Welcome to Milieu Music. Since 2004 Milieu Music has existed in some form as a means of output for various music-related projects by Brian Grainger, either solo or in collaboration.
It now serves as an informal label built to house an ongoing stream of Brian's work, as well as a storefront for Brian to directly distribute this work at reasonable prices.
CATALOG / STORE / CONTACT / DISTRO / LINKS /
MILIEU MUSIC DIGITAL / COUNTY ROADS SUBLABEL / FLAC STORE
2010/8/11: 1983 TAPE, NEW SPLIT & WORKINGMAN'S DRONE
MMD012 / COPPICE HALIFAX / 1983 [EXPANDED REISSUE CASSETTE]
In 2006, I started the first official Milieu side-project, Coppice Halifax, with a conceptual ambient techno
album called 1983. Now, four years later, I've given this album a definitive release after being out of print for so long.
Themes of wet lakeside humidity and deep forest green drones, caked in tape hiss and over-compression still sound
remarkably fresh today, despite the many changes Coppice Halifax as a project has gone through. Packed to the brim on a 120(!)
minute cassette tape, this compendium includes all four original tracks, two bonus tracks from the EED promo CD-R, five previously
unreleased tracks from the sessions and a live version of "Lake Busbee" from an ambient house party I did in 2006.
All tracks were retrieved and remastered from the original cassettes, which is why I chose to keep the cassette format for this music.
Available digitally as well as on 30 hand-numbered cassettes. Don't miss out!
MML072 / THE HOUSE IN THE WOODS & COPPICE HALIFAX / THE DEEP TAPES
Appropriately coinciding with the dense, crusty foliage of 1983 is a new split between Coppice Halifax and The House In The Woods.
The House In The Woods is my friend Martin from the UK, and he makes some of the most incredible ambient techno ever. Imagine a house
party inside a submarine, going through icy black waters, miles below the sea's surface, and you're halfway there. Traces of the usual influences
like Gas, Yagya or early Aphex Twin are present, but Martin and I are really having our own little party. Each of us donated 40 minutes to
the project so what you end up with is a very lengthy trip that takes its time getting through the night. Available for a "name your own price"
digital release, and also on a super-limited edition of 30 CD-R copies, for those of you who need to hold it in your hands like we do.
MML073 / COPPICE HALIFAX / DEPTH ANALYSIS
A sister-EP to MML072, and a single for the Coppice Halifax track "Water Column". Depth Analysis contains two alternate versions of tracks
from MML072, one being more melodic with a cleaner mix and the other being incredibly dense, stretched out ambient techno droning.
Recommended for those of you who wanted MML072 to keep going and going like I did. Limited to 50 copies.
WD7 / BRIAN GRAINGER / CALICO II
A reprisal of a track from the 2006 EP Clover Farm on Attacknine comes in the form of July's contribution to
the Workingman's Drone series. One of the more melodic and accessible pieces in the WD series, Calico II bears
some resemblance to Leaves Painted Purple or even David Tagg's EP Skin Diagram. Warbly loops fluttering in and out of audibility
with comfortable room noise pops and clicks and whirrs in the background. Limited to 50.
WD8 / BRIAN GRAINGER / HEADWOUND GARLAND
August's piece for Workingman's Drone is a thick columnesque drone bearing the title Headwound Garland.
Recorded while I was recovering from dental surgery a few weeks ago, this peice carries with it a heavy fog and a mean
low end. Microtonal shifts subtly waver the drone into several pleasant cyclical phrases, and the humming monochromatic
gloss on the track sounds even better at high decibel levels. Limited to 50.
DIGITAL DIRECTORY NOW ONLINE
I've taken the time to arrange and upload a directory for all the titles currently available in the digital realm at Bandcamp.
You can now browse titles by Milieu, Coppice Halifax and Brian Grainger all on ONE page, just like the regular store page.
This space will be updated every month so keep an eye out!
2010/6/19: FOUR NEW RELEASES
MMD013 / MILIEU / A BLANKET OF INFINITE REPETITIONS
Pulling one from the vaults this month, simply because the weather feels right. Milieu Music HQ
has been assaulted by an overabundance of storms and humidity this summer, and this album crept up on
its wobbly legs and comforted me in the last couple of weeks. Recorded at the same time as the INSTALL LP
Phosphene Weather, Blanket sounds much more corporeal and abstracted. Flutters of watery half-melodies echo
around the stereo field, while a warm aching drone slowly unfolds itself, like yellow sun on your face. Chirruping
beneath everything is a delicate palette of disembodied room sounds, crunchy textures and moody backdrops.
Limited to 50 copies and packaged in translucent "sunspot" paper. Bliss out.
MML071 / COPPICE HALIFAX / CMX II
Following 2008's collection of Coppice Halifax remixes comes the second volume of analog-botanical versions.
An assemblage of a few out of print tracks along with some brand new unreleased remixes for The Qualia and
RxGibbs (the latter is a 20+ minute Ocean Lion styled jam called Powdered Construct). Altogether, like its predecessor,
Cmx II is an unlikely album with a definite flow and groove, but also a look back at the Coppice Halifax ouevre.
Limited to 50 copies in clear plastic sleeves with inserts.
MML070 / VHOM / FIRMAMVNT
The first new Vhom full-length since 2008's epic Borley Rectory double-album is Firmamvnt. More guitar-heavy and
accessible, despite its tendencies toward the blacker end of the sound spectrum, Firmamvnt is a bold set of
guitar improvisations, laid to tape and hung on the castle wall like a looming Carpathian tapestry. Heavy drones
mingle with alien languages and the marching of soldiers from a Barlowe-esque version of Hell. This album could
ALMOST pass for a VCV record at times, so those of you who enjoyed that side of my guitar work will certainly love this.
Limited to 50 copies in black paper sleeves with dark-on-dark cardstock inserts.
WD6 / BRIAN GRAINGER / BLACK OAK FIRES
Sixth in this year's Workingman's Drone series is a dense piece titled Black Oak Fires. Swells of smoky
grey and red archs make their way through the haze, and at about 15 minutes in you start to realize your atoms
are dispersing and you're becoming the cloud...but it feels all right. Majestic and linear drone just the way
you like to feel it. Limited to 50 copies!
2010/5/19: MILIEU COMPANION ALBUM + 3 EPS
MMD011 / MILIEU / SADHILLS
Closely following up April's release of Bell'n Dither is an album called Sadhills.
Sadhills compiles and collects several other tracks from the Bell'n Dither recording sessions that did not
make the album cut, for various reasons. The concensus here at Milieu Music seems to be that these songs
were much more angular in their drum programming, and catered to different moods than those on the album.
What it all adds up to is a solid album of melancholic Milieu-melodies over super intricate drumlines, with
emphasis on texture and crisp, clean production. Limited to 50 copies!
MML069 / MILIEU / REVERB MICROCOMA (PART THREE)
The third and final EP in the Reverb Microcoma set, numero tres could very well be the strongest of the trio.
Breaking out with big funky beats and slow-motion danceclub basslines, and at times reminiscent of things like
Our Blue Rainbow or even New Drugs, RM3 is more "classic" Milieu for your summer soundtrack.
Notably, the track "Naptime Singalong" is a very intentional nod to Mrs Jynx and her way with pretty melodies
though the entire four-track affair should satisfy those who have heard parts 1 and 2. Limited to 50!
WD4 / BRIAN GRAINGER / THE ACHING LEGS OF WEARY TRAVELERS
Number four in the ongoing Workingman's Drone series is a smooth, airy meditation on the notion of sitting still
after a lengthy day of traveling. Best enjoyed with a relaxing couch, bed or chair, preferably with a cool drink in hand
and the windows open. Sublime aural sedation, limited to 50 copies.
WD5 / BRIAN GRAINGER / RAISE DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER
The fifth disc in the Workingman's Drone series (closing the gap since March's EP wasn't released until April) is an
alien drone trip titled "Raise Dead On Planet Jupiter". Composed entirely with a resonating metal bowl and various bits of
hardware to ensure a seamless production, "Raise Dead" is about as minimal as it gets. Bringing to mind a more subtle and muted
take on the atmospheres of Autumn Soil Feedback, only more submerged and quiet. Limited to 50 copies.
2010/4/7: MILIEU ALBUM + 2 NEW EPS
MMD009 / MILIEU / BELL'N DITHER
Needing something soft, moody and bittersweet for those humid Summer nights on the way? Look no further.
