Ajna & IOK1 - Winter Malaise (4xFile, FLAC, Kalpamantra 2014)

"Winter Malaise" is a collaboration between IOK1 and Ajna, both making dark ambient and drones.

Track 01 (all tracks are entitled as "Winter Malaise") begins with dark, mid frequencies, which comes in like waves on a shore. The main sound is a continues and all present, bleak and choir-like soundscape drenched in reverb, later joined by a metallic, ringing drone. The choirs run kind of slow and calm on the background, but seem to be getting more present towards the end of the track. The second track begins much brighter, but that could be mind play. Its actually a wolf in sheep clothes, quickly showing its true nature. Here, soft and remote scapes are joined by ominous upcoming and fading drones, which are changing the course of this track. Halfway the track nasty yet calm and crunched up noises come in, and the remote scapes are getting darker in tone, much darker, to eventually turn into a slow, eerie, sine-like wave. The third track opens with a very silent drone. Slowly building towards massively, reverbed scapes. The silent drone gets louder and changes in course occasionally and is than joined by low breathing, which sounds a bit like a troubled giant. Also reverbed metallic sounds join in towards the last minutes. The last track has the mood of the first one. Utterly bleak and "no hope" are also the keywords here. Its like being stretched out in a landscape, with all your hopes and dreams, stripped down from their last illusions.

It was the cover/photograph which made me listen to this album, and I didn't regret it one bit.
If you are a dark ambient fan, defenitely try this one out.

Download:
Bandcamp

Flesh Prison - Heaven's Gate (Cassette, Channel63)

"Heaven's Gate" seems to be the first release of this new project called Flesh Prison, from the UK.

The first track begins with rattling, low noise and shredding vocal intervals. A hypnotic loop on the background is guiding the track into more harsher textures of noise. The second track "Moments Of Indecision", has a looped and rhythmic cadence, with occasional noise bursts. Here, the sounds seem to be piling up in delay, to than transform in a low alarm-like signal, also very hypnotic if you start focussing on it. "Growing Obsession" has a wall-like structure of sound, accompanied by delayed noise. And on the background seems be a low ambient layer, coloring this track into dark, grey mass. The fourth one "I can't Breath", also has rattling sounds and noise rhythms. In the distance I hear faint and repeating, high signals. And "Under Soil" has low, brick-noise intervals, which is repeated till a delayed/echo effect comes in to mash it up, which sounds a bit like a stuck record. The last track "Suffering Under My Own Will", is the fastest one from the album. It sounds much like a factory in distress, fabricating mutilation and death.

The whole album has a industrial feel to it. But it goes deeper than that, taking you further and further on a journey through an open and barren landscape, of fog and destruction.
A recommendation that needs to be heard.

Download/buy:
Bandcamp

Dreamcrusher - The Apple Rots At The Top​/​The Cruelty II (Look At Them All) (LTD Cassette, Selfreleased)

A short one today, from the project Dreamcrusher (Kansas, USA), which has allready a couple releases under its belt.

The first track "The Apple Rots At The Top" starts with slow, reverbed feedback and static haze, which than abruptly transforms into harsh ambient and 'up and down' rhythmic noise. The ambient consists out of melodic and hypnotic, lush tunes, but get burned by the harsh static-like noise rhythms, which gives it a rhough edge and rather dark mood.

The Cruelty II (Look At Them All) begins with washy reverbed effects and soft noise. This changes quickly and than turns into a harsh noise rhythm, like in the first track. But the one here is more agressive and harsher.

This is a small but effective release. Especially the first track has a very seductive sound. It also has something mystic, like the artwork from the cassette cover.
Listen when you can.

Download/buy:
Bandcamp

Yellow Tears - The Pissmop (Vinyl LP, Hospital Productions 2008)

There is not much info to be found about this project. But I know it got Four members (Ryan Naideau, Ryan Woodhall, Frank Ludovico and Jeremy Nissan), which is a bit rare in the individualistic noise scene of today. Also live performances of this quartet can be found on the web, and they are worth checking out. Their last release is from 2010, so I don't know if the band is still active.

