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viewing 1 To 11 of 11 items
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CD
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GY11 001CD
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"Island Of Lost Souls is the first of four new albums by Roy Montgomery coming out in 2021 to commemorate Montgomery's forty years in music. His debut release was also Flying Nun's first, the Pin Group 7-inch from 1981. Roy Montgomery, a pioneer of the NZ underground, believes there is always new sonic terrain to investigate. His latest album for Grapefruit marks forty years of rigorous exploration in which he's managed to navigate disparate genres, scenes, and atmospheres, always at the forefront of experimental independent music. Island Of Lost Souls follows his acclaimed 2018 LP Suffuse -- novel departure in which he consigned all vocal duties to ambient/experimental peers Liz Harris (of Grouper), Julianna Barwick, Purple Pilgrims, Haley Fohr (of Circuit des Yeux), Katie von Schleicher, and She Keeps Bees. But the veteran evolves again. On this release Montgomery creates resounding, aerial compositions for guitar. Where some might be inclined to relax and lean into their legacy at this stage in a sprawling career, Montgomery's new music continues to seek and challenge, moving like the eye of a storm. This latest album cries out like a chorus, though there are no vocals on the record. Its tracklist instead builds upon the lonesome and polyphonic dimensions of guitar in order to express universal feelings of communion and isolation, resisting conclusion but never resorting to fatalism. Life is all about navigating these contradictions and everyone is with Montgomery on this island whether they'd like to admit it or not. Here, the artist has created a work of wisdom and grit, a searing beauty, a new masterpiece for an uncertain and restless time."
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GY11 001LP
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LP version. "Island Of Lost Souls is the first of four new albums by Roy Montgomery coming out in 2021 to commemorate Montgomery's forty years in music. His debut release was also Flying Nun's first, the Pin Group 7-inch from 1981. Roy Montgomery, a pioneer of the NZ underground, believes there is always new sonic terrain to investigate. His latest album for Grapefruit marks forty years of rigorous exploration in which he's managed to navigate disparate genres, scenes, and atmospheres, always at the forefront of experimental independent music. Island Of Lost Souls follows his acclaimed 2018 LP Suffuse -- novel departure in which he consigned all vocal duties to ambient/experimental peers Liz Harris (of Grouper), Julianna Barwick, Purple Pilgrims, Haley Fohr (of Circuit des Yeux), Katie von Schleicher, and She Keeps Bees. But the veteran evolves again. On this release Montgomery creates resounding, aerial compositions for guitar. Where some might be inclined to relax and lean into their legacy at this stage in a sprawling career, Montgomery's new music continues to seek and challenge, moving like the eye of a storm. This latest album cries out like a chorus, though there are no vocals on the record. Its tracklist instead builds upon the lonesome and polyphonic dimensions of guitar in order to express universal feelings of communion and isolation, resisting conclusion but never resorting to fatalism. Life is all about navigating these contradictions and everyone is with Montgomery on this island whether they'd like to admit it or not. Here, the artist has created a work of wisdom and grit, a searing beauty, a new masterpiece for an uncertain and restless time."
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CD
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GY8 001CD
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"Despite praise and acclaim throughout his career, Roy Montgomery hates his singing. From his point of view, it's done out of necessity, when he doesn't have anyone else around to substitute. Roughly one quarter of Montgomery's epic multi-album 2016 release R M H Q had his singing, and those are his least favorite tracks. Grapefruit has done the best they can to argue that his basso undertones are the center of his appeal throughout his entire body of work, from the first The Pin Group single on Flying Nun in 1981, through his work in Dadamah, Dissolve and on to his legendary '90s solo releases. However, is it a surprise he jumped at the idea of composing an album for other vocalists. This began as a series of alternate takes of the material on Tropic Of Anodyne, the tracks with vocals off his last release. That concept morphed into assembling vocalists to sing on new songs, and he conceived instrumental material that would fit each singer. Half of the songs came together, resulting in Suffuse. The album charts a slow progression from those who share similarities with Montgomery's rumbling vocal technique to those who come at singing differently, with minute contrasts throughout. Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux) and Jessica Larrabee (She Keeps Bees) bring the first two tracks, with Katie Von Schleicher following with a raw expression of emotional loss, and the sisters Clementine and Valentine Nixon (Purple Pilgrims) expressing emptiness by stripping away words, weaving their voices together through Montgomery's elastic webbing. Julianna Barwick adds drive and nuance to the foamy sonic waves of 'Sigma Octantis,' as 'Landfall' crashes in slow motion chaos over Liz Harris's (Grouper) multi-tracked layers. These compositions generously embrace their guest leaders, and for the first time in his career, Roy Montgomery has made a cogent artistic argument as to why he shouldn't be singing these songs himself."
