Personal Archives is proud to present the return of Iowa’s preeminent basement dwellers and exponents of “spiritual electronics,” Sex Funeral, with a new double cassette release. A nod to their two hour-long 2020 epic, Palace Zones (Orb Tapes/Midwaste), Brokedown Palace Zones was recorded in short bursts over an 18 month period. Each side represents different aspects of the duo’s sound, which is more defined by the decade-plus sympathetic interaction between Matthew Crowe and Bob Bucko, Jr. than any particular instrumentation or sonic approach.
The long-distance duo would intermittently commune for long weekends at Matthew Crowe’s house, improvising to tape as time allowed. As such, Brokedown Palace Zones exhibits a diverse sonic palate, with each session reflecting the present moment, pulling from an expansive variety of interests and influences, both organic and synthetic, melodic and dissonant.
Multi-instrumentalist Bucko utilizes whatever tools found their way to Crowe’s basement, while Matt holds it down with his inventive, virtuosic use of the SP-404 sampler. Acoustic and electronic wind instruments provide a focal point, while a vast array of consumer electronics and broken pedals burble beneath. Resting at the nexus of free improvisation and drone, Sex Funeral creates surprisingly placid and melodic noise, the contradictions cementing their unique place in the home taper freak beat underground.
credits
released April 19, 2024
Matthew Crowe - sampler, objects
Bob Bucko, Jr. - alto/tenor sax, bass clarinet, EWI, recorder, nylon/electric guitar, oscillators, casios
supported by 4 fans who also own “Brokedown Palace Zones”
music that got me into Spiritual Jazz. having listened to 100s of records from the genre, this (trio of) album remains the most underrated in my mind. Idris Ackamoor and his band were really onto something.. something that I don't think many have replicated since Harsh Agarwal
supported by 4 fans who also own “Brokedown Palace Zones”
Bloor is one of those bands you comb through your album library for a reference point, it is many things, and to cite one would do a disservice once the next song begins. Free is a given, a repetition establishes a pattern, the pattern indicates a direction, a left is taken, somehow you are back at the point of departure. One could suggest a seatbelt. Mighttheone