Blue Sausage Infant

Scalpels for the Animal God

Label: Intangible Arts Country: USA

"Scalpels For The Animal God is the 14th full release from Blue Sausage Infant, and represents BSI's return to power after a nearly seven-year hiatus from recording. Scalpels is a suite of three extended tracks that capture the live sound of BSI, ranging from distorted, tribal noise to paranoid psychedelic drone. The overall vibe is one of aggressive escapism through complex layers of sound that stretch time and invoke a sense of euphoric tension.

Track details:

1. Wolves of the Road was recorded live at the Velvet Lounge in Washington DC during the 2008 Sonic Circuits Festival. It's a self-indulgent storm of distorted synths, slide-guitar feedback and tremolo-shredded vocal loops that gradually unfolds into a swamp of dark atmospheres.

2. Tactile was recorded live in the Intangible Arts home studio in the summer of 2008, and weaves together improvised woodflute with looped harmonica drones, electronics, and slow rhythms. Sampled voices give the track the effect of a guided meditation gone horribly wrong.

3. Scalpels was recorded live at George Washington University during the Nov. 2008 Electric possible event. It is a bold, sustained drone piece with layers of sampled choirs, loops, e-bowed guitar, and the dirty squall of an angry mini-moog: Deceptively complex and bitterly dark dream music.

"Washington DC native Chester Hawkins has peformed as BLUE SAUSAGE INFANT since 1986. The sound of BSI can range from brutalist noise to textured drones, pounding neo-tribalism, krautrock-flavored psychedelia, or cut-ups of cultural artifacts. The vibe that binds it all is a desire to induce trance states by any means necessary. Instrumentation involves a mix of electronics with more organic sources: Squeaky dog toys and digitally abused lap-steel guitars have recently joined the arsenal of synths, bass, samplers, and acoustic items. BSI has produced 14 releases under the Intangible Arts imprint and has contributed to compilations across the USA and England. Collaborators include Violet, Haunted Toilet, Changes to Blind, New Carrollton, Lida Husik, and Stolen Government Binder Clip. A selection of BSI material has been used for the soundtrack to Tim Ashby's film Surface To Air, due for release in 2010.

In 2008, Blue Sausage Infant launched a fresh attack of live performances, delivering unpredictable, hallucinatory sounds for brave dreamers in the DC area. Watch for Blue Sausage Infant at this year's Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music (23sept09) with Luigi Archetti, odal, and Twilight Memories of the Three Suns."-Intangible Arts