Presenting ... "New Dub Manifesto (waag_rel109)" by Cousin Silas & the Glove of Bones

Dub is not a genre of music I have explored to any great degree. I am familiar with the work of Osbourne "King Tubby" Ruddock, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Mad Professor, and Adrian Sherwood; but not really gone further than that. However, the work of Cousin Silas and the Glove of Bones has really whetted my whistle for more!

I thoroughly enjoyed their previous output - "Ornithology" and "Mabinogi" - but "New Dub Manifesto (waag_rel109)" feels so much more ... it is the realised potential that the first two releases pointed to, a glorious coming-together of two very talented chaps.

"New Dub Manifesto (waag_rel109)" is a powerfully dense and wondrous musical tsunami that knocks you off your feet and leaves you on your back with a smile affixed to your face. It is a wondrous testament to sound that will test the very best headphones and hi-fis and yet still sounds fantastic in my puny little EarPods.

There's not much more I can say about this release other than that it needs to be felt as much as it is heard. There is, at times, so much going on that it can be disconcerting but I would urge you to go with it ... give it time ... and you will be rewarded. I certainly was.

As before, my thanks goes to Cousin Silas ... Warren Daly … Kevin Lyons ... Adrian Nicholls ... Drew Miller ... and the wonderful waag community ... for their generous support.
A 320kbps version of this release will be available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel109

Presenting ... Tranquil Minds and other distractions (waag_rel108) by Cousin Silas and Head Joint

I've always loved the "and friends" series from Cousin Silas ... it reads like a who's who of our particular musical niche. And one such collaboration that I've always looked for is between Cousin Silas and Head Joint.

Head Joint are Victor Rivkin (who handles vocals, guitar, bass and a number of other instruments) and Michael Jobborn (with his Midi Keyboards, Hammond Organ, Guitars, Piano, and various other sound-making devices), and they make wondrously progressive instrumental music together ... throw in Cousin Silas and you really do have a treat for your ears.

From the off, you know you are in for a ride ... from the expressive psychedelia of the first part of "Trip Through The Mind" and the atmospheric ambience of "Burning Through The Atmosphere" ... through to haunting, ethereal otherness of all five parts of the "Tranquil Minds" opus and the longform delight of "The Collision with Nibiru" ... this is one belter of an album.

As for a collaboration, yes there are times when I can easily recognise Cousin Silas' trademark ambient guitar ... but, for the most part, this is something greater than the sum of the parts ... and, for me, that's what makes it so very special.

I really hope you enjoy this album as much as I do!

As before, my thanks goes to Cousin Silas ... Warren Daly … Kevin Lyons ... Adrian Nicholls ... Drew Miller ... and the wonderful waag community ... for their generous support.

A 320kbps version of this release is available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.

- Thomas

https://archive.org/details/waag_rel108