Bucolic finger-picking melts into space rock overdrive on this latest album from Carrboro, NC ambient duo Tacoma Park. Imagine a Kluster song with a creek running through it, birds chirping, leaves rustling, the seam between glossy synthetics and down home organic sounds so faint as to be invisible.
Tacoma Park is a long-time collaboration between John Harrison and Ben Felton, both veterans of North Carolina’s arts scene. Harrison records as Jphono1 and once drummed for the Comas. Felton presides over an interdisciplinary portfolio of music, arts education, video and visual arts. Their Tacoma Park project takes shape largely in their respective home studios, where they often work separately to edit and shape longer improvisations. “Paris,” for instance, started out as a 20-minute sonic odyssey; from this epic piece, the duo extracted an eight-minute core. It’s a stately, shimmering edifice, a chip off infinity which retains many of the properties of infinity itself.
Less grand and imposing, but nonetheless inviting, are tracks like “Coral” which pit arcs of distorted guitar against a backdrop of dewy naturalism. Or organ-led “Dawn” with its slow bloom of long-tones and subtle pulse of drums. These are lovely cuts, organic sounding but also not, situated somewhere in the uncanny valley between fingers-on-strings and electronic manipulation.
“Untied” is the highlight, leaning Teutonic with its play of synth melody and steady tonal drumming, but homing back in on North Carolina in its twanging pedal steel. Americana intersects with the Kosmiche in a far more natural way than you could fairly anticipate, both types of music, calm, gorgeous and transporting.
“Beyond Provisional” is the latest full-length release by Jphono1, an outstanding trio based in North Carolina. It’s their second piece of work in 2024, serving as an adequate follow-up to “We All Belong To Something Else,” an exceptional collection of songs released earlier this year that you should immediately check out. This time, Jphono1 sees John Harrison (vocals, guitars, and keyboards) and…
New #podcast ep w/@jphono1 at the bio link! The NC musicmaker talks music & art w/@1970sfilmstock . . . . . #podcast #jphono1 #music #potluckfoundation #musictalk #interview #jazzmaster #pedals #carrboro #indierock #pedalboard #johnharrison #art #musiclife https://www.instagram.com/p/BpE9TJ9joPv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19jaenxxxko6k
Jphono1 is the sometimes-solo/sometimes-not project of Carrboro, North Carolina guitarist, singer, and drummer John Harrison. His latest album, Meadow Magic Hour, features a full band, and came out earlier in 2018. John also fronts the band North Elementary, and co-runs Potluck Foundation, a label /family /cooperative of like-minded musicians in The Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) of NC.
Pedal Fuzz host Eddie Garcia (1970s Film Stock) spoke with John Harrison at his home in Carrboro, NC, just before heading out to a gig.
*Music from this episode can be found on Bandcamp and on LP & CD from fine retailers.
Friday night. Grilled chicken. Pulled pork. Veggies. Moscow mules on draught. Delicious craft beer. AND LIVE MUSIC ! Jphono1 Majestic Vistas https://jphono1.bandcamp.com/ https://majesticvistas.bandcamp.com/releases Sunday evening Chicken marsala, Cesear salad.Moscow mules on draught. Delicious craft beer. AND LIVE MUSIC ! Sons of Pitches https://www.facebook.com/sonsofpitchesband/videos/1847632538847605/ Amathyst Kiah http://amythystkiah.com/videos Doors for all shows: 6 pm Shows begin at 6:46 No BYOB , please. See YOU soooooon .
We’ve waited far too many days to say BIG THANKS! (to The Kraken for being a great host, jphono1 and Second Husband for playing great sets, and you for being a great audience) but the wait’s over now.