Lightning Records reveals quarterly magazine

Lightning announces first quarterly magazine, releases from William Tyler, Cy Dune, Wooden Wand, PEOPLE OF THE NORTH (ONEIDA) AND OHIOAN

With the announce of their first Quarterly, Lightning is blasting countercultural fun by collaborating with artists, dirtbikers, musicians, surfers, gold miners, and more than a few ripping guitarists. The first quarterly is part of a larger subscription series the label has put together with 4 quarterly gonzo style magazines and a 20 album series where artists have been asked to contribute a unique side project or edge creative statement. Pictured cumulatively from the future, a bold explosive cross boundary snapshot of the current sonic counterculture.

Lightning quarterly one includes:

Five new albums by early Brooklyn infamous rock legends People of the North (Oneida), mythological songwriter Wooden Wand, Arizona desert outlaw Ohioan, primitive futurist guitar poet William Tyler, and rebel rocker and virtuoso guitar shredder Cy Dune.

The first issue of Lightning Magazine, a 112 page limited edition, hand printed, American counterculture magazine that explores the current state of fun-havery in various cultures through immersion style journalism with contributions from minimalist composerRhys Chatham, punk photographer, Guggenheim fellow and experimental filmmaker Bill Daniel, dirtbiker Derek Gibson, infamous alleged gallery founder Aaron Rose, car sculptor Jesse Sugarmann, Los Angeles based earth artist Katsuhisa Sakai and other surfers and freeriders amongst Lightning’s sub-cultural fun.

This of course required research into the 20th century history of fun-havery, which meant they needed a catalog of interviews and extended storytelling from the established icons of artistic fun, hence the Lightning Magazine. Simultaneously they organized a community of bold rebellious souls that still turn their guitars up louder than is necessary, hence Lightning Records. Lightning released its first records in 2013, Cy Dune’s blazing EP No Recognize, and the debut LP by legendary Japanese guitarist Shinji Masuko, Boredom’s guitarist/drone maker and DMBQ founder’s new project Moan.

“The musicians involved are a diverse spectrum of artists that I have met and been inspired by while traveling and touring around the world. A group of artists that I always return to to see what they are doing. The common thread through all of the artists for me is the spirit – a spirit of expression and exploration, a transmission back from somewhere out on the edge. “Seth Olinsky // Co-founder Lightning Records.

The 20 Artist Series includes:

SHINJI MASUKO (DMBQ/BOREDOMS) / CY DUNE / WOODEN WAND / PEOPLE OF THE NORTH / SAM AMIDON / CHRIS FORSYTH / WILLIAM TYLER / GREG SAUNIER (DEERHOOF) /AMERICAN CULTURE / ALGAE AND TENTACLES / ALI BELETIC / TALIBAM! and TIM DAHL / LEVERAGE MODELS / SEXY THOUGHTS (KEVIN SHEA) / ALAN BISHOP / OHIOAN / DAVID DANIELL / PHIL WEINROBE / NIGHTLANDS / ART FAD / GDFX / GUARDIAN ALIEN / PONTIAK / NATE WOOLEY and CHRIS CORSANO DUO / and more surprises to come………..

Lightning began in 2012 in the Sonoran Desert outside of Tucson, AZ when artist/musicians Seth Olinsky and Ali Beletic removed themselves from the conservative, middle of the road hipster culture of the late 00’s to begin again artistically in the sun and raw ancient Americanism of the desert. There, amongst the beat desert poet scene and active architecture community, they dove deeply into their study of ancient blues forms, primitive wilderness skills, and epic guitar solos, whilst Ali explored her installation work lightning ice and lakes on fire, and hiding drummers all around the desert. They came out on the other side with several LPs worth of 21st century soulful rock ‘n’ roll music and the aching desire and commitment to find a bunch of people that want to have fun.

This of course required research into the 20th century history of fun-havery, which meant they needed a catalog of interviews and extended storytelling from the established icons of artistic fun, hence the Lightning Magazine. Simultaneously they organized a community of bold rebellious souls that still turn their guitars up louder than is necessary, hence Lightning Records. Lightning released its first records in 2013, Cy Dune’s blazing EP No Recognize, and the debut LP by legendary Japanese guitarist Shinji Masuko, Boredom’s guitarist/drone maker and DMBQ founder’s new project Moan.

Lightning’s events and happenings started with the initial experiments and happenings in the Sonoran desert, and have since taken place all over the American Southwest – in 2014 they hosted events on a 100 acre desert plot with High Desert Test Sites in California, one in Three Points, AZ, and one at the Joshua Tree Highlands Art Residency Ranch – and have been known to include earth art, archery, coffee roasting experiments, amplifier installations, paintball, dirt biking, large scale mineral sculptures, and just plain hanging out. Future happenings are in the plans now for Alaska, LA, Italy, Bali, and Japan.

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Posted 19 July 2014
File under: News