'Tramp Wire Stories' is ZyNg tapes' unofficial rush release for International Cassette Store Day 2014. At ZyNg, we don't just give you the chance to discover great music & this cassette is a very limited edition release that features 2 compelling short stories from American writer & DJ Daniel J Harris with 'Lethal Inspections' and also the prolific Reverend Rabbit has provided a 'sermon' for the day entitled 'Couch Potatoes & The Idiots Lantern'.
Review of Tramp Wire Stories by Kim Harten of Bliss/Aquamarine
VARIOUS Tramp Wire Stories tape (ZyNg Tapes)
Second release from ZyNg Tapes, a new tape label set up by Rob Kirtley, formerly of The Rabbit's Hat. The tape is limited to just 25 copies on red cassette, in a handmade fabric and paper cover. There's also a download version for those who prefer that format. The tape comprises two narrations set to music; first up is Daniel J. Harris' Lethal Inspections, read by Tim Jones with music by Rob Kirtley. Accompanied by a rock instrumental that is in turn atmospheric and forceful, the story is a dark dystopian fantasy concerning an experiment on prisoners; will they get a lethal injection or a placebo?
On the other side of the tape we have Couch Potatoes and the Idiot's Lantern by The Reverend Rabbit, with music by Tim Jones and Paul Rose. The Idiot's Lantern of the title is the television, portrayed as a device for subduing the populace and crushing free thought. Instead of becoming a couch potato, transfixed by inane celebs on TV, the Reverend Rabbit urges the listener to rediscover the knowledge within themselves. Barcodes as a corporate tool, economic injustice, and the reduction of nutrients in the soil also come under scrutiny. Voice effects add a demonic feel to parts of the Reverend's sermon, the musical accompaniment veering from relaxing ambient music to harsh, dissonant experimentation. Not everyone will agree with the Reverend Rabbit's message, and many will feel pushed out of their comfort zone, but his uncompromising narration forces the listener to examine their own beliefs and behavioural patterns, a necessary procedure for maintaining an independent, free thinking mind.
Kim Harten
www.blissaquamarine.net
released September 27, 2014