psychedelic Folk review page : Daniel A.I.U. Higgs

Holy Mountain Daniel (Arcus Incus Ululat) Higgs, Interdimensional Song-Seamstress :

Ancestral Songs (US,2006)***°°

Even in the few more "simple" song improvisations, where certain words and pickings are repeated, also there is something of that little extra that I like about them, but I’m not sure what effect or kind of amazement / bewilderment it will be to other listeners. Myself, I can sense the man behind the creation who is becoming the creation, with a creative oneness with the improvisation or with his art in general. The music is performed as if by a heretic, with a certain shamanic trance state effect to it, creating a musical environment to it, which is liveable and original. There’s a meditative effect in it, with full awareness of the surrounding nature, and eventual listeners, or better visitors to this new born space. Beside the accompanied song focus, there are also improvisations on strange sounding instruments. The instrument of improvisation used on “Thy Chosen Bride” sound close to a mandolin, but I assume it is some kind of self-build instrument. “Moharshing and Schoenhut” is an improvisation on Jewish harp with some effects on it, mixed with toypiano. On “Are you of the body” I hear a bass with a strange buzz-fuzz to it, and also other experimental effects, like a very experimental meditation on sounds. This gets the form of a kind of tampura drone of strange harmonies which are looped to a wave consisting of beautiful but strange harmonies, before a raga-esque guitar piece comes in as well, again with tiny effects here and there to it. Through adding this idea as well, it becomes an over the top surprise, as a very original individual style and piece, just like an alternative experimental form or approach comparable to what is a more known form of Indian inspirations. On “O Come and walk along (for S.)”, besides playing another convincing repetitive guitar improvisation, shows another strange and rich sound of an instrument, which sounds like a Jew’s harp with distortion ??, although it is much richer, and a vivid play, than with just adding a simple effect. And besides, some extra side-effects linger into these sounds as well.

PS. Daniel Higgs had / has ? also his band Lungfish.

Audio : "Living In The Kingdom Of Death"(or here),"Thy Chosen Bride"(or here), "Moharsing and Schoenhut"

"Are You of the Body?", "O Come and Walk Along (for S.)","Time-Ship of the Demorgon"

& "Moharsing and Schoenhut" (from WMFU broadcast) & on http://www.fina-music.com/...

Label info : http://www.holymountain.com/danielhiggs.html

Review on http://sonictroubadour.blogspot.com/ & http://www.dustedmagazine.com/...

and on http://www.amazon.com/

next release->

Holy Mountain Daniel "belteShazzar" Higgs : Metempsychotic Melodies (US,rec.2007)***°°

Before I even have had the chance to check out properly the previous rock group of Daniel Higgs, the Baltimore based Lungfish, (not my cup of tea actually), there is already a new release out on Holy Mountain, after a book + CD from a different label.* No overseas promotion unfortunately, but I needed to check out at least this recent album even when if it meant bigger red figures on my account, before I need to take responsibility, and take another job again for a while, so let reviewing this album be my last completely free moment, with the vision of a true artist in the sense of an artist who is “an artist” in every detail of his life. It seems like that even musical instruments lying around this artists’ place have no other option but to change with him ; they start to become a life on their own, a flame of his personality, and they begin to sound different, with or without manipulation.

Four rather improvised tracks show Daniel Higgs' concentrated vision, with all its brilliance and colour. The first track is an improvisation on banjo with droning strings, in a kind of raga way. Both the instrument and the playing have their own, united and personal character. The track is faded out and is not so long. The second track starts as a comparable improvisation, while the strings sound more nylon than steel. After a while, a song appears, with a strange voice, and beautiful rolling sounds on strings are added. This is very meditative with sounds, uses a bizarre kind of singing, in a real artist’s fashion, expressing his own world. The third track starts with an electric, fuzzed hurdy-gurdy-kind of improvisation, in combination with a two-step rhythmical acoustic guitar, a hypnotic track which ends with loose wahwah-effects of sounds. The last track is a bit more simplistic, improvises a text with the same weird voice on simple chords. After a while an improvisation on banjo are added to it, as well as a small electric part.

I like best this second song, about unrestricted love, with interesting lyrics about being conscious of where this love exists, an original artist's expression...

