Illyah Kuryahkin - The White LP (Self-Released CD)
Illyah Kuryahkin (real name: Dean Wilson) was the The Man From U.N.C.L.E.-inspired alias of New York-based singer/songwriter Dean Wilson. After taking up piano and guitar as a child, Wilson studied music theory and technique in college; upon adopting his nom-de-rock, he began experimenting with tunings and harmonics, drawing on influences ranging from the shoegazer movement to Middle Eastern music to create an eclectic mutant pop hybrid.
After issuing a handful of singles recorded on Wilson's portastudio, including the single Lotus Pool, the first full-length Illyah Kuryahkin release, Count No Count, appeared on the Arena Rock Recording Co. label in 1996. Count No Count is a collection of odd lo-fi ditties, heavy on the psychedelic side of rock (Fuzzball).
Illyah Kuryahkin also released a split EP with Mitch Mitchell's Terrifying Experience in 1996 (self-titled: Mitch Mitchell / Illyah Kuryahkin), and contributed the track, Sundial, to Arena Rock's Fuel Soundtrack release in 1998.
The more professional (or, at least, more fully arranged) and less noisy Thirtycabminute, released in 1999, uses samples of instruments and lets the inspiration wander in jazz territory (the instrumental Vaval, the trip-hoppish Howidied and Thomverlaine). All of Illyah Kuryahkin's releases have been with the Arena Rock Recording Co. label.
This -- The White LP -- was given out to fans of the band in mid 2000. And, it's not even listed on Wikipedia....yet.
Illyah Kuryahkin is my favorite band of all time.
I'll say it again: Illyah Kuryahkin is my favorite band of all time.
You need to hear this. Trust me. I wouldn't exaggerate.
And nowhere else to hear it but here, since it was a private release (maybe 100 copies were pressed). His other stuff is readily available at amazon.
RAR
posted by Over The Moon at
9:54 PM
2 Comments:
a fascinating record--i listened to this 3 times today. not to nitpick, but i noticed some arrhythmic static-y noise in the last track. is that intentional? no matter, i'm intrigued enough to check out his other work...thanks again!!!
Thanks a lot for your comment. The original is a CDR only release and when sent to me was badly scratched. I just tried cleaning the surface and am burning the original to see if the output on the copied disc will be any better.
If I can get my cassette deck hooked up to my computer later this Spring, I have much more unreleased/unheard songs from Dean.
In fact, his record company sent me a lot of unreleased songs on tape, back in Jan. 1999, prior to the release of the thirtycabminute CD, and told me to never, ever to tell him they did that. LOL.
I'm not just saying this, but the songs on the cassette are the most intriguing of all his works and everything is otherwise unavailable, even on The White LP.
Some of the songs are different (lo-fi) versions of songs on The White LP.
There's also a really nice one called "longshadow" which never made it on to CD. The version of "makeitstay" on cassette is much more intense and beautiful than the version on The White LP.
"moonking" is probably my least favorite, while "onherbike" and "nevernow" are probably my two favorites.
The lo-fi version of "blacklightroom" on cassette is also preferred to the version you heard.
Please check back this Spring, in case I'm able to get this stuff uploaded.
I emailed Dean off and on in late 1999 through 2001. But he said his own music just sounded really bad and that he had to stop making music forever.
And so the last recorded thing of his I have was recorded in 1999.
Thanks again for your comment. I'm working on getting a new version of "youneedtogethurt" up later tonight. I've got my fingers crossed!
OTM
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