Long Distance Poison

Brooklyn-based group Long Distance Poison construct immersive, long-form drones using modular synthesizers and other analog electronics. Utilizing generative systems and improvisation, they build sprawling, hypnotic soundscapes which erupt with unexpected noises and tonal shifts. Heavily inspired by classic horror and sci-fi scores, their music is dark and mysterious without being excessively bleak or frightening. As befitting their cinematic music, Long Distance Poison accompany their performances with experimental visuals. In addition to performing at several experimental music festivals such as New York's End Tymes and Voice of the Valley in West Virginia, the group's members have also been involved in the quarterly series of Modular Synthesizer Solstice/Equinox events, which have featured performances from <a href="spotify:artist:3jAdN6k0KlW1X48AUizxn4">Drew McDowall</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:37KB5e6cGsN1AQAB9Omm1U">Coil</a>), <a href="spotify:artist:5MqgtmMdtrsZIQpZzLhpX5">Jefre Cantu-Ledesma</a>, and Max Ravitz (<a href="spotify:artist:7Czyyo31ZyZL1VLtYaTkW0">Patricia</a>). The group has released over a dozen cassettes and LPs, including Signals to a Habitable Zone (2012) and Knock Magh (2018), and their music has been issued by labels such as <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Digitalis%22">Digitalis</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ecstatic+Peace%21%22">Ecstatic Peace!</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hausu+Mountain%22">Hausu Mountain</a>.

Long Distance Poison was formed by Nathan Cearley and Erica Bradbury in 2009. Casey Block joined in 2010, initially playing guitar before switching to synthesizer. They made their debut in 2010 with a self-titled cassette issued by <a href="spotify:artist:6QA7spY3kFRPGsl2xV4QTf">Fred Thomas</a>' <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Life+Like%22">Life Like</a> imprint. After receiving positive press, the group soon released tapes on several other labels, including <a href="spotify:artist:1J4ACYB6yMqd79q3rjskqs">Thurston Moore</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ecstatic+Peace%21%22">Ecstatic Peace!</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Digitalis%22">Digitalis</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Constellation+Tatsu%22">Constellation Tatsu</a>. Their first vinyl releases were one-sided 12" The Bog Nebula (<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Prison+Tatt+Records%22">Prison Tatt Records</a>) and LP/DVD Signals to a Habitable Zone (<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fin+Records%22">Fin Records</a>), both of which appeared in 2012. The following year, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fin%22">Fin</a> released Gliese Translations, another LP/DVD which included remixes by <a href="spotify:artist:3jAdN6k0KlW1X48AUizxn4">McDowall</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7kcEevbRjcqtpjVgoYcq05">Steve Moore</a>.

In 2014, LDP narrowed its focus and returned to the original duo of Cearley and Bradbury. Following several additional cassettes, LP Human Program was released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Deep+Distance%22">Deep Distance</a> in 2015. The duo worked on an audio-visual installation project titled Rheomodes for the N.Y.C. art institution Printed Matter during the summer of 2016, and a cassette of the same name was released by Oxtail Recordings the following year. Knock Magh, LDP's second release for Chicago-based <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hausu+Mountain%22">Hausu Mountain</a>, appeared in 2018. <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Deep+Distance%22">Deep Distance</a> issued the LP Astro Topoi later in the year. Another <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hausu+Mountain%22">Hausu Mountain</a> release, Technical Mentality, arrived in early 2020. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi