https://www.mixcloud.com/tometotheweathermachine/tome-to-the-weather-machine-episode-029/

New Track by Thug Entrancer!

Absolutely thrilled to introduce a new track by Denver's Thug Entrancer. This is one to get my Swazi friends moving.

"This shouldn't come as any surprise, but in the face of oppression and despair, dance is a revolutionary act more powerful than any slogan, sign or online petition. 

It is in that spirit that Heligator Records is honored to present its 27th release by Denver's Thug Entrancer. Conceived in Denver, nurtured in Chicago's South Side and then exploded onto the world in 2014 via Daniel Loptain's software records, Thug Entrancer's formal debut Death After Life exists as an important living document and amalgamation of utilitarian dance music turned mightily on its ear. Building from the ground up, as Ryan McRyhew is known to do, "Neural Shade" expands and contracts along a laser-focused linear progression towards personal liberation. Taking cues from classic Acid House, 90's Techno and Chicgo-style footwork/juke, Thug Entrancer creates musical estuaries in which genres, geographies and cultural histories collect and pool only to be dispersed by McRyhew's razor-beak sequencing and knack for pulling propulsive arpeggios out of digital detritus mixed with clarion clear kickdrum hits and subterranean squashed lows.

All proceeds from "Neural Shade" go directly to fund the Malindza Refugee Camp Library in Swaziland, Africa in which Heligator Records exists to support. It isn't too often that supporting experimental music also means supporting literacy and education for refugees from all over Africa. Malindza Refugee Camp is full of people, who in spite of a whole host of challenges fleeing war, government instability and xenophobic attacks, will be cutting a rug to this song."

Renovations and Training Brah EP

It has been awhile since I've blogged on here. Almost a year from the last post...yeesh. Heligator Records continues its streak with the latest in releases from the Cape Town South African garage-punk duo Training Brah. 3 bucks and you get the EP and the chance to support the Refugee Camp library, which you will see from pics is doing quite well.



The library has been fitted with lights, new shelving and...a stamp. Behold the newly renovated library in all its glory.

New EP by Cloudsound - "II" - and updates

Heligator Records (run by Tome founder Ryan H.) is extremely excited to bring to you this collection of gold-bathed guitar tones by American-by-the-way-of-Sweden Lee Boyd, who records under the name cloudsound.
To me, "II" sounds like it was birthed in discovery. It is an effort to capture moments of unexpected beauty when a pedal is turned ever-so-slightly, or that moment right before dusk when the sky explodes into radiant oranges and reds. "II" is full of moments like that. Faintly oscillating guitar drones, opaque guitar lines etched with waves of distortion that crest just at the right moment. This album is about trying to stake a living in those moments.

Turning on the sustain pedal is the aural equivalent of taking a picture. We could live in this hope forever.

As always, all proceeds from the sale of "II" will go to the Malindza Refugee Camp Library to pay for the general upkeep, supplies and stipend for the librarian. The camp has been experiencing a rough time. Your donations go a long way.

The Refugee Camp has recently undergone extensive rennovations forcing all of the refugees to live in tents while the rennovations are completed. Recently, a spate of fires have broken out killing two children. The affected families were forced into the two adjacent rooms to the library and all of the supplies and furniture from that room were moved into the library forcing it be closed for a few weeks.

The library is back to operation now that school is back. The camp is experiencing a rough patch. Your contributions help quite a bit.

New Single from Stag Hare

I remember being at a Stag Hare show years ago, listening as thick, syrupy drones slowly coalesced into a heavy, beat-driven crescendo. Most of the audience, myself included, took some time to come out of the deeply-felt meditative trance Stag Hare's soothing tones had pulled us beneath. Someone in the audience, a bit incensed at the rest of his peers, yelled out "come on! This is dance music!".

That it is.

Kinetic energy bridges that gap between body and mind. Flailing limbs are more effective than head nods to expedite this process.

"Star Valley" follows this similar trajectory. Long pulls of peaceful drones over strummed major chords, buzzing synths crackle like telephone lines. Then the beat drops. "Star Valley" is reborn.

"Come on! This is dance music!"

We are lucky enough to Stag Hare donate a track to Heligator Records to assist the cause of continuously funding the library at the Malindza Refugee Camp in Mpaka, Swaziland. We caught Garrick at a particularly prolific time. HIs three-part series just dropped (staghare.bandcamp.com) and "Star Valley" takes elements from each tape and weaves them together into this glowing tapestry. A wizard's cloak full of sacred geometric symbols.

All proceeds go to maintaining the Malindza Refugee Camp Library.