New Birds of Tin CD Rinpoche on Hypnos Label

[Tin Bird]

Hello all! Thought I would mention to all of my Sylvian friends that I have a new cd coming out in about a month or so. My project is an experimental-ambient one called Birds of Tin. I have been releasing my work since 1996 and this will be my first release since my 2004 collaboration with Rapoon called Monomyth. Fans of :zoviet-france:, Biosphere, Rapoon, and Brian Eno may find this enjoyable. Comparing to Sylvian's work, mine sounds closest to Plight and Premonition or Camphor. If you are interested, please stop by the Hypnos web site and check it out. www.hypnos.com
Peace.

[Tin Bird]

Some thoughts on Rinpoche:
In many ways, Rinpoche is a continuation of the process we used in creating the Scapegrace and Votive material. Thus, I do view Rinpoche as part three in a series per se, with a further recording, Altarwise, being the fourth and final chapter.
The work itself is created in a very unique and specialized way that is very different from my “standard” studio recordings. In the case of Rinpoche, I worked with one other, who for a time became a temporary second member of Birds of Tin. To prepare for Rinpoche, we spent months talking, ruminating, and then, individually, preparing sounds for the recording. While we talked in general about some vague idea of how we wanted the project to sound and some of the general philosophy behind what we wanted to achieve, there was no discussion about types of sounds we would use or sources. Hence, by creating the sounds in isolation from one another, when the time came for recording, each of us had no idea what the other had prepared.

The process of preparing sounds for an improvised recording is an interesting one. I’ve commented before that for me, I do the best I can to remove myself from the process and literally try to let the sounds dictate to me where they want to go and how they will fit together. I would compare this more readily to some of the more eclectic artistic processes such as automatic drawing, then a more traditional musical approach. I more or less view the studio as my “blank canvas” and the sounds as my paint/colors. As the process moves along, similar hues begin to suggest a connection and direction…my goal is to be open enough to recognize that moment and be free enough to allow myself to go with it without imposing my preconceived ideas on what is right or wrong here. This is my favorite aspect of what I do.
Of course, the final step is to get together and make a recording. For Rinpoche, we came together in my studio in the morning…set up our equipment, which included everything from cheap samplers, old record turntables, children’s toys (including a malfunctioning stuffed animal that made a terrific sound! ), a cello, and our prepared Cd’s, among numerous other things. The rest as they say, is history and to be honest once the actual recording process begins I, frankly, remember very little of what we actually did. Somehow, when the muse is flowing through us, our sounds flow together like a river and it just “is”. Rinpoche was certainly one of the more magical and lovely moments for Birds of Tin. I hope you, the listener, feel the same after hearing the result.
Birds of Tin
August 2008

[Tin Bird]

Releases:
Antoianca (Cass)
Not On Label
1996
This Haunted World (Cass)
Not On Label
1997
Birds Of Tin & Augur (CDr)
Not On Label
1998
Strange Seeds Come From Odd Flowers (CD)
Manifold Records
1998
Strange Seeds Come From Odd Flowers (Box, Ltd + CD + 2xCass) Manifold Records
1998
Endless Epiphany (CDr)
Solipsism
1999
Endless Epiphany (CDr + 7" + Box, Ltd)
Solipsism
1999
Scapegrace (2xCDr)
Not On Label
2000
Votive (2xCDr)
Solipsism
2000
.Key Ray. (CDr, Album, Ltd)
Mystery Sea
2001
Sound Of Statik / 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu (7", Ltd, Pic)
Syntactic
2001
Motion Mimic (CDr)
XZF
2003
Wed If By Transitions (CDr)
Transaction Records
2003
Monomyth (CD, Album)
Manifold Records
2004
Monomyth: Par Avion (CD + 2xCDr)
Manifold Records
2004

[Tin Bird]

This should be out by December 2.

[inkinthewell]

Love the cover.

[Tin Bird]

Thank you!

[Tin Bird]

It's a collage of a pine tree from my backyard mixed with a close-up photo of some ice crystals on my window from a few winters ago...obviously with some messing about with hues and stuff...

[Tin Bird]

We've fallen a bit behind recently on Hypnos new releases, but we're back on track now (just in time to be re-interrupted by the holidays very soon) with this new release from Birds of Tin, Rinpoche.

Just released today...

[inkinthewell]

I've had my copy for a month now and I've listened to it quite a lot of times, so... well... how can I say this... I hope it don't offend you, but... it's brilliant! I really like it.
Very well done. 8/10.

[Tin Bird]

I've had my copy for a month now and I've listened to it quite a lot of times, so... well... how can I say this... I hope it don't offend you, but... it's brilliant! I really like it.
Very well done. 8/10.

Thanks so much, I'm so pleased that you enjoyed my work.

[Tin Bird]

Here is a nice review it received from Textura:

An animal of altogether different character is Birds of Tin, the pseudonym under which experimental sound artist Brooke Oates records. His Hypnos Secret Sounds debut Rinpoche features two long untitled improvisations, the first forty minutes and the second thirty-five, recorded in 2002 and with no post-recording editing performed. On the evidence of Rinpoche, the Birds of Tin style might be characterized as “aquatic” as episodes swim through the dense mix, each one slowly supplanting the other; “phantasmagoric” might be an even better descriptor, given the heady manner with which sounds and samples continually intermingle and change shape in these ultra-dense collages. Oates seems to have an encyclopedic library at his fingertips: the opening piece includes episodes of soft chanting, faint industrial rhythms grinding in the distance while bright synth glissandi flit rapidly about in the foreground, the deep moan of a choir, percussive rattles, child-like whispers, the elegant playing of a string orchestra, the bright waver of an alto saxophone, techno-styled thrums of lapping clicks, and so on. The “heavier” track two opens with an extended drone passage of intense flurries that evokes the relentless churn at a cyclone's center but the track eventually settles into a more even-tempered, neo-psychedelic state with vinyl crackle, electrical resonance, percussive noise, and aggressive swirls taking turns in the spotlight. If anything, the second piece moves Oates' music away from ambient territory completely and pushes it in the direction of Philip Jeck's woozy vinyl-based constructions (a few inexplicable seconds of singing even surfaces at the half-hour mark).

January 2009

[Tin Bird]

A Birds of Tin Update for those interested:

Birds Of Tin - Altarwise

cd in an edition of 500 copies
status: coming in mid-2009!

The new CD by Moth Electret, "Tocasen", is out tonight! Excellent experimental/ambient recordings from the mastermind behind R|A|A|N. Check the release page for more details.

And, in case you missed it, just two weeks ago we released the "Zivilisatose" CD by Telepherique! As a side-note, this is the final solo Telepherique recording ever -- so we are very proud to be releasing it, but also a bit sad at the same time.

The Sil Muir CD should go into production later this week. It is a collaborative project between Andrea Marutti (Amon/Never Known) and Andrea Ferraris (Ur). Following that there will be CDs by The Infant Cycle and Birds Of Tin, a split 7" between Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain and Dysthymia, and an LP by Brian Lavelle.

Diophantine Discs