Audio : "All Cherished Things" ,"Universal Salutation" ,"Love Abides" & on http://www.juno.co.uk/...

& with review on http://www.aquariusrecords.org/...& on http://www.fina-music.com/...

Info on artist & releases : http://www.dischord.com/band/danielhiggs with this release : http://www.dischord.com/release/hm144 & http://www.midheaven.com/artists/higgs.daniel.html

Label info : http://www.holymountain.com/danielhiggs.html

Descriptions : with audio on http://www.buymusichere.net... & on http://www.secondlayer.co.uk/...

Review with 3 audio tracks on http://www.boomkat.com/...

Other review : http://www.atomicbooks.com/detail.php?cat=7&catid=8&prodid=17578

& http://www.thelefthandpath.com/...

* this release is reviewed next ->

Thrill Jockey Rec. Daniel A.I.U. Higgs : Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot -book + cd / LP- (US,2007)***°°

This is pretty much a clever homerecording with use of distorting and guitar/banjo/jew’s harp improvisations. I noticed three versions, one is with a book with illustrations, and another one is an LP.

The first track, “Luminous Carcass Ornament”, starts with the recording of some explosions, and, as if this caused a remaining distortion in the recording equipment, an electrified banjo solo comes through. “Cocoon on the cross” plays in a different way with distortions, and we hear what sounds like a left over sound of an accordion drone and a destroyed toypiano recording, before a raga guitar solo takes over, with patience : a great improvisation played on a guitar with two droning strings, with moody motions of fingerpicking, changing speed, tension, and plucking some melodies out of it. “Spectral Hues” is an experimental track of a strange, “plucked” collage of recordings assembled on tape of piano droning strings, -with the tape switched off and on in the middle of the resonating sounds mostly after having played it heavily, or while playing it with certain tensions, and with the sound of the switch of the tape participating cleverly in the recording composition-, making from this recording more something of what sounds like a kind of semi-experimental guitar or resonating strings track (or attack) other than a common piano piece. The title track, “Subatomic Yggdrasil Tarot” is a well fitting distorted recording on electric banjo (?), an improvisation with attractive electric distortion. “Creation Moan” has even more heavy distortion comparable to the sort of distortion usually used in heavy rock, but more experimental in nature), and is another guitar improvisation. After windy slightly white noise with birds coming through changing into watery noise, a last distorted guitar improvisation is added, in different parts. The second part of this track, “Hems and Seams”, we hear a distorted string drone with a jew’s harp improvisation, and a metal bell (?) rhythm.

Daniel Higgs proved once more to be a great solo performer, who uses clever, and in an experimental way, distortion to its performances and recordings. He succeeded once more to deliver something rather unique.

The CD + book is printed in 4000 copies. The LP is sold out by now.

Audio : "Creation Moan" & on http://music.barnesandnoble.com/... & with review on http://www.aquariusrecords.org/...

Info : http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/index.html?id=10236

with this release : http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=100699

& http://www.dischord.com/release/TJ184

Review with 3 audio tracks : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=35955

Other reviews : http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/44283-atomic-yggdrasil-tarot

& http://audiversity.com/2007/06/daniel-aiu-higgs-atomic-yggdrasil-tarot.html

& (with inside pictures) : http://www.book-by-its-cover.com/other/atomic-yggdrasil-tarot

& http://www.thephiller.com/reviews/d/daniel_a_i_u_higgs/atomic_yggdrasil_tarot.shtml

& http://www.avclub.com/content/music/daniel_a_i_u_higgs

& http://www.atomicbooks.com/products/-/16222.html

& http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/3228/daniel-aiu-higgs

& http://www.hairentertainment.com/DanielHiggs/AtomicYggdrasilTarot

& http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/43115/daniel-higgs-atomic-yggdrasil-tarot1/

& http://www.staticmultimedia.com/music/reviews/review_1189701600

& http://www.zapbangmagazine.com/music/record_reviews/328/

& http://www.secondlayer.co.uk/index/p5352.htm & http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/...

