Artist: BLOODYMINDED
Title: "Gift Givers"
Format: Compact disc in eight-panel digipak
Catalog Number: B!045
Genre: Power-Electronics / Noise / Industrial / Experimental
What was the best day of your life?
“Gift Givers” is the third full-length release from BLOODYMINDED, and it follows their late-2003 single, "Mothercare," and their previous album, "True Crime" (2002). Moving on from "crime," this time the group has placed its focus on numerous other types of obsessive behaviors. A recurring theme, initiated on "Mothercare" (if not hinted at on their first CD, "Trophy"), is self-destructive behavior - particular, but certainly not exclusive to - teenage girls. As the album title hints, such dangerous behavior cuts across both sexes and all ages. "Gift Givers" takes some of its cues from "True Crime," such as that album's deep layering of vocals. This time, however, the band takes things a step further by utilizing its international depth - creating a multi-lingual recording with English, French, and Spanish vocals. Hearkening back to "Trophy," this album mixes 10 songs in the four- to six-minute range with several of the band's trademark blast songs. An likely unexpected introductory track starts things off, while a middle passage, based on new recordings by special guest Pierpaolo Zoppo (of the pioneering Italian project Mauthausen Orchestra), acts as a curious segue between the central "Pro-Ana"/"Pro-Mia" suite. Another special guest, Michael D. Williams (Eyehategod/Outlaw Order/TEN SUICIDES/Corrections House), adds lead vocals to the key track, "Ten Suicides," which incorporates a number of true successes and near misses, and which carries the album's prevalent theme/question. Brian Gaynor, who has worked on numerous BloodLust! recording projects, engineered the majority of the recording sessions and the ultramaximized master, and he co-produced the album with Mark Solotroff, at Alien Soundscapes, Inc., Chicago. Additional recording was completed by the band, as well as by Amadou Sall (Collapse/Treponem Pal), in Paris, France. Veteran BloodLust! designer and former BLOODYMINDED member Megan Emish executed the exquisite packaging design. Packaged in a beautifully re-designed eight panel digipak; Originally released in 2005; Re-released in 2013.
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Track Listing:
1. Exercise (One) (2:52)
2. Aller/Venir (6:51)
3. Stick Insects (3:54)
4. Chalk Eater (0:34)
5. The Love Haters Vs. The Hate Lovers (3:23)
6. Shivery (5:44)
7. Mind The Gap (0:17)
8. Genital Panic (0:35)
9. Organization (4:40)
10. Pro-Ana (5:06)
11. Private Thoughts (6:12) Synthesizer, Vocals - Pierpaolo Zoppo
12. Pro-Mia (6:10)
13. Blood Customs (3:07)
14. Ten Suicides (6:14) Vocals - Mike Williams
15. Angel Of Terror (0:19)
16. Under Siege (5:02)
17. A Song For Lisanne, A Young Model (Album Version) (0:25)
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Stream the album:
http://bloodyminded.bandcamp.com/album/gift-givers
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/bloodyminded/album/gift-givers
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Purchase the CD:
BloodShop!: http://bloodshop.bigcartel.com/product/b-045-bloodyminded-gift-givers-cd
Bandcamp: http://bloodyminded.bandcamp.com/album/gift-givers
Purchase digital:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/album/gift-givers/id602360746
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Givers-Explicit/dp/B00BEWEXBK
eMusic: http://www.emusic.com/album/-/-/13906313/
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About the artist:
BLOODYMINDED is a heavy electronic band that was formed in New York, in 1995, after the disbanding of the group Intrinsic Action. Their live shows are extremely energetic, and layers of screeching analog synthesizer, aggressively delivered vocals, and a copious amount of feedback, characterize their sound. While BLOODYMINDED operate within a small, established subgenre of the noise scene, their sound is broadly informed by bands such as their industrial forbearers; New York pre + post-punk and noise rock; and British hardcore and grindcore. BLOODYMINDED has performed with a diverse range of artists, including traditional power-electronics groups, noise artists of various types, experimental, improv, and avant-garde artists, gothic and industrial groups, and hardcore, metal, and punk bands. Though currently based in Chicago, key members live in Brooklyn, New York, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Toulouse, France.