Bell'n Dither is a spiritual follow-up to 2006's dusky electronic effort Night Currents, and probably
the most electronic Milieu album yet. Dither is overloaded with skittering, microscopically manipulated beats
and spacious pools of warm chords. Droplets of sad, rainy melodies cover a hulking rusted sub-bass contraption
while you roll the windows down in your car just so you can smell the air before a thunderstorm. Dither could be
considered both a return to form as well as exploratory and new for Milieu, and should satisfy even the most
discriminating of Milieu listeners. Limited to 100 copies packaged in a lovely design by David Tagg.
MML068 / MILIEU / REVERB MICROCOMA (PART TWO)
Following the previous part one of this Milieu EP miniseries, Reverb Microcoma returns with even more "classic"
Milieu sounds, ready to go in your Spring travels. While the first EP was set more in the Colortone universe, this one
could fit squarely into the realm of Swaying Palms. Tracks like "Archipelagos" and "Blue Breeze" are total tropical
Milieu, while "Melted Radio Tape" spits back a fuzzy space transmission, straight from Jupiter's moon Europa to your
stereo. Five solid Milieu jams to rock your block with! Limited to 50.
WD3 / BRIAN GRAINGER / SUNBURNT UNDER THE EYES
Being a little late on the Workingman's Drone series this time around, "Sunburnt" should satisfy all of your needs
for dense suburban drones. Probably the prettiest one in the series thus far, with a swelling guitar chord reminiscent of
Ballasted-era SOTL set over a bubbling field recording that wouldn't be out of place on an early Coppice Halifax record.
Warm and drifting, and limited to 50.
2010/2/25: NEW MILIEU EP + COPPICE HALIFAX BEATS JAM
MMD010 / COPPICE HALIFAX / HALIFAXIAN
Bringing you quite a different record this month with Halifaxian. 100% Coppice Halifax beats!
Meant as both a DJ tool, to be used for seamlessly tying last year's Analog Botany series together in
a live set, and also as an experiment in minimal electronics, following in the vein of things like Studio 1,
Plastikman and Maurizio, but with a Halifaxian twist! You may recognize some of the breaks here from prior
Halifax releases, which is intended, and it's the kind of record that a drum-machine nerd like myself might
really appreciate. Loaded with groove and ready for the dancefloor, limited to 50!
MML067 / MILIEU / REVERB MICROCOMA (PART ONE)
From similar pastures as Bent Appletrees comes Reverb Microcoma, a solid little EP containing
five new Milieu tracks that stroll down memory lane a little bit. Ever find yourself thinking "Man, Slow Lid Close
is still fresh!" or "I wish there were more Milieu like this one from 2006"? Well wish no more!
One could say that Reverb Microcoma is Milieu playing his hits, in that it could have easily come from 2006-2007.
Also a fun time to pick out the very obvious influences here, with Mike & Rich all over "Appletree Beats" and
Bochum Welt's basslines on "Sunlighter". Even the track "Coming Home" is probably the best fake Casino Vs. Japan
track you'll ever find! Not without humor and limited to 50!
WD2 / BRIAN GRAINGER / ENTASIS
Number two in the brand new Workingman's Drone series is Entasis, a thick and coagulating drone statement
recorded using a similar approach to White Kingdoms. Wide open white-noise spaces with slowly pooling masses
of a rugged chord. Limited to 50!
2010/1/8: OCEAN LION RETURNS + NEW DRONE SERIES
MMD007 / COPPICE HALIFAX / OCEAN LION
Not to be confused with the first Ocean Lion album (MMD002), this is the second album of the Ocean Lion set.
Tropically oceanic, sunny and psychedelic as ever, this album is probably one of the best things I think I've
done under the Coppice Halifax name. Where the first Ocean Lion was full of muted, elongated tones, this one brings
more melody to the forefront, while still filled to the brim with a curtain of dense atmospherics. Loads of bass
and deep repetitive grooves, covered in field recordings of the beach. Limited to 50!
MML066 / COPPICE HALIFAX / OCEAN LION EP
As with the first Ocean Lion album, the second one also comes with an EP companion. Two tracks on the more
ambient side of the Ocean Lion spectrum, one with twinkling drips of starlike notes over a longing pedalbass,
and the other a disembodied still-life depicting a weary traveler, lost at sea. Limited to 50.
WD1 / BRIAN GRAINGER / ASLEEP IN A DESERT
Opening a new monthly series for 2010 is Asleep In The Desert. A huge, evolving drone improvisation that
brings to mind some of the more melodic moments of Porous Variations. This series, aptly titled Workingman's Drone,
will deliver an EP each month. Each EP will be a drone improvisation done on a specific instrument, and each
month's source instrument will vary. For WD1, the piece was built using controlled feedback, but recorded in such
a way that what you get is a warm, humming drone that is easy on the ears and easy on the mind.
2009/12/15: THE END OF 2009 / THE END OF AB
AB11 / COPPICE HALIFAX / DRY SEASONS
The eleventh EP in the AB series. Two long tracks of super-warbly dub chords, soaked in the usual mile-long reverb
and phased out to infinity. These two tracks show a marked slowdown from the pace of the previous EPs, sticking
more to deep atmospherics and repetition to the point of near-hypnosis. Intended to be released in November, but
pushed up a month. Better late than never, and limited to 50 copies.
AB12 / COPPICE HALIFAX / ENDLESS DUSK
The last chapter of the Analog Botany excursion, bringing the total runtime of the 12-part series to a staggering
4 hours! It's been a really fun and enlightening project, one that has yielded music I never thought I'd make.
In a stately fashion I'm ending the series on a beatless note, providing some finality and contrast to the
previous EPs. Think Rod Modell meets those Torsten Profrock releases on Chain Reaction, and you're probably fairly
close. Intensely washed-out synths bouncing softly and slowly off one another to create a swirling opium fog. Limited to 50.
ABX3 / COPPICE HALIFAX / MILK & QUAALUDES
To cap off the AB series right, this disc is the REAL sendoff. An hour of botanical bliss, featuring eight songs
from throughout the year that, for one reason or another, were left off of the EPs proper. Three dub-rebuilds
based off of source from my good friend Pat Benolkin (aka Eluder/Electricwest), alternate versions of "Luxury",
"Forest" and "Dusk II" and finally two early tracks conceived for an upcoming album (Halifaxian) that were also omitted.
What you get is a very tight hour of melodic ambient dub music, done exactly in the fashion of the AB series, and
probably what I'd consider as some of my personal favorite material from 2009. Limited to 50 copies in
stamped paper sleeves.
ABX4 / CH/CN / CN/CH
Also grown in the AB pastures this year was a split with Norwegian melodic genius EOD, appearing here as CN.
I've opted to summarize my moniker to CH for a super-confusing tracklisting, and what you get is 5 tracks
(two originals, three remixes) of raw, melodic braindance. Acid lines abound and collide with classic 707s,
808s, 909s and thick 101 bass. Add to the mix my own flavor of dubby chord stabs, CN's sine tone lead melodies
and you end up with a whole lot of funky electronic grooving for just half an hour. Definitely one to
take to your next house party. Limited to 50!
2009/11/11: MILIEU ON VINYL!
MILIEU / PHOSPHENE WEATHER 12" COLORED VINYL
After much deliberation and work, Install is proud to unveil its first vinyl release: Milieu's Phosphene Weather LP. Notable
for also being the first time Milieu's work has appeared on the vinyl format, Phosphene is a special affair, limited to 150
copies on randomly colored vinyl inside custom silk screened sleeves with hand-numbered inserts, sporting a modern design by
David Tagg. Musically, Phosphene Weather inhabits a similar universe as previous Milieu ambient output, such as
A Warm Wooden Hollow, Of The Apple or Brittle Paper Cathedrals. The record's three songs walk slowly through an Autumnal
landscape that is as colorful as it is eroded, and over the course of 40 minutes the listener is treated to liquid sunset
immersion, surrounded on all sides by soft wind sweeping red leaves over orange fields and cloudlike formations of chords
that arrive right on time with the warm hum of a pedal bass. Swells of log cabin isolation, woodwind and guitar drones
and pure sleepy thought filter through the horizon line. Phosphene Weather is total night music, and quite possibly
the pinnacle of Milieu's ambient output to date.
2009/10/21: OCTOBER RELEASES + SHOP 2.0 REVISIONS
SHOP 2.0
As you probably noticed, the shop is now moved to the main domain instead of being hosted on the good ship SSR.
A few changes were made during the move to keep Milieu Music steady and strong, including a total overhaul of the
shipping system. Many of you had issues with my raised rates (due to the USPS raising theirs in May) and rightfully so!
From here onwards, shipping is tallied automatically by total order WEIGHT and not the monetary amount. This should ensure
everyone's order gets to them as affordably as it can.