The album opens with kitchen like sounds, quickly transforming into harsh industrial hits. Its very cool how this field recording flows into total brutality and discomfort. The second track (a very short one) is a field recording from a room/space full of people. I mainly hear children and women. Nothing happens with this field recording, which is kinda weird and voyeuristic. "Straining Repulsion", the one that follows, has a abrasive guitar-like sound, going towards total annihilation. And "A Makeshift Pissoir" has brutal vocals drenched in nasty electronics. "Idled Saturation" has a more eerie and calmer atmosphere, like sneaking around in the moist basement of a serial killer. Sounds of water dripping and high, sharp tones guide you through this dark track. "The Pissmop" has ill sounding loops, what seems to be recordings from a amusement park. The eight track has sharp, dissonant horror tones, which feels like tumbling down a infinite staircase. Its also similar to the works of Penderecki. "Did This Really Happen" and "Gag Symphony #1" also have loops, and sick ones as well. It are loops of voices, strange and unplaceable. They make a great combination of mesmerising sounds. "Liquid Shimmer" has the feeling of being in a large space that has a shower with a metal curtain, producing a very heavy and majestic sound. Or with less imagination: in a workingplace with lots of hacksaws. And as last one we got "Nectars Of The Passion", wich is similar to the opening track, but more chaotic. And it contains vocal loops and female sounds (sexual ones).

This is a very brutal and raw album. I also consider it to be very nihilistic and bleak in sound. Maybe it has to do with the overall usage of short tracks, or facing the listener to a morbid freakshow of the everyday live.
This mind staggering release leaves you with questions and lots of thinking.

Download/buy:
Boomkat

Sewer Election & Treriksröset - Rågsved (Cassette C30, Thorax Harsh Cassettes)

This release is a live recording and collaboration from January 2009,
by Sewer Election & Treriksröset.

The first track opens without any hesitation. Harsh noise textures cling togheter with moody feedback, leaving a trace of destruction and debris. Sometimes agonising and demonic vocals hardly break through the rumble, as if they suffer from from this mercyless destruction and chaos.

The second one is even harsher in sound. It exists mostly out of high and storm-like static noise. Also strange feedback sounds do sometimes occur in this tumult, wich makes me think a bit of mangled traffic sounds. The harsh aspect of the sound weakens a bit towards eight minutes, but quickly comes back in a rhytmic force, to return back again in total chaos.

This album is a heavy rush of noise injections through the vein. Its like being in a whirlwind or tornado, throwing you up in the air and back to the ground again.

No longer available at the label, I think.
But you can still try out this email (its worth trying):
kakerlak666@yahoo.com

A Happy Death. // Shiver - Selftitled (Cassette C40 or download, Diazepam/Angst 2014)

I stumbled on the Italian label Diazepam a while ago and have been checking them out since. The release (a realisation between the two labels Diazepam and Angst) I will be reviewing today is a split by A Happy Death and Shiver, two equal Italian harsh noise projects.

The first track from A Happy death is pure, destroying harsh noise, going from obliterating, clattering noise chunks, to low rumbling, delayed drones and other sounds, ending in feedback. The second one, wich has a much higher texture in sound, is going from outbursts of shrieking to a calmer part with diseased sounding noise.

The tracks from Shiver have a more psyche sound, playing with the mind and heart, like the first track, wich is colorfull but very dark and brutal at the same time. with oscillating synth sounds trying to find a way passed horrified vocals and dark, mournfull (ambient) tunes.
The mood of a funeral comes to mind. Also in the second track "You Are Allready Ashes",
with psychedelic swirling synth tunes that mix up with unforgiving feedbacked noises and very impressive screaming. This is my favorite track from the album.
The third one has deep noise bursts, guitar-like drones, loops and a delayed sample of a woman talking. Its like this track is about to end each time but keeps coming back, very weird and mesmerising. The last track "I want To Die Alone" is the most messy one. Spaced out synth sounds, background screams, dissonant chords and feedback are running the show here, togheter with a catchy synth tune it is a suitable ending for this release.

