NEW Cassette release on PBKsound: "A Season In Hell (Andrew Quitter Mix)"
Andrew Quitter has been a formidable presence on the U.S. underground noise scene since 1998, crafting captivating sonic landscapes under the monikers Suburbia Melting and Regosphere. As the curator of DumpsterScore Home Recordings, his label serves as a haven for visionaries and eccentrics from many corners of the experimental music world.
In 2021, Quitter participated in the Chain Letter Exhortation Series, a project released on PBKsound. The series operates on an interesting concept where the initial artist's audio material is subjected to remixing, manipulation, and augmentation by the subsequent participant. This transformed piece is then passed on to another artist for further reimagining. And then the creative baton is handed over one final time, resulting in a chain of mixes, each possessing their own distinctive character that often deviates significantly from previous iterations.
A stand-out in the series is "A Season In Hell" bringing together the talents of Minóy, PBK, Andrew Quitter himself, and Don Campau. PBK accessed Minóy's archive, unearthing a wealth of audio source tapes, and skillfully incorporates Minóy's electronics and tormented vocals to infuse raw emotional intensity into these compositions. Andrew Quitter then constructs an expansive abstract soundscape using all sorts of electronic sounds, textures and otherworldly elements. Don Campau's final mix propels the project into uncharted territories. He creates a vibrant post-rock environment with guitar solos and rhythm patterns against that noisy, electronic backdrop, and then adds Antonella Eye Porcelluzzi's haunting vocals to complement and respond to Minoy's piercing screams. It's a remarkable display of artistic audacity that defies conventions.
Campau's mix was nevertheless built on the foundation that Andrew Quitter created, and Quitter's contribution cannot be overlooked. His distinctive approach weaves a mesmerizing sonic tapestry where distant voices loop or echo, drones shape-shift into otherworldly sonances, and environmental recordings find their place within the constantly moving stereo-field. The expanding sonic landscape takes listeners on an unpredictable journey finally converging intensely with Minóy's anguished cries. Quitter, a devoted Minóy fan, pays homage to the underground tape network of the 1980's blending his youthful perspective with the seasoned expertise of his collaborators. "A Season In Hell (Andrew Quitter Mix)" exemplifies the power of collaboration and subconscious empathy.