Additionally, several of the "standard issue" papersleeve CD-R releases that Milieu Music started out with years ago
are now discontinued. This change has been made for several reasons, and of course if any of you are seeking out these
releases, just get in touch and I'll work it out for you.
MMD008 / MILIEU / EUFLORIA
After a year and a half of work, the fruits of my first real soundtracking job have now arrived. Being the project that
essentially reinvigorated my interest in making ambient music as Milieu, this commission is very significant for me.
Initially named "Dyson" when it was first created, Eufloria is an ambient strategy game that has gone through a number of
changes and has been nominated for several awards as well as winning some. I signed on to design sound effects and compose
unique music for the game's modern and surreal atmosphere. This album, containing 2 and a half hours of new music spread over
two discs, is the result. Lovingly packaged in full-color artwork from the game itself, and limited to 100 copies. This disc
is sure to please longtime listeners as well as newcomers to the Milieu sound.
MML065 / MILIEU / TRANSLUCENT FORESTATION
A new 3" CD-R EP containing one long track from the recording sessions for a to-be-released Milieu album.
Recorded in spring, left to settle on a cassette, then fixed up in summertime. Musically similar to something
like Of The Apple or the upcoming Phosphene Weather LP, this piece has lots of deep humming bass, raindrop-organ
lines and sweeping dusky chords. Perfect for a cool night with the windows open and a cat napping on your lap.
AB10 / COPPICE HALIFAX / BEACH GLASS
Number 10 in the ongoing AB series here. Named after a sound that David Tagg christened in 2006, AB10 brings more
of the deep dubby minimal techno that the AB series has come to embody. Followers of the imprint may recognize some
new elements introduced on this EP, such as Rhodes pianos, making it a truly "beachy" and "glassy" experience.
ABX2 / COPPICE HALIFAX & RADERE / SPLIT
A double-dose of Analog Botany this month with special guest Radere (known elsewhere to some as Carl Ritger, hailing
from camp Wood-Land in PA). Mr. Radere stepped in to do two exquisite and long remixes of the unreleased Coppice Halifax
track "Inlets" and I constructed two rebuilds of his track "The Sunrise Ruby" to even it out. Carl's tracks are deep and
foresty, but cleaner and opened up, almost like a cross between Intrusion and "On Land"-era Eno. My pieces pick up where
you'd expect them to, one being more in the vein of the AB series and the other inhabiting circa-2008 Halifaxland (see: EEDCD08).
MML064 / BRIAN GRAINGER / WHITE DUST
Released in tandem with its full-length counterpart White Kingdoms, the White Dust EP contains two extended drone
improvisations from the White Kingdoms sessions. Thick and airy, meandering but tonal, White Dust sits comfortably
in the realm of the Anthelion releases or even parts of Autumn Soil Feedback. White Kingdoms is available from the
superb Australian label Sound & Fury, for more information on obtaining it click here.
2009/9/3: MASSIVE SHOP UPDATE - SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
MML061 / MILIEU / TIDEWATER PETROL
A brand new Milieu EP, hot on the heels of the Swaying Palms album. Picking up the dancefloor-friendly hints
from Palms, this tight little three-tracker shows Milieu in prime four-to-the-floor mode. Possibly more
danceable than just about anything else in the catalog, with bouncing uptempo grooves, mental change-ups and
planetarium-sized pad swells. Psychedelic club music to liven up the typically bittersweet downtempo party here
at Milieu Music. Limited to 50 copies on mini-CD-R.
MML062 / PINK SPACE / LET ME SHOW YOU THEM
After five webreleases spread out since 2005, Pink Space has finally landed in the shop on a hard-copy release.
Sporting a wild 45 track/40 minute runtime, Pink Space plays through dozens of moods and styles in a collection of
colorful and playful electronic music. Much more lighthearted than Milieu, but with elements of things that I've
not done under any other alias...drum'n'bass, acid, jungle, electro, it's all here. Roll down your windows, turn up
your woofer in your trunk and drive down your street blaring some hot pink nonsense. Limited to 50 copies.
MML063 / BRIAN GRAINGER / NOXIOUS VARIATIONS
On the beatless side of things this month is a companion piece to thirty catalog numbers back (Porous Variations).
Initially intended to come out alongside PV, Noxious was shelved due to PV's length getting absurdly long (3 discs).
It has since aged in the blackness, and with a little work to bring it up to date, sounds all the more earthy because
of the wait. Recorded in an entirely different process that included distance-microphone setups, guitar playing with two
(or no) strings, dying batteries in chained pedals and looping room noises. Crumbled, dark and yet somehow warm and surreal.
The deeper end of experimental drones for this month's update. Limited to 50.
AB9 / COPPICE HALIFAX / BLACKFOREST DIRT
We're now up to number nine in the Analog Botany series, and this time around things get a little more gritty and
a little more melodic than usual. Going back to the sound of earlier Coppice Halifax (see: EEDCD-08) texturally,
Blackforest Dirt brings a high level of sonic debris into the otherwise clean white audio space. The second track, "Forest"
drifts off on a blissful melodic tangent that could nearly be a Milieu moment. Limited to 50.
MMDL08 / VHOM / BLACKENER
A digital-only EP full of abrasive and mental analog drum experimentation. Vhom returns from the brutality of
Faalopian Tils with an industrial-strength dancefloor stomper and two weird-out drum jams. For fans of previous output
by Vhom as well as complex and gritty dark IDM. Download comes with a free bonus: the Test.Vmx EP (MML017).
DIGITAL SHOP ITEMS ADDED
After several requests, I've caved and uploaded the two Milieu albums COLORTONE and OUR BLUE REMIXES to the digital
shop. Both come in high-quality 320 KBPS MP3 format with printable artwork for a bargain price. Check them out!
2009/8/28: CATCHUP
I realize I've left this section of the site un-updated, so for sake of continuity, here is everything that
was released since the June 1st update:
MMD006 / MILIEU / SWAYING PALMS
Over an hour of bouncy tropical psychedelics! Milieu-goes-gonzo-with-beats-and-melodies-OVERLOAD!
AB8 / COPPICE HALIFAX / SUBMARINE GREEN
Eighth in the Analog Botany series. Deep and dubby, which by now should be expected!
MML060 / COPPICE HALIFAX & FOAMEK / LUSH Q TRAX III
The third stellar volume of Lush Q Trax is here. Foamek returns with some of his best tracks yet.
BLUE01 / BRIAN GRAINGER / TORTOISESHELL & OTHER IMPROVISATIONS
New tape of old guitar improvs (circa 2006-2008) at CO_RD Tapes. Featuring guest appearances by Acreil & David Tagg.
MMDL04 / BRIAN GRAINGER / BLACK CURTAIN WARMTH
Digital-only single-song-album. Long, humid bedroom droning, ideal for late nights with old paperbacks.
MMDL05 / MILIEU / BENT APPLETREES 5
Digital-only compilation of totally unreleased tracks from the Milieu archives, circa 2005-2008.
MMDL06 / MILIEU / BENT APPLETREES 6
Digital-only compilation of totally unreleased tracks from the Milieu archives, circa 2005-2008.
MMDL07 / COPPICE HALIFAX & FOAMEK / LUSH Q TRAX 3.1
Digital-only EP containing 3 Foamek tracks and 2 Coppice Halifax tracks, all exclusive.
2009/6/1: FOUR NEW RELEASES & MILIEU GOES DIGITAL
ANNOUNCING MILIEU MUSIC DIGITAL
You read that right! Milieu Music has finally gone digital. Starting now, you will be able to purchase
both new and out-of-print releases in high-quality 320 KBPS MP3 file format for a low price. Each purchase
comes with high-resolution printable album artwork and you can rest assured that 100% of your purchase
goes straight to Milieu Music. No middlemen taking an enormous cut, no big companies, no adverts, no spam.
Support the music you love the independent way!
All music is of course DRM-free, and what would a launch announcement be without NEW EXCLUSIVE STUFF?
In addition to over 30 titles from the MM catalog now being available digitally, there are also THREE brand-new
titles: an epic 2CD set of reconstructions from Brian Grainger & John-Paul Kramer, a brutal new Brian Grainger
EP called "Oubliette" and a beautiful VCV live set from the SSR archives. Check it out!
MML059 / MILIEU / LEAVES PAINTED PURPLE
Picking up where "Brittle Paper Cathedrals" left off, I've recorded a soft and melodic ambient organ album.
Containing two 20+ minute tracks that begin as chordal drones and eventually dissipate into serene melodies.
