born in a hole / radio star: the enigmatic psychedelia of the possibly chicago-based musician sometimes referred to as "terry" or "jim collins"

In this post-Jandekian world of self released underground music, a self consciously anonymous profile is hardly a rare trick. Beyond the obvious potential for gimmickry of such tricks - and the pleasurable speculation often involved in discussion of such - are a few self-consciously obscurantist types releasing work in ways that becomes, at the least, much harder to search for on online search engines. Among other such quietly sought after gems as the works of Whangarei based Witcyst or the mid 90s Texan musician who released a fine brace of albums as Twenty Six and Thirty Seven, is the work of a possibly Chicago-based musician who's put out about ten albums since the early 90s, all under different names but sharing a gorgeously murky psychedelic pop style, combining striking and dark songwriting with a penchant for experimentalism in a way that evokes the 60s loner/ downer/ outside psych-folk with neither built-in naivete nor overt referentiality.

Tonight on Avant Gardening we take a trip into the shifting soundworld of the artist variously known as Terry, Jim Collins, Arian Sample, Tommy Roundtree, Robyn Nice, Spyder, Gary K, Boots, CC, Snake and Remus... and maybe a couple other even less identified names too.

-----

Playlist:

1. Terry, 'Feel It Coming On' from Rojvi (late 90s or early 2000s)
2. The Surprise Symphony, 'Spaces Between The Times' from The Surprise Symphony (1998)
3. The Surprise Symphony, 'Morning School' from The Surprise Symphony (1998)
4. The Surprise Symphony, 'Bubble Tree' from The Surprise Symphony (1998)
5. Magic Island, 'Radio Star' from Small (1998)
6. Magic Island, 'She's Home' from Small (1998)
7. Magic Island, 'Instrumental' from Small (1998)
8. Magic Island, 'Don't Want To Be' from Small (1998)
9. Magic Island, 'In Ways These Days' from Small (1998)
10. Kyte, These Tales of Our Stay from Kyte (1998)
11. Taurus, 'The Garden' from Pull Up The Paisley Covers (2002)
12. Terry, 'Born in a Hole' from Rojvi (early 2000s)
13. Terry, 'Clown Clouds' from Rojvi (early 2000s)
14. Terry, 'Harvest Time' from Rojvi (early 2000s)
15. Jim Collins, 'Love' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
16. Jim Collins, 'God Song' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
17. Jim Collins, 'Jesus' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
18. Jim Collins, 'Time for Now' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
19. Boots, 'City of Fear' from Boots (2006)
20. Boots, 'Up' from Boots (2006)
21. Boots, 'I'm A Farm' from Boots (2006)
22. C.C., 'The Beast' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
23. C.C., 'No Funeral' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
24. C.C., 'She' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
25. C.C., 'F.Y.' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
26. C.C., 'Worn' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
27. Snake & Remus, excerpt from No Tape Outside (2006)
28.Tommy Roundtree, 'Feel Me' from Jungle Blood (2007) 
29.Tommy Roundtree, 'Centre of Light' from Jungle Blood (2007)
30.Tommy Roundtree, 'Brown' from Jungle Blood (2007)
31.Tommy Roundtree, 'Here in this Meat Deapartment' from Jungle Blood (2007)
32.Tommy Roundtree, 'Jungle Blood' from Jungle Blood (2007)
33. Arian Sample, 'Golden Leashes' from Arian Sample (2007)
34. Arian Sample, 'These Things' from Arian Sample (2007)
35. Arian Sample, 'Sugar' from Arian Sample (2007)
36. Arian Sample, 'Glass Break' from Arian Sample (2007)
37. C.C., 'Paul's Jennifer is Dead' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)