Archaic Signal, by Aperus

Archaic Signal

by Aperus

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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
This 2020 release features a 5 x 7 cello sleeve with a striking double sided gatefold cover and five double sided photo cards (10 images) created from weathered surfaces, pictographs and found objects.

Includes unlimited streaming of Archaic Signal via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.	New Antenna 05:51	buy track
2.	Archaic Signal 07:58	buy track
3.	Phase Shift 02:32	buy track
4.	Newspaper Rock 06:09	buy track
5.	Canopy of Stars 08:45	buy track
6.	Birdsong as Mantra 16:52	buy track
7.	Silver Birds 03:24	buy track
8.	Archaeodreaming 04:52	buy track
9.	Afterglow 06:42	buy track

about

We're living on the edge of town near a green belt of trees in the high desert of New Mexico. I wake up, get ready for the day, and hear a bird singing outside the window. The window's open slightly so it filters out the background noise while letting the high end pass through unobstructed. I'm struck by the beauty of the sound and begin recording. It occurs to me that the bird isn't just singing, it's trying to signal another bird as it's evolved to do over countless millennia.

We're hiking the La Cienaguilla Petroglyphs exploring a mile long section of ancient symbols. I'm surprised at how many images cover the rocks and canyon and how directly they speak to me. We move slowly from one panel to the next. You point out the highlights while I photograph them with my camera. Some look ancient while others look like the future seen through the lens of the past. The thought goes through my head – “these petroglyphs are a signal from then until now”.

I've tuned into a favorite website to work with a high powered radio antenna at a university in the Netherlands. I spend hours moving through the frequencies recording cosmic noise, news reports, and obscure number stations. A few more adjustments and the shortwave transmits a call to prayer as the audio recorder runs in the background. The needle's not quite on the frequency so the singer sounds squelchy and out of focus while a voice from another station occasionally bleeds through.

After three iterations, the title of the album becomes clear and I feel compelled to explore the ideas I've gathered.

credits

released September 16, 2020

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Brian McWilliams: shortwave radio, software sampler, ob6, wavestation, juno 106, un-o-lx, prophet 5/vs, droneo, synplant, sunrizer, processed guitar, rattles, field recordings, tape manipulation

Ivan Block: guitar on “Archaic Signal” and “Afterglow”

Karla K Mcwilliams: drum loop and samples on “Canopy of Stars”

Recorded and mixed by Brian McWilliams at the Sound Observatory. Mastered by Robert Rich at Soundscape, Mountain View (1,3,4,5,6,8), Jason Goodyear at Ice Cream Truck Studio (2,5), Brian McWilliams at the Sound Observatory (1-9). Photography and artwork by Brian McWilliams.

Thank you to the Cochiti and Santo Domingo pueblos for inspiration and visual dna drawn from the La Cienaguilla Petroglyph site; Karla K Mcwilliams, Jim Hackler, Jason Goodyear, Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Ron Sunsinger, Robin Storey, David Jackson, Michelle Mcwilliams, Jaled Bahakeem and Jenna Ritter for feedback during the recording of this project. Special thanks to Ivan Block for creative dialog, photo location scouting and assistance.

Aperus:
aperus.bandcamp.com
remanence.bandcamp.com
geophonicrecords.com

Robert Rich:
robertrich.bandcamp.com
robertrich.com

Jason Goodyear:
prettylittlepaw.bandcamp.com

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about

Remanence Portland, Oregon

Remanence is the collaboration between Brian McWilliams and John Phipps. Both found common interest in the creative possibilities of recordings as tangible physical objects and believe that process and presentation add another dimension to the experience of the music contained within. Musically, their style is rooted in the instrumental, experimental ambient genres. ... more

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