Where BPC was very textural and almost gritty, "Leaves Painted Purple" showcases a clearer, softer stereo field.
Very accessible and ideal for after-dark listening as the warmth of Summer creeps in. Limited to 50.
MML059B / MILIEU / LEAVES PAINTED PURPLE - LIMITED EDITION CASSETTE
To add to my fondness of how warm this album is, I've put together a super-short run of cassette versions of it.
Featuring different art than the CD-R version, as well as a bonus tape-only track on side A, this version of the
LPP album is for those of you who like some extra warble and hum with your drifty ambient. Limited to a mere FIVE COPIES.
AB6 / COPPICE HALIFAX / CINNAMON SMOKE
Bringing it back with some beats and basslines is Analog Botany 6. Starting with two very melodic and bouncy
dub-dance tracks, "Cinnamon" and "Smoke" conjure up influences of things like the "Modern" EP by Gas or some of
Anders Ilar's tracks. Moving on to "Smoke II" with some seriously smoked-out dub, with an almost reggae flavor.
Definitely my favorite of the EP and yet another groovy installment of the series. Limited to 50.
AB7 / COPPICE HALIFAX / PINE YELLOW
Close on the heels of AB6 is #7 as well, this time with some very lengthy and minimal stuff. "Pine" breaks it
down Maurizio-style with a funky beat and some rubbery basskicks rounding out the low end, while fluttery stabs
assemble and dissipate all over the top like a colorful lightshow. "Yellow" continues in this fashion as well,
and the EP ends with a two-minute loop-version of "Yellow", making this EP ready to be DJ-mixed on a dancefloor!
Limited to 50.
2009/5/5: MAY'S NEW RELEASES & FOUR-WAY SPLIT
MML058 / MILIEU / LIVE AT 114RKD
Five alive! The first chunk of live Milieu since 2007's appearance in Augsburg, Germany!
Much like the Live At Lab30 disc was, 114RKD features an interview (conducted by electronic radio show
Solipsistic Nation) and a 45 minute seamless liveset made up of 11 tracks. The liveset is soundboard-quality
and contains three unreleased tracks that will likely feature on upcoming Milieu albums like Swaying Palms,
Bell'n Dither and Tidewater Petrol. Packaged lovingly in a colored-plastic sleeve with patterned cardstock/stamped
paper inserts, and limited to only fifty copies. Even tracks you're familiar with get a warped, playful treatment
in this bouncy psychedelic set! This is the closest you'll get to a new live Milieu show, since I rarely perform.
MML057 / MILIEU / DIALOGUE FIVE
For the second slice of new Milieu this month, I bring you a companion EP to the recent Brittle Paper Cathedrals
album. An extended ambient piece that picks up where the fourth "Rural Dialogues" track left off, sounding very
endless and warm, full of disjointed melodic moments that intertwine with thick low end drone sweeps. Featuring
matching artwork with BPC, Dialogue Five will look and sound right at home in your collection. Limited to fifty.
AB5 / COPPICE HALIFAX / SOUTHLAND MIRROR
Holding up the fifth leg of the ongoing Analog Botany series comes Southland Mirror, a three-track EP full
of bouncy, slightly electro-tinged dub odyssies. "Southland" is the deepest of the three with stretched out dubby
synth stabs, and the first version of "Mirror" gets super catchy with a plucked bass hook and some keyboard sounds
that wouldn't be out of place on Lush Q Trax. The second version of "Mirror" drops things back down again with some
funky ambient techno blissing out for almost 9 minutes. Limited to 50.
CO_RD 02 / SILVERHOME/WENDESEL
The second cassette release at CO_RD Tapes is now available. Comprised of two ambient tracks on the prettier side,
with muted organ being the primary instrument over urban field recordings of wind, leaves and traffic. Limited to just
25 copies on blue cassettes!
BRIAN GRAINGER + GERMAN SHEPHERD + MILLIPEDE + MOTH / TRAVELING
Last but not least, I've been given the honor of contributing to a four-way split with German Shepherd, Millipede and Moth
at German Shepherd's excellent homemade imprint Sunrise Acoustics in Milwaukee. Each of us were given 15 minutes and 50 words
and the theme was traveling, and what resulted is quite possibly one of my favorite releases this year! My tracks are wide open
guitar droners, similar to something like Sun White Sun or Of The Apple, while German Shepherd's are fragile and full of bent
guitar loops and melodies, played with equal parts reckless-abandon and feverish-restraint. Millipede cranks it to 11 and sends
your fried brain on a distorted cosmic journey through neon galaxies, and Moth closes the entire affair with a full-course meal
of sounds, including a prayer, a couple folk songs, a serving of noise, some heavy guitar drones and what is almost a Krautrock
centerpiece. As if all that isn't rad enough, the whole package comes in a jewel case with a printed booklet made of vintage
cardstocks and cliparts, authentically made by a veteran Milwaukee printing company. Only 100 were made and I myself am only
selling EIGHT copies, for the super-economy-friendly price of $6 plus shipping! Not to be missed!
2009/4/12: NEW MILIEU ALBUM & OTHER RELEASES
MMD005 / MILIEU / BRITTLE PAPER CATHEDRALS
A surprising return to ambient for Milieu, which was foreshadowed by my recent work on Dyson, making this
new album the first proper ambient Milieu album since "A Warm Wooden Hollow". Eight tracks make up three "suites"
that represent different terrains: "Rural Dialogues" is in the vein of "Of The Apple" with tangled, sky-high guitars
playing abstract harmonies, while "Imagined Histories" is almost new ground altogether, fusing bent guitar sounds
with droning sub-basslines and environmental backdrops. "Sand Dunes" closes the set with the prettiest and saddest
moments of the album, sounding somewhere between "Beyond The Sea" and "Brother" with windy sounds, flute-like melodies
and warm organ lines. A very dusty and muted album, and a new beginning of a renewed chapter of Milieu records.
Limited to 100 copies in a jewel case with stately patterned cardstock designs.
MML056 / BRIAN GRAINGER / A WHITE LIGHT IN THE WOODS
Following in the footsteps of releases like "Eight Thousander", "Humidity" and my work with David Tagg in VCV,
"A White Light In The Woods" is a warm 20 minutes of soaring, stretched out guitar chords bathed in subtle delays
and deep reverbs. Recorded during a quiet Winter night in the end of 2008, this little EP would be a nice comfy
companion for late night listening, nodding off in bed with a book and a cat on your lap. Limited to 50 copies.
AB4 / COPPICE HALIFAX / FALLING OVALS
The fourth installment of the ongoing Analog Botany catalog set. This time around we have a very bouncy, almost electro
lead-off track with "Falling", and then the heart of the EP, two extended ambient tracks called "Ovals". Bringing to mind
the slightly degraded feel of the earlier Coppice Halifax catalog, "Ovals" are very deep and dubbed out minimal pieces
with a little bit of grittiness to them. Taking influences from Plastikman, Fluxion and SAW 85-92, and limited to 50.
ABX1 / COPPICE HALIFAX / SCARLET CMX
Just like the "Sun Dub" single was, this is a very very limited hardcopy single for an extended remix I've done for my pal
Electricwest. It will eventually be featured on a free digital download remix-release at the Archaic Horizon netlabel, but
this is the only place it will be made available on any kind of physical issue. The track in question is a 14 minute Coppice
rebuild of Electricwest's track "Scarlet" from his recent "Moth3r" release. Super dubby and tropical and a bit clubby too.
For the collectors, or for anyone who would like to maintain continuity with their Coppice Halifax record collection!
Strictly limited to only 20 copies, with patterned cardstock inserts that match the designs for the "Cmx" remix release.
2009/4/01: NEW SPLIT CASSETTE & OTHER SHOP NEWS
MU01 / BRIAN GRAINGER & OPHIBRE / #3
One of my old bandmates from A Night On Mars has started his own cassette label, Mirror Universe Tapes!
He approached me for a release to kick the label off, and said he was open to a split, so I rang up the ever-consistent
Ophibre and we put together our third (technically fourth if you count MML032B) split release, simply named #3.
Ophibre's side contains his drone odyssey "The Ascending Torque Aura", which would appeal to fans of his recent dronier
output like OPH14 or his split with Rambutan. My side also contains a sidelong piece called "The Descending Crystalline Hand".
Combining massive organ and ebow droning with sub-bass and some subtle field recordings of leaves blowing around the yard,
this 20-minute piece is bound to satisfy those who enjoyed things like Porous Variations, the Anthelion releases or the recent
Variants record with David Tagg. Both myself and Ophibre have limited quantities of this tape, so if you'd like to buy one from
me, I've only got a handful available. They are $6 USD plus shipping, and come pressed on snazzy purple cassettes with
spraypaint-colored labels and a printed photo insert (a surreal Holga photograph by yours truly). Drone on!
