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Eric Muhs * Truth & Lies/Lies & Truth * electronic, experimental, rock * 1990 * 60 minutes, chrome * $4.00, trade * Invisible Music, c/o Eric Muhs, 118 Matison Ln., Aptos, CA 95003

This is a double cassette album: Truth & Lies, the other is called Lies & Truth. I have tried to assemble a tape that suggests the breadth of my work, and my interest in satire. The songs and pieces were not recorded together as a coherent whole (a style of tape I've been leaning toward lately), but rather independently, as one-off projects. A few of the pieces are quite old (5 years), and I reprocessed them with some new toys. They came out so much better, that I used them as well.

GAJOOB: Lots of different styles that pretty much run the gamut between progressive rock to experimental electronic. Muhs' breadth of recordings with a plethora of guest artists also get time here (Don Campau, Charles Laurel, Mike Torrey, among many others). This obviously helps diversify the numerous approaches found in this sweeping tape. And Muhs definitely pulls off the eclectic game with unique style and consistent quality throughout. Highly recommended.

Eric Muhs & Myles Boisen * Notochord * electronic, improvised * 1990 * 60 minutes, chrome * $4.00, trade * Invisible Music, c/o Eric Muhs, 118 Matison Ln. Aptos, CA 95003 *** Myles and I are releasing this tape as a CD in the hope of garnering a vast and far-reaching multitude of fans waiting to hear this kind of music. This was recorded live to DAT in two very long sessions last May, completely improvised. On some tracks we are joined by Gino Robair and Fred Lonberg-Holm. In the Fall, Myles and I mixed about 12 hours of masters into this tape. Should be available on cassette by March at the latest.

GAJOOB: Notochord features the best presentation I've heard yet of Eric Muhs' four-track tape loop system. Other instruments employed in the well-done set of improvisations include guitar, trumpet, electronics, voice, electronic drums, homemade devices, fretless bass, casios, trap set, bicycle horns, theremin, tapes, chains, whirled tubes, electric cello. Obviously there's a lot going on here. And Muhs and Boisen (along with Gino Robair and Fred Lonberg) pull off a cohesive, diverse and unique piece of work. Recommended. SOUND: 4.