aboombong - apophenia (2022)

A new album for 2022. 

This one collects recordings from the last 7 or so years 

and weaves them together for your cortical pattern recognition system. 

Percussion & noise for fighting off the corrosion. 

artist: aboombong

album: apophenia

release: 2022

style: noise, field recordings, beats

players: me -drumkit, darbuka, dumbek, double sanza, tongue drum, field drum, tenor pan, guitar, piano, sequencer, treatments, feedback, field recording

aboombong - asynartetic

My latest release is out on time for the latest Bandcamp Friday (starting 12am PDT on 8/7/2020). For 24 hours Bandcamp waives their fees to help out artists. I will be using that as a way to raise money to help the victims of the recent blast in Beirut. All proceeds raised this month from any aboombong purchase will go to http://redcross.org.lb who provides frontline relief to victims.

Most (not all, but most) aboombong songs involve improvisation at some level. I frequently use improvisations as source material and then editing and post-production manipulations to combine them into something coherent. On this album the improvisations themselves, the performances, are the focus. Taking cues from jazz - where the interplay between musicians is the substance of the performance -these songs were constructed "live" - with each performance played in direct response to the tracks laid down previously. Treatments and manipulations were applied (essentially) live as well (play, treat, playback while improvising the next track) for the most part. Enjoy and spread the word so I can raise some money for those in need. Thanks.

artist: aboombong

album: asynartetic

release: 2020

style: jazz, ambient, piano

players: me - piano, trap set, double sanza, wooden-headed dumbek, taganing, elephant bell, temple bell.

artwork/photography: me

Design consultation: Random

Old music and new

Dave from Choke (and Dynamo Stairs, and splayfeet) posts a newly uncovered Choke rehearsal tape. 

Also, out for #BandcampFriday (approaching 24 hours). aboombong will be donating all proceeds to http://redcross.org.lb to help victims of the #BeirutBlast: improvisations for piano and other percussion - ambient free jazz? https://aboombong.bandcamp.com 

Details soon. 

Psychic Enemies Network Updates

Just updated the Psychic Enemies Network page to include a link to our song that was released by Oddeo Netwerx


Pen & Mallet · Page psychic enemies Posting as icastico All psychic enemies network releases are available (name your price) at bandcamp.

Alastair Galbraith

New Zealand's Alastair Galbraith is, to my mind, a singular musical voice that everyone should know - sadly few do. The first album I heard by him was mirrorwork. It changed the way I thought about the concept of "song" in ways that I can't really express. It is now available along with some of his other works at Bandcamp.

To my taste, the 2008 album Orb is, next to mirrorwork, the stand out from the four available on bandcamp.



But you really can't go wrong with anything that Galbraith has been involved with. If you can track it down his work with Plagal Grind is particularly nice.



Being immersed in Galbraith's works was a huge player in my being able to contribute in a small way to the Dustdevil & Crow records, which are really some of the work I am most proud of. Bendle's work is tilted on a different axis than Galbraith's, but they share some strange orthogonal relationship to each other and the rest of the musical world.

K11 - aboombong

Another in the underwater ambient video series. 

k11- adumbral: études dans le contrôle imprécis

K4 - from adumbral: études dans le contrôle imprécis

Another in the underwater ambient video series. 

k4 - adumbral: études dans le contrôle imprécis

I Feel - psychic enemies network

My brother seems to have put up some videos...this is from the first psychic enemies network album. I always felt like these tracks were soundtrack music for movies no one had made yet. Matt seems to have made one that works nicely. 

(dis)PERSE Dispatch

A mix featuring Hyaena Fierling, a:urban, Oystein Jorgensen, Ihana, The Grief, Lambchop, Patscan, Giles Giles & Fripp, Isnaj Dui, Jorge Reyes & Suso Saiz, Krause/Goyette, Their Teeth To Points, aboombong, Henry Cow, Laurie Anderson, Lalezar Ensemble, Luqus & R.I.T, Ohm:, The Ordinaires, Her Space Holiday and Bernadette Erikka. Nice to be included with such stellar acts.

aboombong release updates

The next aboombong recording will be out January 1st, 2013. Title is adumbral: études dans le contrôle imprécis - seven shortish tracks that are a departure from the longer ambient tracks released in 2012.  Watch for it on bandcamp and other outlets. 

