History at Our Disposal
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History at Our Disposal

| INDIE

| INDIE
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"H@oD Review - Skyscraper Mag"

review from Skyscraper #25 -
I've listened to this disc several times over and come up empty. I've listened to it at the gym, in my car, at the office, and in my small den of inequity, only to lose the thread that ties *Symbols in the Architecture* together. Who knows, maybe I never had a grasp on it in the first place, but I swear it's there. Suffice to say as a reviewer with wayyy too many listening options, it's gravy to hear a release with even an iota of the unfamiliar; to hear a band as out-there as History at Our Disposal is an flat-out boon. If you want to know what it's like to witness *Symbols in the Architecture*, just take any on e song from any of your thirteen albums, throw synths over the top, then randomly begin pasting them all together. What you'll end up with might be similar to the bitches brew of indie action to be found here, a wicked mix of shimmering post-punk, post-rock, under the surface IDM, singer songwriter pop, roots rock, and plenty more. I sure as hell don't know where History at Our Disposal plan to go with with this impossible combination of sounds, but their approach is testament to the fact that the tastes of today's younger listeners are becoming more and more eclectic, which can't be a bad thing. (Grant Purdum) - Skyscraper magazine


"H@oD Review - Impose mag"

Lo-fi rock was not so much a musical style as it was the way bands, without money, recording contracts or technical skills, put their music on wax. These records, as well as the groundbreaking music within them, were as startling and inspiring as any independent rock at the time. The mistakes, weird bits, and imperfections on these albums made people love them even more. It showed would-be musicians everywhere that they could make music despite not having a record deal or access to lots of studio time. Nowadays, lo-fi is more often referred to as a genre rather then a comment on the recording quality. History At Our Disposal, which is led by singer/songwriter Jason Reimer, is one of these groups that could fit under the lo-fi banner. The bulk of the band’s new album, Symbols In The Architecture, is pieced together from hundreds of mini-cds, four track tapes and mini cassettes organized into a cohesive package of sound. The result is the untouched, exciting and introspective sounds that the genre requires.
The album captures many of the highlights of lo-fi recordings of the past. Jason Reimer whispers into the microphone with quiet beauty, as if his mother might burst into the room to tell him to stop being so loud. For the listener, this is alternatively charming or bothersome, depending on your set of ears. I respect the lo-fi tradition but couldn’t he at least buy a decent microphone? Still, in songs like the dark and gloomy, “Long Sips of Salt”, Reimer’s un-distinguishable vocals add to the track and give it more power then if we were to hear him blathering about the government, relationships or his own personal sanity. In a way, his are not vocals but rather another instrument blended into the composition. Then again, on songs like “Nature of Orienation”, Reimer croons a melody whose words you you want to hear but can’t. All he gives you is a Cobain-esque mumble or an Enigk-esque heart wrenching delivery, both of which will leave you scrambling to the lyrics in the liner notes. Once you are there you find that Reimar does have some interesting Orwellian ideas to share, but it takes an extra effort to find them out.
The majority of the music is from odds and ends he discovered in his collection of tapes. As such, there are a few ideas that should have been discarded. For example, take the track, “The Black Forest”. This is a meandering repetition of an okay 30-second idea which is stretched out into an unnecessary two minutes. The same can be said of “Bed of Leaves”, which is only saved by Reimer’s clever and uncharacteristically discernible lyrics. The bulk of these experimental ideas come across as just that, “ideas”, and not all ideas, as we know, are good ones.
But like all experiments, there are some successes as well. When the planets align for Reimer and company, as they do on “Spoiler of Spoils”, “Valedictorian #1″ and “Before Your Born”, there really is something to stand up for and applaud. “Valedictorian #1″ is similar in taste to his other experimental tracks, but on this particular one he gets it right. It is a hauntingly beautiful, simple but effective track. Songs like these show his talent and effectiveness as not only a lo-fi musician, but also as a film scorer. Although the album only manages this feat in two to three minute long spates, Reimer at full power and with a great idea can transport you somewhere wonderful, awe-inspiring and perhaps a little scary. - Impose


"H@oD Review - Battering Room"

Those of you out there that like some of the more unusual music that I recommend will probably like this. Then again, if you do fall into that category, you probably already know about History At Our Disposal. Here's some PR:

History At Our Disposal is one person, Jason Reimer, from Denton, TX and he his new album is called Symbols In the Architecture on Creative Capitalism. If you're remotely into any of the bands listed below you might want to give Jason's music a shot.

Jason used to play in the Baptist Generals (formerly on Sub Pop) and when he started HaoD several years ago his live show began to garner a reputation for being unpredictable, hinting at bands like Can, Fugazi and Amon Duul. Soon after HaoD was performing with such groups as the 90 Day Men, Daniel Johnston, Paper Chase and American Analog Set. Symbols is the followup to debut LP Novella, and it takes notes from This Heat, Brian Eno, Charles Mingus and Tom Waits, with lyrics embodying mostly Orwellian themes.

