Note: Starting in 2019, a number of albums and tracks have been released via Bandcamp: see https://charnelmusic.bandcamp.com/


  • Numinous Eye

    Numinous Eye is a psychedelic rock, motorik drone, freeform guitar, outer limits smudge, innerspace exploration, cosmic sound system sort of band. There is a separate page for Numinous Eye here, and a Bandcamp page.

  • Collision Stories

    Collision Stories is an experimental quartet creating soundscapes both cinematic and abstract, using wide-ranging instruments including modular synthesizers, turntables, amazing hand-made electro-acoustic constructions, bass, and more. The Collision Stories website can be found here.

  • Trance

    The earliest musical entity begun by Mason was called Trance. Starting in 1987, recordings under the name Trance were released on a number of small-edition cassettes, followed by CDs and singles. As a live venture, Trance included other participants over the years, including Elden M. (Allegory Chapel Ltd.), Annabel Lee (Amber Asylum), Sam Lohmann (36, Nimrod), and others. Live collaborations under the guise of Trance included shows with Jim O'Rourke, Joe Papa (Controlled Bleeding), Evolution Control Committee, and many more. The name of Trance was retired after the word become inextricably intertwined with bad electronic music.

    • Compiled CD (Monochrome Vision, 2008) - A collection of tracks from compilation appearances over the years, this CD (limited to 500 copies) pulled in many rare tracks which were unavailable for a very long time.
    • Augury CD (Charnel Music, 1995) - The last Trance album, this collects a few compilation pieces with some new works. The mysterious last piece, the 15-minute "Segau Tago: Vizgano," was an imaginary world-music track recorded by Warren Defever of His Name is Alive at his house in Livonia. It featured both Warren and Geoff Walker (Gravitar) on various weird instruments as well.
    • Contents Under Pressure (Flying Esophagus, 1994) - This live CD included a guitar duo with Jim O'Rourke, guitar/voice duo with Joe Papa (Controlled Bleeding), noise duo with Emil Beaulieu, a number of pieces with long-time collaborator Elden M. of Allegory Chapel Ltd, and more.
    • Audiography (Staalplaat, 1993) - This was a heavily cinematic release, with short texts accompanying each song. The beautiful cover photo was by Monte Cazazza and Michelle Handelman, and an interior illustration was by Stephen Holman (thank you!).
    • Notre-Dame de L'oubli (Fourth Dimension Records, England, 1993) - The three tracks on this 7" single spanned three separate areas, from solo guitar to a live-in-Japan piece.
    • Guitar Noise EP (Charnel Music, 1993) - This 7" single held one solo guitar improv noise piece backed by a live recording with Allegory Chapel Ltd's Elden M. on sampled vocals.
    • Automatism (Charnel Music, 1991) - The first CD release by Trance after numerous cassettes. There are noisy guitar experiments as well as tribal percussion and the beginnings of the cinematic semi-symphonic works which would dominate the later albums.

    • Cassette Releases

      Audio Image Assault (G.R.O.S.S., Japan, 1993) - A collaborative noise release with Pittsburgh's Macronympha, who sent tracks to Trance, who then added more and mixed the results.
      Emergence of Buried Truths (Obuh Records, Poland, 1993)
      Unyielding Firmament (Sounds for Consciousness Rape, France, 1993)
      Mesmerism (Charnel Music, 1990)
      Purity (Charnel Music, 1990)
      The Beaten Track (Charnel Music, 1989)
      Abyss (Charnel Music, 1989)
      Fatal Blow (Charnel Music, 1988)

      Compilation Appearances

      "Manifest Destiny" Elegy, Cassette, 1996, EE Tapes
      "Aurora Borealis (Light)" Endless 1, CD, 1995, Manifold
      "Oh See Can You Say" 1-800-America, Cassette, 1994, RRRecords
      "Summons" Arrhythmia II, CD, 1994, Charnel Music
      "Vicious Circle" USENET Mind/Body, CD, 1994, Atomic Novelties
      "Seismic Disturbance" Noise War, Cassette, 1994, Mother Savage NPC
      "Rain in Hind" Of Sound Mind, Cassette, 1993, Godsend Productions
      "The Other Side of Silence" Of Sound Mind, Cassette, 1993, Godsend Productions
      "Ennui" Must Be Musique 2, CD, 1993, Dark Vinyl
      "All Thy Bones with Beauty Clad" Dust Claims Dust, Cassette, 1992, Hyde Recordings
      "Monk on Fire" Drudge 2, Cassette, 1992, Drudge Magazine
      "Reversal of Fortune" Drudge 2, Cassette, 1992, Drudge Magazine
      "All the Myriad Ways" Dry Lungs 5, CD, 1992, Subterranean Records
      "Evidence of Danger" Must Be Musique, CD, 1992, Dark Vinyl
      "Siege" Must Be Musique, CD, 1992, Dark Vinyl
      "A Celebrated Occasion" Wakened By Silence, Cassette, 1991, Charnel Music
      "Yearning Like a God in Pain" 4x4, CD, 1991, Ladd-Frith
      "Delerium" Altered States of Consciousness, CD, 1991, U.P.D. Organization
      "Under Construction" Auricular Cassette 3, Cassette, 1991, Auricular Records
      "Film at Eleven" Arrhythmia, CD, 1990, Charnel Music
      "Without Provocation" Complication Compilation, Cassette, 1990, Suitcase Recordings

