the circle and the point. - And So On For Ever

Post-Terrastock 6, two weary travelers holed up in a spare bedroom with a random cache of instruments and various noisemakers in an attempt to unleash some of the beer-fueled steam that had built up over the previous weekend. The music here comes from two delirious afternoons, still weary from a lack of sleep, minds still overloaded from a weekend of mania- both music related and beyond. Floating acoustic guitars buried in the murk of distorted electric guitars. Featuring Grant Capes from (VxPxC), these are ideas six years in the making, now just starting to unwind.  Adorned with major cover art by Darryl Norsen.

2006.  house of 004. limited edition of 123 cd-r's

$9

$14

outside of US

Foxy Digitalis:

The Circle and the Point is the duo of House of Alchemy label boss, Adam Richards and prolific multi-instrumentalist Grant Capes, most notably of the (VxPxC). On this release the two created a collection of small fragmentary dreamscapes that operate equally as soundtracks to a melancholic evening at home or a long solo drive in the car.

“and so on for ever” maintains this sort of bedroom quality to it, in that wayward sounds such as the creaking of a chair or the setting of an instrument on the floor readily incorporate themselves into the music. This aspect functions as a major enhancement of the spatial qualities of the sound as opposed to distracting from what is happening and offers a chance for the listener to really enter the space where the music was recorded.

Listening to the Circle and the Point is comparable to walking into a dream; a tangible fragility and sense of unknowing permeates the air every time the disc is spun. In fact, this album exudes such an intimate essence that upon first examination one may find oneself lost; as the musical language presented here is extremely intimate and sometimes almost indiscernible. But with further exploration one will discover a bountiful landscape of sound that constantly beckons one back to its mist-enshrouded valleys; as with each listen more and more of the inner workings of the Circle and the Point is revealed. Essentially listening to “and so on forever” is like being initiated into some secret society with Capes and Richards acting as the all-knowing gurus; with each listen you move higher in the ranks, inching forward to some sense of ultimate enlightenment.

It must also be noted that like all House of Alchemy releases to date, “and so on for ever’ this one also features exquisite hand crafted packaging; this one adorned with cover artwork by Darrel Norsen in a simple brown single fold cardboard sleeve. 9/10 -- Cory Card 

Boa Medley Bar:

House of Alchemy is Adam Richards' label and we find him here with VxPxC's Grant Capes. There's an intimate feel to these pieces, with the wheeze of accordion, spacious guitar, distant voices and a twirly tube - always welcome to my ears! The way things start and finish gives the feeling of eavesdropping on the players and the attractive handmade packaging sits well with the music.