The Howling is a collaborative project started by writer Ken Hollings and sound artist Howlround devoted exclusively to their shared love of text, audiotape and Trash Aesthetics. An intense collision of spoken word and analogue tape effects, The Howling provide the missing link between John Cage and Suicide.
The duo tease their new album, Incredible Night Creatures of the Midway, with its second cut, 'David Gest, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor'.
This 'Trash List' was originally compiled by Ken for inclusion in Inferno, the first volume of his Trash Project, published by Strange Attractor Press. In the end, the list didn't fit with the book's overall structure, so it was set aside only to be rediscovered when The Howling started preparing for their first live appearance. The text's main theme (and recurring refrain) was inspired by a group photograph taken at the March 2002 wedding of David Gest and Liza Minnelli. This haunting image is all over the Internet and very easy to find.
The cut-and-splice patchwork of found sound that accompanies the text is entirely sourced from items that feature on the list itself, cut to tape and played back at random while being blasted with copious amounts of feedback and amplified hum. Robin spent a long weekend immersing himself in a world of trashy trailers, sugar coated breakfast commercials, garish equine cartoon adventures, unconvincing explosions, reality TV ghouls and – most upsettingly – at least one low-budget cinematic adaption featuring the slapdash application of green body paint. This soundtrack plus a severely diminished faith in humanity were the result.
'A plague upon this Howling. They are louder than the weather or our office.' William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act One Scene One
supported by 29 fans who also own “David Gest, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor”
thanks so much . this album rescued me from the clutches of January.
Along with Matana Roberts. Both found just in the nick of time in the Wire '23 retrospective.
thanks Chris. So long Philip. tibufawa
supported by 20 fans who also own “David Gest, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor”
I love it that I have to work myself through all thse layers of sounds and noises to get to the music - and of couse, these ARE the music. Listening to Philip Jeck's albums is challenging and at the same time utterly touching. And this fine collaboration is no exception. Sven
Istanbul sound artist and industrial designer Kunsf transforms everyday objects into granular synthesis on this contemplative new LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 8, 2022
Colin Andrew Sheffield (Elevator Bath) repurposes heavily manipulated jazz samples into gorgeously eerie soundscapes. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 20, 2023
Megadead offers a set of meditative, carefully constructured experimental pieces that capture a longing for escapism. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 24, 2023