"Dead In A Ditch" is the result of a deep winter night of collective improvisation between rarely-seen Michigan experimental duo Billowing and some long time friends. Playing together in this formation for the first time, the line up of Scott DeRoche on prepared guitar and Fred Thomas on a spectrum of electronics was extended to include saxophonist Daniel Bennett, drummer Shigeto and bassist Tim Flood. While spirits were high and the vibes were good, the energy of the record went in a decidedly bleak direction, choosing to explore coldness and despair through exacting minimalism and restraint. Spacious to the point of static, the group stretches out over fields of tape hiss and gurgling electronic backdrops, lifting out of this specific colorless mood only occasionally as with the drunkenly hopeful stumble of "Overachiever" or the understated take on an electric Miles-styled groove "Corner Dregs".

 

Daniel Bennett: saxophone.
Scott DeRoche: guitar, electronics.
Tim Flood: bass.
Shigeto: drums, percussion.
Fred Thomas: synths, sampler, processing, tapes.
Recorded January 27th, 2015 and edited with no overdubs in spring 2015.
Art & layout by Miles Haney.
All songs by Billowing/Flood/Bennett/Shigeto © 2015 Life Like.