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GY8 001LP
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LP version. "Despite praise and acclaim throughout his career, Roy Montgomery hates his singing. From his point of view, it's done out of necessity, when he doesn't have anyone else around to substitute. Roughly one quarter of Montgomery's epic multi-album 2016 release R M H Q had his singing, and those are his least favorite tracks. Grapefruit has done the best they can to argue that his basso undertones are the center of his appeal throughout his entire body of work, from the first The Pin Group single on Flying Nun in 1981, through his work in Dadamah, Dissolve and on to his legendary '90s solo releases. However, is it a surprise he jumped at the idea of composing an album for other vocalists. This began as a series of alternate takes of the material on Tropic Of Anodyne, the tracks with vocals off his last release. That concept morphed into assembling vocalists to sing on new songs, and he conceived instrumental material that would fit each singer. Half of the songs came together, resulting in Suffuse. The album charts a slow progression from those who share similarities with Montgomery's rumbling vocal technique to those who come at singing differently, with minute contrasts throughout. Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux) and Jessica Larrabee (She Keeps Bees) bring the first two tracks, with Katie Von Schleicher following with a raw expression of emotional loss, and the sisters Clementine and Valentine Nixon (Purple Pilgrims) expressing emptiness by stripping away words, weaving their voices together through Montgomery's elastic webbing. Julianna Barwick adds drive and nuance to the foamy sonic waves of 'Sigma Octantis,' as 'Landfall' crashes in slow motion chaos over Liz Harris's (Grouper) multi-tracked layers. These compositions generously embrace their guest leaders, and for the first time in his career, Roy Montgomery has made a cogent artistic argument as to why he shouldn't be singing these songs himself."
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GY6 005LP
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"Third platter in four album collection harkens back to nineties work."
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GY6 004LP
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"Second platter in four album collection is most experimental."
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GY6 006LP
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"Last platter in four album collection concentrates on hope and despair, culminating in twenty-minute finale."
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GY6 003LP
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"It's been over a decade since Roy Montgomery's last album, and R M H Q is a hell of a return. R: Tropic of Anodyne highlights Montgomery's baritone lamentations on every track. It sets the blueprint for all of R M H Q while displaying Montgomery's talent for brevity. His self-reflective lyrics remain personal, even answering the Rolling Stones's classic 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' with the sobering 'You Always Get What You Deserve.' Montgomery was in his rock band period in the eighties, when the dark, minimalist post-punk of The Pin Group lead into the gloriously open-ended freedoms of Dadamah. After a quiet spell, he returned in the late nineties, producing towering spires of guitar lines that exposed fragility between the strums. With his solo releases and in collaboration with Flying Saucer Attack, Bardo Pond (Hash Jar Tempo), and Chris Heaphy (Dissolve), his focus shifted from the truth-mining of rock music to epic celestialism. His ambitious yet humble tracks outstrip their origins, and Montgomery toured the world sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing twenty-plus-minute compositions. A long period of silence followed, marked only with a split album with Grouper (who lists Montgomery as a primary influence), involvement in Torlesse Super Group, and a couple thematic variations serving as soundtracks for films. Instead, he focused on his personal and professional commitments. Unfortunately, two horrific events preceded his return: the Christchurch earthquakes of 2011 condemned Montgomery's entire neighborhood save for his home, stripping his street of a community; and, as a volunteer firefighter, he saw first-hand the destruction and loss of life in the city center. Additionally, since 2014, illness in the family has dominated his life. Self-expression once again demanded an outlet. R M H Q is four albums conceived and recorded over a very short period, each of them carrying a distinct focus and mood."
