​A couple years back, Dirty Pillows somehow caught wind and connected with a group of dudes calling themselves Harsh Vibes. They were from Philly, they were super nice guys, and their music was legit, so we put out their Dead Collective Soul cs.

Jump to today, Dead Collective Soul is long sold out and stands as one of Dirty Pillows' proudest releases. As soon as we heard that tape, we knew we wanted to work with Harsh Vibes again. As a label, we wanted to move into vinyl, and so did Harsh Vibes, so a plan was made and both the label and band are ready to unleash our first 12 inch. It would be an understatement to say that this is another proud moment for Dirty Pillows, and we're pretty certain it's a proud moment for Harsh Vibes as well. We are extremely pleased to present the You Left Me Far Behind 12 Inch, two sides of long form kraut/psych/stoner/whatever that absolutely rips and burns while still feeling like a shoegazers dream. 
 
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2015
Catalog Number: dpr012
Genre: Kraut, Psych, Stoner
Release Info: 300 black virgin vinyl 12 inch records
Run Time: 22:52

Side A:
You Left Me Far Behind (11:32)
 
Side B:
I Will Follow You Down (11:20)
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Stream and Buy Harsh Vibes - You Left Me Far Behind
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Japan's Dog in the Evening weaves a dreamy haze that combines minimal synth and classical composition and samples. Much like his previous work released on Adhesive Sounds, Spring Break Tapes, etc., Taro Yamada continues to make music that feels ephemeral and barely tangible. Casting an out of focus projection of a distant memory, only now with Room of Miniature there seems to be a little more texture to the sonic fabric. Perhaps an extra layer down the dream hole if you will. Super limited to 25 copies and the first release of a new design aesthetic Dirty Pillows will be following on future cassette releases. This tape is the perfect accompaniment to the grey autumn and the coming deep winter.

Release Date: Nov. 6, 2015
Catalog Number: dpr013
Genre: Neoclassical, Experimental
Release Info: 25 Cassettes with Digital Downloads
Half Clear/Half Blue Shells. Full Color U-Cards.
Run Time: 18 Minutes

Side A:
Debussssy
Jail Scene
 
Side B:
Untitled I
Untitled II
Untitled III

Stream and Buy 夕方の犬 (Dog in the Evening) - Room of Miniature Here

We at Dirty Pillows are extremely pleased to announce the next tape installment by our very own Alex Bender, aka Citrus Glaze. Rebuilding is the follow up to last years Distractions, released by the notable Danish label Phinery. For this one DP is teaming up with our northerly cohorts Adhesive Sounds to provide some solid co-release vibes. This release also features a series of remixes from some of our favorite friends and artists.

Rebuilding finds Citrus Glaze at a quantum leap from where he was when we last heard him. The sound is still the same but the context is all new. After forgoing the rigid climes of upstate New York for his home of Philadelphia, PA Citrus Glaze is doing exactly as the title implies. Rebuilding focuses on the events that precipitate mass change and the immediate and eventual aftermath of that change. Split into three parts, each a part of the process that we are all familiar with.

Release Date: April 2nd
Catalog Number: dpr011
Genre: Electronic, Minimal, Pop
Release Info: 50 Cassettes with Digital Downloads - 25 Dirty Pillows/25 Adhesive Sounds
Blue/Maroon Imprint on Clear Cassettes with Full Color J Card
Run Time: 30 Minutes

Side A:
Departing
Remembering 
Progressing
 
Side B:
Departing (The Petrified Heart of An Air Whale Remix)
Remembering (Karl Fousek Rework)
Progressing (PHORK's Problems Remix)

STREAM AND BUY CITRUS GLAZE - REBUILDING HERE

On top of all the junk we had going on this year we still somehow had time to fit in some quality listening time. 2014, despite its troubles, turned out some great tunes. With that said here's our individual top album picks, in no particular order, cause thats dumb.

Alex's Picks:
Ought - More Than Any Other Day (Constellation)
PHORK - High End (NNA)
Courtney Barnett - The Double EP A Sea of Split Peas (Mom+Pop)
Swans - To Be Kind (Young God)
Ricky Eat Acid - Three Love Songs (Orchid Tapes)
Posse - Soft Opening (BADH Records)
Junior Pande - The Red Tape (Spring Break Tapes)
Nehruviandoom - Nehruviandoom (Lex)
BadBadNotGood - III (Innovative Leisure)
Daniel Bachman - Orange Co. Serenade (Bathetic)



