C/S007 HEADROOM "S/T" C24

Debut cassette from New Haven psych and experimental outfit led by Kryssi Battalene. Battalene has spent years honing her craft. Her early solo project Colorguard is revered in the noise underground, releasing on esteemed labels like Fag Tapes, Alien Passengers, Gilgongo and her own, Elm Recordings. Over the past several years she has developed her guitar playing style with New Haven psych rock powerhouse Mountain Movers, as well as playing in the live line-up of Medication and Stefan Christensen and Friends. With Headroom Battalene is seen taking the reins, providing the parameters for each improvisation. What comes out is a noise band with a tendency to rock, and not the other way around.

Headroom is a cassingle of sorts. The A-Side features a heavy live outing captured on a dying tape recorder that weebs-and-warbles to a close, only to introduce the same tune in all it’s unabashed 2-track psychedelic glory. On the B-Side the same lineup takes listeners through a stunning 11+ minute rendition of Japanese noise stalwarts Hijokaidan’s “Sozo Dojo.” And there is no more fitting cover song for Battalene, her guitar playing being very much indebted to the likes of Keiji Haino, Takashi Mizutani, and Jojo Hiroshige.

On these recordings Battalene is joined by Andrea Belair (Procedure Club), Wes Nelson and Stefan Christensen (Estrogen Highs), and Dave Shapiro (alexander, Lituya Bay, Nagual) to make a New Haven super group, if such a thing can exist. Limited to 100 copies.