Jason has scored a lot of film soundtracks and it shows on this record. He combed through hundreds of hours of mini disc recordings, four track tapes and micro cassette ideas attempting to piece together a cohesive and cinematic selection of music. It's like a Tape Op dream.

- The Battering Room


"H@oD - Amplifier Mag"

“All men are lost (in) the way that all men are lost,” sings History At Our Disposal’s Jason Reimer. Although it sounds as though he’s pointing the finger at the world at large, this indictment includes Reimer himself. Confused by mortality, lost love, artistic anxiety and nostalgia, Reimer and his Denton-based outfit navigate their way through Symbols In The Architecture’s thirteen compositions with a steady uneasiness. Tracks start and stop in fits and bursts (“Nature Of Orientation”), layers of acoustic guitars give way to restless backbeats (“The Black Forest”) and Reimer holds court over it all in a wobbly whisper that rises to an almost primal scream. “To The Spoiler The Spoils” is a nervous number that eerily reveals, “There’s something growing in the forests of the Midwest/It’s well-watered and can’t be stopped,” while the falsetto-tinged “Suspension of Disbelief” twitches away as Reimer tells us: “There’s a carrier aboard unannounced/ Driven deeper still into the woods.” Elsewhere, “Bed Of Leaves” is a fractured, but gently syncopated lullaby, buoyed by broken loops and beats; the moody “Letter From The Bottom Of The Sea” is powered by a dark and churning muscle; and the closer “Before You Were Born” finds Reimer confessing, “I have lived in another Time.” Nothing gets cleared up here; the world is still crashing around us and there’s nothing we can do about it. But Symbols In the Architecture reminds us that sometimes the real beauty comes from listening to the way things break.

Alex Green - Amplifier Magazine


"H@oD - Covert Curiosity"

I wanted to indulge you a bit on a band I love that, like most, has fallen under the radar due to the nature of media inundation these days (yes I'm a part of it, but my loyalty is to the underdogs). The band is called History At Our Disposal - HaoD is one person, Jason Reimer, from Denton, TX and he his new album is called Symbols In the Architecture on Creative Capitalism. If you're remotely into any of the bands listed below you might want to give Jason's music a shot.

Jason used to play in the Baptist Generals (formerly on Sub Pop) and when he started HaoD several years ago his live show began to garner a reputation for being unpredictable, hinting at bands like Can, Fugazi and Amon Duul. Soon after HaoD was performing with such groups as the 90 Day Men, Daniel Johnston, Paper Chase and American Analog Set. Symbols is the followup to debut LP Novella, and it takes notes from This Heat, Brian Eno, Charles Mingus and Tom Waits, with lyrics embodying mostly Orwellian themes. - Covert Curiosity


"Best of 2007"

“Tangled in spacey macrobiotic ambience, HAOD’s ‘Symbols...’ blends organic acoustic instrumentation, bubbling electronic flourishes, warm quiet passages, jagged dissonant asides, seemingly unsystematic surges and carefully calculated movements with an expertly reserved hand. If The Books and Neutral Milk Hotel assimilated into a colossal Japanese fighting robot that performed funeral dirges for circus clowns, the sonic product might be almost as eerily wonderful as Symbols in the Architecture. Artful without being obnoxiously avant-garde, audibly accessible without compromising creative uniqueness, History at Our Disposal has created an atypical breed of album that is not content to simply add atmosphere; it constructs its own orbit.” —Dallas Observer G.J. (listed best of 2007) - Dallas Observer


Discography

2007 - Symbols in the Architecture (creative capitalism)
2004 - cinema verite' live CD-r (pyramid scheme)
2002 - pigeons/sparrows ep (pyramid scheme)
2001 - Novella (pyramid scheme)

Photos

Bio

History at Our Disposal is the project by multi-media artist Jason Reimer surrounded by friends from Denton Texas. HAOD has had many incarnations and is constantly evolving into new ones. There is no sign this will change anytime soon. The result is original song writing encased in surprising turns. "Listening to this music that is unquestionably moody, is a lot like driving down a curvy road in fog at night with the lights off."
"Symbols in the Architecture" has been featured on radio stations across the country...including
KEXP - Seattle / KERA - Dallas / ACRN - Ohio / CJAM - Windsor ONT / CJSW - Calgary / KBVR -OSU / KGAR / KLSU- Louisiana / KNAB-Chapman U CA / KUCR - University of CA / KWLC - Luther College / WDCE - University of Richmond / WIPZ - UW Parkside / WLCA - Lewis and Clark College / WMXM - Lake Forest College / WNMC - Northwest Michigan / WPPJ - Point Park College / WPRK Rollins College / WPTS - University of Pittsburgh / WRAS - Georgia State U / WSBF - Clemson U / WSFX - Luzerne College / WUSC - University of S. Carolina / WUSO - Whittenburg U / WUVT - Virginia Tech / WVAU - American U / WVUM-University of Miami / WWHR- Western Kentucky U / WXDU- Duke University