John Lithium

Hello all. Apologies for the lack of updates, as I have been mainly focused on Argali Records Netlabel activity. We currently have four quarterly experimental music/noise compilations planned for the year, in addition to a number of album releases (more details TBA). If you are interested, please check out https://argalirecordsnetlabel.bandcamp.com/ and https://argalirecordsnetlabel.com (the latter site is still in the process of being brought up-to-date).

Regarding my own work, I have basically been slowly updating the “Ephemera” collection when I have the time. In addition to this, I have also recently discovered and released a long-form drone composition from 2012 that to my knowledge has not been available in any other form. Hope you enjoy them.

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Here are the compilation and mixes I have thus far had the good fortune of being a part of. The tracks from the “Cousin Silas Emporium” are from my back catalogue, but to my knowledge have not been released on any other compilation. The track from the “Vaccine Compilation” is a recently recorded single. Finally, the “Destabalising Energies” mix features a track from my early project Terra Engine (2007-2012) in addition to a single I released a year or so ago (it’s also just a huge honor to be in a mix that also features Jarl).

As always, check out these compilations and mixes in their entirety, as there are many fantastic bands, musicians, and tracks for you to discover and listen to.

Regarding my own work, beyond these tracks, I have mainly been busy with my day job and netlabel. I will be announcing the next Argali Records Netlabel compilation in June. At some point I would like to release a full length John Lithium album that is not cobbled together of various singles, but whether or not this happens any time soon is still up in the air.

Also, a quick note: I will be doing a general overview and spring cleaning of this website. This mainly means I will be removing MOST of the archived music reviews, as many of them were written for a specific college class over a decade ago, and thus may no longer reflect my current views and/or style. Some of the later reviews MAY be kept and/or re-written, but this is a low priority unless people express interest in me keeping these online.

Thank you all very much for your continued support and encouragement. I hope you all have a great day!

-jl

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As always, I am a bit behind on updates. Here are a few recent releases. The “Beginner’s Guide” collections were made for those who wanted a general overview of my music. The “Dark Matter Sessions” is a collection of late 2020 material, namely “The Dark Matter (EP)” along with a few other tracks recorded during the same time. “Alter Ego” is the first single I have released in 2021:

Site-wide updates will eventually be coming. Other than that I am currently busy with my netlabel, Argali Records Netlabel, although I am slowly working on new material off and on. Hope you are all well.

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This is the ‘definitive version’ of “Insomnia”, the second solo album produced by John Lithium. Originally self-released in 2010, the album tracks were re-rendered in 2015 along with a number of bonus tracks. This album features re-mastered versions of the original nine tracks, and greatly increased the fidelity of a few of the compositions. That is not to say this is a completely polished recording, as the album “Going Places” by Yellow Swans was a huge inspiration in the recording of this album.
For better or for worse, this is my signature artistic/musical statement.
Enjoy, and may you find yourself with peaceful sleep at night.

Original album description:

“For fans of Tim Hecker, Nadja, Aidan Baker, Beyond Sensory Experience, Lustmord, Coil, Yellow Swans, Boards Of Canada, Aphex Twin, Atrium Carceri, and experimental electronica/drone/dark ambient in general.

John Lithium returns with his second ‘solo’ album: “Insomnia”. While the preceding album, “The Mysterious Stranger”, was a harrowing glimpse into the inner mechanics of a melancholic persona, “Insomnia” is an auditory study and presentation of the phenomena of persistent sleeplessness, and the changes created to the perceptive systems during this mental state.

The album restlessly moves from form to form, as clouds of darkened ambience and haze-filled drone coalesce and flow past eyes malfunctioning from weariness. A strange duality occurs as emotive triggers echo memories in your inner vision. Time itself is altered, seemingly rushing past at one moment, only to slow down to a terrifying crawl the next. Thoughts enter the abstract, as previously difficult to grasp ideals and ideological constructs become crystal-clear for a brief moment in time. The psyche becomes, as it will from time to time, a ship lost in the endless waters of the subconscious, or a lone radio receiver, desperately seeking any transmission that should make sense or provide some measure of comfort…

Music worth staying awake for. This one’s for you.

This is ARGREC10.” 

In other news, I have been SLOWLY working on a collection of all-new material, tentatively titled “A Dark Matter”. This is planned to be an LP length album, as a previous EP, also titled “A Dark Matter”, was released earlier as a teaser. No definite ETA on this one, but am hoping for an early 2021 self-release. Thank you all, and stay safe out there.

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Hello all, here is what I have been up to this year:

I also have had a few tracks on compilations (please check out the full compilation as well):

Work has begun on the third Lithium Toolbox. If you are interested in this, check back every few weeks, as I will be adding tracks to this collection on an irregular basis:

Finally, Mystified has just released an album constructed by sounds from the Lithium Industries Lithium Toolboxes I & II. Check it out here:

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Apart from a few self-released demos, this is the first ‘official’ Nihil Obstat release in about seven years. Two tracks of multi-layered power industrial sound barrages and one track of blistering power drone. Emotional noise for unemotional times. The fourth track by Inplantuation (mhzesent – https://www.facebook.com/69mhz353nt96) turns down the intensity and turns up the unsettling with a massive monolith of abstracted ambient industrialized beatscapes.

The official label release describes the split as : “Heavy object in a universe. This is good for walking the woods at dawn or reading creepypasta. :3”

Can’t argue with that.

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Collected demos, singles, and selected EP tracks composed and released between 2016-2018. Tracks 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, and 17 were remastered from the original project files. This collection features instrumental, industrial, techno, ambient, dark ambient, electronica, and experimental noise.
As indicated by the Creative Commons license, you are free to remix these tracks and/or utilize them in other works, provided that Attribution is given (please include a link to the Lithium Industries Bandcamp).
Enjoy.

PS Will probably go on another (hopefully short) hiatus for a while in order to focus time on personal issues and the Argali Records Netlabel. Am planning to be much more active in 2020…stay tuned…

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