The tracks from Shiver have quite a original sound that I didn't heard befor, or forgot about.
They put you in a trance like state wich locks you off from the outside world.
But the ones from A Happy Death are equal intense and worth listening.
A very, very enjoyable release indeed.

Download/buy
Bandcamp

Con-Dom ‎– Righteousness (Vinyl 7", Pylon Recordings 1995)

Mike Dando, the man behind Con-Dom, is bringing out industrial noise releases quite a while now, since 1984 to be exact. The EP I am reviewing here is from 1995, by the defunct Pylon Recordings label.

"The Casting Of Stones" is the first track on this record. It brings fast harsh noise that sounds like bad processed data loops, spitting its vile to the listener, while the depraving rants of Mike Dando perform a trial for the accused. A real sick and delusional ride towards execution and death.

"Mission To Kill (Hand Of Mormon)" the second track, starts with a semi-fast industrial beat, followed by intervals of harsh noise bursts, train-like sounds and background vocals.
The beat/rhythm has a militaristic feel to it, aggressive and hypnotic
at the same time. The vocals have the same intensity and sound honest in doing so.

This is old school industrial at its best.

No longer available

Sleep Column - Organic Destructive Discomfort (Digital download 4xfile FLAC, Coffin Birth 2012)

Sleep Column is a russian HNW project from Ivan Sandakov. He allready released dozens of albums. All bone breaking and giving chills down your spine. And the one I am talking about today is no exception.

The First track sounds like a morse code gone wrong, only spilling random and untraceable codes. On the background there is a storm raging and one could hear the sound of clapping windows or doors. The overall sound of this track is crisp and leaning towards static textures.

The second one I could compare with badly processed sounds from a digital source, maybe the sound of a cheap camera or cellphone perhaps. It sounds fast, sharp and violent, like its making multiple small wounds and cuts. It also sounds glitchy and bit crushed, like its mangled over and over again; digital entropy on its best.

The third is the most consistant one. Its grinding, grainy noise with a 'walking on gravel' feel to it.

Track four (25:53: the longest one in length) is high pitched nastiness. A nasty angled sound, clinging and hooking up to whatever it encounters. Never really changing or increasing (till the ending), its eternal bliss.

I really enjoyed this HNW release with a dystopian feel to it.
Its like you have entered the ruins of the digital age.
Grab it while you still can.

Download (free):
Coffin Birth

Deceiver/Bile - Selftitled (Human Beard 2013)

Another short one today.

I found this release on the exellent Human Beard label. Not much info is to be found on the web, so I don't know on wich format this was released. All I know is that Deceiver is a project from Matt Goodrich, bandmember from Breached Hull and many other projects. Bile is unknown to me (and to the Google search bar)

The opening track from this release starts with crude electronics (computer-like) and harsh noise textures, While oscillating sounds find their way inside the track, it stops abruptly several times, to pull you immediately back in. The second track seems to be made out of reverbed feedback, metallic shrieks and equal harsh noise/static. The third and final track I like the most. Its like going through a snowstorm with faint and obscure sounds in the background. It has a short but harsh ending with distorted vocals and feeback.

A recommendation for those who like a short but compelling listening experience.

Download/listen
Bandcamp

J.Adolphe - Re​-​Location Of C​.​R. (Cassette C10, Geräuschmanufaktur 2013)

The first track on this very short release by J.Adolphe, is a mixture of Darkened ambient washes / waves and other noises, wich sound like bad contact microphones. Industrial sounds can also be heard, but are not so present as the ambient layers. The second track is more sonic and moody. Lush string-like ambient is playing some vague and mournfull sounds on the background, with fast going metalic and noisy sounding drones on the foreground.

The sounds were made out of samples from the movie "Body Love", by Catherine Ringer. And the tape comes with 20 pages of manipulated porn and minimal collages.
A very nice, but short release (they also deserve some attention).

Available (digital):
Bandcamp

(and maybe still on some distro sites)

Kontakt Der Jünglinge - n (CD, Die Stadt 2003)

On this release from Kontakt Der Jünglinge you get the constant feeling of being underwater, as if you are in a submarine, diving deeper and deeper to dangerous depths. I listended to this album in a darkened room a couple of times, and I am finding new sounds everytime I listen too it, again. It was like searching too something old and personal.

The sounds most frequent on this release are very dark and deep soundscapes and drones, You can also hear field recordings of water dripping / rain and high clanging in the background, as if someone is smashing glass. The clanging seems to get much higher and sharper in pitch, or maybe its just a new sound coming in, followed by dissonant and eerie tunes, that sound a bit like wind. High and playfull but also sinister,
are the melodies that seem to come from them, without any
direction or destination. The track ends with repetitive
percussion (partly made from the dripping water?).

This 'one track' album is a solid construction wich you have to go through a few times
to see / hear it all. And it will take you to some deep, if not the deepest waters.

Buy:
Die Stadt 

Genocide Organ - With Heart And Hand (Vinyl 7", Tesco Organisation 2009)

A very short one today, by the masters of death industrial: Genocide Organ. This release only has two tracks of three minutes each. But they are definitely worth checking out.

The first track, 'I Kept My Faith, Prayer of St. Augustine', is a mixture of delayed and effected voice loops and high noise / static. In the background there is some heavy percussion going on. I had some wakeless nights the past couple of days and this track could resemble them. Feverish and sick imagery of medievil executions and the black plague comes to mind.

The second track 'One Final Moment', is true horror.
Scraping iron, moving noises and high drilling noise intervals (dentist like) and a voice sample saying that 'we are betrayed'. This is the blackened underbelly of 'The Dark Ages', colliding with the modern.

No longer available on the label

Swallowing Bile - Obsession (Cassette, Fusty Cunt 2013)

Swallowing Bile is a rather new project, run by Ethan Ebeling and started somewhere in 2012, I assume. And he allready has an impressive discography to say the least.

Obsession, his second full album, begins straight away and doesn't give you any room to breath. Nasty, biting power electronics, shredding noise and muffled vocals collide with each other, joined by short outbursts of high pitched shriekings. Some other tracks have the same intensity; aggressive sounding vocals, drenched in noise splinters. While another one begins with calmer crackling noises, but than gets you by surprise with harsh noise intervals and sickened vocals. And 'To Gently Rest' Is like a silence before the storm.

The sound (and genre) of this release has some resemblances with Plague Mother, also a fairly new and promising project whitin the scene. It also has this very direct and fresh sound, which I like.
I like the cover as well, cause its not something you would easily expect for such a release.
In the future I will be reviewing more of this project.

Download / listen:
Bandcamp

Âmes Sanglantes - L'Existence Des Existences (Cassette C20, Hospital Productions 2011)

This project doesn't really need an introduction. Its one of the more well known in the noise scene today. But for those who don't know, Âmes Sanglantes is the outlet from Pierre-Marc Tremblay.

L'Existence Des Existences, an EP from 2011, opens with a dark and rhythm-like drones, followed by slow synthesized, percussive beats and distorted, heavy guitar-like sounds. It has a doom metal feel to it, but than darker and much more compelling. The hypnotic and delayed percussion seems to be the focus point on this track.

'L'Ectoplasme' begins with a very similar drone, but heavier. A bit later industrial beats kick in, togheter with fucked up voices and doomy guitar power chords. Gastly warfare comes to mind, with soldiers that march slowly to their demise and death.

Its a short but powerfull release and its still digitally for sale.

Available:
Boomkat

Tactical Eradication Function - Armature (CDr album, Trauma Tone Recordings 2002)

This CDr album is plain old harsh noise with a industrial feel to it. And it has an old school esthetic in artwork and sound.

It contains fast going oscillating synth noises that mix up with obliterating noise. Some parts are more calmer and dark ambient orientated, while other have hypnotic loops and sequencers, giving the uncomfortable feeling of being in a scientific lab where they study on nasty diseases. The harsh noise and crushed textures are a constant in this release, switching with more and short 'break like' noise rhythms. In one of the eleven Untitled tracks, even sounds of howling wolfs can be heard, accompanied by a bleak soundscape, very nice.

