Shortly before the release of Circulatory System's first album, the Black Swan Network, which has always been thought of as the more experimental alter ego of The Olivia Tremor Control (a band that had recently split), put out a single as part of Happy Happy Birthday to Me's singles club. The difference between this BSN single and previous BSN works was immediately obvious. For one thing, Bill Doss wasn't present, so the lineup was much the same as the personnel behind Circulatory System; it felt like a Will Hart project. For another, the single actually contained songs, not just tape loop experimentation and instrumentals. Because the lyrics evoke imagery and concepts (grains and sauces, the nature of time) that becomes dominant on the Circulatory System album, I've always seen this HHBTM single as a predecessor to that record, in much the same way that The Giant Day EP by Olivia Tremor Control is to be played before their magnum opus, Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle. So here's your task. Play these tracks (which I've divided into Side A and Side B), then play the Circulatory System album, and let me know if I'm onto something.

(The new Circulatory System album is slated for an early 2007 release, and another Black Swan Network release has been rumored to be in the works for a couple of years.)

The Black Swan Network - HHBTM Single, Side A
[Grains and Sauces/Ice and Rings/Aqua Waters (and a Pear Shaped Thought)]

The Black Swan Network - HHBTM Single, Side B
[The Present Time/Seven Thousand Luminous Aches and Pains/The Dinner Plate]


Arnaud in Belgium just informed me that Syd Barrett has passed away at age 60. Barrett, of course, was the founding member of Pink Floyd and led the band on one of the best albums of the 60's, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but later he became a recluse beset by mental illness. His death was thought to be related to diabetes. A brief obit covering his unfortunately aborted career can be found at Billboard. The Elephant 6 connection is that The Apples in Stereo chose their name because of Barrett's "Apples and Oranges" single, though Barrett's influence spreads very, very far. Today's MP3s are dedicated to Syd, for what it's worth.