christopher john joseph reimer

This was an unexpected gem if ever there was one. From the netherest reaches of our Western boundary–fair Victoria–comes this euphonic patchwork of an album, earnestly quilting together an honest structure from what sounds like different albums of roughly the same genre: a mix tape from a cool older brother who never existed. Like a patchwork quilt, however, the self-titled Freak Heat Waves exists as a single entity, a document that varies from song to song just enough to be deliciously different from itself, but not so much that it doesn’t make sense. There is a distinct voice here–even in the instrumental tracks–that hearkens to everything good about this side of the musical coin they’re mining: noise, post-punk, shoegaze and beyond. The single word song titles bring to mind Joy Division at their darkest, and when those beautiful, sweeping guitar arpeggios kick in, you can’t help but be reminded of the now legendary Women. Indeed, perhaps it’s the silenced voice of the all-too-late Chris Reimer, in the producer’s chair, that we can hear as the thread stitching the album together. Have a listen and be reminded of yourself.

via Freak Heat Waves – s/t | ARGUE JOB.

With thanks to all of the artists involved, CMG Podcast 121—our most RAWK-centric mix in ages, just in time for summer’s long wind-down—is dedicated to the release of Chris Reimer’s The Chad Tape, a gorgeous song from which you’ll hear below. From Chris’ Bandcamp page:

Some time ago Chad VanGaalen approached Chris Reimer of Women offering to reproduce a cassette tape of Chris’ solo work. Chris started work on this but passed away before completing the project. His closest friends have assembled the songs he intended for the tape, laid it out with Chris’s own writing and artwork and now this tape is available here for you.

All proceeds from The Chad Tape will go to the Chris Reimer Legacy Fund, an organization run by Chris’ family and friends that is dedicated to providing scholarships for children in music and dance education. You can read more about the Legacy Fund, and Chris, here: christopherjohnjosephreimer.com

It’s well worth your ten bucks, especially for those of us who recognize Reimer’s contributions as a major reason why Women will stand as one of Canada’s all-time greatest bands. It also serves as a terrific late-night companion to this definitely more aggressive (Ty Segall, the Men, a Thee Oh Sees track that kinda sounds like old Dandy Warhols except not shitty, somehow), melodic (new Chad VanGaalen, Each Other, Micachu, Deerhoof), and Books-y (five cuts from their Oddities collection, because…well, because the Books are fucking awesome) podcast. One which also features a closer from the Swans that, with the right candles and incantations, will summon Michael Gira to devour you whole. Maybe I should’ve kept that part a surprise; enjoy anyway, I guess:

Download mp3 (192kbps)

Cover jpeg

[44:59]

via CXXI | Podcasts | Cokemachineglow.

CHRIS REIMER

THE CHAD TAPE

The sad and untimely death of Chris Reimer last year heralded the dissolution of the band, Women, he formed with his lifelong friends Matt and Pat Flegel. The loss of a life will always overshadow that of a band, but the absence of Women’s anxiety-laden and claustrophobic post-punk has left our end times short of a fitting soundtrack. Pieced together posthumously by collaborator Chad VanGaalen from a series of ongoing projects, The Chad Tape doesn’t exactly pick up from where Women left off, but it does show that Reimer was intuitively plugged into the spirit of the times. There is slow heat, there is black clang and drone and, in the airless instrumentals, the same sense of burgeoning disaster that was a feature of Women’s best songs.

via A guide through the world of new music | Radio | TANK Magazine.

Field Tracker – Episode 45.

via Field Tracker – Episode 45.