Armature presents a very uncompromised, dark and chaotic trip, from noisy factories to experimenting labs. This is not a release for the faint hearted.
I will definitely try to check out more of this project in the future.

Therabaqud Leic / Officina Magnetika Antonbrega - The Globe Corner (Cassette C46, Minus Habens Records)

A split release with two tracks, that are totally different from each other.

The Therabaqud Leic (AKA Gianluigi Russolo) track is a mixture of sinister ambient and synthesizer noises. It has a futuristic / sci-fi sound, which reminded me a bit of the soundtrack from Blade Runner. Also allot of delay usage can be heard through its entire length. This track would be very suitable for a dark and dystopian science fiction film. I really enjoyed this one.

The song by Officina Magnetika Antonbrega is totally different.
Guitars, woodwinds, singing voices, ethnic percussion and
unrecognisable noises in the background are the instruments and sounds for this track. It has a detuned sound most of the time. And it jumps from one mood to another, a bit like jazz music. At fiveteen minuts the sounds get more interesting and more consistent in its sound. I don't know what to think of this track. Maybe it reminds me of a orchestra band that has gone insane, or maybe they were bored and just played what came to mind.

I actually only liked the first track and thats why I reviewed this album.
The second track has some interesting moments, but they are scarse.
Its still downloadable somewhere I think. So its definitely worth checking out if
you are into dark ambient and synthesizer noise.

No Dreams - Pessimistic Subsidence (Cassette C30, Depravity 2013)

No Dreams is a project from Omar Gonzalez and has only one release so far.

'Finding The Insignificance In All Things', the first track, begins with slow, reverbed bangs and white noise, which are followed later on by percussive sounds and distant junk metal. The white noise (that sounds allot like rain) becomes more electronic and the junk metal gets more intensified while switching more and more to the foreground. Towards the end everything calms down again. A very dark and eerie track.

In 'The Nausea / The Guilt I Feel' I can hear the sounds made from a lifeform, most likely a human being. It almost sounds like someone is busy, searching something he can't find. On the background are outside sounds, from a distant freeway perhaps, and also train-like sounds. The whole track has a cinematic but also voyeuristic feeling to it, like listening to someones activities. At the end noise and other strange sounds (synth?) comes in to mistify the main sounds. I especially liked this track, because it gave me this strange feeling. But the first one is also very interesting.

It was still available on Discogs when I last checked.
So definitely check this one out, if you can find it.

Mania / Hal Hutchinson - Selftitled (Cassette C30, Der Bünker Records 2011)

This one is a two track split release from Mania and Hal Hutchinson. I'm not so familar with their works, but there is a first time for everything.

'Collecting Scars' from Mania begins with nasty power electronics, which are pressing heavily against the tympanic membrane. Togheter with crude intermezzo's of low rumbling noises, sharp static, Percussive metal sounds and crunchy noise, this track is switching from restrained to more chaotic sounds, eventually losing itself in (mild) destruction. Its like taking a trip to a factory from hell, manufacturing decay and entropy.

The second track 'Totally Ugly' from Hal Hutchinson kicks off with immediate and agressive chaos. With fast metal scraping and scratching, it shows no mercy for the listener. Less change is applied in this track and it actually could be considered as a harsh wall of junk metal noise.

A great work of industrial terror.

No longer available through the label

Kopfschmerztablette - Kyoto 6 Protokoll (Download MP3 / FLAC, Nostalgie De La Boue 2013)

This free download is from Michael Wurzer, a German experimental noise musician. On this album he mixes ambient with noise and occasional beats / rhythms.

