WE ARE THE WOODEN HOUSES - ISLAND OF DEATH & HALLOWEEN HAARP

Released June 2012
TOR25

1. Cursed Revenant
2. Beechead
3. Kora
4. Expansion Dig
5. Lilith

Released June 2012
TOR26

1. Vampire Skeleton    Mystery
2. Trembling Hands
3. Cloudy
4. Witchs Cat
5. The Sky (Is Falling In)
6. Oak Island Rag
7. Cease To Exist
8. Hour Of The Rose








From the autumn of 2011 to the spring of this year I was recording tracks for what would become the next We Are The Wooden Houses release. When it came time to compile those tracks for a release I soon realised that the resulting album would be too long for one disc and certainly too much for one listen. What to do?

These two releases come together. They are separate entities packaged as one, hence the individual catalogue numbers. The physical release has two slip cases in one gatefold sleeve and is limited to 25 copies.

The music : Everything from previous Wooden Houses releases is represented here. There are solo guitar pieces (Lilith, Cloudy, Oak Island Rag), Acid/Free/Psychedelic Folk (The Sky Is Falling In, Beechead), full blown psych (Vampire Skeleton Mystery) and some soundtrack music without a movie (Expansion Dig).

'Kora' and 'Witchs Cat' are a little different. They both began as improvisational jams and had layers of overdubs applied for consideration later on. Not knowing what to do I approached Alastair (Stone Tape Theory) for help and they quickly turned into full collaborations. Both retain their eastern raga beginnings but with the addition of a second mind remixing and composing, plus looping of drum tracks and the addition of samples they sound quite unlike anything from previous releases.

Alastair also has two compositional credits on these releases with 'Cursed Revenant' and 'Hour Of The Rose'. These tracks were made up from unused overdubs, loops and effected parts of existing songs.

Most of this music is instrumental and the majority was initially composed late at night while watching movies. The original concept was to fuse John Fahey, DJ Shadow and John Carpenter. While that concept has been strayed from I think you can still hear it. I hope you like it. - Ste.





Download here : http://treehouseorchestrarecordings.bandcamp.com


Or here : http://www.mediafire.com/?qvnm75530mqam2r


A Closer Listen review :

http://acloserlisten.com/2012/08/28/we-are-the-wooden-houses-halloween-haarpisland-of-death/

THE DEAD WEST - DRIFTERS PASS/ALL FOOLS DAY

Released June 2012

TOR24

…anyhow, ramshackle down-home two-step, yearning but hopeful, heading down the road, maybe stopping off for some fried eggs and country ham, but carrying on, always moving towards the hungry horizon - doesn’t the American Dream go something like this though nobody ever talks about it (in case it goes away or takes its mask off and turns out to be just another snakes-oil merchant trying to sell you something you don’t need) but soon morphing into Old Shakey & his Crazy Horse in all their ragged glory – oh to be warm again (you will be one day, child, you will be)…

…meanwhile on a riverboat down on the Old Mississippi, it’s a little more relaxed, like down in Cashville, though there’s still some darkness in those old chords and harmonies – anyways, there’s a lot of folks walking around in all kinds of finery pretending to be themselves (maybe that’s what identity is) but not always succeeding (maybe that’s what life is) but the river flows – it don’t care – its been here before though it doesn’t really remember (you can never stand in the same river again) this is how the country survives - constant movement, rebirth and amnesia - so we carry on playing this game ‘cos it’s in our nature and its so much easier than being honest with ourselves and one another (amen to that and pass the potatoes/pass the biscuits) ALL ABOARD THE SHIP OF FOOLS - ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE…





Download here : http://treehouseorchestrarecordings.bandcamp.com/album/drifters-pass-all-fools-day

Or here : http://www.mediafire.com/?5xhd1h2haaoaxt2

HILLS! WEREWOLVES! RUN! - HILLS! WEREWOLVES! RUN! 3

Released June 2012

TOR23

Two friends are stood in an independent record store sifting through the latest releases, wedged between the reissue of Sleep's ‘Dopesmoker’ and Charalambides ‘A Vintage Burden’ is the latest TOR album release by Hills! Werewolves! Run! called ‘3’. Friend (x) pulls out the release and looks closely at the cover, a figure in a dark cloak looks outward from a beguiling wooded scene. It’s reminiscent of Black Sabbath covers from the early 1970’s. Friend (xx) stares at the cover too, taking in the rural dystopia and dread the cover evokes, for a moment the two friends are joined together in quiet contemplation as their minds wander off. The silence is broken as Jack Rose’s ‘Raag Manifestos’ begins to drift out from the stores stereo system. The friends speak..

Friend (x) still holding the cover : I heard about this record, a friend downloaded it the other week…..

Friend (xx) : What’s it like?…..

Friend (x) : I heard its kinda ……………….avant garde jazz metal…….(cough)……….with bits of strung out guitar picking, spoken word samples, e-bow, violin, distorted sax….. a bit stoner rock but not if you know what I mean………I think it only has four tracks, pretty long mind, two of them loud, two of them quiet……..my friend said it was a bit fucked up….in a good way.

Friend (xx): Huh!

Friend (x): You know……Sun Ra meets Sabbath meets James Blackshaw...(laughs)

Friend (xx): I see.

Friend (x): Or mabye Parson Sound getting it together with early Floyd to cover Sylvester Anfang...

Friend (xx) : mmm…….do you like Bo Diddley?

- Marc.





Download here : http://treehouseorchestrarecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hills-werewolves-run-3

Or here : http://www.mediafire.com/?rbdc3b872j7696e

Read an independent review at A Closer Listen here :

http://acloserlisten.com/2012/06/01/hills-werewolves-run-3/

Hello readers,

A few months ago Marc and Ste from the Treehouse Orchestra were interviewed for the Soundcheck section of our city's local newspaper. The interview is online in full here :

http://carlislemusiccity.co.uk/treehouse-orchestra-recordings-branch-out/

Many thanks to Adam Lewis for his kindness and enthusiasm.

While you're there check out the attractions for the forthcoming Carlisle Music City event (June 4-10). Carlisle Music City is a not for profit organisation dedicated to boosting the music scene in Carlisle. Free music, an ethically sound motivation and Death In Vegas, what's not to like?

Check it out: http://carlislemusiccity.co.uk/

Ste.