news 2002

austere - happenings 2003

news 2004

24 Feb 2003 — We're happy to announce the release of Dark Duck Records'  The Drone Download Project MP3 CD - Year 1, an MP3 CD containing 198Kbs files of almost 8 hours of drone music, masterminded by Stephen Phillips, one of the maincontributors and the originator of the Dark Duck Drone Download Project.

The CD features two Austere guitar-only drone tracks: diapason, which was featured in the first year series, and an unreleased bonus track Whainer. We have a limited number of copies available for sale, please see our artifacts page.

Dec 2003 — 05 Jul 1999 — The Austere site at MP3.com is dead, R.I.P. Generated 12K downloads and probably USD $100 over the years.

09 Oct 2003 — Our latest release Remission has been reviewed by one of the finest online Ambient Webzines, Ambient.us.

09 Sep 2003 — The official release of our new CD Remission after a year of work and a month of wrangling with CD formating issues. While aesthetically similar, a departure from synths and sequencers in making a very personal, very droning, glistening, shimmering and meloncholy guitar-based album. Comes in a gatefold paper sleeve complete with a secret decoder ring and a special CDR that harkens to the fine days of old.

02 Jul 2003 — We've finally given in and added a biography page to our Web site, penned by Bill Binkleman of Wind & Wire fame.

01 Jul 2003 — Stephen Phillips of Dark Duck Records has accepted one of our new tracks, called diapason, for his Drone Download Project. We are flattered to be a part of his wonderful ongoing project.

04 Jan 2003 — A new Austere track Coruscate has been released as part of the Music for Sénces series.