Out this week via Halifax-based label/radio show/blog/etc Crow Versus Crow comes the latest tape release by Sophie Cooper. Made during a week-long stay at Bill Drummond’s Curfew Tower in Cushendall, Northern Ireland, Cooper was sent over as part of a series curated by The Penthouse Gallery in Manchester. The result is is these mind busting cassette of improvised deep drones for trombone and voice. Exclusive first listen below:

A key player in the thriving music scene in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, Sophie Cooper has released several stellar albums of solo folk-drones and collaborated with the likes of Vibracathedral Orchestra’s Julian Bradley, French oddball pianist Delphine Dora, primordial flutist Kelly-Jayne Jones, and several more.

The Curfew Tower Recordings is the most thorough document yet of Cooper’s trombone playing, which she seems to have been getting into more of late since starting up her Dial-a-Bone service. At set times and dates, the public can ring Sophie up in a public phone box (see left) and request their own personalised trombone improvisation. The result is a mix of short lulzy trombone parps, telephone box banter, and long drawn out caverns of Phill Niblock-esque bone drones and lo-fi vocal improvs. Side two also notably features a ‘Tribute To La Monte Young And Marian Zazeela’s OCEANS’, recorded beside the crashing waves on Cushenden Beach, Northern Ireland, and featuring members of Irish group Woven Skull.

“I spent a week at The Curfew Tower, and the aim was to experiment with vocals and trombone to see if songs could come out of it all, and a fair bit of what emerged is on this tape,” explains Cooper. “Nothing was really finished there but a lot of seeds were kinda sown. Dial-a-bone as an ‘art performance’ was definitely born there, and is continuing in different forms.” The next Dial-a-Bone is happening at the end of October apparently – keep your eyes on her twitter and website for more details.

Visit Crow Versus Crow to order your copy, limited to an edition of 50!