Band Profile – Mandible Chatter

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Adding to the music legacy of the city that produced the likes of Flipper, Tuxedomoon and Residents, San Francisco duo Mandible Chatter produced a number of highly original albums throughout more than a decade of their existence.

Their debut was 1992 cassette “Serenade For Anton”, which was dedicated to none other than Anton LaVey, founder of the Church Of Satan (although its unclear whether himself heard the record).The record itself is described on the bands website as “Live performance for an unwitting neighbor across the street.” with “all noises improvised on electric guitars”.
Following their rare tape, the band released a proper CD album called “Drinking Out The Hourglass”. The interesting aspect of the record is that much of it was recorded with household objects (as well more traditional guitar and flute). The bands website describe it as “pure raw, textural, improv. full of grey static and distant voices.”

Ladd-Frith label released their 1993 tape “Death Of Sweetness”, which included two side-long tracks – title one and another piece called “Where Green Feathers Blow”, both of which were recorded live at the band’s garage in Palo Alto, CA.
1994 saw the release of band’s second CD “Hair Hair Lock & Lore”, which was described by the band as being “darker, deeper, and more brooding than their debut”.The record included a shorter version of “Death Of Sweetness” – a track which appeared in its entirety on Ladd-Frith tape.

1995 “Grace” brought together ambient soundscapes and live sound. The album was reissued in 2008 by Magnanimous Records.
1997 “Food For The Moon” featured the band’s cover of Spacemen 3 “So Hot (Wash Away All Of My Tears)”, as well as vocals and traditional songwriting.
Finally, in 1999, the band released a record that had nothing to do with ambience/experimentation – “Measuring the Marygolds” was a pop record, but in a couple of years the band returned to their trademark sound- 2003 “Of Foreign Lands And People” was produced by sound guru Robert Rich.
As of 2009, the band is still around, although their last record was produced in 2003. Grant Miller’s side project called Ballustrade Ensemble produced a full-length “Capsules” in 2007, while the band also contributed their interpretation of Renaldo And The Loaf’s “Mahogany Wood” to a compilation of R&TL remixes.
Band Members:
Grant Miller
Neville Harson
Discography:

Serenade For Anton Cass (Not On Label, 1992)
Drinking Out The Hourglass CD (Russell, 1993)
The Death Of Sweetness Cass (Ladd-Frith, 1993)
Hair, Hair Lock & Lore CD (Russell, 1994)
Grace CD (Manifold, 1995)
Food For The Moon CD (Manifold, 1997)
The Drone EP 7″ (Drone, 1999)
Of Foreign Lands And People CD (Relapse, 2003)
Compilation Tracks:

“Dead White American Pelvis” on America The Beautiful (RRRecords, 1994)
“Home Is Where I Hang My God” on Objekt 666 (Ladd-Frith, 1994)
“Muzert In Wenzel Pt.1” on Audio Drudge 5 (Malignant, 1995)
“Burn Down The Sky” on Endless 2 (Manifold, 1995)
“The Migration Of Forms” + “Prayer” + “Elizabeth Nocturn” on Oktagon (Ant-Zen, 1995)
“Those Who Pass Through” on Release Your Mind Vol.2 (Release, 1997)

“Delphinium Blue” on Theme: Desire (Beautiful, 1997)
“Beyond The Last Visible God” on Untitled (Hacca Note, 1999)
“So Hot (Wash Away All Of My Tears)” on Dream Magazine #2 (Dream Magazine, 2002)
“Tangle In Delirium” on Contaminated V| (Relapse, 2003)
“Tangle In Delirium” on Persona Neon Grata (Persona Non Grata + Rage Of Achilles + Relapse, 2003)
“Notes From A Liminal Hymnal” (with Encomiast) on Full Cold Moon (Dark Winter, 2005)
“Mahogany Wood” on The Music Is Taboo Vol.1 (Sound From Silence, 2008)
MP3:  Forty Mile Lullaby
Nevermind The Credits, Start The Dream (Edit)
Death Of Sweetness (Edit 1)
Death Of Sweetness (Edit 2)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rum_pEPXKos]

Delphinium Blue