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Deathbed Tapes

Contagious Orgasm- The Dream of a Fetus In Heavy Oil (2022)

Cassette tape packaged in black norelco case around which a small fetus doll is wrapped with iron wire

Contagious Orgasm 2019 tape The Dream of a Fetus In Heavy Oil on Deathbed Tapes got reissued in a special edition package 3 years later in 2022 and augments the artwork of the original tape by providing a physical touchable object. Indeed Deathbed Tapes’ head Alex Ford design concept was rather straightforward based on the title of the tape, as he told me in a short interview I did for this article that “the title made me think of a fetal medical specimen so i found a good pic and xeroxed the hell out of it”. Alex continued telling that “for the special edition i wanted the art to come to life in a sense. the squishy fetus is meant just as a more tactile version of the j-card artwork. something to look nice on a shelf and something you can hold in your hand while listening.” While indeed the presentation of this physical object in the form of a squishy fetus doll might look minimalistic the effect and physicality of this small object adds to the listening experience with doll itself hinting at the tape title while the blackened norelco case hides the xeroxed J-card as if immersed in heavy oil. The presentation makes it a bit more mysterious so to say and reminds you even more of the auditory experience within than the standard tape which does carry the same J-card design but in plain sight. These kinds of special edition releases prove that overly complex and at times difficult to open or use packaging aren’t always necessary to offer a special augmented physical experience to a Noise or experimental music release for passionate fans and collectors. Diving into The Dream of a Fetus In Heavy Oil we find the following:

Listening journey

Ready to be fully immersed sonically? You definitely have to be with this tape as Hiroshi Hashimoto, who rides solo as Contagious Orgasm on this tape pulls you right into the “heavy oil” from the title with the two sides of the tape being filled with dark, murky atmospheres. Like living, heavy and dense sonic organisms the pieces flow over you and take you towards unknown destinations where strange growling creatures live, “crime is legal for 12 hours” as the only speech sample on the tape says and music becomes a driving force of your life through heavy abstraction. The pieces are so expertly composed in terms of structure and sound design that they aren’t just to be listened to, this material seeps deep into you, into your mind and becomes a dream like, surreal alternate universe you live in for about 30 minutes. Whilst, like more recent Contagious Orgasm releases, the first side’s Mutation Information Field features beats and heavy bass, these elements feel like a dark Tribal ritual which is nevertheless abstract and of unknown origin. The freestyle layering of recordings and loops is very inventive, not being afraid to jump in and out of layers with clicks intact and this “unpolished” DIY nature adds a layer of hiss and crackle which becomes its own additional texture within the music. The dark streams of sound make you think, recall memories and feel impressive and I can’t say otherwise than this is an absolute highlight release by Contagious Orgasm.

Many thanks go out to Alex Ford of Deathbed Tapes for clarification on the packaging concept of this release and special editions on Deathbed Tapes in general.