Loren Connors

hstencil to thread!!

Was playing last night and really got into it, far better than the discs with haino and the prev solo disc; that one was electric with lots of feedback and gaps of slience which couldn't sustain my attention, whereas this one is accoustic, still allowing for some space, but the playing is a mixture of the laid-back with lots notes slightly bent and lots of micro-trembling (listening on headphones really brings this out).

The atmosphere is really charged and reminds of fushitsusha's double live discs on psf.

The last track has vocals and the whole thing is gorgeous.

There was a period of time he became a bit of a Claptonite, but his style has always unique and very expressive. There aren't any bad Loren Mazzacane Connors records.

That said, search The Crucible, done with his partner Suzanne Langille, and his work with Kath Bloom as well, for a skewed take on folk blues. Search the box set on Father Yod for the creepy stuff (the stuff under the name Guitar Roberts, from his own label, Daggett). There's a few great 7"s - most notably the Stations of the Cross double set on Menlo Park - and yes, In Pittsburgh is highly recommended as well.

Destroy (and I own all of these records, so 'destroy' is harsh, but let's just say these aren't really essential) most of the 'duo recordings - anything involving Alan Licht, for instance (including the awful Hoffman Estates) - and there's one on Table of the Elements called simply Solo Guitar that I find sorta boring (and the apex of his aformentioned Claptonitis)

But a more worthwhile guitarist working within the loose boundaries of experimental music I'd be hard pressed to name. Lots to choose from, so - GO SEARCH!

I really don't think of him as experimental. Like keiji haino or jandek, someone who does 'stuff', who has an especially unique range, and who has been able to, in these times of multi-independant labels etc etc. to release tons of material. More like a ''lonely voice''.

His name has been mentioned a couple of times while browsing for recs, and the reaction has been negative.

I'd love to see him live.

for Connors at his most Fushitusha-esque and elemental, check out the Haunted House 'Up In Flames' CD on Erstwhile. soul-wrenching improv blues immolating itself to the heartbeat of Neel Murgai's daf.

Roger, my experience in England is that every decent alt rec shop has one LMC CD, but it is never the same one! He's only ever played once in London, a duo improv set w/ O'Rourke at a venue called the Garage, poss. THE most inappropriate venue for LMC's kind of music - he started out playing really quietly as you wld expect, but was drowned out by barside chatterers and so he and O'Rourke cranked up the volume for a fairly nasty out-noize set that made better sense of Loren's collabs w/ Keiji. From my limited familiarity w/ his (needlessly) huge discog I'd say that In Pittsburgh (which I always thought was played on a electric guitar, but whadda I know) does mark some kind of high point in terms of composition/sound/improv whatsit - I sometimes find the later LMC albs a bit bitty and insubstantial, too much vapour and not enough content, tho' on some of the earlier recs I've heard the guitar conception isn't QUITE there yet. I'm also not so keen on the recs where Suzanne Langille sings a lot - she seems to be much more of a trad/formalist bluesist than LMC, and therefore I find a little goes a long way. And that five CD Father Yod box is REALLY diff. to sit through - all that creepy vocalising and deformed acoustic plucking cld drive you mad, I tell you, mad

More searches: The Little Matchgirl (a real tearjerker), both his duos w/ Darin Gray, and that superb MMMR noize-rave-up he made w/ Montera, Moore and Ranaldo

Got Vol 2 with Keiji Heino, but it's not quite the skeleton-rattler I was hoping to hear. Prefer the Alan Licht duets (which surprises me). Only have a couple of solo discs: The Daggett Years, which I gotta say I just can't listen to at all, and Calloden Harvest, which is quite a nice one, in a wind-howling-through-the-arse-of-a-corpse sorta way.

Saw the London show with JO'R (and Hood!) and can vouch for what Andrew says.

Any opinions on the Haunted House stuff?

thanks for all the recommnedations, looks like I'll be spending lots of time with some of his other stuff (guess I am going for hoffmann states next).

I'm surprised that there isn't a lot more talk on Loren Mazzacane Connors on here. This single thread is all I see with any actual content.

Anyway, I got a second hand copy of 'Moonyean' on Road Cone and am reminded of how much I love his stuff. It's so heavy with feeling, often sadness, and yet so simple in a way, just him and his guitar. Going to have to dig out the other stuff of his I have and relisten to them.

There was an interview with him in last november's Wire. I don't know his music but the man himself came across very aimable. A few tracks from a retrospective 2CD set are streamed here.

