Happy New Year everyone! With the changing of the year comes some pretty major changes around Standard Form that we are very excited about.

Standard Form will no longer be publishing albums or books under the SF name. Instead, two new labels and a book publisher have been create to better represent our varied interests:

Idée Fixe Records will release albums of popular music.

For more information please visit the site:
ideefixerecords.com

Komino Records will release albums of experimental music.

For more information please visit the site:
kominorecords.com

Perish Publishing will release books and other printed matter by artists.

More information, logo and website coming soon.

In light of these developments we regret to inform you that this will be our last post on this blog. Our new website features an RSS feed to keep up to date about things going on at the shop. Or those interested in our publishing activities please the sites above. Thanks for following us!

Over and out.

Rural Route No.9 & Beyond...

We are very pleased to announce the next installment in the Rural Routes series by the artist, Keepsakes. Rural Route No.9 contains five pieces written and performed by Arizona based musician & photographer, K. Eric Kassner. Here, he employs piano, vibraphone, marimba, Alesis Quadraverb, Boss DF-2, turntable, field recordings, and music box to create melancholic ambient soundscapes. As described by Eric, "These pieces are born of a tragically broken family and home, which served as the setting for these recordings. Drug addiction, reckless and irresponsible decisions, and tragic indifference intertwine to render the disintegration of a family. At the heart of all this destruction lies the uncertain future of an innocent and dearly loved child."

Limited to 150 copies. Purchase here.
Website.

This release will also be the final installment of the Rural Routes series (no double digits in the countryside!) and the last title to be published under the Standard Form name. As the success of both our print shop and this series in particular continue to grow we have decided to separate our commercial print operation from our publishing activities to better represent them both. Standard Form will proceed as it always has as a print shop interested in working with the arts and music communities both locally and internationally. Our interest in experimental music will continue on under a new imprint called Komino Records. Expect conceptually driven series similar to the Rural Routes series as well as full length releases in variety of formats including vinyl! We already have a whole batch of releases planned for the year's end and 2012. Please check out the site for updates as things come together.

Rural Route No.8 by Bible, Burke & Henry out now!

We are pleased to announce the eighth installment in the Rural Route series by the trio comprised of Jeremy Bible, Dan Burke and Jason Henry. Many listeners will be familiar with the names appearing on this release. Jeremy Bible is the owner of the excellent Experimedia label and distribution. He has released numerous albums with frequent cohort, Jason Henry. Dan Burke is a true veteran of the experimental world. Better known under the alias Illusion Of Safety, Burke has been releasing albums since the early 80's, many of which feature an eclectic cast of collaborators.

This recording was edited from a improvisational performance that took place in Kingsport, TN on August 14th, 2008. It marked the first meeting between the three artists. The performance utilized live mixing and processing of field recordings, instrumentation, and piezoelectric devices. The resulting recordings were then passed between the three artists and edited in several iterations until arriving in its final incarnation.

Limited to 150 physical copies (with free download).
Available here.

Japan Relief

Standard Form would like to extend our thoughts and condolences to all of those affected by the terrible disaster caused by the massive earthquake that hit off the coast of Japan on March 11th. In an effort to help, we will donate 100% of sales between now and April 15th, 2011 to the Canadian Red Cross' “Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami” relief fund. We also encourage people to seek out ways to directly donate to the cause.

Out now: Rural Route No.7 by Nick Kuepfer

Nick Kuepfer is a guitar player who weaves nylon string and electric guitar pieces with live sampled tape loops and drones. His sources range from static repetition and subtlety to frantic and abrasive; always with a tendency for experimentation. He was born and raised in Stratford, Ontario and is now living in Montreal, Quebec since 2003. He has performed solo for a short time and occasionally plays with guests Eric Craven (hanged up), Kristina Koropecki (Mark Berube), John Corban (SMCQ) and Nick Scribner (Clues). His current activity was preceded by playing in the bands Lungbutter, Aidswolf, L’embuscade etc and presently plays with Hrsta and No Nature. In November of 2010 he released a full-length solo record as part of the first edition of Montreal record label Constellation Records' Musique Fragile series.

We are pleased to welcome him to the fold with the 7th installment of the Rural Route series. These six tracks were recorded during a week of seclusion in a house deep in the woods of Northern Ontario with portions recorded in a cabin in the Gatineau region of Quebec. The recordings include various sample sources including goats and birds in Switzerland, a choir featuring Kuepfer's parents, and wolves from the Aspden Valley Wildlife Sanctuary near Rousseau, Ontario.




Limited to 150 physical copies (with free download).
Available here.

http://soundcloud.com/kuepfer

Out Soon: Rural Route No.6

It's October, which means it's been close to one year since we started the Rural Route series and we must say that we feel very fortunate to have released such great music from quality artists. It seems serendipitous that on this anniversary the sixth release in the series will be from the highly respected and prolific Machinefabriek, the pseudonym of Rutger Zuydervelt. This Rotterdam artist truly needs no introduction due to the sheer quantity and quality of music he has released within the ambient/experimental field over a relatively short period of time. With releases on labels like Type, 12K and Home Normal, Rural Route No.6 is wonderful addition to his ever-growing canon. Officially available on October 26th, it is comprised of one 17 minute track entitled Halfslaap. The piece began as a one minute soundtrack for a video poem by Jani Sipilä. Sounds reminiscent of a music box provide a long form lullaby for the hazy journey from reality to the dreamworld. It is a score for the strange sensation of heavy limbs as sleep slowly washes over the body.




We must highly stress that this release is limited to only 150 physical copies and is a definite must-have for fans of his work and fans of experimental music in general!

Check out an excerpt here.

...and there has already been a review, check it out here.

www.machinefabriek.nu

UPDATE: We are now accepting preorders here.

New Release!: Rural Route No. 5 by The Gentleman Losers

It is with great pleasure that we announce the next installment in the Rural Route's series. It is by the wonderful Finnish duo of Samu and Ville Kuukka, who perform under the name The Gentleman Losers, and will be released on Sept 14th, 2010. The brothers have collaborated on a multitude of projects over the years, including, but not limited to, music for films and dance, sound design, and remixing. As The Gentleman Losers they have released two highly regarded full-length albums to date for the respected City Centre Offices imprint and its sister label, Büro. The three tracks that comprise Rural Route No.5 are highly atmospheric, ambient instrumentals with delicate guitar melodies that weave themselves in and out over its course. They are a travelogue mapping paths taken in Europe during the past year or so. Snapshots, based on improvisations drawing inspiration from the quieter moments of a nomadic life: a snowstorm in Helsinki, a hot September night in Berlin and a dusk in the Swiss countryside outside of Lucerne. The Kuukkas were finding homes away from home and longing back to one that was never there.

Click here to purchase the physical or digital version.



Limited to 150 physical copies (comes with free download).
Available Sept.14, 2010.
www.gentlemanlosers.com