Data Cult Audio 0118 - John McVay

About: John McVay, a.k.a. Go As DeatH, sources sounds from found-cassettes, tape loops, and field recordings which are then modified with guitar effects pedals and loop pedals to compose densely-layered soundscapes. Responsive mixing leads the compositions, with a focus on blending and creating a meditative, yet creepy and unsettling tone. Rolling loops and swirling distortion meander across a vast, expansive void, dragging muffled transmissions of voices from the abyss that whisper warnings within crowded electrical pulsations. A smothering force bombards with over-saturation and disarms our sensibilities. It embodies conflicting qualities: introspective/loud, evolving/constant, vast/dense, peaceful/turbulent. This collection of recordings crackles; covered in dust, melted, these tapes are riddled with decay. The tracks presented here are based on improv and are edited very little from the live recordings, showcasing the crunchy and slippery textures of the magnetic tape involved in creating and recording the sounds. McVay has worked as Go As DeatH, as a collaborator in Hillsgoteyes and the Insect Worship Collective, participates in Sound Art Arizona and the Low Data Collective, and has designed live or recorded soundtracks to accompany video art performances and pieces. He performs strange tape music for people semi-regularly and also creates paper collages and collage-based screenprints. Links: https://goasdeath.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/goasdeath https://domesticsurveillancetapes.bandcamp.com/ https://hillsgoteyes.bandcamp.com/releases http://www.soundartarizona.org/ http://www.johnmcvayart.com https://artworksbyjohnmcvay.bigcartel.com/ Instagram: @johnjohnmcvay