Also check out the latest release by Sahel Sounds: 8 remixed versions of the song "Tenere" by Amanar -  an aboombong remix is included. You can preview all the tracks at http://sahelsounds.com/2012/11/amanar-rmx/ or download them via this mediafire link. Enjoy.

Download links here at Pen & Mallet. 
ambient; experimental; noise; drone; improv; dream pop, warped, psych-folk, etc. 
ABOOMBONG: anaphora

ABOOMBONG: atrophic

ABOOMBONG: admixture

ABOOMBONG: amnemonic 
ABOOMBONG: asynchronic 
ABOOMBONG: aboombong 
ABOOMBONG (w/ dustdevil & crow): Taking Blue Mountain by Stages 
dustdevil & crow: accidental music

dustdevil & crow : .​.​.​and chuang tzu dreamed that he was me
dustdevil & crow: while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing 
Boom Dispenser: A Chronic Groove Feeder 
AZWARM: shelter 
AZWARM: a morning's work 
¡para!helion: Midaq Alley 

¡
para!helion: 3 Miles From Mecca
¡para!helion: >3
¡para!helion: When Technology Fails
¡para!helion: Harpers Bizarre Film Festival
Icastico: The-ambient-Sundae bar 
Icastico: Étude for  Six Mirrored Hands
Blotter: Once and Again - Minus Four - in Stereono 
Blotter: Sludge the Butcher
Blotter: Songs for Mommy
Psychic Enemies Network: Valis (with bonus tracks)
Psychic Enemies Network: P.E.N. (with bonus tracks)

Punk; No-wave; Post-punk, etc.
Waltz Bop Shop: All My Idears are Flawed in Sum Way + Quartet
Waltz Bop Shop: Name Dropping at Angela's and Melting
Waltz Bop Shop: All my idears are played live today
Waltz Bop Shop: A whisper in the airwaves
The Jonny Cats: Last- Ode to Sergio
The Johnny Cats: Burns Rubber 7"
Swayback: Outer Space Tonight
AOS: Rip It up! + live tracks
AOS: live and Raw in the Pit also (some cleaned-up live tracks)
DJJ: Throw it out there, not away

Shoegaze; Rock; etc.
Choke: Choke (e.p.)
Choke: Hard to Swallow
Choke:  Gauze/Total Reverence
[redacted]: left blank 
Super Naam: two rough cuts

 Most of these links will allow you to download in FLAC, MP3 and Ogg Vorbis. Let me know if you have a request for a FLAC/WAV version of any of the other MP3 only files.

aboombong - anaphora (new release)

artist: aboombong

album: anaphora

style: musique concrète, ambient, spoken word

players: 

aboombong - field recordings, fetal heart monitor, happy apple, Kawai K3; 

Random - beats; 

Carl - words. 

This one is a cross generational collaboration between my grandfather (pictured, on the left) and my son, born 101 years apart. Available name your price on bandcamp. Enjoy, and if you do, spread the word. 

Disquiet Junto Palindrone

Each week, Marc over at disquiet.com posts a challenge to the soundcloud community he calls the disquiet junto. As aboombong I have been involved in a number of them. This is the latest one with an aboombong track (track 7 here), 0023 palindrone.

Don't forget to check out the latest aboombong album, atrophic, and the admixture project. Another new one is in the works. A few touches to get done and perhaps a release by late summer.

aboombong: atrophic

album: atrophic

artist: aboombong

style: classic 70's ambient/krautrock

toys: wooden headed dumbek, Kawai K3, Kaoscillator, voice, effects, electronics

As always, this one is a pay what you want release. All proceeds go to more music. Also available on soundcloud (.wav)

aboombong - admixture

Starting the new year with a new release, admixture, a two-track, interactive e.p. from aboombong. With the exception of a little harmonica, this one is all percussion. The interactive element here is this: I am sending solicitations for additional elements for each track to my musician friends...and will accept them as well from those of you out there that feel inclined; I will take submitted additions to the songs and I will combine them into new versions: not remixs, admixs. If you are interested in participating...put together your contribution and then leave a comment or send me a note here (click on the link that says "For all other inquiries, click here") and we'll figure out how I can retrieve your contributions. No complicated rules, but remember, your contribution will be combined with things you haven't heard. Oh, and I don't want any samples of already released material. Contributions should be something you created from scratch.