DONATION DRIVE THANK-YOUS
I wanted to post a big warm thank-you to everyone on the mailing list and elsewhere who contributed to my California campaign.
Your donations made a HUGE difference and I've sent out most everyone's "gift boxes" by now, so if you donated and have yet to
receive one, don't fret! It should arrive any day now. I couldn't have made the trip there and back without your help, and I hope
you enjoy the Milieu album I've mailed out. Good things are happening with Dyson and if you'd like to read a day-by-day account
of the trip, I've posted a few detailed blogs at the news page.
STORE UPDATES
Colortone is now SOLD OUT! Thanks to everyone who picked up a copy, there may or may not be a repress in the next year or so.
We will see. For those of you who missed out and still want one, the remaining copies are available at Smallfish in the UK
and Linus Records in Japan. Also now out of print is the Millipede split cassette Play Ancient Hylian Folk Songs.
Hope everyone enjoyed our brutal Zelda riffmongering! Short and sweet right? That should be the Milieu Music motto by now!
Additionally, a number of other titles will be out of print soon! If you'd like to own the following records, now would be the time
to get them because very few copies remain!
- MML023 / Brian Grainger / Yellowed
- MML039 / Brian Grainger & John-Paul Kramer
- MML037 / Brian Grainger / Humidity
- MML034 / Coppice Halifax & Foamek / Lush Q Trax II
2009/3/14: COPPICE HALIFAX x3 AND A DONATION DRIVE
MMD004 / COPPICE HALIFAX / BEDROOM CARPET
A very special album, hinted at since Summer of 2008, has finally arrived for preordering. The first Coppice Halifax
full-length recording since 2008's tropical-overdose Ocean Lion, Bedroom Carpet brings a much different vibe to the table.
Largely ambient but not without some very beat-based tracks, Bedroom Carpet is very warm and humid with lots of sleepy-eyed
melodies blipping across a thin line of tape hiss. Written and recorded using only two drum machines, an old Casio keyboard and
a four-track tape deck, this is some of my most cozy, playful and analogue music ever made. Very heavily influenced by records like
Cylob's "Cylobian Sunset", Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works II" and the "Melodies From Mars" album, as well as things like
Kinesthesia, Bochum Welt and even friends of mine Thisket and EOD. This record is currently at press, and will be released on no more
than 100 copies in a jewel case with full-color printed artwork (much like Colortone was).
MML055 / COPPICE HALIFAX / MOSS AND GREEN
To hold you over until Bedroom Carpet arrives in your mailbox, this 3" CD-R EP should do the trick! Recorded during the Bedroom Carpet
sessions using the exact same equipment, the Moss And Green EP delivers more tape-drenched low-key ambient goodness. Three tracks that
get a little more drum-heavy than the album itself does, but still packed to the brim with fuzzed textures and sunny melodies. Music
for sitting under a tree in a park while you read a book. Something you might want to bring along for the Summer months this year!
Inspired more by things like Mike & Rich, Freescha and Polygon Window, and limited to 50.
AB3 / COPPICE HALIFAX / RED VALERIAN
The third installment of the new and ongoing AB series, Red Valerian brings you two deep deep tracks of dubby hi-fi ambience.
"Red" is quite possibly the most reggae-dub sounding track I've ever done, complete with delayed piccolo snares and thicker-than-honey
atmospherics. An elastic bassline rumbles around and textures dress the mix up, making you feel like you're walking through a smoggy city
after dark. "Valerian" completes the EP with an almost polar-opposite shift in dynamics. Clocking in at almost 14 minutes long, this
track bounces along building and building with inviting colorful pads and watery synth stabs, painting a more tropical setting.
Limited to 50 copies.
MILIEU MUSIC SAN FRANCISCO DONATION FUND
So I'm leaving town again! This time, I will be in San Francisco, California for a week to attend the Game Developers Conference.
As unbelievable as it sounds, Dyson, the video game I did music and sound work for, has been nominated as one of the five games
up for winning the grand prize at the festival! This could be a huge break for me as a musician looking for a job in the gaming
industry, and so even if Dyson doesn't win, there's too many opportunities and too much information at the GDC to pass up.
Much like my trip to Germany in 2007, Sophia and I have been able to cover most of our expenses for things like flight and hotel,
however all the little things still remain. The support you give Milieu Music never goes unappreciated, ever, and that's why I am
offering anyone who donates $8 USD or more to my little fund will get a TOTALLY EXCLUSIVE MILIEU ALBUM! That's right, this
is the very first ambient Milieu record since A Warm Wooden Hollow and the donation drive is the only way you can get it! For more
information about donating and the Milieu album I'm offering in return, please click the link above this message. A pre-emptive THANKS
goes out to all of you, whether you donate or not, for supporting my work - it means way more than you know!
Finally, if you played Dyson and liked it, please help us out for winning another potential award - the IGF audience award - by
voting for us on the website! Click here to vote for Dyson!
2009/2/24: THREE NEW THREE-INCHES AND A CASSETTE SUBLABEL
COUNTY ROADS / LIMITED EDITION TAPES
You read it correctly - I've started the first proper "sublabel" of Milieu Music: CO_RD Tapes!
This label will be cassette-only releases of ambient/guitar-based music with a very cozy home-time aesthetic. Think lots of
pastoral field recordings under sometimes-pretty, sometimes-sad, sometimes-droney guitar playing, soaked in 10-acre reverbs
and bundled up in a warm analog format with some colorful photographs to get your listening mind in the right place.
These tapes will be STRICTLY limited runs of 25 blue tapes each, and the music is totally new and exclusive. For people who
enjoyed things like Sun White Sun, Eight Thousander or Of The Apple, these tapes are a must-listen!
The first cassette, Appalachian/White Deer, is already out, so check it out at the above link.
MML054 / MILIEU / WAVERIDER
The second single from the forthcoming Swaying Palms album, Waverider presents seven starry-eyed feelgood Milieu tracks
full of funky basslines, sex-on-the-beach synths, big breaks and melodies sweeter than a Capri Sun on LSD. Some crusty tropical
crunk for those of you who can remember those family vacations in the 80's, building sandcastles, getting pulled down the shore in
the tide, baking in the sun. Put on your shades and grab your board - it's time to go! Think "Theme From A Nude Beach" meets Casino
Versus Japan meets Henry Mancini at 16 RPM. Limited to 50 copies.
AB1 / COPPICE HALIFAX / GANYMEDE ICECAPS
Kicking off a brand new catalog set (which you can read more about here) is something of a new "era" of the Coppice Halifax sound.
Entering for the first time into truly deep and dubby territory, this three track EP is the beginning of what will be the charted course for
Coppice Halifax in the 2009 year. Taking heavy influence from pioneers like Basic Channel, Wolfgang Voigt, Monolake and Pole, as well as newer
favorites such as Rod Modell, Yagya and Anders Ilar...these three tracks are bouncy, minimal and clean, yet not without a very notable texture and
atmosphere. Roomy reverbs phase in and out over the mix while skittering delays dance all over a punctuated drum sequence. Sometimes subdued, other
times four-to-the-floor, but all around deep and minimal. Expect this series of EPs to grow throughout 2009 in a hopefully new and interesting way.
AB2 / COPPICE HALIFAX / PORCELAIN SURFACES
The second EP in the AB series, and even more minimal than Ganymede Icecaps. Pristine open spaces are filled with intricately placed rhythms and
micro-melodies. Off-white, clean and full of reflected fluorescent light. "Porcelain" is the closest to the Berlin techno sound Coppice Halifax
has come so far, while parts one and two of "Icecaps" bring a little more familiar funk into the picture. Simple music for those who like it that way.
2009/1/19: FIFTY RELEASES! AND NEW MUSIC FOR A NEW YEAR
MML050 / MILIEU / PINWHEEL CAROUSELS: FOUR YEARS OF MILIEU MUSIC
Can you believe it's been four years already, since I started this whole thing up with a small mailing list and no website?
It seems to have gone by so quickly, and it's pretty much a perfect coincidence that with the start of 2009, we've landed right on
catalog number 50! I can imagine how daunting this catalog must really look to a newcomer, so for that reason (among others) I've
decided to commemorate #50 with Milieu Music's first ever compilation. This disc is a look back all the way to the very beginning of
Milieu Music, with me hand-picking some of my favorite tunes and including two brand new unreleased ones as well. Packaged
in the "old school" format of a blue papersleeve with inkstamped cardstock inserts, and bargain priced at only eight dollars. A perfect
introduction to Milieu Music for the uninitiated, as well as a worthy collection of Milieu tunes for the collectors out there.
