Originally based in Chicago, Tiny Music developed a uniquely organic performance style, laying out an instrumental smorgasbord on the floor and performing acoustically—an intimate throwback that put the listener in direct contact with the band. In recorded form, Epitaph reveals even more of Tiny Music’s sense of structure and dynamics that makes their music so fascinating. The two sidelong pieces flow, as through a house or a silent film, from one musical doorway to the next—sometimes foreboding, sometimes flowering into complex or even composed musicality, but always dense and colorful. Side A meanders from its appealing din into a low drone, and Side B weaves abstract melodies through a hectic sound marketplace, with winding, squeaking, and even laughter dotting the mix, interspersed between plaintive, dark motifs. Tiny Music’s homey clatter on Epitaph uniquely mixes group improvisation, folk tradition, and pure exploration.
Amanda Speer, Dain Daller, Stephany Colunga - six foot tall sea shell chandelier, piano tuning tone generator, PVC pipes, water balloons, socket wrench, homemade goat skinned creaker, portable tape players, Indian banjo, Air Organ overturned and bowed (the leg), mixing bowl, harmonicas, banjo (bowed), various metal scraps including a bronze angel (of Christmas tree topper origin, with halo), music boxes, giant balloon, cymbal, violin, broken accordion, bowed xylophone, mandolin, banjo (unbowed), clarinet, marbles in bowels, rubberband on bent coat hanger, contraptions, siren whistle, horsehair tied to violin strings, chains, pieces of sheet metal, large wooden pipe organ pipe, saw, bells, wine glasses, broken cymbal on handheld drumstick, practice chanter, balloons
Artwork by E. Lindorff-Ellery
Illustration by an unknown artist
Notice Recordings started in Chicago in 2009. We are now based in Kingston, NY, and Columbia, MO. We release experimental and contemporary sound works. Notice Recordings is run by Evan Lindorff-Ellery (NY) and Travis Bird (MO).
The 17 mindbending songs on this compilation represent minimalist experimental music at its best, a collage of blips and static. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 3, 2022
Shards of static & distortion crash against disarmingly beautiful piano & synth melodies on this riveting new record from Carbon and Prose. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 30, 2022
There's a lovely subtlety at play here, where I can't tell what's looping and what's not. Despite the titles not offering much in the way of explanation, I think there's humor, nostalgia, and great care in this collection. Ned Milligan