GO FORTH

This blog is kaputt - please go here for the Shaking Box Music tumblr, or here for my personal tumblr, w/links to interviews, articles, columns etc.

Updated discography

I've updated the discography page with some more in depth information for each release, including tracklists, photos, and reviews. You can also just go to each release with the handy little sidebar to yr right.

Blender 10-4 improv nov 25th 2012

A few nights ago, I got to take part in an improv night w/many other cool noise/synth/improv/etc folks from Calgary. It was a lot of fun, culminating in a ten or twelve or something like that person wall of noisy madness, as well as some really cool sets from names picked out of a hat. Possibly the most enveloping racket the back room of Weeds Cafe has ever had. Here's some documentation, and keep yr eyes peeled for the next one...

photo: Megan Jorgensen-Nelson

photos: Leasa Podloski

a blurry panoramic shot that I took--this room was a cable trap of the best kind

Nos. 1 & 2 review + some live photos

Nos. 1 & 2 reviewed by Mark Teo in FFWD Weekly

 
"[...] For those familiar with Bitter Fictions’ earliest work, which excellently straddled the line between overblown noise-rock and ’90s slack-pop, this tape might come as a surprise. This, like Friesen’s recent work in Percolator Glitch and Looper Pedal Blues, is instrumental and largely improvised; what’s surprising, however, is that Nos. 1 & 2 is Friesen’s most accessible work yet. Relying heavily on the delay pedal, each track begins with minimal guitar strums, with Friesen continually piling on scraps of texture and feedback; as a result, each track feels like it’s in perpetual motion, ending far differently than it began. Most pleasantly, though, each track possesses a distinctive tone: Shimmery openers “This is How it Started” and “The Little Lantern” are calmingly psychedelic; the shuddering “Adriano Meis” is mechanically soothing; “A Bit of Fog” turns feedback into a menacing, ugly soundscape. Indeed, Friesen’s firm command of mood is what makes this so listenable — and at times, it’s hard to believe Nos. 1 & 2 was improvisational at all."

Pro-dubbed + screened tapes are still available.

live @ the Area

Nos. 1 & 2 tapes!

Pro-dubbed & printed tapes of EPs no. 1 & 2 are out now! They're limited to 50 hand #'d copies. If you want to get yr paws on one, either shoot me an email (d.friesen at hotmail dot com) or direct yr browser to bandcamp.

Just a heads up, though - I'm in Montreal for the month, so if you order one anytime from now 'til August 5th, there will probably be a delay. (That said, I do have a small number of tapes with me in Montreal... and I can probably get my roommate to mail some out from Calgary). Oh, and if you want a particular colour for yr cover art, let me know...

I probably should have mentioned that I was performing at Sled Island on this blog, but that's in the past now. Well, I was scheduled at more or less the same time as Tim Hecker anyways, so that was kind of a wash - even if it was still fun! I finally saw Thurston Moore, and was mistaken for Lou Barlow for the second or third time in my life. More shows will be announced in the Fall, once I'm done trying to learn French. In the meantime, I should mention that you can follow me on Twitter, where I've been slightly more active as of late. until next time...

"The Little Lantern" video

no. 2 - new instrumental EP

The release show last night went really well! Big thanks to Whitney and Myke for playing as well.

And hey, this summer, I'm going to be performing at this year's Sled Island festival! More details as they arrive. Very exciting news--I just really hope they don't schedule me to play at the same time as Thurston Moore.

April 15th - (long overdue) release show! + new digital EP

For the Facebook inclined...

Come hang out!

I've also put up a new digital EP of instrumentals... the first four tracks were all improvised and recorded in sequence, and with a different guitar than I usually use (different tuning and whatnot); the fifth is with my 'regular' guitar.

"Slip Away" music video

I put together a music video for the closing track on The First Book of Electricity. Check it out!

some press

Weird Canada just gave Looper Pedal Blues a nice lil' write-up. Thanks, guys!

Looper Pedal Blues also debuted at #2 on CJSW's overall charts this week. Percolator Glitch debuted at #11; both albums also debuted at #1 and #2 on the experimental chart.

These tapes are still hot off the press, shoot me an e-mail or head to bandcamp if you're wanting one! If you're in Calgary, they're also available at Sloth Records and Hotwax.

-df

Looper Pedal Blues & Percolator Glitch - out now!

Well, after a delay caused by delivery truck accidents, fire, and general mayhem somewhere on the road in Northern Ontario, the cassette versions of Looper Pedal Blues and Percolator Glitch are out now!

They're $5 each, plus shipping. If you want to mailorder one, shoot me an e-mail (d . friesen at hotmail dot com) and we'll work out the shipping details/paypal/etc. If you're in Calgary, swing by Sloth Records where I'll be keeping them stocked. They'll also be at Hotwax soon.

All releases are available for streaming/download here.

The First Book of Electricity is still available at Sloth, Hotwax, and directly through me, although I have less than fifteen copies left.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Hey - go check out the new releases one post down, and then come to these upcoming shows!

August 31st - at Broken City, w/Seizure Salad and The Folsoms
September 12th - at Undermountain, w/Stalwart Sons, Faux Fur and Sans AIDS (All ages)
September 17th - at the Palomino, w/peAks and Drawn Ship

I should have copies of my new tapes ready for the September shows.

edit - I was just informed this morning that the UPS truck delivering my tapes was in an accident and err, ignited - needless to say the replacement tapes will be delayed. bummer!

further edit on Sept 20th -- still no sign of the replacement tapes, hoping they'll be here soon.

New Releases in September - Looper Pedal Blues and Percolator Glitch

Hey all - I've wrapped up work a couple of new releases. They'll both be out on cassette tape in late September. In the meantime, I've uploaded them both to Bandcamp for your streaming/downloading perusal. You can also pre-order the tapes there, or just shoot me an e-mail and we'll figure something out.

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I've also started playing shows -- I opened for Extra Happy Ghost at the Area earlier this month (Aug 12th), and played at Weeds on July 13th. I don't have any more shows scheduled right this minute, but I'm hoping to set some up in the Fall (incl. a proper release show), so keep yr eyes peeled.

The First Book of Electricity - available now

My debut release, The First Book of Electricity, has been available since January. I pressed sixty copies of it on cassette tape, and you can nab one of 'em by e-mailing me ( freezeyx at hotmail dot com ) - they're $5 plus shipping, and I've got about twenty left. You can also stream the album for free at bandcamp, or do a pay-what-you-want digital download if you're feeling generous.

Thanks!

"Fast Forward Weekly scribe, CJSW DJ and Sloth Records curmudgeon Devin Friesen puts his money where his mouth is with the release of his solo debut as Bitter Fictions. The First Book of Electricity strains the constraints of its c40 packaging with classic ’90s-style noise rock from the Touch and Go/Quarterstick axis. Stalwart Son Kevin Stebner jumps behind the drums for a few numbers, and Friesen surprises with actual singing. Feedback-laced fun from start to finish, yet not for the faint of heart." - Jesse Locke, FFWD Weekly

" [...] this is Devin's first solo outing and it's really really good. Like, great even. Catchy '90s drenched guitar abuse in the vein of Trumans Water or Pavement complete with era-perfect ennui'd vocals (no idea Devin could sing) with warm, lush bedroom drones sandwiched between. Lots of cool guitar textures here that play out over a couple of listens." - Kevin Boyer, Sloth Records

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Shows will hopefully occur in Calgary this summer. Demoing new material as you're reading this - hoping to put out something else later this year.

-DF