Artist: aboombong
Album: admixture
Style: shoegaze, drone-rock, idm, psychedelic, dream pop
Features: percussion, harmonica, effects.


As always, this one is a pay what you want release. All proceeds go to more music.

Walking in a Stranger Haven

Just a quick note this morning.
Found a nice little mix over at A Stranger Haven featuring Never Been to Konono by aboombong. There are many worthy mixes at the haven for you. Show some love.



Update: nice review of the first azwarm release over at recent music heroes...but I will note that azwarm is an ongoing project. May have a new one out soon.

atlatl - the gratification of ambition

A quick one before I have to put the baby to bed. Friend of the show atlatl has a new one up on bandcamp. Worth your time if you like the abstract sound art.




In news, aboombong's next is coming along slowly but surely, and the next dustdevil & crow is in the works.

dustdevil & crow .​.​.​and chuang tzu dreamed that he was me

The newest release from dustdevil & crow is up at bendle's bandcamp page. For this one, .​.​.​and chuang tzu dreamed that he was me, aboombong collaborated with the boys on Blue Mountain and I am quite proud of how it turned out. Physical copies of this one will also be available. Stay tuned.



Watch for a special bonus release related to this album soon.

MSOTT Podcast

A new podcast from Rachel Evans, AKA Motion Sickness of Time Travel and the stellar blog Her Beats , a blog focusing on women in electronic music. Well worth checking out.



In aboombong news, the new album is in the works and should be out by summer. Going to be quite different than the previous works, but I am excited about the way it is sounding. Also have contributed a little to the next dustdevil & crow release. I think it is going to be bendle and Michael's best yet. Should be out sometime this year, methinks. Even some talk about live shows here in the Northwest if we can pull it all together. Stay tuned.

blotter - songs for mommy (a ¡para!helion side project)

Well folks, if you are reading this, it means that your humble host is now a daddy. In anticipation of the upcoming event, I have prepared a few posts ahead of time so that I can get you that exclusive DIY music you want with a single click. Given that motivation, this one seemed the most obvious place to start.

Songs for Mommy is the brainchild of Jeff from ¡para!helion and features an eclectic set of musical experiments in collaboration with David Chapman and others. Recorded in Albuquerque in the 90's with a few live shows under various names (including Blotter), I was given permission by David to share it with you when I saw him on a brief holiday visit to New Mexico. A couple more CD's worth of these excursions coming in the near future as I focus on feeding, burping, changing, and sleeping. Enjoy.


Last year was, truly, the most productive year of my life. Given the two aboombong albums, an azwarm album, the boomdispenser remixs, and collaboration on the DUSTdevil & crow sophomore album, that would be true if life were just about music. But last year also saw completion of my Ph.D. and, the beginnings of the most important production of my life, my beautiful son. I have been a truly blessed individual of late. Random donations for the little one's music education are gladly accepted via the "donate" button here at Pen & Mallet.

Psychic Enemies Network: a fez bong boom dispenser

It seems that about every 10 years, my brother and I get involved in a musical collaboration of some type. In the late 80's it was AOS. In the late 90's it was Psychic Enemies Network. Now, ten years later, we're just putting finishing touches on a new release (Fez Dispenser remixs aboombong; aboombong remixs Fez Dispenser) . As a teaser while we master the new album , we've decided to update the first Psychic Enemies Network release by offering it up for lossless download over at bandcamp with a couple of bonus cuts.

Psychic Enemies Network was, in many ways, the gate-way project for both aboombong and Fez Dispenser. Fez Dispenser grew out of the track "Bowl Cut" from Psychic Enemies' second release Valis, while the seeds of aboombong were planted, methinks, on a couple of tracks from the first album: "of so many" and "in its streets." For this re-release I've revisited "in its streets" by having aboombong do an extended remix of the track. Of course, you can still buy a physical CD of the original release if you want to party like it's 1999. Stayed tuned for the remix album and other goodies coming soon.

Artist: psychic enemies network
Album: P.E.N.
Style: ambient
Release: 1998
Players: my brother & me - guitar, electronics, tapes, loops, percussion
Available in a variety of formats from http://psychicenemiesnetwork.bandcamp.com/ (set your own price)