MML051 / MILIEU / AZURINE DRONED
You may have caught me hinting on the mailers about 2009 seeing the release of lots of new Milieu, and so appropriately with the new year
starting, here is the first. A three track 3" CD-R containing some of the bounciest tropical punch Milieu sounds ever laid to tape.
This single serves as a precursor to the forthcoming album (no definitive date yet) Swaying Palms, which will be equally tropical.
The title track may make some listeners recall the dubby tropical atmosphere of "Sway Leaf" (from the In Hills Made Of Clouds 3" at Earstroke)
only this time it has been seriously expanded upon and drawn out to a lazy 10-minute affair. Limited to 50 copies.
MML052 / BRIAN GRAINGER & DAVID TAGG / VARIANTS
Three extended live improvisations that I did in late 2007, using David Tagg's then-unreleased album Dulcimer Studies as a principal
sound source, buried under a setup including a twelve-string acoustic guitar and several effects. The result is bright and slightly
dissonant at times, but altogether pretty much a straight drone album. For those of you who enjoyed Porous Variations, this will be
quite to your liking. A bit dark at times, a little pretty even, but very monochromatic and hazy. Limited to 50 copies in white papersleeves
with patterned sepia-paper inserts.
MML053 / COPPICE HALIFAX / LUXURY DANCEHALL
The first Coppice Halifax release of 2009, which, like the Milieu EP, will preface a handful of new releases under that moniker as well.
This 3" single sees some really psychedelic ambient techno happening, somewhere between the tropical-clouds of Ocean Lion and the crackly
wash of the self-titled EEDCD-08. "Luxury" samples Delius and builds a smoky dubby limo-drive through the boulevard at night...you can even
roll the window down and see everything moving in super-slow-mo. Two versions of "Dancehall" follow, the first sounding like an ocean-faring
cousin of "Nettles" with bouncy house beats and crackly seafoam melodies, and the second bringing to mind influences of Gas or Basic Channel
with some liquefied drum sounds pooling around a rich symphonic drone and a huge sub-bassline. Limited to 50 copies in clear plastic sleeves with
rad lazer-80's paper inserts.
2008/11/12: INSTALL WEEK AT MILIEU MUSIC
MML047 / BRIAN GRAINGER & SHINOBU NEMOTO
A new collaborative record with Shinobu Nemoto (also known as Summons Of Shining Ruins) that was principally
conceived and recorded from Spring to Fall 2008. I've been a longtime admirer of Shinobu's work (and his expansive studio)
and this album is really something special to me because of it. Outside of my work with David Tagg in VCV, I haven't really
"clicked" with another guitarist THIS well, until now. Musically it has to be one of the saddest, most achingly beautiful
guitar albums I've ever heard...but it isn't just limited to guitars either; Shinobu plays piano on a track, and I played organ
and bass in addition to my guitar parts. It isn't really that far off from something like "Of The Apple" as far as sad melodies
and textural overload goes, and it's also close to things like the first two VCV records or "Porous Variations" in parts where the
drone overtakes everything. Install released Shinobu's first CD, "Summons Of Shining Ruins", earlier in the year, and fans of that
album will definitely get something from this, thanks to Shinobu's inimitable style that really shines through the fog here, making this
one of my favorite releases of the year, without a doubt.
MML048 / BRIAN GRAINGER & MILLIPEDE / PLAY ANCIENT HYLIAN FOLK SONGS
The first tape here at Milieu Music, and a very unique one at that (although I understand that not everyone buys tapes anymore, so every
order for this release comes with high-quality MP3 files!). Splitting sides with recent Install-inductee Millipede, this
is a 40-minute quest through the Hyrulean kingdom, chock-full of dangerous mythical beasts, alluring forests with giant talking trees,
beautiful maidens and boss fights, where our hero in green will have traveled through time to save the world so that we may spin
these tales of battle and woe. What remains of that kingdom? None remain who know...
MML049 / BRIAN GRAINGER & TANNER MENARD / METAMERS
A 3" EP containing a very interesting and melodic collaboration with Tanner Menard, who also released on Install earlier in the 2008 year.
Originally recorded in Spring, "Metamers" was conceived around a single A-major chord, with Tanner and I attempting to build an entire
composition around what seemed like infinite variations on this chord. I improvised on an electric guitar which had been specially retuned
to give me many more possibilities for this piece, while Tanner built a gradual but solid backdrop of a retuned piano. The result was very pretty
and a bit sad, and very much in the vein of my work on "Eight Thousander". Limited to just 50 copies.
2008/11/12: THREE NEW RELEASES
MML046 / BRIAN GRAINGER / A GIANT HAND
Here's one I've been saving and savoring since Spring. Six massive, vulgar and megalithic pieces that would appeal to
folks who enjoyed Porch, Porous Variations or the recent Borley Rectory set. Very heavy and untamed
at times, but also very diverse and hopefully well-rounded in terms of textures and general moods. A lot of experimentation
happening on this record, using synths, drum machines, feedback, AM radio signals and turntables to achieve tonalities, then
augmented with deep sub-basslines or guitars. The material is still totally beatless, however through the use of various tremolos
and delays, some tracks become quite rhythmic in their own way. A very obtuse and different album, but a very fun one that will
likely lead to bigger and better ideas. Limited edition of 50 copies in a jewel case with cardstock inserts.
MML043 / BRIAN GRAINGER / BLACK ANTHELION
Continued experiments with the "Anthelion" concept have yielded yet another EP of moody night-time listening.
The previous Anthelions aimed to unify the musicality of field recordings with minimal musical embellishment,
creating a sound environment that was an both aural and physical art piece. This time, twenty minutes of dark skies,
cold wind and planes surround the stereo field, while guitar and bass parts have been added in, tonally working with
the slow hum of the aircraft sounds, making it hard to isolate either sound from one another. Altogether a very deep
piece of music, packaged in clear plastic sleeves with swirled black and white patterns on the inserts and the disc.
MML045 / BRIAN GRAINGER / OLYMPUS MONS
A three-inch EP contaning three dense guitar/bass drone pieces, recorded between 2006 and 2008.
"Moth Cancer" is an outtake from the Porous Variations album, "Roche Mouttonnee" was created during the
sessions for Nine Billion Names and the title piece is a recorded improvisation from 2006, right around the
time David Tagg and I were organizing our recording of The Star Of The King Of The Dead. Very droney and slightly
doomy, while still retaining clear melodic elements and tonalities. Limited to 36 copies with corkboard covers.
2008/10/31: HAPPY HALLOWEEN
MML044 / VHOM / BORLEY RECTORY
Conceived in 2004, worked on, abandoned, reignited, trashed, reconstructed, abandoned again, regurgitated...and now, complete.
A record that, musically, would've been a Brian Grainger album, but arrived at a time when I wasn't quite ready to release works
under my own name yet. Having been a work in progress for so long, the amount of material I was faced with shaping into this final
product was overwhelming! So, having a fondness for the long-form, I opted to do a double CD set with this. Yes, I know, right on the heels
of my collaborative double-album with Jhonn-Paul, but the fact is that this record has been in the waiting line for a lot longer, and
my collaborative release was a totally improvised, spur-of-the-moment beast. If I haven't scared you away with this daunting set yet,
it might come with some surprise that this project is and has been the pinnacle of my fascination with all manner of dark and occult things.
EVPs, videogames like Silent Hill, old library books about haunted houses, getting scared and hearing things at my Dad's house in the country,
Stephen King, "Tales From The Darkside", the original 60's run of "The Outer Limits", Murnau's 1922 silent-film "Nosferatu"...all thrown
together with musical reference points like Aube, Merzbow, Masonna, Lustmord, Pocahaunted and that creep-out middle part of Pink Floyd's
"Echoes". In short, I wanted to create the creepiest, most convincing haunted atmosphere I could, without seeming dated or contrived.
Hopefully, it worked, or at least I feel like it might have for me. Even after making this album myself, it still gives me shivers to listen
to late at night, alone, reading "The Road Virus Heads North", hearing EVERY SOUND in my house, and being so scared that I have to pull
the sheets over my head to sleep! Delivered (hopefully) to you on the best possible night of the year for that, Borley Rectory is a spooky ghost story
from me to all of you this Halloween! Limited to only 38 copies, which is a very short run, so they may be gone within the week, but
I want to keep this album's appearance short and sweet.