  • Solo Works

    As a solo artist, Mason Jones has released a series of albums with an emphasis on experimental guitar. These have included ambient forays as well as works that combine distorted out-rock and classical-style playing with textural sounds. Most recently some more psych-pop-inspired songs have started appearing as well.

    • Dimly Recalled CDR (Foxglove, 2006) - Recordings from two live shows in Davis, CA earlier in 2006 opening for Poland's Magic Carpathians. The first was played in an underground bomb shelter (!), the second at the cozy Delta of Venus cafe.
    • Quiet Sparks CD (Cafe Independants, 2005) - Released by the Kyoto-based Cafe Independants label to correspond with a short tour of Japan in the fall of 2005. Most of this album is a recording of a live show at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, which came out surprisingly clearly. The set was swirly and rather psychedelic solo guitar, with some rhythmic components and twiddly moments thrown in as well. Two studio constructions fill out the album. Note the fantastic cover painting by label head Jiro Fukunishi.
    • The Crystalline World of Memory CD (Public Eyesore, 2002) - This collection of guitar works spans a range from totally outer-space ambient sound effects to fuzzed-out psych assaults. Everything was recorded live with a stereo mic direct to DAT, then edited, overlaid and reconstructed in the studio.
    • Midnight in the Twilight Factory CD (Monotremata Records, 1999) - The four long tracks that make up this album include two studio pieces and two live pieces. The studio tracks were recorded direct to DAT with no editing. One of the live tracks was recorded at the Monterey Rock & Pop Festival in 1997, with Jason Stein on bass. The other was recorded at the Edinburgh Castle in San Francisco in 1998 with Bill Horist on guitar and Kevin Goldsmith on electric cello.

    • Compilation Appearances

      "If Seeing is Believing, What Do Your Ears Tell You?" Locked Grooves 2x7" :: Little Mafia, 2004
      "Killed with a Smile" grain CD :: DotDotDot, 2003 (as Asciian)
      "Can't You See" Hand/Eye 2CD :: Hand/Eye, 2002
      "Tokyo Sundown" Deprogramming Music, Vol 1 CD :: Sacred, 2001
      "Neon Approach" Nice Pooper CDR :: with Nice Pooper zine, 2000
      "Dancing on a Slender Wire" Moonlanding 7" :: Helicopter Records, 1999
      "Stone Clouds" Guitar Untouchable CD :: Alchemy Records, Japan, 1997
      "Carnival of Voles" Japanese/American Noise Treaty 2CD :: Release/Relapse Records, 1995 (as The White Rose)

  • Other Works

    Terminal Stress is an electronic project. Only a few things have appeared thus far, at the Bandcamp page.

    We've Come For What's Ours is a secretive noise project with which Mason is affiliated. Limited-edition CDRs with hand-decorated/stamped sleeves appear occasionally in strange circumstances.

  • SubArachnoid Space

    In 1996, Mason founded the band SubArachnoid Space. Originally a trio, the band added second guitarist Melynda Jackson after the first 7" single was recorded but before the band's first show (on KFJC radio). Mason left the group in 2003 on good terms to concentrate on other projects and allow the band to tour more freely.

    Mason performed with the band on the following releases (plus many compilation appearances and unofficial releases):

    • Also Rising (CD, 2003)
      Tigris ~ Euphrates (LP, 2002 - split with Bardo Pond)
      Play Nice (tour CDR, 2002)
      These Things Take Time (CD, 2000)
      A New and Exact Map (CD/LP, 2000)
      The Sleeping Sickness (CD, 1999)
      Endless Renovation (CD, 1998)
      Almost Invisible (CD, 1997)
      Ether Or (CD, 1997)
      Live at Ptomaine Temple (cassette, 1996)
      Delicate Membrane (CD, 1996)
      Char-Broiled Wonderland (7", 1996)