MCIAA / November 2006 News. Click For Infos.
Hello there,
right before sending out this newsletter, we found out that the
announced MY CAT IS AN ALIEN “Il suono venuto dallo spazio” CD is out
now! – we can’t hide to be extremely proud of this release by Les
Disques VICTO — For all fans of MCIAA often demanding for an official
document reflecting the spirit of the band during one of their alien
live performances, this record is absolutely a must! —
Now, up to the core of this special update: for all of you space
dreamers, a massive number of new OPAX RECORDS releases just out from
the meanders of the cosmos! MY CAT IS AN ALIEN proudly present the
first volume in the new series of split ART-LPs entitled “Cosmic
Debris”, with Lee Ranaldo’s super-project TEXT OF LIGHT; plus
ultralimited private press vinyl / cd-r / cassette editions, including
new works by PRAXINOSCOPE and PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST, and a
long-out-of-print MCIAA’s title—
Also, thanks for all people who came to see MCIAA’s special live act
performance as opening to this year edition of the TORINO HORROR FILM
FESTIVAL, during Halloween’s night… it’s been a real alien massacre!!
———————-
Below in order:
– NEW RELEASES OUT
– MCIAA LIVE DATES
==============================
****** NEW RELEASES OUT ******
**VICTO cd 101 – MY CAT IS AN ALIEN – “Il suono venuto dallo spazio”
CD (Les Disques VICTO)
Enregistré « live » au 23e Festival International de Musique Actuelle
de Victoriaville, le 20 mai 2006
?Each album or performance by MY CAT IS AN ALIEN is an invitation to
leave on a cosmic journey, without resorting to the numerous clichés
of the space music genre. Think instead of a synth-less Ash Ra Tempel
coming across the quiet improvisation current. Think of stripped-down
music made of looped droning guitars, caressed percussion, toy
instruments and toy microphones being used while boldly disregarding
all printed warnings. Think of a cosmos glorifying its vacuous
interstellar space, the silence that amplifies the smallest particles
of sound. Or don?t think at all and just let yourself be swept away.?
(François Couture, février 2006)
——————————
**OPX LP8 – MY CAT IS AN ALIEN / TEXT OF LIGHT – “Cosmic Debris,
Vol.I” split ART-LP (Opax Records)
(private edition of 100)
First installment in the new “Cosmic Debris” split ART-LP series set
up by Maurizio and Roberto Opalio, aka My Cat Is An Alien, on their
own Opax Records. The Vol.I sees the two space brothers from Torino,
Italy, alongside Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and his all-star ensemble
Text Of Light (this time featuring Alan Licht, Dj Olive, Ulrich
Krieger and Tim Barnes). Their track “033103 Paris” has been recorded
live at Centre Georges Pompidou in 2003 and mixed in dual mono by
Ranaldo & Licht at NYC Echo Canyon studio in 2004. MCIAA’s piece
entitled “Everything falls like cosmic debris” is a conceptual
ouverture to the whole series, performed in April 2006 at their secret
recording space called Alien Zone, located up the Italian Western Alps.
The five-volumes series “Cosmic Debris” features My Cat Is An Alien
alongside Text Of Light, Steve Roden, Keiji Haino, Mats Gustafsson,
Loren Connors & his Haunted House band.
Each record comes with an original acrylic painting by Roberto Opalio
on 30x30cm proper canvas, with a unique Polaroid instant film
installed on each piece, representing 100 different perspectives of a
same subject related to My Cat Is An Alien’s own cosmic imaginary.
—————————–
New work from the project feat. MCIAA & Ramona Ponzini; the lathe cut
acetate has been manufactured by Peter King in New Zealand, while each
piece has been drawn in copper-gold ink by Ramona… ultra-limited and
too wonderful to rest on this planet one day longer!