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4CD
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GY6 008CD
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"It's been over a decade since Roy Montgomery's last album, and RMHQ is a hell of a return. This release contains four distinct records of new material. Listening to any of his work is a visceral experience -- repeating phrases swell and decay, immersing the listener in the cyclical narrative of his compositions. Montgomery was in his rock band period in the eighties, when the dark, minimalist post-punk of The Pin Group lead into the gloriously open-ended freedoms of Dadamah. After a quiet spell, he returned in the late nineties, producing towering spires of guitar lines that exposed fragility between the strums. With his solo releases and in collaboration with Flying Saucer Attack, Bardo Pond (Hash Jar Tempo), and Chris Heaphy (Dissolve), his focus shifted from the truth-mining of rock music to epic celestialism. His ambitious yet humble tracks outstrip their origins, and Montgomery toured the world sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing twenty-plus-minute compositions. A long period of silence followed, marked only with a split album with Grouper (who lists Montgomery as a primary influence), involvement in Torlesse Super Group, and a couple thematic variations serving as soundtracks for films. Instead, he focused on his personal and professional commitments. Unfortunately, two horrific events preceded his return: the Christchurch earthquakes of 2011 condemned Montgomery's entire neighborhood save for his home, stripping his street of a community; and, as a volunteer firefighter, he saw first-hand the destruction and loss of life in the city center. Additionally, since 2014, illness in the family has dominated his life. Self-expression once again demanded an outlet. RMHQ is four albums conceived and recorded over a very short period, each of them carrying a distinct focus and mood."
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2LP
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GR 013LP
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"'Ten singles and two albums. At a certain point during my stay in the apartment on 13th Street I either said it to myself or said it out loud -- I can't recall -- but that seemed a realistic target all things considered. Few distractions, few visitors, few appointments. A busy city to break up the endless music looping in my head long after the headphones had been taken off. A micro-studio easily patched together and able to be configured in only one or two variations. Time to pay some dues. Both to the 45 single and the concept album. The small vinyl artefact that fed my musical appetite at key times in my life. No 'b" sides if it could be helped. Chasing a theme for as long as it took. Waiting for the real pattern to emerge. The perfect visual ratios of 7" and 12" cover art. Talking with the dead. Replying to the faded parsimony of a young fan and would-be maker of records (me): "Get it down now because this may be as good as it gets," "Don't wait for a real label to pay for your studio time," "Time spent recording should always at least match time spent playing live." I figured that the universal average for bands and recording artists was one, maybe two, good singles and an OK album then oblivion or, worse, a slow decline through contractual obligations. The only contract I had was with a scattering of friends, mostly American, who were there to deal with the out-pourings, should they arrive. And things had bottled up. Time to un-bottle. Not all at once. A few minutes at a time only for the intense stuff. Handing over bracketed ideas to this or that label as an act of faith. Then watching in awe as others transformed signals into objects. And here, running full circle in the literal sense, seven goes into 12 many times, with folk new and old keeping the faith. Lucky me.' -Roy Montgomery. Housed in a gatefold sleeve. Includes three new songs, new artwork and unpublished photos, and an insert with an updated intro by Bill Meyer and Roy Montgomery. Remastered by Timothy Stollenwerk."
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DF 041CD
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"Highly anticipated solo album, his first in three years. Combining the pastoral drone of his instrumental guitar pieces with a strange twist in his quasi-folk songwriting and additional voices to the mix via piano and e-bow, And Now The Rain... is a stunning amalgam of soft-spoken isolation and soul-searing higher mindedness -- Fichelscher/Fricke arrangements filtered through a post-Velvets third-eye mind with an unmistakable Montgomery strum."
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viewing 1 To 11 of 11 items
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