MML041 / BRIAN GRAINGER / LATENT CLOAK
A pagan wedding song for all of you harvest celebrators here...dressed in pumpkin orange and as loud as a Scotsman who is burning
alive in the bowels of a giant wicker man (ha ha), this is something that'll carve itself into your head, Jack-O-Lantern style.
And, if you listen carefully enough, under the torrential waves of sound-destruction, you can scratch out the raw sound of Autumn,
melted down and flattened into 50 three-inch discs.
2008/10/18: NEW DOUBLE-CD AND TWO EPS
MML034 / COPPICE HALIFAX & FOAMEK / LUSH Q TRAX II
Held up via several delayed processes in the last 2-3 months, this little sequel EP is finally here! For those of you who liked
the first split with Foamek I did, here's another 21 minutes of funky ambient techno bliss. This time it's slightly more influenced by
minimal and dub techno, with the exception of "Marsh Acid", which is probably the most dancefloor-friendly Coppice Halifax track ever
recorded. Packaged up in cute soft-plastic mini-cases with pastel colored card inserts and a big blue Q stamped in ink! The first Lush Q
release flew off the shelves so don't wait around too long if you want this, it's bound to disappear pretty fast!
MML039 / BRIAN GRAINGER & JOHN-PAUL KRAMER
A massive slab of bleak drone improvisations stretched across desolate landscapes, recorded almost completely live in the space of one exhausting
week at Milieu Music HQ. Four extended pieces on two economically-friendly discs inside a stylish plastic-wallet case, this record is definitely
going to appeal to fans of VCV, or albums like "Autumn Soil Feedback", "Porch" or "Porous Variations". Heavy, soft, near and distant all at once.
Dense decaying music for nighttime headphone listening! Limited to 100 copies.
MML042 / BRIAN GRAINGER / RED ANTHELION
Imagine yourself walking blindfolded through a grove filled with cherry trees. It's a windy night, and the more you walk the closer you get to
a calm, open clearing where muted bell-tones waft through the air, and the coolness of the temperature is just enough to be pleasant. Somewhere
off in the distance, you can hear scrambled radio signals...maybe other people elsewhere in this cherry grove with you...you decide that it's not
important, lay down in the tall grass and doze off listening to the sounds around you.
2008/09/22: NEW ALBUM AND TWO EPS
MMD002 / COPPICE HALIFAX / OCEAN LION
This is a very special record for me. I had alot of fun making it and it was done almost completely live on guitar/drum machine/organ and bass.
It's quite possibly one of my favorite albums I've made TO DATE. It connects on alot of personal levels for me, and well within the concept of Coppice
Halifax as a project (the melding of ocean and greenery, in a very organic way). Imagine if you will, the surreality of a tropical shoreline, lined
with palm trees and a pink-blue-ribbon skyline above the seemingly infinite horizon. You're in a lawn chair, comfortable, in just enough shade to enjoy
the warmth of the sun without burning up. You doze off and the sound of the waves ebbing and flowing slowly melts down and stretches into a canopy of
swirling technicolor and humming humid bass. Visions of underwater beauty pageants play in slow motion and all your cares are dissolved down to a paper
thin breeze that cools your cheeks under your shades. For an hour, the world slows down to a drugged tempo and you are totally fine with that.
MML040 / COPPICE HALIFAX / OCEAN LION
A companion EP to the Ocean Lion full-length, featuring 2 extended tracks that continue on in the same hazy gaseous tropical vibe. These two
were actually separated from the sessions to be their own little release as they are a bit more "straightforward" than the album tracks, but still
total happy-sedation with dubby basslines and walls of reverberating colors. For those of you who thought an hour of Ocean Lion was not enough (like me).
Limited edition of only FORTY copies!
MMX007 / MILIEU / DUSTYBOX TRACKS
The seventh installment (can you believe it?) of the Dustybox Tracks series. Continuing on from #6, this one also contains three brand new remixes
I've done for some friends of mine - Koen Park, Track53 and Ten And Tracer! More of the usual catchy bouncy goodness you've either
grown fond of or gotten bored with, brought straight to you on a bite-sized 3" CD-R!
2008/09/10: THREE NEW ITEMS / SECOND EDITION / UPDATES
MMX006 / MILIEU / DUSTYBOX TRACKS
The sixth disc in the Dustybox Tracks EP series, this time revisiting the setup of the very first DBTracks disc. Three bouncy melodic remixes
crafted by Milieu for Asymmetrical Head, Track53 and Phasen!
MML037 / BRIAN GRAINGER / HUMIDITY
Something to herald the end of the Summer and the beginning of Autumn. A very melodic ambient piece called "Humidity" that sits very much in the
same vein as records like Of The Apple or Eight Thousander. Lots of deep buried tonalities under cloudy chords and a really textural
field recording of some of the rain that Brian's city has gotten along with the recent hurricanes. Guitars and organ pedalbass, limited to 100 copies!
MML038 / VHOM / FAALOPIAN TILS
The very first hardcopy full-length Vhom album is finally here. Years in the making, Faalopian is not going to be something that appeals to everyone.
Over an hour of 31 untitled tracks, all joined together in a seamless collage flow, and packaged in a jewel case with heavy duty corrugated cardboard for
the inserts. Musically this record might resemble the sound of pouring boiling water in your ears, and I'm not quite sure why anyone (including me) would
want to listen to that! For fans of things like BRTLMN/Wordsalad/Sagmo B, early Throbbing Gristle, Cylob's "Industrial Folk Songs" or Aphex Twin's "Classics".
Heck, maybe even a little of Merzbow's "Pulse Demon" in there too. An absolute mindfuck of a record that is best enjoyed on a very loud stereo system.
Putting the "concrete" back into musique concrete, 100 copies at a time.
SECOND EDITION / MML015 / BRIAN GRAINGER / AUTUMN SOIL FEEDBACK
Repackaged in a more standard shop look with the original decals and stamping, and this time it's only $5! For anyone who missed out on this run of 50 before,
this second edition is another run of 50 and will probably go pretty fast! For those of you who like your drones buried under walls of radio static, vinyl surface-noise,
tape hiss, VLF recordings and 16-RPM orchestras, this is just for you.
2008/08/24: FOUR NEW ITEMS
MMX004 / MILIEU / DUSTYBOX TRACKS
The fourth volume of the Dustybox Tracks EP series, this time featuring three outstanding remixes by Lithium Enchantment,
Lunar Testing Lab and the ever-impressive David Tagg! Lithium Enchantment turns in a stellar electro presentation of
"Elep" (Remodelled version, not SWFITS), and Lunar Testing Lab phones-home with a slower hip-hop version of "Greenscreen Boredoms" from
Sophiesongs that will make you swear you're in a gravity-free environment. Closing the disc is David Tagg's version of "Stone Chapel" from
Of The Apple, which wouldn't be out of place on SSR somewhere, as it's very similar to his Waist Deep Seas Of Milk CD.
MMX005 / BRIAN GRAINGER / DUSTYBOX TRACKS
Now for the fifth EP in the Dustybox Tracks series - this time two Brian Grainger mixes instead of Milieu. The first is an abrasive
scatterbrained collage-assemblage of the "Porchsuite" material from my Porch split CD-R with Ophibre. Christopher Byler is the responsible
party here, and he calls his work on the subject "domestic decompression". Secondly I weigh in with a 12+ minute drone version of one of
Christopher's tracks, "Vengeance", which is very much in the vein of Autumn Soil Feedback or Porch and would definitely appeal to fans
of either release!
MML035 / COPPICE HALIFAX / CMX
Born out of necessity as well as accumulation and time passing, Cmx is a compilation of remixes done under the Coppice Halifax moniker that
either are webrelease-only or are now out of print on whatever hardcopy issues they appeared on previously. A few remixes are also not yet released,
making this compilation more exclusive and hopefully more complete for a longer period of time. Additionally, two versions of Coppice Halifax tracks
appear here for the first time as well - the original more ambient version of "Dayglo Daze" and the original uncut version of "Canal". Altogether,
this compilation flows more like an album than a collection of remixes, since the nature of my remixes usually allows for more unique material to surface
over the original source sounds...making this a respectable Coppice Halifax release in its own right. This record comes lovingly
packaged in a sleek jewel case with patterned/inkstamped cardstock inserts and blue discs, and limited to 100 copies.
MML036 / COPPICE HALIFAX / TREADER VERSIONS
A small companion EP to the Cmx release, these four versions of the track "Treader" predate the self-titled Coppice Halifax album.
