Half-handed Cloud — Flutterama! (Asthmatic Kitty)

For a couple decades, John Ringhofer has done a very strange thing with his Half-handed Cloud project. He's made spastic, fractured pop music that feels too pretty for its noise even while getting too messy to be called “pretty.” That would be only partway strange if he didn't couple it with his explicitly Christian meditations. Ringhofer's writing doesn't fit into any traditional Christian categories. It's not worshipful, it doesn't slot into liturgy, it doesn't make mainstream playlists. The indie kids that might go for the tunes don't overlap much with Christian music fans on a Venn diagram. Cut that back to include only those who want obscure or complicated theological reflections and that dot gets tiny. Put it all together, and it makes sense that Asthmatic Kitty remains Half-handed Cloud's ideal label. That much comes clear, but understanding Ringhofer's art doesn't become any simpler.

New album Flutterama!, his first regular album since 2014 continues the tradition. Ringhofer continues his short bursts of songs, with these tracks straining to reach two minutes (or considerably shorter than the length of time you'd repeat a typical worship chorus). Now he adds tape manipulation and deterioration to his arsenal. He's still more Daniel Smith than William Basinski, but Ringhofer recorded much of this music on a worn tape machine, working with various analog effects. The process may have required a certain precision and nuance, but Ringhofer sounds no more hinged musically than he ever has. The liner notes credit him with 25 or 30 “instruments,” ranging from wood blocks to balloons to electric guitar to omnichord. While Ringhofer carefully arranges his songs, it feels as if any of these instruments can burst through at any given time.

His mind ranges lyrically just as far and as quickly. Single “Handles” uses the story of John the Baptist and the death of Jesus to spin a joke on “love that handles” and “love handles.” As the song progresses, it becomes clear that Ringhofer isn't being flippant. Instead, he uses the track to raise questions about the strength of faith in light of the shocking oddity of the gospel story. “How did our faith in you become so flabby?” he asks, indicting himself in the process. Similarly he questions his own ability to follow his religious tradition in “I'm the Weakest Link,” as he acknowledges Christians' resistance to feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. 

Ringhofer cites Bible verses for each track, but he takes these ideas to unlikely places. He provides hymns and prayers and imagist poetry. He works through theology and doubt and faith (the three go together). Each song raises some big ideas, delivers its blow in a hurry, and disappears. Half-handed Cloud provides an antithesis to the contemplative tradition, although its music draws from deep thoughtfulness. As with a handful of like-minded artists, Ringhofer continues to go into strange territory for a likely narrow audience, but it enables him to get out a wealth of musical and spiritual ideas in a striking manner. It's a forward-looking approach that stems from a long tradition, one that stays fresh in its unlimited energy. 

Justin Cober-Lake

New Half-handed Cloud album out today. Enjoy your Friday!

https://asthmatickitty.com/new-album-from-half-handed-cloud-flutterama-available-now-tour-forthcoming/

Hope im not annoying but I gotta ask was that one post a half-handed cloud lyric

yesss 😈 flutterama 4ever

It's time for Beginnings, the podcast where writer and performer Andy Beckerman talks to the comedians, writers, filmmakers and musicians he admires about their earliest creative experiences and the numerous ways in which a creative life can unfold.

On today's episode, I talk to musician John Ringhofer AKA Half-handed Cloud. Based now in Helsinki, Finland, Half-handed Cloud started as a home-recording project in Chattanooga, TN in 1999. Since then, John has released almost two dozen albums and EPs, many of them on Asthmatic Kitty and Sounds Familyre. He's also been a member of Sufjan Stevens' touring band, and his latest album Flutterama is out now!

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this week's no love for ned airs on wlur at 8pm tonight with an encore rebroadcast of last week's show immediately before it at 6pm. that's four straight hours for me to keep you company tonight! as always, last week's show is below for your anytime enjoyment.

no love for ned on wlur – june 24th, 2022 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label devo // freedom of choice // freedom of choice // warner bros. green/blue // in lies // paper thin // feel it anthony moore // ready ready // flying doesn't help // drag city cult objects // what do i owe you? // secrets of pain-free living // world gone mad friture // la question qui tue // carnet de synthé cassette // eternal soundcheck editrix // horse girls // editrix ii: editrix goes to hell // exploding in sound heavens to betsy // baby's gone // throw: the yoyo studio compilation // yoyo the kyle sowashes // the unsinkable fats domino // keep it in motion- a tribute to guided by voices, circa twenty something and twelve // silly moo hey richard // sinking // hey richard ep // pachyderm music lab the inflorescence // so much of nothing // remember what i look like // kill rock stars the rock*a*teens // the end of the world // going to georgia compilation // merge sweet knives // on a grey day // spritzerita // fdh barbara manning // i can't get over you // silver monk time: a tribute to the monks // play loud! cat power // nude as the news // what would the community think // matador posmic // fading (all here now) // sun hymns // let's pretend weeed // song for the homies // green roses vol. i ep // six tonnes de chair arab strap // pro-(your)life // elephant shoe // go! beat fresh pepper // seahorse tranquilizer (feat. dan bejar) // fresh pepper // telephone explosion blue notes // eyomzi // blue notes for johnny // ogun al doum and the faryds // here we gong // freaky people // black sweat norman connors // love from the sun // love from the sun // buddah the whole darn family // fly away love bird // the whole darn family has arrived // soul international digable planets // la femme fetal // reachin' (a new refutation of time and space) // pendulum jermiside and the expert featuring stik figa // black tears // the overview effect // rucksack yaya bey // alright // remember your north star // big dada umi // too late // forest in the city // keep cool yo la tengo // autumn sweater (peel session) // i can hear the heart beating as one (25th anniversary deluxe edition) // matador crepes // cold summers // cold summers ep // deaf ambitions vehicle flips // ompompanoosuc // friends like nations, 1994-1997 // jigsaw diners // if you’ve ever put a spell on me // four wheels and the truth // lauren half-handed cloud // swallowing the water you walk on // flutterama! // asthmatic kitty u.s. girls // if these walls could talk // split lp w/ slim twig // palmist