For nearly a decade, Sean O'Neal's still-thriving Flowchart project has dished out countless tracks on CD albums, CD EPs, 12"s, 7"s and compilation tracks on labels from all over the world. With a discography that can fill an entire wall, many of these tracks began to disappear in the mist over the years.
The Flowchart indulgence began in 1994 when O'Neal, Brodie Budd and Craig Bottel dropped their first 7", "Our Little Audio 7-Inch" on their own homegrown label, which sold 1000 copies in only a matter of weeks. From there, the trio would continue their synth-driven, one-note space-rock frolic -- and, of course, drawing endless comparisons to Stereolab in the press (which was strange to them since they had hardly heard much of Stereolab's music at that time).
In between recording a number of albums and EPs (like "Multi-Personality Vacation," "Tenjira," "Evergreen Noise Is Flexible," "The Spirit of Kenny G," "Cumulous Mood Twang," and others), O'Neal and friends coughed up a multi-personality plentitude of ditties for a ton of 7"s and compilations. As usual from Flowchart, you'll find a wide range of sounds and styles throughout each CD -- spanning the years 1994 to 1999. This is due to the fact that O'Neal feels that Flowchart is a project without one sound -- without an identity -- without a face. Throughout the 1990's, different people have come and gone in Flowchart -- beginning with O'Neal, Budd and Bottel, then O'Neal on his own (with some occasional friends at hand), then O'Neal with Erin Anderson (a.k.a. Fidget).
Styles range from space-rock to lo-fi playfulness to hi-fi indie-pop to child-like electro-pop to droning ambient. So if you are a fan of Flowchart (or certain eras of Flowchart), then these CDs are essential for your collection. Forget about all those full-length albums and their more-recent computer-frolic sounds. This is Flowchart in raw form.
Here is an excerpt taken from the liner notes featured in the CD-booklets written by Sean O'Neal: "...on each of these CDs, the songs range from the lo-fi/home-fi recordings done in my basement or living room to expensive studio recordings (such as "rainbow hello" -- where i spent a week living in studio .45 overdubbing until my head spun -- laying down over 70 tracks of vocals and somewhere around 40 or 50 guitar tracks)...it's a pleasure to include "Flutter by Butterfly" because, when we did perform an occasional live show, it wasn't unusual to hear someone in the audience shout, "play that butterfly song!" "Lovefingers" (a silver apples cover) is another fave of mine, and i know that Simeon was really into it. and let's not forget "Ode to Street Hassle" (a Spacemen 3 cover) -- a song that we comically mutilated and transformed into a happy, little pop jam while everyone else on the comp embraced 3's heroin-induced, spaced-out sound. This track both delighted and pissed off Spacemen 3 fans. "y2aok" is another one that stands out for me because this drone-y, melancholy, ambient-ish ditty was a result of Erin and me being paranoid and depressed about the forthcoming transition into the new millennium, and we were buggin' about the possibility of there being no more electricity in our world -- you know, the irrational (but these days, inevitable) fear of the world's end, etc. but basically, here is a compilation of stuff that managed to both captivate as well as annoy the ears of indie-music lovers all over the f'n world...are these songs timeless? well, they are now." -Sean O'Neal
Tracklist: "pre-2000 singles and comp tracks - part one":
1. high phidelity (from "our little audio 7-inch" 7" released under the name heroine on fuzzy box records in 1994)
2. pronoun-u (from "our little audio 7-inch" 7" released under the name heroine on fuzzy box records in 1994)
3. acoustic ambience (from "acoustic ambience" 7" on fuzzy box records in 1995)
4. wurlitzer inn (from "acoustic ambience" 7" on fuzzy box records in 1995)
5. some air disturbances (from "somewhere / some air disturbances" split-7" with fuxa on astro lanes in 1995)
6. yellow fuzz (from "mind expansion - volume 2" 7" compilation on mind expansion in 1995)
7. ageism (from "pop american style" double-cd compilation on march records in 1996)
8. mingle (from "angelfood electronics" CD/12" compilation on kake mix records in 1997)
9. norton (from "stolen ecstasy 45s" split-7" w/ ectogram on 100 guitar mania in 1997)
10. drone au go go (from "stolen ecstasy 45s" split-7" w/ ectogram on 100 guitar mania in 1997)
11. lovefingers (from "electronic evocations: a tribute to the silver apples" cd compilation on enraptured in 1995)
12. sole qualm (from "sounds from the philadelphia low orbit lounge" cd compilation on low orbit / lounge records in 1997)
13. sideshow all the way (from "sideshow all the way" 7" on motorway in 1996)
14. dainty pilgrimage (from "sideshow all the way" 7" on motorway in 1996)
15. hollow sky (from "hollow sky" 7" on burnt hair records in 1997)
16. here's where the story ends (from "hollow sky" 7" on burnt hair records in 1997)
