Strange Fog - I Keep Forgetting I Know Anyone (grimey lo-fi slowcore)

rycolos · 2023-02-10T15:55:05.487Z

Someone told me this album sounds like if Nick Cave produced a Neutral Milk Hotel album. Not sure I agree with that, but I liked the comparison.

Some thoughts, for a thoughtful place:

I think I’m finally finding my sound, or at least the sound of this project occasionally known as Strange Fog. I think I knew the sound when I originally named the project…“Strange” and “Foggy” but I didn’t know what it meant and I’ve been on a quiet, expensive, often hidden-from-myself hunt to find it since the first album in 2014.

I like noise and degradation. I like chaos that recedes and unveils something less chaotic but still on the verge of getting there. I like muffled and masked sounds, but that may just be an excuse for my poor mixing. I like reverb, but not too much and not too smooth/ambient. I like little mistakes and natural sounds that seep in. I like bleed from previous tracks (I hate recording with headphones on).

I think I’m even starting to like my voice. Or I’m at least less shy and quiet about my distaste for it.

I like “angular” guitar sounds, dissonant intervals. In the last two albums, I’ve learned that I really like 7th and 9th chords, especially in low string 3-note forms. I’m not a good guitar player, but I’m starting to like what comes out when I bang on it out of time and with too much thumb fretting.

This is the latest output of all of that. It’s a thing I’m going to keep doing, but I’ll probably take a break and work on other projects for a bit (new Greywater industrial/PE stuff, a Shellac-y bright and harsh grindcore project, something IDM-ish).

I’m not going to write too much about lyrical content, but I think I’m finding a zone there too. Catharsis, storytelling, simulation, whatever. It’s a space that’s been very valuable these past couple of years.

Thanks for reading and thanks for listening. If anything I’ve written resonates with you, words or music, I would love to collaborate. I miss making music with others.

I might make a few cassettes for this album. Let me know if you want one.

And I’ve love to talk production if anyone is interested in that sort of thing. Some gear notes from bandcamp — lots of baritone, lots of telecaster, Strymon Deco, Chase Bliss Mood, DBA Rooms, DBA Exploding Head, some DIY fuzzes. Vocals often run through the same chain. Mics: Shure Green Bullet, EV 635.

Net · 2023-03-18T08:22:45.495Z

I set this aside for when I could make time to listen to it all, and several times. I wish I’d managed sooner.

I’m going through a bad period and it’s harder than usual to convey thoughts and feelings about things, so this will be briefer than I’d have liked: I’d just like to say I thought it was very appealing. I liked the guitar tone on especially Passenger Song, Daydreaming and Warm Song, and I was impressed by your melodies, voice and lyrics. And I was really moved by Being A Ghost.

I’m trying to work on a slowcore project at the moment and would be delighted if it were half as sweet and poignant as this. Thanks for sharing.

rycolos · 2023-03-25T13:03:02.317Z

Thank you so much for your thoughts! I’d love to hear what you come out with. Please share!

rycolos · 2023-03-25T19:05:47.814Z

I’ve been listening to your stuff and gave you a follow on IG. Absolutely loving it. Hit me up if you ever want to try and collab on something. Seems like we have some shared aesthetic joys.