Geoff's Picks:
White Suns - Totem (Flenser)
Oozing Wound - Earth Suck (Thrill Jockey)
Fennesz - Becs (Editions Mego)
Woods - With Light and With Love (Woodsist)
Swans - To Be Kind (Young God)
Sun Kil Moon - Benji (Caldo Verde)
The Skull Defekts - Dances in the Dreams of the Known Unkown (Thrill Jockey)
The Fresh and Onlys - House of Spirits (Mexican Summer)
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Pinata (Madlib Invazion)
Electric Wizard - Time to Die (Spinefarm/Witchfinder)
Eastlink - s/t (In the Red)
The Blind Shake - Breakfast of Failures (Goner)
The Cosmic Dead - Easterfaust (Sound of Cobra)
Ariel Pink - Pom Pom (4AD)

We've seen Neal Reinalda around these parts before. In between his last cassette outing with Dirty Pillows he's been keeping busy under the PHORK moniker with cassettes on Opal Tapes, Noumenal Loop, and an LP with the ever prestigious NNA Tapes. Each release extends his warped 21st century vision of electronic pop music and gives the listener another peek into a world he is slowly creating. Each release can be seen as an independent element that will eventually become part of a greater whole when PHORK is dead and gone and has been canonized into the human psyche. This latest piece delivers with a force and beat that is at the same time catchy and dystopic. The A side draws us in with a compressed and heavy electronic landscape and then the B side expands into a more scattered collage of select sounds, not unlike many of PHORK's other releases. Another masterwork from a man who never stops showing us his dreams electronic as long as we are willing to listen to them. This release will be hitting shelves on Cassette Store Day. And, if you can't find a copy at a participating store, Dirty Pillows will be selling them direct starting on October 4th. 

Release Date: In Stores Sept. 27th / Direct from Dirty Pillows on Oct. 4th
Catalog Number: dpr010
Genre: Electronic, House, Experimental, Pop
Release Info: 50 Cassettes with Downloads / Digital
Blue Tapes with White Imprint in O-Cards

Run Time: 43 min.
This album contains 9 tracks. 4 on the A side and 5 on the B side. The artist has chosen to keep the tracks untitled.

Side A:
Untitled One
Untitled Two
Untitled Three
Untitled Four
 
Side B:
Untitled Five
Untitled Six
Untitled Seven
Untitled Eight
Untitled Nine

The initial vision that founder Benjamin Krarup had for the label is what really sets Phinery apart. As stated in the label’s description, Phinery is the combination of art and sound. Krarup set out to create a label that would not only feature fascinating sounds, but would also promote the cover artwork and the artists behind them just as prominently.

Each release is a collaboration. Different artists and musicians are paired together for each tape. Krarup curates the label on his own, deciding which artist’s work will best compliment a musical composition, and vice versa. This joint effort between musicians and artists has yielded some excellent results. Krarup has managed to get respected artists from around the world, including Daniel Everett, Christopher Norris, and Jennifer Mehigan, to provide pieces for Phinery releases.

Phinery has put out seven releases to date and a fall batch of tapes, including a release from yours truly, is coming in the near future. Right now, the label is running a 50% off sale, marking each release to just $3. I highly suggest taking some time to check out this great label. Support Phinery and buy some tapes!


-Alex

Label Spotlight: A weekly or monthly thing where we give a shout out to record labels that we think are keeping the dream alive

In the three or so years that Dirty Pillows has existed, no one has shown us more camaraderie and sheer enthusiasm than Baltimore-based Holy Page Records mastermind Christian Filardo. Since the early days he has given us, and many other labels, the perfect kind of love and support you would expect from a from like-minded label head.

Holy Page, at first glance, is clearly a labor of love and commitment. This is reinforced by the consistent continuity of the thematic artwork to the breadth of artists represented. Any great label attempts to create some sort of narrative with their releases. I believe Holy Page creates both a visual narrative and a temporal narrative. The visual aspect of this is obvious through the care and thought that Christian puts into every release. The temporal element is less obvious, but with consistent listening one can see the flow and ebb that comes with the maturing of a great label. Since the beginning, Holy Page has had the foresight to create and maintain a narrative that encourages continual engagement on the part of the listener. Holding fast to a particular aesthetic, but never shy of moving forward.

If a record label is a forum in which to curate and celebrate the music we love, as individuals, then the music we release should morph, change, and mature as we do. If this is true, then a record label should constantly be evolving to match the evolving nature of the human personality. Holy Page follows this theory. Keep on expecting great things from this label. I have a feeling that as long as Christian Filardo lives and breathes this won’t be a problem.

 You can also check out Christian’s writings over at Tape Famous and great distro he runs, Reputation Worldwide.


-Geoff