CHRIS PHINNEY'S "Harsh Reality" (1990 - 2023)

 

I got this tape by Vikitimized Karcass from Chris Phinney back in the 90's. I daresay it was not the most cheerful cover I had ever seen, and even Chris himself told me once that it was pretty much over the top.

 

 

This tape was an  Alternate Media release from England, and lo and behold I found out you can still purchase or just listen to the whole thing on the Alternate Media Tapes Bandcamp page.

 

Here's who's doing what! Chris was the only one I ever had contact with.

 

These days Chris is still going strong, and although his label is still Harsh Reality, his work with Ed Drury has shifted from blood red to cruel azul and........

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Cruel Azul"

 

 

...................Deep blue!!

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Deep Blue" 

And those are just two of the many blue tracks they've released in the last few weeks!

You can read all about it until you're blue in the face on Chris's

HARSH REALITY Bandcamp pages.

CHRIS PHINNEY & ANTONELLA EYE PORCELLUZZI - "Love Politics & Injuries From Ancient Rome" (2021)

 

The dreams continue with the spacey synth sounds of Harsh Reality's Chris Phinney in Memphis, partnered up with Antonella Eye Porcelluzzi, who is Italian, but these days resides in France, on a brand new release called "Love Politics & Injuries From Ancient Rome" that they just finished up this week.

"Recorded between Feb 27th & April 11th 2021
"We had a wonderful time uncovering ancient Rome, it mirrors ancient poems from Rome & we hope you enjoy" - Chris Phinney

I've written about Chris's many projects several times, 

and here are some links you can use to delve deeper into Antonella's work!

Antonella Eye Porcelluzzi on YouTube!

Antonella's Bandcamp Page!

Antonella's Wordpress Page!

Here's some of what you can expect..........

CHRIS PHINNEY & ANTONELLA EYE PORCELLUZZI - "Orazio 1"

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Back In Blue" (2021)

I don't know how they keep doing it or how much longer it will go on, but the duo of Chris Phinney and Ed Drury have been killing it for the last couple of months! With almost a song for each and every day, "Back In Blue" is their first complete release for the year 2021, which already makes this a better year than the last one!

There are 20 great songs on this release, of which four of them are bonus tunes you get when you download the whole thing, but my absolute favorite is this very Green and foggy tune called "Backstory." Most of the songs are Ed Drury playing guitars and added effects, and Chris Phinney on synths, more effects, and responsibility for the final production. I'm mighty proud of the fact that Chris decided to use this "Backstory" photo along with ten others that were taken by me.

I seriously suggest you check it out!

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Backstory"

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Ayuda" (2020)

 

It's difficult times we live in today, but Ed Drury and Chris Phinney aren't letting it stop them, in fact, it's just the opposite. Ed and Chris have been cranking out a tune every day or two for the last month or so, and it just keeps getting better! Even though they live on opposite sides of the country, they seem to be on exactly the same wavelength!

Here's from the liner notes!

"Mental Illness effects more people than most diseases. We dedicate this album to all that are suffering mentally..in it's various different forms. May the sun rise up & caress your face!"

Ed has kind of laid his guitar down for this session, and although it changes from tune to tune, the instrumentation is basically:

 Ed Drury -Didgeredoo, Synths, Tibetan Bowl, Native American chant loops, Medicine drum, Clavichord etc.
and
Chris Phinney - Synths, FX, Treated bells, D. program, final mix etc. at HRM 

 CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Ayuda"

VIKTIMIZED KARCASS - "Doorways To Insanity (The Last Hurrah Vol.1) (1993)

It's Viktimized Karcass time!! What a cool XNO logo!

 Here's everything you need to know straight from the source!
HR318 - Viktimized Karcass - Doorways To Insanity (The Last Hurrah Vol.1) C60 - 2nd to the last Karcass release, released by HalTapes). No longer available from Haltapes.
Originally titled above: Doorways To Insanity title part dropped for digital download release.
Recorded March 5, 1993 at Harsh Reality Music - Live improvisation, no overdubs.
The Players - Pete McLean:drums, Roger Moneymaker:guitars, fx, Robert Hinson:bass, fx,Chris Phinney:synths, fx, vox, Richard Martin:synths, fx,vox.
Recorded,mixed, mastered by Chris Phinney
Cover Photo:Chris Phinney
A Harsh Reality Music Release.


 By my count, Chris Phinney has released at least 35 or more Viktimized Karcass cassettes over the years!

 There's no way I'll ever get around to all of them, so here are a couple more covers from some of the other releases!

 So if you're sitting at home doing nothing, don't tell me you ain't got nothing to do!
Here's a link to "Doorways To Insanity" just to get your journey started! There's plenty to listen to, and it won't cost you a stinkin' penny!
VIKTIMIZED KARCASS  - "Doorways To Insanity"

ED DRURY & CHRIS PHINNEY - "Watchbreaker" (2020)

Ed Drury & Chris Phinney - "Watchbreaker" 

This was done for Ed's current project Bye-Bye Land, which will be a ways off finishing. Instrumentation: Ed Drury & Chris Phinney.

