cremation lily - drug trafficking case histories/photography ring.

Cremation Lily - Drug Trafficking Case Histories Greek Island Yellow Sand

I recently received two cremation lily tapes in the mail (always a good thing) and I figured I'd write about them here. I guess this is all a bit of a tease since I can't post them, but with his new bandcamp page, zen zsigo is finally taking steps to get his cremation lily music to the audience it truly deserves. he's been creating some of the best power electronics recordings in the genre for a while now and it's tragically difficult to track down rips, let alone physical copies, unless you're willing to pay discogs prices. but with his new bandcamp page and recent represses of a couple cremation lily and natural assembly tapes, the music has a chance to get out there and be discovered by people who've undoubtedly been in the dark.

anyway, the first tape I received was the blue version of drug trafficking case histories greek island yellow sand, a confusingly-named c20 that was printed up as special edition of a dozen to be sold at a show with consumer electronics this past march. fortunately for me, it didn't sell out and I managed to snag one from the strange rules shop.

it's certainly a more straightforward and traditional power electronics recording than the next tape we'll be looking at, but it's also exactly what I want from cremation lily: harsh, squealing analog noise that twists and turns and always keeps you guessing.

Cremation Lily - Photography Ring

the next cremation lily tape to discuss is photography ring, which also happens to be the fiftieth release on zsigo's strange rules label. I wasn't able to snag the version that included a bonus tape, the photographer, but that one has fortunately been made available separately, so be on the look out for it, too.

like the previous tape, this one is also a c20. but it features a very different, much warmer sound more akin to uncomplicated explanations than some of zsigo's more harsh early work. the first track begins with a brief intro, then the warm synth textures begin, slowly rising and falling for the remainder of the track. the effect is very hypnotic and almost soporific.

the second track begins with a little muffled static that quickly cuts out before more synths slowly fade in. but underneath the synths, there's more muffled static that leaves a feeling of uncertainty, a feeling of foreboding despite the warm tones on the surface. then the vocals come in, sounding like desperate calls from someone trapped beneath the static. this track is an interesting compliment to the first - lots of similar tones and sounds but with an entirely different mood and emotion, all thanks to just a few new elements. it really demonstrates zsigo's ear for composition and juxtaposition, and his understanding of how drastically mood can be changed with seemingly small alterations.

overall, photography ring makes for a great fiftieth release from a label that will hopefully be home to many more in the future.


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although the cremation lily bandcamp page is sparse right now, many other strange rules titles are available via the webstore, and you'd all be fools if you didn't purchase it's ok to say no. it is, in my opinion, the best cremation lily release, and although you'll be missing out on the amazing packaging, the music is absolutely worth it.

I couldn't be happier that zsigo is making his music more readily available to fans and newcomers alike. although he only seems to be testing the waters right now, check out the bandcamp, stream some tunes, and purchase some digital copies to let him know that you want to see more.

so now you have no excuse - if you're not already familiar with cremation lily, that's easier than ever to remedy.