"The CD is scratched.” A saying from the early millennium, it describes the phenomenon of skipping music on a damaged CD, the locked, repetitive groove. For nearly a decade, Fossilized Wilderness has been experimenting with a peculiar modification to CDJ equipment, birthed by long hours sorting through promotional CDs sent to a radio station. In embracing choppiness, a body of abrasive but bright ambient work has been constructed from the refuse of musical commodification.

The CD skip is both rhythm and tone on this LP, but if you expect the monotonous motions of a concept album, don’t: The moods here are just as granular. The six tracks shift from digital euphoria to shoegazing sentimentalism, a balanced mix of terror, plaintiveness, and joy, an impressive feat considering that the scratch of a CD produces potent nostalgia as well as Pavlovian irritation for many—a drive to eject the thing and fix the problem.

For those not growing up with it, the scratched CD is a relic phenomenon, something that happened with an artifact format. But just because it’s an artifact doesn’t mean it’s obsolete. On this LP, Fossilized Wilderness uses a sonic palette of subtly-shifting broken loops to create something new: delirious spectres rising from an ocean of plastic.

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Fossilized Wilderness is Ryan Martin, a pillar of the North Carolina underground music and arts scene. His most active artistic alias is Secret Boyfriend, with numerous cassette, vinyl, and CD releases on labels such as Blackest Ever Black and his own long-running DIY-informed imprint, Hot Releases. 

releases April 5, 2021

mastered :: Nathan Taylor

Fossilized Wilderness - 4 (ENMB07)

upcomming:
27/09/25 - L'embobineuse, Marseille


previous:
21/06/25 - Fanzine Festival, Paris
25/05/25 - 9 salopards, Marseille
06/04/25 - Métaphore, Marseille
05/04/25 - Villa Arson, Nice
22/03/25 - Non-Etoile, Montreuil 
17/03/25 - Non-Jazz, Paris
14/03/25 - L’écurie, Genève
30/01/24 - Le poinçonneur, Toulouse
19/12/24 - Ateliers Claus, Bruxelles
01/10/24 - L’Ecurie, Geneve
29/09/24 - La murisserie, Marseille 
26/06/24 - La tour de Fret, Crozon 
26/05/24 - La station, Nice
09/05/24 - Musique Magique Festival, Marseille
04/04/24 - Ground Zero, Lyon 
02/03/24 - Cyberrance, Paris 
26/01/24 - Doc, Paris

16/12/23 - Bientot Veuves, Paris 
7/12/23 - Avu, Prague
6/12/23 - Potvra, Prague
1/12/23 - festival Hear Me, Olomouc 
19/11/23 - Punctum, Prague
14/10/23 - Lothringer 13, Munich 
14/07/23 - Voiture14, Marseille 
19/06/23 - La Station, Nice

16/09/22 - L’Entrepont, Nice
5/06/22 - L’Acconservatoire, Paris 
14/05/22 - Le Chinois, Paris
3/02/22 - Zone Libre, Bastia

11/12/21 - Gelegenheiten, Berlin

§ focused on contemporary sound and growth
✔ hand-constructed out of recycled materials as possible
♥ all proceeds to positive endeavors

Fossilized Wilderness - 4 (ENMB07)

enmossed