& http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=2552

& http://www.documentskateboard.com/hark/daniel-aiu-higgs-atomic-yggdrasil-tarot

Dutch article & radio show : http://dwars.radio6.nl/tag/sessies/

Thrill Jockey Rec. Daniel Higgs : Say God -2cd- (US,2010)°°°

Where I have liked the near-outsider artistry in Daniel Higgs's previous releases, because of the focused mind in the creative process, the starting point for this one just seems not enough or a bit self-blinding. Immediately from the first track it sounds like a self-indulgent monologue theatre and not so musical, superficial in its subject and approach even when involving some twisted mindedness of cynics, the mono-god monologue renews its sermon from an individual vision without transforming it. The musicality is little. The second track with a, first repetitive, banjo solo, becomes interesting for it is changing into something more eastern as if more people were involved in the making, but this seems to have been the best track too. Much more of a monologue thing the best thing about the release is that it is focused upon as something conceptual, in an improvised manner. After having nearly survived listening after the first sermon, the second is even harder for me to listen to the whole way through for someone like me who hates the use of the word of God and all the mind blinding that automatically becomes involved, this isn’t too different for me. The seriousness towards the subject in a religious way, will not be mystical when it is approached by an artist in this way: the result isn’t different and the profession does not make him a mystic just by being involved in it : his creative association process remains rooted in a wordy session. The fact that Garry voice is recorded very directed without any effect makes all this even more clearly. There are no compensations added, this is very direct, a fact which unfortunately does not make it a wise or essential expression yet of being.

A single CD with just the instrumentals would have been fine enough to me, but even they this time do not sound that necessary and inventive as before. The banjo track however has elements which reveal a certain uniqueness ideas appearing spontaneously.

Audio : "Hoofprints on the Ceiling of Your Mind" & on http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/... & http://www.fina-music.com/...

& with review on http://www.aquariusrecords.org/... ; Video on http://hogspeak.blogspot.com/...

Label info : http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/index.html?id=104621

Other review : http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/daniel-higgs-say-god

& http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14256-say-god/

& http://sugarfreak.typepad.com/mobtownshank/2010/05/tracking-dan-higgs-talking-god.html

& http://thefourohfive.com/reviews/2032

& http://www.normanrecords.com/records/116167

Open Mouth Rec. Daniel Higgs : plays the mirror of the Apocalyps and other songs -tape/CD-(US,2005)****

This is an early work of Daniel Higgs, and it is also a very good one for showing his guitar picking skills and ability to create a special moody atmosphere. It has something very impulsive, is taped partly or perhaps completely lo-fi with a tape recorder, it adds only more charming effect to the inspirations of the moment; the final effect still is from a very good quality or at the distorted moments with a perfectly fitting context.

The first three tracks is one large raga guitar improvisation. The first track is accompanied by an electric droning string just like the Indian tempura, travelling its way to the improvisation and track like a snake, the raga pickings now and then have a bluesy touch. This is played in an inspired way and with emotional strength. Around the third track, the electric distortion and the amplified acoustic guitar tempers down to a softer acoustic sound with more relaxed open tunings. Next are included also a few random improvisations. The first intermezzo is played by violin and harmonium, peeping and bad in sonic quality, in this case it is one of these charming but weird moments. The track after that is lo-fi electrified tampura drones only, where it is nice that the focus of the instrument glides away slightly and gives a good alternation in the hearing process. This is followed by a faster picked raga guitar piece with additional tempura. There’s another experimental track after that with toy piano, some sort of toy siren, tape recorder noise and moody picked guitar, continuing its inspiration in the next track. The last short track is jew’s harp improvisation, which is shortly interrupted.

Audio : track, track, track

Info : http://stoneskilled.blogspot.com/2007/08/daniel-higgs-plays-mirror-of-apocalpyse.html

& http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/artists/daniel+a.i.u.+higgs.html

Discography & intro on artist : http://www.dischord.com/band/danielhiggs

Article on artist : http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/index.html?id=10236

See also Higgs artwork edition : http://www.soundscreendesign.com/...

& artwork exhibitions : http://www.soundscreendesign.com/... or work here

& on http://oneartworld.com/Mountain+Fold+Gallery/The+Hieroglyphic+Ideal.html

& http://www.mfoldgallery.com/#/artistDetail/Daniel_Higgs/