In a similar process as "Nettles", several sketches and varying angles on the same idea were worked on until the final album-piece became
apparent. In these early versions, it is possible to hear the electric piano, overcompressed field recordings of wind and water, bell melodies
and muffled organ drones that all comprised the final version of "Treader", separated and displayed in four tracks that might as well be new
songs altogether. Edition of 100 copies on 3" CD-R with inkstamped cardstock insert.
2008/08/03: TWO NEW ITEMS / TWO SOLD OUT
SOLD OUT
The second edition of New Drugs For Nuclear Families Of The Seventies (MMD001-B) is now sold out, and Autumn Soil Feedback is
also sold out. I am not sure if either of these albums will be made available again in the future, but thank you to everyone who
helped make these albums a success.
MML032 / OPHIBRE & BRIAN GRAINGER / MAINE/SANDER
Housed in a really cool jewel case with doublesided pattern-card inserts, this CD-R is a filled-to-the-brim 80 minute disc of drones.
Technically a reissue of the first split I did with Ophibre, however that release was limited to a 50 copy run of cassettes, this version is
now on a much more accessible format along with an extra track from each of us not previously released. As an extra bonus way to involve
you, the listener, we've included a baggie of 12 small scrap pieces of paper, all with the same designs that the CDs themselves have.
Anyone who assembles these 12 pieces into a collage of some kind and mails it back to Milieu Music HQ will be rewarded with a bonus MP3-release
of around 40 minutes of music not included on the disc! That's right - we want you to be creative. Each "collage" should size up
to be about as big as a jewel-case CD insert, and I'd love to have some cool stuff to hang on my walls in the studio here.
Limited to 100 copies!
MML033 / BRIAN GRAINGER / POROUS VARIATIONS
I know what a lot of you are thinking - THREE DISCS? You read correctly. This epic album contains FOUR HOURS of brand new music stretched
across three discs in a unique jewel case with pattern-card inserts. No two copies look the same either. Since there's a lot more work
and materials involved in making a triple-album, I am doing these in batches of 25. So any of you who get in on the "first edition", your copies
will feature black and white artwork, keeping them distinct from later editions. Musically this record amounts to some of the thickest most rock-solid
drone work I think I've ever done. Completely live and improvised on only guitar, organ and pedalbass, with some tracks clocking in at 46 and
76 minutes, surprisingly. I'm sure an album this big will keep you busy for a long time, as I know I certainly don't have four hours any day
of the week to devote to music listening alone, but that's sort of the charm of this album I think. Not only is it something that you can go back
to quite a bit, but it's also meant to be played at VERY high volumes, if at all possible. A lot of the low end and wobbly microtonal stuff happens
very deep in the mix, so at a high decibel level it's sure to be more entertaining. It was REALLY loud when I was recording it! Limited edition of 100.
2008/07/24: FOUR NEW ITEMS / FOUR DISCONTINUED
DISCONTINUED
Due to the manufacturer that supplies my 24-minute mini-CD-R's discontinuing them, many of the EPs in the Milieu Music catalog that
utilize this format will no longer be available. I've "consolidated" 6 releases so far to accommodate this change, and they will now
be available as full-length compilations on standard 5" CD-Rs at a lower price than what you'd pay for all of them separately.
Anyone wishing to buy the original EPs should either contact me personally or check with my distributors, as they will probably have copies.
MML028 / MILIEU / PAPERBACKS
Compiling songs from Three Space Songs, Dub Mmx and Muted Travels, this disc contains an hour of classic Milieu.
Lots of bouncy beats covered in melodic loops, basslines, guitars and organs. The best kind of warped feelgood music for those of us
who never want the Summer to end!
MML029 / COPPICE HALIFAX / SINGLES
A second compilation disc, this time bringing together music from Nettles, Honeysoil and Cedarmill Dub.
Musically this disc visits alot of terrain...from spacious ambient techno to dubby bass-and-breaks and crumbling drone-castles.
MML030 / PARALLAX / THE SOFT MACHINES
Sitting quietly in a box since 2004, this Parallax album has been remastered and properly issued here for the first time ever.
Packed to the brim with songs going as far back as 1999, The Soft Machines is a pleasant and simple look into what Brian was doing
well before Milieu was ever a thought in his head. Lots of warm pads and pretty looped synth melodies over minimal drum accompaniment,
as well as a couple (hopefully) forgivable moments that might date this music for some listeners. Cleaned up and affectionately packaged,
this album is limited to 100 copies.
MML031 / PARALLAX / REVOLVING CLOUDS
In locating and remastering The Soft Machines, a couple hours of unreleased Parallax material also surfaced. Of that, these six tracks
caught Brian's ear somehow and so here they are, never before released and pressed up on a super-intimate run of 50 copies. A quaint little
companion disc to The Soft Machines, complete with an alternate version of the TSM track "Palm To Fourhead Hex".
2008/06/26: THREE NEW ITEMS IN THE SHOP / OUT OF STOCK UPDATE
MML026 / VHOM / SALT/DECAY
Recorded in 2006 and built using only drums as the sound source, this Vhom EP fills half an hour
with the sounds of alien machinery in a damp dark room, sputtering in and out of operation, while dry gusts
of sickly-sweet air form a droning purple fog. Very spooky dense music for nighttime headphone listening.
Packaged in standard paper shop sleeves with a stamped clock insert, and limited to 50 copies.
MML027 / MILIEU / CALICO FOUNTAIN MELANGE
An "expanded single" of three tracks from the vaults! "Albatrosses" and "Counting Lights" were originally
written to be included on Aurora Borealis and Night Currents, respectively, and then they were meant to be
included on several other releases since then, but never quite made it. Still kicking today and frustrated at
not being picked so many times, these tracks have grown together in a way, and now they appear together here
complemented by an almost-70 minute (!!!) mixset of Milieu songs, seamlessly and masterfully woven together by
Mr. Kernel32 in the UK. Packaged in a clear plastic sleeve with a colorful inkstamped rainbow card,
limited to 50 copies.
MMX003 / MILIEU / DUSTYBOX TRACKS
The third installment of the ongoing Dustybox Tracks series. This time with three psychedelic mixes by Foamek,
Am-Boy and Eric Poplin Spies. Very much in the vein of long hazy summer music, and definitely appealing to
folks who liked this series so far. Packaged in the same layout as the first two in the series.
OUT OF STOCK
Both versions of Anthelion and Sun Dub are now out of stock! Thank you to everyone who picked up copies of these.
If you are still looking for one of them, be sure to check with the distributors on the "Distro" section of the site,
as most of them should still have copies.
2008/06/12: SEVERAL NEW ITEMS IN THE SHOP
MML023 / BRIAN GRAINGER / YELLOWED
A warm hour of tonal feedback drones, completely improvised and lovingly
laid to tape. Packaged in yellow paper sleeves with yellow stamped inserts and
limited to 50 copies.
MML024 / WATERSTRIDER / KOJIRO
Four unearthed gems from 2005, and a proper introduction to the long unidentified
collaboration between Milieu and Ten And Tracer: Waterstrider. Comprised of a single track
the boys recorded three years ago and filed away, and three long sought-after Milieu
remixes of the Ten And Tracer track "A Distant Monarch". All material has never before been
released and appears here in the form of a 3" CD-R with a blue cardstock insert. Limited
edition of 100 copies, in three shades of blue.
MML025 / COPPICE HALIFAX & CASIO COMMANDER / NEON NITES AND DAYGLO DAZE
Hot on the heels of the bouncy Lush Q Trax split with Foamek,
Coppice Halifax returns once again for a split 3" CD-R with fellow ambient technologist
Casio Commander. Two original tracks and two remixes paint a picture of a drugged out
night in neon danceclubs and a slow comedown as the sun rises, maybe in Miami, maybe in the Summer.
Probably in the 80's. Packaged with hot-pink inks on royal purple cardstock with a shiny ribbon insert,
and a special first edition of 12 copies with steel-blue cardstock. Limited to 50.
MMX002 / MILIEU / DUSTYBOX TRACKS
The second part of the ongoing Dustybox Tracks series of 3" CD-Rs. This time around the dust in question
has been cleaned off of five remixes of Milieu tracks, some done years ago and never released.
Beautiful remixing work graciously done by Galerie Stratique, Pisgah, Scup Bucket, Fieldtriqp and Am-Boy.
SSRCD-12 / MILIEU / BEYOND THE STARS LIES THE SEA
Remastered, redecorated and reissued at Second Sun Recordings, this record was a total rarity for the last two years.
Unlike the usual SSR releases, this one has been made available for purchase directly from Milieu. The CD
contains two bonus tracks originally omitted from the initial release, and completely new artwork in a sexy jewel case.