Has anyone heard Loren Connors & Jim O'Rourke's 'Two Nice Catholic Boys' album yet? It looks very promising.

Portrait of a Soul is one of my favourites. As Roses Bow, the collected airs is also a very fine release - definitely work checking.

I haven't heard the latest J O'Rourke collaboration yet. I have a performance of theirs, released on Hat Hut, simply called "In Bern". Whilst not bad, it's rather flat in my view.

Love the stuff of his on the Harmony of the Spheres compilation, but haven't checked out anything else.

Dude has a big discography. Where best to start?

"Night Through -- singles and collected works 1976-2004" is a good overall collection and introduction to his work. 3 discs.

Thanks v much!

love this guy so much

Me too. Jamming Hell's Kitchen Park a lot lately. So many good albums.

i wish i still had my cd of 'calloden harvest.'
been hankering to hear that lately.

Listening to Hell's Kitchen Park now; great record.
New Haunted House LP is also a fave lately, though in an entirely diff style (think Dead C-style noise-rock)

Loren is just great

Agreed. Not really a dud in the entire vast, vast discography. The king.

there's a new haunted house record! haven't heard it yet but I love that last one.

and I see now that it's already been mentioned, oops.

This Haunted House LP is a beaut.

Saw Loren Connors last night playing with Suzanne Langille and it was stunning! Fragile, yet even fierce at points; melancholy, yes, but also playful and fun; totally mesmerising at all times.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8115/8624586556_47ccec9bf3_z.jpg
Loren Connors & Suzanne Langille at Counterflows 2013 by Crimson Glow Photography, on Flickr

He's playing with Keiji Haino and Matana Roberts at the Whitney Museum in NYC on 4/20. I've got tickets - I think it might be a solo Matana set and a Loren/Haino duo, but I'm not sure.

i'm going to that gig also... and the solo haino gig on the 17th at issue project room.
i try to see loren any time he plays in NYC, which has been fairly frequently the last few years. he's fantastic, and suzanne is great as well. they're both very nice and approachable people.

I saw him place, once, in St. Louis about sixteen years ago with Darin Gray and a drummer, too, I think? I don't think he makes it to Missouri very often.

I haven't seen Loren since he backed Jandek (with Matt Heyner and Chris Corsano!) in 2005.

Haino, Loren and Matana sounds an incredible night whatever the combinations!

haven't seen loren since i saw him duet with jim o'rourke in 200something. weird gig, they were supporting hood

http://pitchfork.com/features/the-out-door/9150-the-legacy-of-loren-connors/

This feature is great, really enjoyed hearing people talk about Loren's playing.

Pleased to say that one of my photographs of Loren & Suzanne features there!

getting into loren connors. i'm already pretty sure loren connors rules, although so far i've really only listened to 1987-89 with suzanne langille, moonlight with kath bloom, and hell's kitchen park.

his discography is daunting in all the best ways

I'm far from a completist but the As Roses Bow collection is glorious (Airs, part of it, was re-released on vinyl a couple of years back and is a thing of wonder). Red Mars is great, Moonyean, as mentioned above, and his live album with Jim O'Rourke, In Bern. They're all on Spotify as far as I can remember.

thanks, i will put those at the top of my listen list!

for now i'm just kind of marveling at stuff like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1LC8CjzxdE

it sounds like the guitar version of something off of budd/eno's The Pearl

Co-signing "Red Mars", really really love it. Just something special about it to me, though I like basically all things Connors.

Portrait of a Soul is my go to Connors album

never clicked with this guy, guess I'll be spending some time on Spotify to reinvestigate - thanks for the tip

I love Airs a lot

Connors is the perfect thing as the evenings draw in. God but Airs is such a perfect record. Recently discovered Lullaby which is also beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HetoayX5O_U

Recently reissued by Alan Licht on his Bandcamp page:
https://alanlicht.bandcamp.com/album/in-france

Saw him live last year, still absolutely wonderful. I’ve been working my way through the Jandek live DVDs and am always looking forward to the ones where he’s in the band

listened to "airs" last night, really really enjoyed it.

"the departing of a dream vol. vii" with daniel carter was one of my very favorite records of 2019, it's basically an homage to miles's "he loved him madly"

new LP coming in november via feeding tube:

https://feedingtuberecords.com/releases/unaccompanied-acoustic-guitar-improvisations-vol-1/

There's a new Departing of a dream??

Must investigate

Admission: I was honestly sure this guy had died. Finding out he's still alive has been a pleasant surprise.