Photo:C. Phinney

Final Recording 08/18/20

 

Just in case you don't know who Ed Drury is....
 Ed Drury's Website

Besides being an extremely excellent musician, Ed is also an author....

Ed Drury On Amazon 

What kinds of music does Ed make?
Trance, Ambient, World Beat, New Age & much more.

Ed Drury on Soundclick 

 It's never too late to learn!
Ed Drury on Bandcamp

GAJOOB ISSUE #7 - Sampler # 6 - Phinney/McGee (1991)

 Lord Litter informed me yesterday that long time hope taper, and all around good guy Chris Phinney was out walking in October 2019, and was hit by a motorist with no insurance. He has had multiple surgeries, and for the time being is confined to a wheel chair, but the bills keep coming in, so if you  can find it in your heart to help out an old friend in need, here's a link to a gofundme site that is being run by Chris's daughter Molly, because every little bit helps!

Gajoob # 7 had a very cool cover done by Michael J. Bowman, and came with at least eight, yes, I said eight sampler tapes to go along with it! Bryan Baker was a very busy guy!

 Bryan Baker is still a very busy guy, and Gajoob Magazine is still going strong online today!

The top picture was of Chis Phinney on the cover of Electronic Cottage magazine, and the cut I'm giving you was a piece that Chris did with the editor of Electronic Cottage, Hal McGee that was on a tape from 1990 called "Heads." It's something they've been doing together for the last 30 years off and on.

 Chris sent me this picture of the cover of the "Heads" tape.

CHRIS PHINNEY/HAL McGEE - "Indelible Purple"

MEMORIES OF A HARSH FUTURE - "A Tribute To The Harsh Reality Music Label" (2020)

Hal McGhee and Chris Phinney are good buddies, and I should know, because I've written them both off and on now for 40 years.

Chris is in the process of getting over some major surgery, so the timing is right for this tribute to his label Harsh Reality to come out. Over the years Chris has released I think over 400 projects of his own and other people, and this is a compilation of just some of it!

Hal has gathered up 34 tracks by a wide array or artists, and the last one is.....

MAGIC BULLET - "The Cool Chris Phinney Theme"

Visit the Harsh Reality Music historical archive site
www.haltapes.com/harsh-reality-music.html

 This release came out on July, 10, 2020. and was curated and produced by Chris Phinney and Hal McGee!
Visit the Harsh Reality Music label at Bandcamp
harshrealitymusic.bandcamp.com/music

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Doors in the Broken Mirrors" (2020)

 

Let's get this month off to a good start, and I got it for you right here! "Doors in the Broken Mirrors" by Chris Phinney & Ed Drury is their latest in a marathon pace of an album a month for a few months now, and the real problem is, they just keep getting better! They take misery and despair and turn it into awe and joy, or some bullshit like that!

There are 20 cuts (Four of them are hidden unless you download the whole package) on this release including "In Other Worlds, Hold My Hand," and Ed's guitar work is genuinely amazing, and you never know where Chris's spacey synths are going to take you! Add in the instruments from all over the world that Ed plays like the Didjeridu, Tibetan Bowls, Nature Recordings etc. combined with Chris's production, and you will never know where this trip is headed!

There's lots of good stuff here, but my favorite by far is this tune called "Holy Roll." 

"Black Magic Woman" was written by Peter Green, but made famous by Carlos Santana, "Holy Roll" sounds like Peter Green playing a Santana song! How cool is that?

Give it a listen and see if you agree!

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Holy Roll"

You can download the whole package at the Harsh Reality page on Bandcamp for a dollar, and there's even an option to give it as a gift. You really can't go wrong!

Do it HERE!

CHRIS PHINNEY AND ED DRURY - "Who Will Feed The Pigs" (2020)

Some people don't know what to do with all the extra free time they have these days, and then some do! Chris Phinney and Ed Drury are among the ones who do, so while most people are sitting at home twiddling their thumbs, these two guys have been very busy twiddling knobs and creating music that really sets the mood for where we are at these days.

 Ed and Chris just put the finishing touches on a new release they made available 9-24-2020 on Chris's Harsh Reality label called "Who Will Feed The Pigs"  and you can download all 19 tracks for a buck! It might look like there are only 18 tracks, but when you purchase it, you get access to the hidden 19th track.

 

Here's a tune I think will put you in the mood!

 CHRIS PHINNEY AND ED DRURY - "Interviewing Satan"

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Time Paradox" (2021)

Today marks the release of a new album by Chris Phinney and Ed Drury titled "Time Paradox." Chris and Ed are a veritable snowball right now. These two guys are rolling downhill so fast, there's no way in Hell to stop them! And here's the amazing thing, they're not just banging these out to try and set some new Guinness Book of World Records entry, instead, each and every one of these tunes is full of thought and purpose, and meaning. Weird concept, I know, kind of like a pair of dachshunds in a time machine!

 

I think my favorite tune from this release is the title song, but I like this one a lot too!
CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Rain Delays"

  You can check out the whole Harsh Reality Catologue right here, but if Chris stays in this vein, he might have to change the name to Harmonious Reality Music soon! (But I doubt it!)

