The Squid's Ear Magazine


Somnaphon: Normal People (ACK Recordings)

Unusual noise work from Somnaphon (August Traeger) in a 3" CD format, weaving acoustic, electronic, and destructive digital sound into five varied and decidedly not normal pieces of sound.
 

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Personnel:



August Traeger-all sounds


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Label: ACK Recordings
Catalog ID: ACK17
Squidco Product Code: 14378

Format: 3" CD
Condition: New
Released: 2009
Country: USA
Packaging: 3-inch cdr with full-color art in a plastic case
Recorded in Wilmington, NC.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Talk about something different- Normal People described as "normal music for normal people" is far from that- and definitely far from anything I've heard before. It's actually probably one of the strangest things I've heard in a long time. Composed of 5 tracks, this 3″ CDr is like taking a rock/country/acoustic porch tunes and running them a digital bath to soak in. It's confusing as all hell, but sheds a bit of brilliance at the same time.

The first track sets a standard of digital weirdness as some acoustic guitar work is completely drenched into a digital, bit-crushed mess. The second track stands out amongst them all in my ears with what sounds like a more traditional "band" set up that is once again completely destroyed by this digital sound, but still lends its self a huge, heavy jam. The third track presents clean acoustic with some odd, buried-within-themselves vocals that are a bit hard to find comfort in as a crunchy, fucked up rhythm enters in the rear, all ending slowly.

"blackbath", the fourth track is of a darker- dark ambient throughout with some oscillating echos going in-and-out as more dark tones easy through making their presence known. Heavy-footed steps echo in just as the track concludes, leaving the last track, possibly being the strangest of the five. Starting off as a complete digital, atonal mess, some charming acoustic guitar work breaks through with some warm and wondrous vocal work like a group of hippies around a fire in the middle of nowhere finally leaving their digital lives behind. [...]"-Holidays Reviews


Get additional information at Holidays Review

Artist Biographies

August Traeger is a sound & video artist from the USA. He runs the Bicephalic Records label, and is known for his websites somnaphon.net, bicephalic.net. He performs under the aliases Odd Person, Phlimm, Somnaphon, and has been a member of the groups Flower Mountain, Food World, Nipple Stools, Pony Gropers.

-Squidco 3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. missingone

2. ihavesixeyes

3. thiswinter

4. blackbath

5. whower

Related Categories of Interest:

3" CD

Electro-Acoustic
Sound, Noise, &c.

Search for other titles on the label:
ACK Recordings.


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