Josh and the Chrome Universal
“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”― Agatha Christie
I first met Josh Rosenthal in a bar in New York city on his birthday, which a mutual friend took me to. He had not been running Tompkins Square Records for long at that point, but he had already put some great releases out in the world—beautiful guitar records that I really dug. It wasn’t until he moved out to San Francisco that our friendship really began. Besides being an incredible A&R man who puts out a diverse array of records, from older legends like Charlie Louvin and Michael Chapman to unknown rising artists like Ryley Walker and Gwenifer Raymond, Josh is a writer, a photographer, and most importantly, a record collector like myself. He is one of the few people near me that I love record shopping with (love) which is an activity that I’d prefer to do alone unless it was with someone like Josh.
Now, Josh has invested more time then me lately in record shopping, and texts me often with salivating finds he has obtained for much-less-than-discogs-rates (even recently getting a mono copy of a Small Faces record that has been on my want list for years…the jerk). But all joking aside, great record finds by great people are something to be celebrated in this crazy world that we live in…and we do look out for each other, occasionally getting rid of or coming across a record that we think the other would like. It is so nice to have a fellow pathetic record collector as a friend nearby.
Josh recently called me up to tell me that he decided that for his next release, Imaginational Anthem XI: Chrome Universal (I dug into the series in a previous Signal newsletter), he would put it out into the world in phases, first as a cassette, then a CD and finally vinyl. He came over with a cassette copy, and a week later I was able to play it on my recently found portable stereo that I had stored at my parents house. The record is unlike any ‘Anthem before it, exchanging guitar-picking meditations for beautiful soundscapes of swirling strings, each track opening up new, rich, cosmic worlds.
I thought it would be nice to hear from Josh about the record, so sit back and enjoy the conversation we recently had….
David Katznelson: Imaginational Anthem XI--how did it come about? How does it make you feel...having done 11 of them? Older?
Josh Rosenthal: All the volumes since Vol 4 have been curated by someone other than myself. I started wanting to be more like the listener, on the receiving end of things. I recruited Luke (Schneider) because he is a great pedal steel player, and his album, Altar of Harmony, really hit me. I wanted something sonically different from the acoustic guitar sounds of the previous volumes.
IA Vol I was the first album I put out on Tompkins Square. That’s 17 years ago October 25th. Don’t feel any older. Just jazzed to do more while I’m still here !
DK: Can you dig into what it was about Altar of Harmony that “hit” you?
JR: Altar of Harmony is that odd thing - music that serves foreground or background equally well. Road trips, zoning out, working - seems whatever I'm doing, I can have that record soundtracking me. I am more and more interested in this idea of music having UTILITY - like a utility infielder, it can do a lot of different things for you. IAXI has that, Altar has it, and I hope more of my records will.
DK: This new edition is pretty out there....in a great way. In your own words, how would you describe the record to the uninitiated? Is it like your grandmother's pedal steel record?
JR: Most people probably don’t know what the instrument looks like or how it’s played, but it’s been ubiquitous for so long in country music and extended into other genres. Folks know the sound without maybe knowing anything about where it comes from. William Tyler wrote some very thoughtful notes for the IAXI CD & LP package that detail the trajectory of the instrument. I would definitely start by reading his notes !
DK: When you started the series did you see it going in the varied directions it has gone in over the years?
JR: I was really hung up for the first three volumes on juxtaposing the old salty American Primitive pioneers with the new guns. That was fun for a while. The series has early tracks from people who are pretty well established by now, like Steve Gunn, Jose Gonzalez, Chris Forsyth, Nathan Salsburg. It was always meant to showcase new players. But the tangents are fun, like Vol 6 (all 20’s and 30’s solo guitar), Vol 8 (all older private press obscurities), and Vol X (modern European acoustic guitarists).
DK: Knowing you, these comps lead to full-lengths by some of the artists. Any insight on what Tompkins Square might be putting out as a result of this release?
JR: I haven’t thought about signing anyone off the pedal steel comp. Theoretically I would want to sign them all. I'm sure they would all make solo albums I’d love, and some already have.
DK: Do you already have a XII in the works?
JR: It’s in the works in my head. I want it to be a tribute to someone. Not sure who yet.
DK: What is the choice record you have picked up recently and why?
JR: I got a “label press" copy of Chamomile which is kinda like a white label or a test pressing. It’s a very smart thing their label does, Past Inside the Present. They are rearranging the rules for an “Ambient” label and making super high quality physical goods. The music might be interchangeable or even generically in the “ambient” realm for some, but their sensibility and aesthetic is so fucking hip that it almost doesn’t matter (check them out at: https://pitp.bandcamp.com/).
Also Vol 8 of the Cairo soul series, can’t wait to listen to that.
DK: What are you reading these days?
JR: I’m reading “Street Poison : The Biography of Iceberg Slim” by Justin Gifford and indulging in the voluminous “Affinities : A Book of Images” picture book compiled by Adam Green.
10 things I love that Tompkins Square has put out into the world in no order and in no way complete (not including Imaginational Anthems, that I talk about more here). The links below will take you to where you can dig into the music
Kissing Rosy in the Rain (Mason Lindahl)
I Can Go With You (Sam Burton)
The 1960 Time Sessions (Sonny Clark Trio With George Duvivier And Max Roach)
You Never Were Much Of A Dancer (Gwenifer Raymond)
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah/ Beautiful Dreamer 10 inch 78 RPM (Luther Dickinson)
Trainsong: Guitar Compositions 1967-2010 (Michael Chapman)
Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes (Robbie Basho)
Celestial Explosion (Composia For 6-String Guitar) (Don Bikoff)
No Other Love : Midwest Gospel (1965-1978) (Various Artists)
Queen Of The Flat Top Guitar (Lena Hughes)
….and then there is the fantastic book Josh wrote about record collecting and incredible artists: The Record Store Of The Mind
The Score
By: Arch Stanton
Dust and stickiness
Coat
The skin of fingertips
As each record flips to the next.
Its all Sing Along With Mitch
Today
Mitch Miller haunts the collector
With Wayne Newton and Doris Day
Looking to join the party.
The John Coltrane
Mono
Lush Life
Is missing the vinyl
Maybe it will be in between the Jim Nabors and Boston Pops Records
Coming up ahead.
No matter
The Last Poets Debut
Stuck
To a Tennessee Ernie Ford gospel record
Water damage and vinyl mold
Another almost win
another loss.
My friend had found a Sun Ra
Original press
My Brother The Wind
In the store where I find
Leo Sayer and Herb Alpert
(not the
shaving cream cover)
Record upon record
Skin on my fingers chafed
Still hoping for
The Score
That will send me home
Happy.
It's not too late to nominate to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry!