John Bemis, Web Producer
@bemiscourant
Imagine you’re at your grandparents house with absolutely nothing to do. Like your grandparents, the house, and the items in it, are storied and full of history; where did they come from? who made them? On this train of thought, sensing the potential for all sorts of old, potentially cool ‘vintage’ crap, you go spelunking to the basement or attic. The first thing you come upon is a box of old records. You want to hear them, but are too lazy to go to your record player. So you turn to the internet; alas, there’s hardly any information about the record or the artist, not a Youtube clip or download in sight; in fact, the only way it seems you could hear the thing is going on some weird website where you could mail-order the same physical record. Frustrated, you dig out your turntable, put the needle to the vinyl and hear probably the strangest noise you’ve ever heard in your life. All of your references are useless, you can’t say “it sounds like X crossed with Y”. You’ve unknowingly stumbled upon a type of record that music obsessives, historians and collectors covet; a piece of ‘outsider music’.
Recorded music, for most of the 20th century, was an investment. Record producers, promoters, engineers and record labels dictated what bands, what sounds and what albums were worth the money to record and release. Thus, that weird, un-definable music that you found in the basement is a rarity born out of special circumstances, where a daring artist from a strange land with a strange story somehow gathered the resources to put out their art, in however limited a quantity. The uniqueness of these albums with original physical releases often limited to several hundred copies, without any press or exposure outside of the limited scope of self promotion, leaves them as sought-after collectibles for those with the desire for something truly new and mysterious. Here are a few albums to let you in on the grand secret that this kind of music presents; start searching!
Chaino and his African Percussion Safari – Jungle Echoes
Part of the 1950’s ‘exotica’ movement, Chaino traveled a circuit of nightclubs across the US displaying his percussive energy. The back of this record described the fake persona he developed to showcase his skills; “A young boy found and raised by American missionaries, the only survivor of a nonviolent African tribe whose members, entranced by ancient rhythms, had the ability to communicate with animals and run like cheetahs… haunted and nourished by his origins, he engraved the rhythms of his land into the grooves of an Omega Disk…”. Full of hypnotic rhythms, an array of clashing percussion interlaced with skits of feral chanting, it’s as frightening as it is enchanting.
Abner Jay – The True Story of Abner Jay
The truest definition of a one-man band, Abner Jay was born in Georgia and grew up during the great depression. His passion for music grew as he began to play in minstrel shows and on the radio throughout the 50’s; using a banjo, drum kit, chicken bones and a harmonica all at once to create a humble and passionate folk-rant-joke amalgam, his songs told of everything from southern living to moon landings, personal tribulations to nuclear war. He is simple, unapologetic and at times downright hilarious, and this compilation captures his quintessential message and sound, with classics
Sun City Girls – Torch of the Mystics
This is the fourth album from experimental rock’s most elusive and prolific recording artists, Arizona’s Sun City Girls. Inspired by the hypnotic, sun-baked sound of traditional middle eastern music, the record’s two sides are a journey through arid soundscapes. The ghastly vocals, clawing guitars, hypnotic rhythms and dense mix round out the audio equivalent to descending into the unforgiving desert after drinking some Ayahuasca.
Daniel Johnston – Hi, How Are You
Arguably the most popular of all outsider music records (ironic, huh?), daniel johnston has since captured the ears of indie rock, and has left his mark on lo-fi music with this album. Johnston’s nervous singing and thin instrumentation perfect a mood of uneasiness, humbling, raw and beautiful in it’s approach. Low-fidelity recording techniques make it a intimate and deeply personal sounding mixture, letting you into Daniel’s witty, haunted and earnest mind.
