Chasms (uk)
Alchemical Postcards
The Chasms were a band from the Isle of Man, two Lancastrians and a Manx/Canadian. Simon Pott - bass, Richard Quirk - guitar, Mike Seed - drums and vocals. Their formula of floor tom and snare, distortion, feedback and esoteric storytelling gave us a number of albums and EP's released online and, in the case of 'Alchemical Postcards,' limited edition compact disc. 'Alchemical Postcards' was, as were all Chasms releases, recorded in a barn in an isolated area of the Isle of Man which gave the band free rein to play their fully improvised compositions at ear splitting volume. The ambience and isolation of the barn were integral to their sound with just a single stereo mic used for recording. Nothing was pre planned apart from a need to embrace basic drums, distorted bass and guitar and waves of feedback. Vocals were added at the mixing stage, often close mic'd with Mike Seed providing tales of sea spirits, the tide, storms, mysterious arrivals from the subconscious and imagined characters with the power to deceive. The tracks on this album mirror those on the original CD issue.