Inside No. 9, Episode #9: I tell you everything, just not out loud. 1969-2020
With an ever-polished sound to the current underground music output, I found myself returning to DIY and experimental recordings that itch a long-dormant lo-fi scratch. This came about after going through old tapes and CDs, where I fell back in love with records from Fifty Foot Women, early Grouper, and Christina Carter. John Olson of Wolf Eyes recently posted a track by Sue Ann Harkey across his social media networks, and I was hooked by her sound. I started creating this mix and knew I had to include tracks from Bridget Hayden, Kim Gordon, and Inca Ore. I stumbled across an old download of Ruth White’s Flower of Evil, and I was almost done. One track that called out was Jandek’s Nancy Sings, which has one of my favorite vocal performances ever. The mix of strangely plucked guitar and beautiful vocals is pure magic.
The songs on this mix transcend 50 years but sound so incredible together – linked by the artistry of defiantly experimental musicians. The female voice is resonant through most of these tracks and adds a deep level of transience. There is something incredibly haunting and quietly life-affirming to these songs. The slow and uneven pacing, the confidently stark vocal deliveries, and the masterfully uncanny playing make for a trip to the magical, icky corners of the mind. This is a rare and heady trip.
Track One
Ruth White
Owls
1969
Track Two
Sue Ann Harkey
Cause and Effect
1985
Track Three
Inca Ore
Sun
2008
Track Four
Bridget Hayden
Flute Variations
2020
Track Five
Jandek
Nancy Sings
1982
Track Six
Christina Carter
Bird’s Nest
2008
Track Seven
Fifty Foot Women
Ships in the Night
2008
Track Eight
Kim Gordon & Loren Connors
Movement 6
2021
Track Nine
Grouper
Little Gray Cat
2007
Inside No. 9 is an attempt to share unique narratives through the mixing of 9 songs. Every episode will showcase a new theme, opening up new tributaries of discovery. Inside No. 9 is presented by Peter Taylor, a former features writer for Foxy Digitalis from back in the late 2000s. Peter is a visual artist and musician and has been creating music as MAbH since 2008.
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