Discography:
"Trophy" (CD, 1995, BloodLust!)
"West" (7-inch, 1996, BloodLust!) [Edition of 100 copies, sold out]
"True Crime" (Enhanced CD, 2002, BloodLust!)
"Mothercare" (CD-Single, 2003, BloodLust!)
"Gift Givers" (CD, 2005, re-pressed 20130, BloodLust!)
"Live: Behind The Green Door" (3-inch CD-R, 2005, Chondritic Sound / BloodLust!) [Edition of 98 copies, sold out]
"Live: Behind The Green Door / Live: Street Level At VG Kids" (Enhanced CD, 2006, BloodLust!)
"Magnetism" (CD, 2006, re-pressed 2010, BloodLust!)
"Phases : One" (Cassette, 2006, BloodLust!) [Edition of 100 copies, sold out]
"Phases : Two" (CD-R, 2007, BloodLust!) [Edition of 200 copies, sold out]
"BLOODYMINDED PLAYS BLOODYMINDED" (Cassette, 2007, BloodLust!) [Edition of 100 copies, sold out]
"Live In Mexico City" (CD-R, 2007, BloodLust!) [Edition of 100 copies, sold out]
"BLOODYMINDED PLAYS BLOODYMINDED" (CD, 2008, BloodLust!)
"Boston 2008" (CD, 2009, BloodLust!)
"Phases : Three" (Triple-7-inch, 2009, Rococo Records)
"Boston 2009" (CD, 2010, BloodLust!)
"Phases : Four" (Digital, 2012, BloodLust!)
Forthcoming:
"Within The Walls" (New studio album)
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Select prior praise for "Gift Givers":
'Gift Givers' is the third full-length release from Bloodyminded, the group fronted by Mark Solotroff formerly of Intrinsic Action. Following on from their 'Mothercare' single 'Gift Givers' lyrically deals with the similar subject matter of obsessive and self-destructive behaviour. Multi-layered desperate, pained vocals in English, Spanish and French form a coded web of messages over a violent, aggressive noise inferno that sounds like field-recordings from the apocalypse. Here are some hefty power-electronics that quite frankly kick the crap out of 90% of noise artist who work within similar means of synths, analog tape and basic electronics. Harkening back to Bloodyminded's 'Trophy' album 'Gift Givers' also features ten songs in the 4-6 minute range, interspersed with their trademark short blast songs. Michael D Williams from EyeHateGod and Outlaw Order is a guest vocalist on the track 'Ten Suicides' and Pierpaolo Zoppo of Mauthausen Orchestra contributes "synths and screams" on 'Pro-Ana/Pro-Mia'. With a recent outstanding performance at the No-Fun Fest (available on Chondritic Sound) and other performances alongside likeminded artists such as Hive Mind, Dead Machines, Illusion Of Safety, Crawl Unit and Nautical Almanac to name a few, Bloodyminded are finally getting the attention they deserve and 'Gift Givers' along with their previous output since 1984 as Intrinsic Action stands as evidence that the group were way ahead of their time. Highly recommended for fans of Wolf Eyes, Swans, Oxbow, Whitehouse and Throbbing Gristle. --Second Layer
Bloodyminded have truly outdone themselves with this new release. Following in the heavily layered footsteps of True Crime but including "blast" tracks like those found on Trophy, the band have found a perfect balance between drawn-out, creepy pieces and short attacks of aggression. This release is themed around self-destructive behavior and if you've caught them live recently you know just how intense these newer songs are. --Chondritic Sound
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Links:
http://bloodyminded.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BLOODYMINDED/66854847254
http://www.myspace.com/officialbloodyminded
http://www.last.fm/music/Bloodyminded
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