Altar of Bones

Over the centuries, the head of John the Baptist has ranked high on the list of the most sought-after relics in Christianity. The Jewish preacher and prophet, celebrated as one of the earliest Christian saints, is believed to have paved the way for his distant cousin, Jesus, whom John famously baptized in the Jordan River.

Diophantine Discs is thrilled to present Jonathan Briley’s “Complete Works” 7CD boxset – released today, Friday the 13th of August, 2021.For over 35 years Jonathan Briley has been both a legend and enigma within the underground industrial and noise scene.His sought-after cassette releases on Inner-X and Broken Flag from 1985-1988 are incredibly unique, combining early industrial and power electronics with techniques of musique concrete. By incorporating synthesizers, metal percussion, found sounds, and tape manipulation Briley created some of the darkest and most intense music of that era. Those recordings and his live performances have been (and continue to be) an inspiration to many.

Skeletal mischief reigns as the Skulltide begins! Join the undead in co-op adventures as the skeleton of your dreams, or lead them yourself, and hunt down the necromancers who reanimated you. Build, throw, and enchant your bones… but try not to misplace them along the way!

Hilary Woods’ artistry is one of rare emotive reach. Her minimalist and compositional finesse combine with densely layered atmospheric instrumentation and dreamlike vocals to create music rich with both delicacy and intensity. The Sunday Times hailed her early solo recordings as “a revelation.”

The work in this collection is a result of an occasional collaboration between myself, Leo Abrahams and Jon Hopkins. The two of them are gifted young player/composers whose work, like mine, is intimately connected to the possibilities and freedoms of electronic music. Over the last few years we've worked together several times, enjoying exploring the huge new sonic territories now available to musicians. Mostly the pieces on this album resulted not from 'composition' in the classical sense, but from improvisation.