Tirath Singh Nirmala - Blossom Dawn Freckles

Label: Self-released
Format: CDR
Released: 2006

Last oop TSN upload. And as a novelty, a (tiny) cover. It's been emotional.

Awesome variety on this release. Perhaps a little too much? Nah. There are more than noticeable traces of Neil Campbell on the final track. Ha. Here's some cryptic volcanictongue-isms for you:

"New limited edition CD-R from Astral Social Club collaborator Tirath Singh Nirmala aka John Clyde-Evans. Another schtoof straight through the third eye from this q-tip, with lycanthropic looped vocals and knotty violin rags that re-situate the milky cosmic romance of Tony Conrad and Jack Smith in a thatch-covered barn somewhere deep in the mud. Also features some unerringly piloted sheng singing, distorto sine wave tone momes, a buncha clouds raining steel shots of chanter, bamboo flute and a cascade of loomping doom. A mouthful of cotton wool butterflys, from a guy who knows how to gargle a buncha significant modern alphabets. Highly recommended, as is every toot from his peeper." -Volcanic Tongue

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Tirath Singh Nirmala - Moor Cragg Mist

Label: Self-released
Format: CDR
Released: 2006

Penultimate upload here. African kindly uploaded Birch Clove Burst 1&2 and Tattv-guna-mala 1&2 over at wehavenozen. Moor Cragg Mist was briefly up in the volcanictongue rarities (you can pretend that it's still available through googlecache), but it's just been snapped up. Blossom Dawn Freckles is still available through vt.

"Self-released session (his 5th to date) from the revitalised Tirath Singh Nirmala (aka John Clyde-Evans), a forlorn extension of vocal, feedback and tactile drone strategies, with loops of voice generating pyramids of 4-D construction, computer-manipulated brain waves, harmonium-led prayer hovers, bowed guitar/bamboo flute rituals and plenty of damp earth magic. This guy is turning into a one-man UK underground and every release so far has been a mind-blower. Out of print." - Volcanic Tongue

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Tirath Singh Nirmala - Sahasri

Label: Self-released
Format: CDR
Released: 2006

An unusual one here. Sahasri has more in common with the mentality of minimalism than any other release: this one could pass for a high-frequency Theater of Eternal Music / La Monte Young piece. Lovely.

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Tirath Singh Nirmala - Smouldering Juniper

Label: Self-released
Format: CDR
Released: 2006

Another TSN release here, and again, no album art. And no blurb, so I'm having to write something. The rest (Blossom Dawn Freckles, Moor Cragg Mist, Sahasri, Tattv-guna-mala 1&2 and Birch Clove Burst 1&2) - that's the rest to my knowledge anyway - shall be arriving on-screen shortly.

Entirely instrumental effort, here. Moonlit Circles takes the raga and smothers it with some Eastern-inflected minimalism. Little tonal variation, quivered guitar strumming; beaten bells build and power through to a hypnotically nod-head ending. Smouldering Juniper takes you back to typical Tirath terrain: dual microtonal pipes slide over extended synth, leaving you with enough space to Pandit Pran Nath-along. Snowflowers Bloom, meanwhile, is a high-frequency chimed track - not so far from recent John Clyde-Evans output - which sits on speakers as fragile as a butterfly on a wheel.


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Tirath Singh Nirmala - Slimp Tench Depth

Label: Self-released
Format: CDR
Released: 2006

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Everything John released underneath this pseudonym is worth tracking down. Check out Bluster, Cragg & Awe (currently on sale) and his more recent back-to-birthname Apetal Thunderfall on Foxydigitalis for two fantastically diverging-approach releases.

"Brand new limited private press CD-R from Tirath Singh-Nirmala, ex-John Clyde-Evans, and reputedly his last full-length for a while due to his temporary re-location to the Indian sub-continent. Heavier, fuller sound to this one, with drums, tons of bells, shivers of breath and tone and a feel that is somewhere between Vibracathedral Orchestra's more widescreen work, Tibetan liturgy, Sun City Girls and the more percussive, long-distance Steve Reich compositions. Already sold-out at source." - Volcanic Tongue

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