Set it on fire, let it float away…
Shedding: Tear In The Sun Reimagined
The Hometapes Family Tree’s first roots found anchor in Louisville, KY when we released Shedding’s Now I’m Shedding in 2003. ”You can cry over it, fuck to it, escape with it to a distant beach or an internal island…sounds recall Nurse with Wound and nod to classic Labradford.” Exactly. Lost At Sea’s almost decade-old review sticks in my head to this day — and reminds me just how badass it was to release the recording of a friend’s live set for our first piece of vinyl, and to package it in a print by Jay Ryan.
I met Shedding, also known as Connor Bell, in person in 2004 in Brooklyn. I came up from Miami to tour with he and Paul Duncan, whose To An Ambient Hollywood (our first bona fide compact disc) Hometapes had simultaneously released. Joe from Bear In Heaven was drumming for Paul back then. We rented a mini-van and made it all the way to Iowa, meeting the guys in Collections of Colonies of Bees for the first time along the way. Behind the wheel, between the sunrise and sunset of the road, we were the Hometapes we became. Connor was there.
We continued to travel together, our vehicle taking the shape of What God Doesn’t Bless, You Won’t Love; What You Don’t Love, The Child Won’t Know in 2006. ”Echoes of Dolphy’s playing and the ghostly aura of birdsong fuse, teetering at the edge of becoming a symphonic field recording.” The Wire totally got it. This record still shakes people up. The painting on the cover, by Kathleen Lolley, is hanging above me as I write this.
Tear In The Sun was unveiled in late 2010, a burning orb in the winter, weaving a tale of peaceful destruction through the striking Shedding sonic debut of harmonium and voice. Connor collaborated with Hometapes artist Nick Butcher and he and Nadine Nakanishi’s Sonnenzimmer studio to create the exquisite packaging for this limited edition LP. A year later, Tear In The Sun has exploded into an entirely new star: Tear In The Sun Reimagined. Connor writes:
“making music is about expression. sharing music is about relationships. the people who i’ve forged relationships with over the years have now created their own art and added another dimension to my own art in these remixes. my hope is that these songs allow people to think about my record in a different light as well as discover the tremendously talented artists that have inspired me over the years.”
LISTEN/DOWNLOAD: Shedding Tear In The Sun Reimagined
01. Disconnect Variation (Brad Laner)
02. Suffocation (Three Legged Race)
03. Idealize (All Tiny Creatures)
04. Disconnect (Shedding)
05. Idealized (Sunless)
06. Disconnect (Helado Negro)
07. Cauterize (Nick Hennies)
08. Shedshred (Lithops)
09. Idealize (Mike Shiflet)
10. Coincidence and Patience (Stephan Mathieu)
To celebrate this sonic family reunion, the days behind, and all the days ahead, we’re offering our mailorder customers this special deal for a limited time: buy any Shedding record and get another Shedding title free. LP, CD, whatever you want…just note the record you desire in the comments section of your order, and we’ll send it with quickness and love.
You can explore and stream Shedding’s complete discography at his new and comprehensive home on Bandcamp.