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Live Life Lightly" (2022)

Chris Phinney & Ed Drury have been busy again, and have just put out a couple of new tunes on Bandcamp. This one is plenty laid back but cool! Ed's doing the guitars, fx, drums & submix, and Chris handles the synths, fx, & the Final mix at HRM.

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Live Life Lightly"

 

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Time Raveling" (2020)

So what do Chris Phinney & Ed Drury and Miley Cyrus have in common?? They can't stop and they won't stop! Chris and Ed have been on a tear the last couple of months, and this is their third release since September 24th! Amazing, and even more amazing, they just keep getting better, and if you don't believe me, then check it out for yourself!!

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Time Raveling"

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Did You Get My Letter?" (2022)

 

I wondered why I hadn't heard from Chris Phinney in a while, then I realized I probably didn't get his letter! 

Chris & Ed have been busy! Covid didn't stop them, nothing seems to slow them down, and I think they are getting even better. Follow the path of their many releases over the past year or so, and you'll find it's like a musical diary written by the two of them, and just like life, there's good days, and sometimes there's bad days!

Today was a good day!

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Did You Get My Letter?"

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Within The Bubble (2020)

 

Well, there wasn't a whole lot of good that came out of last year in my humble opinion, but one of the best things that did was an ongoing collaboration between Chris Phinney and Ed Drury.  

Released on December 23, 2020, their last album of the year is called "Within The Bubble" and has a cover photo by yours truly that I'm mighty proud of!

Here's just one of the freakin' excellent tunes on "Within The Bubble, and one of my real favorites!

CHRIS PHINNEY & ED DRURY - "Cool Boil"

There's a whole lot more to come in 2021, so dig in Freaks!

 Harsh Reality Music

DON CAMPAU & CHRIS PHINNEY - "Rain Wash Me" (2022)

 

Just released today but sounding like vintage 1989, Don Campau & Chris Phinney have a new release on Bandcamp called "Rain Wash Me," and I dig it!

This IS the stuff!! I suggest you play it at least two times in a row for full effect, and then go buy it!!

DON CAMPAU & CHRIS PHINNEY - "Transpersonal Compulsions"

 

CHRIS PHINNEY AND ED DRURY - "Store Windows" (2021)

Chris Phinney and Ed Drury just finished another new 20 track album that was released today called "Store Windows," and it's available from the Harsh Reality Bandcamp page. These two have been working diligently day in and day out for a couple of months now, and are turning into a finely tuned music machine that's full of surprises, so do yourself a favor and......

 Check It Out Right Here!! 

Here's just one of the wonders you'll find inside!

CHRIS PHINNEY AND ED DRURY - "Last Friday"

CHRIS PHINNEY AND ED DRURY - "Life Will Kill Ya" (2022)

 

Pandemic be damned, Chis Phinney and Ed Drury are going to make music no matter what! It's not like they have a choice, it's just something that has to be done! For me, this is a definitive piece for Chris and Ed, and it's like sitting on a beach in Kauai under a moonlit sky, and drinking a Mai-tai on Mars. The title is "Life Will Kill Ya," but as we all know it's death that kills us! I've told Chris many a time that I thought their songs were too long, but this one at eight minutes and thirteen seconds is actually too short. I could listen to this stuff all day long! Enjoy!

CHRIS PHINNEY  &  ED DRURY - "Life Will Kill Ya"

JEREMY GLUCK - MENTAL ANGUISH - THE TAPEGERM COLLECTIVE - "The Point Is It's Only A Dream You See" (2010)

What did Sosumi say? "This is supposed to be fun," so here you go,

Mental Anguish Plus!

 This is a bit of progressive electronica with a middle eastern feel from Chris Phinney and his pal Jeremy Gluck who is also the lead singer of The Barracudas!

There's no need to talk about how versatile Chris Phinney is, it's much easier and enjoyable to just listen to this, and find out for yourself!

VIKTIMIZED KARCASS - "Strolling Down The Middle Patrolling" (1991) (2020)

 Chris Phinney has been real busy lately digitizing the whole Harsh Reality catalogue of stuff that was only available on cassette before! This tape called "Living Hard Young & Getting Old" was originally released in 1991 on Lord Litter's cassette label "Out Of The Blue" but is no longer available!

 You can just listen, or buy the downloadable CD for a buck at this Harsh Reality Bandcamp page!

Who'da ever thunk a group called Viktimized Karcass would make a song about golf? It just shows to go you that you should never stereotype anybody or anything until you know the truth!

And not just a song about golf, a song about golf with a shredding guitar! 

Now that's a rarity!

All tracks recorded live Feb.15th, 1991 at Harsh Reality Music.
  Roger Moneymaker - guitars, fx, Robert Hinson - bass, fx, vocal end track #5,
Richard Martin - synths, fx, vox track #2, Tracks #4, #5, #6,
Chris Phinney - synths, fx, drum programs,Vox track #3, #4, mix, engineering, mastering &cover photo.
(c) 1991 A Harsh Reality Music release.

VIKTIMIZED KARCASS - "Strolling Down The Middle Patrolling"