AUDIOVILE

Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2007


Audiovile (2007)

Audio CD. 57 mins. Jewel cased with full-color 4-page insert.

Summary: An eclectic, hour-long spoken word performance of 16 short stories and poems set to dark and quirky music. (A companion to the re-released and expanded edition of the book, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories)

PREVIEW TRACKS NOW AT MYSPACE.COM

Vocals, Music & Text by Michael A. Arnzen
Featured Guest Musicians

Cover art by Matt Sesow
Interior art by Sean Blair

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DOWNLOAD VERSION AVAILABLE NOW from:

See the Music Video by Jen Barnes on YouTube!

Read the Interview in RDSP Newsletter about Audiovile

Acclaim:

"Aurally stunning and memorable... Arnzen's talent in creating characters in under 100 words never ceases to delight, and the sounds of both music and voice bring them to life. The atmosphere was... Well, think of it as one of those cliché poetry clubs--low light, bad hats, snapping fingers--but during the apocalypse. There you go, now you're with me. Very eclectic, very dark, but jovial and very enjoyable. Give that madman FOUR STARS -- and then grab your credit card and CD player, and join the fun!" -- Horror-Web

"...a performance-art piece of manic Beatnik horror. For the majority of the CD's sixteen tracks, Arnzen assumes a frenzied persona that blends elements of Alan Ginsberg, Henry Rollins, and Patrick Bateman to deliver simultaneously horrifying and humorous short stories. His performances are supported by strange and atmospheric music that ranges across styles, evoking early punk for one track only to move into '80s Euro-horror soundtrack for the next and so on." -- Jack Haringa, Dead Reckonings

"16 tracks of brain damaging terror. Stories like "Psycho Hunter," "Stabbing for Dummies," and "Six Short Films About Chauncey the Serial Killer" will have you alternately cackling and gasping. The brilliance of these tales -- amplified by Arnzen's pitch perfect delivery -- is that within the space of a couple of minutes, each one sets a grin on your face, then slaps it off, then kicks you in the groin and leaves you gasping (but still laughing), "That isn't right! That's just plain WRONG!" -- Greg Lamberson, FearZone

"For anyone who has ever heard it said that horror is not an art form, Arnzen fires back with the proverbial 'up yours,' making himself out to be a twisted Ginsberg for the horror fan, Kerouac for the demented, and a Dylan Thomas for those of us with a dark sense of humor. And no, I'm not exaggerating....what you have is something that listeners will be playing for their friends, prefaced by lines like 'You have to hear this!' and 'This is the weirdest thing I've ever heard!' -- Scott A. Johnson, Dread Central

"This collection of recordings will disturb and entertain you for more reasons than the obvious; remember the first time you heard The Doors' 'The End' and Jim Morrison's long, chilling soliloquy in the middle? Or the An American Prayer album -- an audio suicide note set to music? The pieces on Audiovile often put me in mind of these moments, because they disturbed me on the same, visceral level -- but because these pieces are based on the works of Mike Arnzen, there's also a lot of simple, weird fun to be had, as well, and the musicianship displayed throughout is flawless. A genuine one-of-kind recording." -- Gary A. Braunbeck, Bram stoker and International Horror Guild Award-winning author of Destinations Unknown, Prodigal Blues, and Mr. Hands

"Mr. Arnzen, you had me at 'He’s a madman in plaid flannel', the opening line to the first track of AudioVile. Damn you.

[Among] my personal favorites is "Stabbing for Dummies": Pure genius. A parody of those Dummy books that are everywhere nowadays, complete with Tips!, Shortcuts, Warnings and Remember prompts. The scary part is the amount of thought Mike had to put into some of these tips, which sound right on target. This track is a must listen. [The CD contains] more than enough laugh out loud, make you cringe moments for me to recommend AudioVile, which caters to those among us who are just a bit twisted. Personally I really dug this album and already placed an order for 100 Jolts based on this sampling." -- Mike Myers, Horror World

"Not exactly sung, not quite read, Arnzen narrates each piece with an enthusiastic growl in which you can hear how amused he is, trying on this new mantle. The Morrison of the Macabre...an unexpected pleasure. Put this in your iPod and smoke it!" -- ChiZine

“What can I say? Holy effeing hell this is some brilliant sh*t! …Audiovile has BITE. It sounds like something you would hear late at night in a darkened coffee shop, with wisps of old coffee wafting to your nose….It has a very unique style, something from a David Lynch film. It’s deep, grabs you by the ears and refuses to let go.” -- Zombie Mall

"Mike Arnzen's horror microfiction is some of the best there is-- clever, wicked and visceral. As great as his stories are on the page, though, you haven't experienced them until you've heard them in the voice of the author. Arnzen doesn't just read or recite his stories; he shouts, snarls, whispers and groans his way through his tales. Audiovile adds music to the mix to create an aural landscape of terror like nothing you've heard before. Don't miss this." -- Nate Rosen, Microhorror.com

Tracks:

  • Psycho Hunter (3:37)
  • Obictionary (2:14)
  • In the Middle (2:57)
  • Domestic Fowl (5:36)
  • Dreamachinery (3:40)
  • Stabbing for Dummies (7:55)
  • Why Zombies Lumber (1:46)
  • The Cow Café (5:55)
  • Brain Candy (1:57)
  • Driving the Sick Elephant (4:03)
  • Take Out (1:43)
  • The Seven-Headed Beast (3:51)
  • Little Stocking Stuffers (1:52)
  • Six Short Films About Chauncy the Serial Killer (2:19)
  • A Donation (4:33)
  • Not the Reaper (2:27)

See MusicBrainz or Discogs for track tagging

Audio Excerpts elsewhere:

Radio Stations Who Have Jammed Audiovile Tracks:

Stories Adapted from these Print Sources:

Related audio work (including a remix and a demo version of tunes from Audiovile) also appears on Live and Vile -- the CD bundled with the limited edition of the novelette, The Bitchfight (Bad Moon Books, 2008).

See also: Humor | Flash Fiction | Poetry | Multimedia | Zombies | Animals | New Releases