**OPX 024A – PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST – “Oounabara” 1-sided 12″
lathe cut + DVD-R (Opax Records)
(special private press edition limited to 50 copies, with original
Ramona’s copper-gold ink drawing on the flipside of the vinyl; also
included a Roberto Opalio’s silent short film on DVD-r inspired by
music + art, playable together or separately; handnumbered)
“This 15 minutes song is the key-work follow up to their acclaimed
debut album on Time-Lag Records. Here Roberto and Maurizio Opalio, aka
My Cat Is An Alien, act in the darkness of the outer space, while
Ramona Ponzini lights up the autumnal air with her enchanting voice,
along with her Japanese percussions and wind chimes; by reitering one
only Japanese word (whose meaning is ‘Ocean’), she creates a universe
of pure magic. Radical minimalism, folk, psychedelia are the main
terms that rule this mysterious chant and intimate prayer; but what
you’ll find here is extremely far from any unuseful relation with what
you already know, representing ‘Oounabara’ a totally still unknown
dimension of what the music of today should be: a window on Tomorrow.
“Whether electric or acoustic, the music here is deliciously paced and
almost fragile, as if the whole thing were made of glass. The sounds
are both somber and delirious as they gradually unwind. The sounds are
made of acoustic guitar, tape loops, mystical percussion and of
course, Ponzini?s voice. I can just imagine these sounds wafting down
off the Western Alps in Italy, where this music was recorded. Surreal
fantasies begin to form as I think about it. This album deserves a
full-length review?s worth of appreciation for its otherworldly beauty
but I am humbled by the record and can find no more words to do it
justice.[Adam Richards, Indieworkshop]”
————————-
**OPX 024C – PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST – “Oounabara” C20
cassette (Opax Records)
(limited to 62 copies, with original Ramona’s copper-gold ink drawing
on Japanese paper; handnumbered)
“This 15 minutes song is the key-work follow up to their acclaimed
debut album on Time-Lag Records. Here Roberto and Maurizio Opalio, aka
My Cat Is An Alien, act in the darkness of the outer space, while
Ramona Ponzini lights up the autumnal air with her enchanting voice,
along with her Japanese percussions and wind chimes; by reitering one
only Japanese word (whose meaning is ‘Ocean’), she creates a universe
of pure magic. Radical minimalism, folk, psychedelia are the main
terms that rule this mysterious chant and intimate prayer; but what
you’ll find here is extremely far from any unuseful relation with what
you already know, representing ‘Oounabara’ a totally still unknown
dimension of what the music of today should be: a window on Tomorrow.
(The cassette version contains the same track of the lathe cut edition
+ an alternate shortest take of the same song)
“Whether electric or acoustic, the music here is deliciously paced and
almost fragile, as if the whole thing were made of glass. The sounds
are both somber and delirious as they gradually unwind. The sounds are
made of acoustic guitar, tape loops, mystical percussion and of
course, Ponzini?s voice. I can just imagine these sounds wafting down
off the Western Alps in Italy, where this music was recorded. Surreal
fantasies begin to form as I think about it. This album deserves a
full-length review?s worth of appreciation for its otherworldly beauty
but I am humbled by the record and can find no more words to do it
justice.[Adam Richards, Indieworkshop]”
————————-
Hey, you can’t think of spending your cold winter time without this
warm pillow on your side!…
**OPX 023A – PRAXINOSCOPE – “Epocsonixarp” LP (Opax Records)
(special private press edition of only 130, with heavy textured
cardboard sleeve + sticked art on cover, individually numbered)
“‘Epocsonixarp’ is the second full-lenght album of the Praxinoscope
duo formed by Roberto Opalio (My Cat Is An Alien) and Ramona Ponzini
(Painting Petals On Planet Ghost). This work is even more lyrical and
ecstatic than the debut; here Roberto’s use of a mini-keyboard and
astral effects collides with Ramona’s hypnotic use of several handmade
wood percussions and her Japanese wind chimes and bells, creating such
an infinite and intimate ‘space’ so that you cannot but loose yourself
inside. A whirlpool of Roberto’s whispered wordless vocals will live
till the evening dies, and the black of the night will come to
surround everything. As the duo asks, ‘Play it in the dark!’.”
