It was criminal of me to omit one of the BEST record labels from my year-end review of 2011 last December: Kye Records. One of the most understated labels of all-time with one of the most enigmatic line-up of artistes who are not just sub-subterranean (not due to any fault of theirs, of course but more a result of wilful ignorance and self imposed media occlusion) but limited in its editions of each release so far. The provenance of the label is a continuation of the beautiful, surreal and oblique other-song-liness of the Shadow Ring (which I actually had as one of my previous blog entries a while ago) which released a double CD retrospective a few years ago and it is also run by one of the three Rings, Graham Lambkin. Within the orbit of Lambkin is Tim Goss (one of the three Rings) and his new project, Call Of The Giants, which have released two modern day post-noise sketches of almost lament-like musical scribbles with his step daughter, Chloe Mutter; both the self titled album and the follow-up "the Rising" are affecting and deep-night contemplative soundtracks.
Also on the label is the re-issue of one of the side-projects of the Rings, Elklink, "The Rise of The Elklink", which frankly speaking befuddled me tremendously but it is one of those albums which slowly draws one in gradually which its "what-the-hell"ness of it. Veteran Noise/drone/freak outfit, Idea Fire Company also released one of their most sublime albums on Kye with "Music From The Impossible Saloon"; a suite of 1920s piano-led tone-poems going slightly wonky at the edges but buoying the listeners with its rudimentary a-melodies at its core.
The discography of this excellent label is still slim but with other great releases by Belgium composer Moniek Darge, Australian avant-rock group Vincent Over The Sink, one half of Bird Of Delay, Helm, and weirdo post-music outfit Fossils, Kye is one of the labels to watch out for. I for one, is hooked.
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