Amorphous Records: Difference between revisions
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During [[1999]], while [[Weezer]] was [[Weezer#Hiatus and Matt Sharp's Departure|on hiatus]] following the release of ''[[Pinkerton]]'', the members of the band dispersed across the country to live at home and work on individual musical projects. [[Pat Wilson]] returned to his home in Portland, Oregon to develop his solo band [[the Special Goodness]], which he had recorded a single [[The Special Goodness (album)|self-titled album]] for in [[1996]]. [[Karl Koch]] followed in tow to assist Wilson and see childhood friend [[Pat Finn]], who facilitated Weezer's existence in Los Angeles in the early 90s before moving to Portland after the band was signed. | During [[1999]], while [[Weezer]] was [[Weezer#Hiatus and Matt Sharp's Departure|on hiatus]] following the release of ''[[Pinkerton]]'', the members of the band dispersed across the country to live at home and work on individual musical projects. [[Pat Wilson]] returned to his home in Portland, Oregon to develop his solo band [[the Special Goodness]], which he had recorded a single [[The Special Goodness (album)|self-titled album]] for in [[1996]]. [[Karl Koch]] followed in tow to assist Wilson and see childhood friend [[Pat Finn]], who facilitated Weezer's existence in Los Angeles in the early 90s before moving to Portland after the band was signed. | ||
Finn, Koch, and Wilson experimented with music collaboratively during this time. Finn accompanied Wilson on bass at the [[The Special Goodness concert: 07/06/1999|first Special Goodness concert]] in July and Wilson drummed on demos with Finn for an early iteration of his own band, [[Organic Mechanic]]. The trio additionally had their own backlogs of unreleased work; Koch and Finn had developed demos under numerous monikers (including [[Skuraiipeare| | Finn, Koch, and Wilson experimented with music collaboratively during this time. Finn accompanied Wilson on bass at the [[The Special Goodness concert: 07/06/1999|first Special Goodness concert]] in July and Wilson drummed on demos with Finn for an early iteration of his own band, [[Organic Mechanic]]. The trio additionally had their own backlogs of unreleased work; Koch and Finn had developed demos under numerous monikers (including [[Skuraiipeare|Skraper]] and [[Melvin Jones Total Soul Attack Orchestra]]), Koch had worked on his own solo music as [[Karlophone]] since at least [[1996]], and the three had recorded together off-and-on since [[1992]] for their project [[Southern Fried Swing]]. | ||
The group sought to release their work through a DIY label. Finn conceived of the name Amorphous Records around [[2000]], inspired by the diverse and "amorphous" musical output which would fall under the label. Koch developed a website in spring [[2001]], originally hosted under his personal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EarthLink EarthLink] web space. This early iteration of the website featured information on the label's first three planned releases: ''[[Organic Mechanic (album)|Organic Mechanic]]'', the self-titled debut album from Finn's band (Wilson's drumming had since been replaced by Talbott Guthrie), ''[[Press Any Key to Begin]]'', Koch's debut as Karlophone, and ''[[Free Flight Thru the Universe of Sound]]'', an album consisting of collated Southern Fried Swing recordings. By September [[2002]], the Organic Mechanic and Karlophone albums were both available for purchase on CD through the website. The following month, the website was moved to be hosted under [[Karlophone.com]]. | The group sought to release their work through a DIY label. Finn conceived of the name Amorphous Records around [[2000]], inspired by the diverse and "amorphous" musical output which would fall under the label. Koch developed a website in spring [[2001]], originally hosted under his personal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EarthLink EarthLink] web space. This early iteration of the website featured information on the label's first three planned releases: ''[[Organic Mechanic (album)|Organic Mechanic]]'', the self-titled debut album from Finn's band (Wilson's drumming had since been replaced by Talbott Guthrie), ''[[Press Any Key to Begin]]'', Koch's debut as Karlophone, and ''[[Free Flight Thru the Universe of Sound]]'', an album consisting of collated Southern Fried Swing recordings. By September [[2002]], the Organic Mechanic and Karlophone albums were both available for purchase on CD through the website. The following month, the website was moved to be hosted under [[Karlophone.com]]. | ||
By mid-[[2003]], the keyboard logo used on the website was replaced with a new design, and a listing for a yet-to-be-released | By mid-[[2003]], the keyboard logo used on the website was replaced with a new design, and a listing for a yet-to-be-released Skraper album titled ''[[Snow Lust]]'' appeared below the existing albums. In fall, ''Free Flight Thru the Universe of Sound'' was made available for purchase in a run of 111 homemade CD-Rs, as well as the album ''[[Dad Eye]]'' by | ||
[[Sonnyboy]] (the band of Organic Mechanic saxophonist [[Joe Cunningham]]) in a run of 100. The latter album was removed from the website without warning in early [[2004]]. Koch would later recall that this may have resulted from conflict between Finn and Cunningham following the breakup of Organic Mechanic. | [[Sonnyboy]] (the band of Organic Mechanic saxophonist [[Joe Cunningham]]) in a run of 100. The latter album was removed from the website without warning in early [[2004]]. Koch would later recall that this may have resulted from conflict between Finn and Cunningham following the breakup of Organic Mechanic. | ||
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==Fictional lore== | ==Fictional lore== | ||
{{ | {{Joke}} | ||
The Amorphous Records label is helmed by a single dictatorial administrator holding the title of Executive Director. This man — or ''being'' — works under the name of [[Blantiss Fliangshemp]], although his true identity is not yet uncovered. His behavior is erratic and his words are nigh incomprehensible. His eccentricity is a founding pillar of the Amorphous Records ethos and the driving force behind the label's achievements in music recording and preservation. | |||
The menace, Fliangshemp, is held responsible for discovering and herding together the numerous acts whom compose the label. He is an anthropologist who has studied the history of the great lost Kingdom of Achtensfjord, as well as an archivist who has done much work to preserve the illustrious recordings of the Achtensfjordur duo [[Skuraiipeare|Skraper]]. His cultural reach is broad; he has also traveled to the not-quite-lost island of Brunei to seize the music and soul of Mlefuffia Durla'a, lead singer for the hit band [[Southern Fried Swing]]. Some Flianshempian subjects have voiced their opposition to his mighty Blantissuperaboundings, however it appears resistance to him is — in essence — futile. | |||
He who is in question has made public his views on the music industry and its corporate leanings. In an open letter to ''Wired Magazine'' penned [[2003|'03]], Fliangshemp disparaged the publication's anti-consumer and anti-art perspective on the contemporary music industry. He promoted the rise of the wonderous MPEG Audio Layer III file format as "the new democratized radio". He made his opinions on [[Oops|Britney Spears]] quite clear. | |||
In [[2004]], Fliangshemp lost it completely. Now lost at sea on the [[Wikipedia:Golden Hind|Golden Hinde]], he makes his exit from the record industry which has been tainted — a "free land" turned into a "fee land" — although he proclaims that his goals live on; the entropy of the cyberweb is eternal. He leaves [[Karl Koch]] in charge of the label while he's gone. | |||
As of [[2009]], his whereabouts are unknown. His parable should be a lesson to all. | |||
==Release catalog== | ==Release catalog== | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:40%" | {| class="wikitable" style="width:40%" | ||