Track by Track // 2025 IHN Sampler (Pt. 2)

Our 2025 Sampler is finally here! Don’t forget to leave a review, spread the word or check 2024 edition if you haven’t already!

First part of the roundup can be found here.

The Sawtelles

Married duo the Sawtelles are a balance of four elements, guitar in alternate tunings, various drum kit configurations, and two voices. Sparse but intricately arranged pop that is as lush as it is threadbare makes what is played just as important as what isn’t.

Reading: Freak Scene

Emerald Comets

Emerald Comets are a Boston band led by Reuben Bettsak with dream pop, shoegaze elements. Reuben also plays in Ex Hyena.

Baylies Band

A genre-fluid psychedelic improv dance experience. Acts we’ve shared the stage with: Macauley Culkin’s Pizza Underground, Lightning Bolt, 6 Finger Satellite, Arab On Radar, OSS, Chris Corsano, That 1 Guy, Godsmack, Staind, Marc Rebillet and Ralph Nader. Eric toured w pere ubu n played w wire, shellac n messthetics ( half fugazi) in 5 yrs playing in MINIBEAST w pete of mission of burma

Tender Mercy

Louisville’s Mark Kramer (aka Tender Mercy) crafts softly dramatic experimental folk ballads that analyze the hypnotic ability of sound  -Zach Hart/We Listen For You

William Carlos Whitten / Diana Crash

Collaboration between Bill Whitten (ex-St Johnny / Grand Mal) and his mysterious companion Diana Crash. The two met at a laundromat and bonded over their love of literature – the encounter led to recording of Telepaths.

Nicholas Burgess / Rainy Maple Sugar Candy-Spaghetti

Another meeting between sound minds! Rainy Maple Sugar Candy-Spaghetti is a member of Sapling.

odd person

Lo-fi electronic and imaginary world music project of August Traeger.

Yar Dreams of Sela

Side project of Solilians. Heavily focused on motorik banjo action / grooves.

The Royal Arctic Institute

The Royal Arctic Institute is a cinematic instrumental post-jazz quintet from New York City. The band is composed of drummer Lyle Hysen (Das Damen, Arthur Lee), guitarists John Leon (Roky Erickson, Summer Wardrobe, Abra Moore) and Lynn Wright (And The Wiremen, Bee And Flower, Shilpa Ray), bassist David Motamed (Das Damen, Two Dollar Guitar, Arthur Lee, Townes Van Zandt), and keyboardist Carl Baggaley (Headbrain, Gramercy Arms). The band name is a reference to the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. All five members of the Royal Arctic Institute have spent decades playing in various ensembles, working as studio musicians, backing musicians, and touring musicians; Motamed and Hysen have played together since they were both 13 years old.

Skyjelly

A psychedelic, desert-blues trip to where the sun is hot and the color of paradise is green. Formed by longtime musical collaborators Skyjelly Jones and Scott Sheik Levesque, this duo channels their collective love of pop, world music and improvisation into a mesmerizing sonic experience.

PBK

American composer, Phillip B. Klingler, better known as PBK, has been active in the experimental music underground since 1986. His work first became known through the homemade independent cassette culture scene of the 1980s, though later releases have also been in compact disc and LP format. His work has correlations to electroacoustic, classic industrial and free jazz genres. His compositions are created using extreme turntable manipulation, sampling, analog and digital synthesis. Improvising spontaneously and with little preconception, PBK creates pulsing, dense soundscapes of unknown sonic origin.

PBK has performed live throughout the U.S. and in Europe. A restless collaborator, he has worked with some of the most respected names in experimental music. A partial list would include such musicians as Asmus Tietchens, Aube, Jarboe (of Swans), Jim O’Rourke, Minóy, Vidna Obmana and Wolf Eyes.

3AM

Dark and dirty dance music / modular madness from California!

aeon / gaylon

Yet another meeting of sound minds – this one closing the compilation! aeon is a bittersweet, dissonant, atmospheric project from Switzerland and gaylon is Alex Gaylon from Pennsylvania whose music could be used for both relaxation and rage.