The album opens with 'Kyoto 63 Genesis', a nice combination of ambient and sharp noises. 'Kyoto 67' has hip hop beats with a background of noisy drones, while 'Kyoto 68 Wald' has deep and slow waves, combined with lush ambient, which are eventually ending in noise. This shows the variety and difference of each track, but it works out pretty well and they all form a unity within this album. The overall sound is stark and clear.
And it has a certain Bleakness to it, but on the other hand it also
sounds very vital. As for the artwork, I'm not sure what the link
is between the love dolls and the music. But I like the combination.
It has something esoteric about it.

The Sonic violence that collides with deep ambient on this release,
is a good combination and very well preformed.
Its a free download, so don't hesitate to try this one out!

Contact / download:

http://nostalgie-de-la-boue.blogspot.be

K.P. - I could Tell You (Cassette C20, Hospital Productions 2010)

This project from Max Gudmunson is very hard to find on the web. And it seems to be fairly unknown within the noise scene. I ask myself why, because it has very interesting sounds and textures.

The two untitled tracks are switching constant between distorted noises, field recordings, beats and vague voice samples. Early works of Maurizio Bianchi comes to mind, but also Sewer Election and Philip Jeck.
It could be the sound archive of apocalyptic scenery and a decaying world, or just as well the world we are living in today.

'I Could Tell You' is like watching a movie without images.
The sound has an old school noise feeling, but also feels very new. This album is for the venturing mind, and those who like to visualize while listening.

No longer available

Shallow Waters - Equal Eyes (LP vinyl, Hospital Productions 2008)

Shallow Waters is the power electronics project of Jeff Plummer and Rob Hill. And 'Equal Eyes' is their first full length release.

The first track 'Brought With Blood' begins with blasting low rumbling noise, quickly followed by nasty distorted vocals, which immediately sets the mood for the rest of this album. The second track 'We're Nothing' opens with a very nice drone, almost rythme like, moving up and down, and followed by the same mangled vocals. Track three 'Red Foam' has a very low thundering sound and more distant  sounding vocals, which are getting more aggressive towards the end. 'Cruelty Exposed' begins with blistering, high noise, attacking the sense organs and shredding the ears, while 'I Ask You' and 'Grim Warning', the last two tracks, are the most harsh and agressive ones of this album, spitting right in your face and beating you to pulp.

'Equal Eyes' is very straightforward in its sound and doesn't mess around.
What you get is uncompromised revolt and suffocating hatred from the first till the last minute.
A true masterpiece for the fans of power electronics.

Contact / buy:
http://hospitalproductions.net/

KnullKraft - Rännstensromantik (Cassette C40, Narcolepsia 2010)

This one sided release with only one track is by the Swedish harsh noise project KnullKraft.
The track opens with scratching on what seems to be a metal object and high and heavily distorted noise (which is repeated throughout the whole track), followed by a voice sample. Later on, agonising screaming joins in, transforming this release in total despair. The screaming becomes more intense as the track continues, really scary shit..

As a whole, it has a very primitive sound, and gives definitely a physical experience. A very impressive and shokking album, trespassing the borders of pain and suffering. This is one of those albums I won't easily forget.

No longer available on label

http://narcolepsiahn.wordpress.com/

Kakerlak - The Gardener (CDr, Life Is Easy 2007)

The opening track on this album begins with a continued drilling, occasional scream and a fast squeaking sound, rocking back to forth. It sounds like a mental patient aggressively shaking his bed. As the track continues the sound gets more harsher and violent. On the background you can hear muffled bangs and other strange noises (wind maybe?) that I can't immediately place. This gives a mysterious aspect to the track, which I like very much. The second track begins with storm like harsh static noise, which gets accompanied by occasional short feedback salvos. Also here the sounds gets more intense as the track evolves, with heavily distorted power electronics going all over the place. The last track opens with rather slow shuffles, squeaking and industrial noises, and like in the first track, I also can sometimes hear strange sounds on the background. This is the most remote and calm one of the three.

With three long (Untitled) tracks of harsh noise (each track lasts about nineteen minutes)
this is truly a great and intense work from Kakerlak. And in combination with the artwork it makes it a mysterious, bleak and rough trip.

Contact / order :
loveinabodybag@yahoo.com