I couldn’t find much about this band online. But here are two facts and one opinion.
- This album was recorded live at Icky’s in Eugene, Oregon in 1994
- 300 copies were pressed, with each of the three band members personally decorating 100 sleeves
- It’s weird as fuck
This has a fairly analog sound – while Justice Schanfarber is credited with “tapes” and “hardware”, it’s not primarily an electronic record. Drums are prominent throughout, though rarely used to keep time; guitar and feedback burn in and out; the occasional horn bursts through; cymbals crash; fuzzing; buzzing; grating… at times it sounds as if smoke will billow out of the speakers. The best moments are purely and deeply psychedelic, though I’d hardly classify the album as such. Is it music? That’s subjective. Is it cacophonous? Yes. Is it intriguing? Definitely.
I continue to be drawn to releases like Beautiful Vision for reasons that escape me. I tell myself it’s because experimental and noise artists break up old synapses and open me up to new ways of thinking and listening. And maybe that’s true. Is there something more deeply psychological at play? Perhaps. Will I ever get to the bottom of it? Probably not.