K11 is the nom de plume of the Italian sound artist Pietro Riparbelli. On his last release as K11, 2009’s “Voices From Thelema” (Aurora Borealis Records) Riparbelli visited the ruins of Aleister Crowley’s Thelema Abbey in Cefalu, Sicily, where he entered and proceeded to record and document signals and sounds coming through short-wave radio receivers. An instrumental trans-communication ritual, acting as a conduit for whatever spirits remain in the Abbey.

Continuing with his interest in cathedrals, with the new K11 release “Metaphonic Portrait 1230 A.D.”, Riparbelli entered Assisi Cathedral in the Umbria region of Italy, not far from Riparelli’s hometown of Tuscany; the 1230 A.D. in the album’s title referring to the date of completion of the original cathedral. Audio was recorded in the cathedral’s lower basilica, the oldest area where the actual relics of St. Francis Of Assisi are kept.

Again utilizing short-wave radios as his primary “instrument” Riparbelli has captured a haunting array of cavernous sounds, displaced signals and found ambience. With the addition of some voice and organ elements, Metaphonic Portrait 1230 A.D. sounds not unlike the recordings of experimentalists Philip Jeck and William Basinski under the influenced of Crowleyean Magick and Sacred Geometry. A psychedelic meditation from some medieval crypt captured out of time in the present.

The numbers used in the songtitles are chosen with purpose, all related to the Gematria, the ancient system that assigns numbers to words and how they relate to each other. A video shot inside the cathedral by Riparbelli is included on the disc to give the listener a visual picture of the aging structure. As in all K11’s work, the themes of magick, religion, numerology and esotericism are present throughout this reverent document of aural mysticism.

Buy it here: http://www.phantomcityrecords.net/store/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=409

Hear the track “Answer” here: http://www.20buckspin.com/media/mp3/windscaleanswer.mp3

www.actualnoise.net

Submissions are now being accepted for the 15th Olympia Experimental Music Festival. The dates are Friday, June 19th through Sunday the 21st, 2009. I am especially interested in booking a plethora of Olympia-based artists this year, but of course, that isn’t necessary.  My email for Festival-related inquiries is olystrangemusic [at] gmail.com.
thanks,
Domenica

Some new stuff added to the store today!

Aidan Baker – Letters LP
Dead Congregation – Graves Of The Archangels CD
Fauna – Rain CD
Magic Lantern – High Beams LP
Pocahaunted – Island Diamonds CD
Secret Abuse – Violent Narcissus LP
Social Junk – Concussion Summer LP
Sun Araw – Beach Head LP
The Dead C – Golden / Canine LP
The Dead C – Secret Earth LP