“Praxinoscope are proof that you don’t need any instruments to make
amazing sounds. This is wonderful, wonderful music. [Brad Rose, Foxy
Digitalis, editor]”
————————
**OPX 023 – PRAXINOSCOPE – “Epocsonixarp” CD-R (Opax Records)
(special private press edition of only 130, with heavy textured
cardboard sleeve + sticker on cover, individually numbered)
“‘Epocsonixarp’ is the second full-lenght album of the Praxinoscope
duo formed by Roberto Opalio (My Cat Is An Alien) and Ramona Ponzini
(Painting Petals On Planet Ghost). This work is even more lyrical and
ecstatic than the debut; here Roberto’s use of a mini-keyboard and
astral effects collides with Ramona’s hypnotic use of several handmade
wood percussions and her Japanese wind chimes and bells, creating such
an infinite and intimate ‘space’ so that you cannot but loose yourself
inside. A whirlpool of Roberto’s whispered wordless vocals will live
till the evening dies, and the black of the night will come to
surround everything. As the duo asks, ‘Play it in the dark!’.”
“Praxinoscope are proof that you don’t need any instruments to make
amazing sounds. This is wonderful, wonderful music. [Brad Rose, Foxy
Digitalis, editor]”
———————————
For the first time on vinyl!!
**OPX 012A – MY CAT IS AN ALIEN – “On air at Sound Projecting” LP
(Opax Records)
(re-issue of the long-out-of-print cd-r, in a special private press
edition of only 158, with heavy textured cardboard sleeve + full-color
insert, individually numbered)
“The entire recording of the improvised live performance at Ed
Pinsent?s ?Sound Projecting? radio show, broadcasted by London?s
Resonance 104.4 fm on December 10th 2004. In these sessions MCIAA
don?t play their usual cosmic guitars, but only a couple of space toys
& toy-microphones, plus a pocket theremin & mini-casio provided by
Pinsent on the occasion; also featuring Pinsent himself at turntables.
A different aspect of MCIAA?s experimental research, as well as a new
amazing adventure through the ether. Absolutely a key-document for all
the fans of the band.”
=====================================
—— FORTHCOMING LIVE SHOWS ——-
On the occasion of the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival in
Somerset (UK) curated by Thurston Moore, MCIAA will play some selected
live shows in France, Belgium and Holland — let’s see you around…
MY CAT IS AN ALIEN live – DECEMBER 2006 –
December 8-10, 2006
ATP / NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (SOLD OUT)
Butlins Holiday Centre, Minehead, Somerset (UK)
*MCIAA will perform on Sunday Dec 10th
http://www.atpfestival.com
Tuesday December 12th, 2006
Les Instants Chavirès – Paris, Montreuil (F)
(w/ Discipline)
http://www.instantschavires.com
Wednesday December 13th, 2006
VPRO radio – Amsterdam (NL)
http://www.vpro.nl
(more infos soon about the special which will follow the
recording session and the interview by Berry Kamer/VPRO)
Thursday December 14th, 2006
Kulturbunker-Mulheim – Cologne (D)
(w/ Merzbow)
http://www.kulturbunker-muelheim.de
Friday December 15th, 2006
STATE-X NEW FORMS festival
(w/ Sonic Youth)
Paard van Troje – Den Haag (NL)
http://www.state-xnewforms.nl
Saturday December 16th, 2006
Kunstencentrum BELGIE – Hasselt (B)
(w/ special guests: Fursaxa + Black Forest / Black Sea)
doors: 19h00
1st show: 20h00
http://www.kunstencentrumbelgie.com
belgie@skynet.be
========================================
See you soon in outer spaces!
Alien faith!
http://www.mycatisanalien.com (last update November 1st 2006)
http://www.mycatisanalien.com/optictheater/index.htm
