hardcore/progressive rock band The Mars Volta released their debut EP, Tremulant.

On the 2nd of April, 2011, Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church of The Leading Hand and Aluk Tolodo disseminated A Collaboration , their yes-indeed-it-is-a-collaborative-album.

And,

On the 2nd of April, 2013, flannel revivalists Milk Music let loose unto a world that may or may not have been ready for it Cruise Your Illusion, their debut album.

2024 has been a great year for alternative sacred music, exemplified in albums from Shards, Salt of the Sound, Andrzej Pietrewicz and Wild Up (performing the music of Julius Eastman).  Now we can add the Ghostwriter quartet, led by Mark Brent, to the mix. Brent is responsible for the music, while the singers are Michael Weston King of My Darling Valentine, Anglican bishop Andrew Rumsey (competing…

As far as I’m concerned, the Mars Volta’s music is effectively At The Drive-In but drawn-out and with much more technical wankery. Now, did ATDI’s sound really sound like it would benefit from being longer and/or wankier? Nah, not really. In fact, I’d argue that so much of that project’s brilliance was in how it frantically, excitedly crammed so much inspiration into so little time, in how each track threw down as many ideas as it could. 

Clearly I’m not as big a fan of the Mars Volta as I am of At the Drive-In – but I’ve still got a lot of time for Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s second (main) act. The Mars Volta offer some of this century’s finest exhibitions of prog rock, laying out what that genre can and should be this side of the millennium with spectacularly ambitious and wildly strange concepts executed with frenetic, energetic technicality. 

In less abstract and conceptual terms, the Mars Volta’s first few records have quite a bit of direct appeal. Yes, the music is almost always a bit corny (the lyrics must be put entirely aside, ignored) and very melodramatic – but I can certainly get behind a bit of theatre. If you’re in the mood to be blasted with the overblown, awed by technical prowess and bamboozled by stylistic variety, the Mars Volta satisfy all that. Admittedly, I’m very rarely in that mood – but it’s nice to know this music exists, if I ever am. 

8DPromo · Hector J Rodriguez - La Falsa (Tremulant)

Hector J Rodriguez of Seattle's Underscore Recordings joins the Tremulant imprint for the *La Falsa EP, an expansive foray into deep, dark, and dubby techno vibes. The motto of the release is "Que solamente aparenta ser real, o no es lo que parece," which translates to : "That which only appears to be real, or is not what it seems." This is an appropriate description for the EP's cuts, which target introspection and transportive dislocation while giving after-hours dancefloors an exploratory ride. "Never the Right Time," "La Falsa" (and its "La Falsa Segunda" revisit), and the mid-tempo "Perseid" blend sharp production and spacious embellishments into distinctive tracks made for late night travels. monotropa. is the first Tremulant-affiliated producer to lend a hand to the remix side, amplifying "La Falsa"'s exotic aspects into a cinematically flavored ride. Pacific northwestern mainstay Joe Bellingham follows, supplying a version that's a little chunkier and peppered with buzzing sound design and jazzy keys. All in all, another stamp of top quality goes to Tremulant for this evocative release.

JuSt b (Balance Music) – “Lovely lush & organic vibes.” Citrus Age (Reflect) – “What a sublime vibration. Hector has somehow captured the moment and the journey in one.” DJ Harri (Sub Club) – “Liking these. Will play and support.” DJ Sabo (Sol Selectas) – “Solid and interesting EP here. A breath of fresh air honestly!” MGiK (Sofa Surfing) – “On air is a must!” Jon Wesley (Insomniac) – “I like the original, Perseid and Joe’s mix. Good tunes for the afternoon or mellow daytime sets.”