Antigua Ibis - Bisected by Ravines (Vanishing Hour Revival CS)

A new label out of Gainesville, formed in the wake of Housecraft frontman Jeff Astin's departure as a means of continuing the seemingly fertile action down there I suppose, Vanishing Hour Revival is headed by Evan, whose first batch features this, a tape of him and David Toro's unit Antigua Ibis. Gotta say when Evan got in touch with me I knew from the get-go I'd be into it, what with the gorgeous cover art on all three releases in the first batch and the general atmosphere of goodness surrounding all things Xiphiidae. Bold move to have catalog numero uno a vinyl too, but they did such a beautiful job on that one, seriously, go pick it up. That'll get the review soon too for shiz.

For now though I though I'd stick with this little one, a stripped down affair far more concerned with sway and bend then plug and grind modes of mystery. First side kind of slips in and out of focus, crystal bowl loops and keyboard twinkles blowing out in hums of iridescent light hung from white fixtures dangling effortlessly from fishing line. Periodically drifts from subtle winds too, letting the warm glow find all corners of the empty space it inhabits, fueling the growth of the weeds coming in through the cracks. Not so much concerned with totally losing it, the tape lets its understatement lead the noggin into far off realms of dreamy conga lines and ecstatic gestures of relief made lackadaisical by their distance in time. Voices come and go, lines like spikes through the canvas of time before switching off and entering another space entirely, replete with bird chirps and hog grunts while streams fuel forests of insect activity. Interesting stuff for sure, and strange/alien enough that the new agey elements serve a purpose and don't become plodding.

Flip side is a bit more blustery in nature, with meandering keys dabbling among wind strewn dunes and elderberries. Nice sand piper vibe here that's totally content traipsing about in search of microscopic crustaceans, all the while the clouds darkening and the waves frothing whiter and whiter. Starts to bring in a real eerie stance over its course, giving a full tidal go of it that exudes abandonment and small natural moments looked at with utter fascination. Very little necessary here, and they stick with it wisely. Like some lonely young brunette nestled in the sand and watching the very waters that Dolphins into the Future inhabits. A nice flip too, gives the tape an edge of melancholy that adds a lot of depth to the material as a whole, contributing to these being a real winner of a first batch. Basking stuff.