Caligula031 - Bachelorette Party

Caligula031 is founded by Marco Deplano, also known from the excellent power electronics project Wertham. This record was released on Institute Of Paraphilia Studies, a sub-label from Freak Animal, dealing with several concepts about sexual behavior.

This short EP kicks off with Bachelorette: shrieking, high electronics and voice samples, which are later on shifting into more rhythmic patterns. Aggressive but vague vocals come in, together with some sharp harsh noise intervals shifting into controlled, high feedback, sounding much like an ominous indication of threat and danger.

What's A CFNM Shoot Like, Ladies?, the second track, is a voice sample about a woman talking about what seems to be the subject from this album. The third track, CFNM, also starts with similar sample, but this time with partying woman. The sample quickly gets swallowed by hiss and gritty electronics, joined by delayed vocals. The noisy and bleak atmosphere creates a spacious, wide vision of sound and feeling, much like a leader addressing his men from a stage, bringing the message into the crowd and wide, open space.

Rookies In Training, the last track, starts with harsh crunched noise and some more deranged and delayed vocals, tending to be more aggressive than it's predecessors. The noise in this track ravishes like a storm, cutting through everything it encounters. After a while some rhythm is to be noticed in the harsh noise clutter and then suddenly stops abruptly.

This excellent but short release is a must hear for the fans of power electronics and harsh noise!
No longer available on the label, but there are still some second hand copies available on Discogs.

Uv Ursa Spr - One day in Freud's mind (File, Nahàsh Atrym Productions 2014)

This multi noise project from France brings deafening terror for the last six years. Mostly with split releases from other remarkable artists, like Vomir, Robert Ridley-Shackleton and Aqua-Eroticum. “"One day in Freud's mind"”, the release I’m about to review, seems to be a download-release only, which is defenitely worth checking out.

The selftitled and single track consists out of multiple pieces, especially in the beginning, which seem to be pasted together. After a short time span the sounds gain more continuity. The noise that appears on this record is droney, broodingly dark, crisp and seductive. It varies with sick but docile oscillating, synth sounds, bathing in long delay. Sometimes the synth parts turn into blistering, harsh noise, which gives it a kind of schizophrenic aspect. There are also field recordings to be heard of what seems to be a large hall, museum or station. The sound has a natural reverb of people, talking and walking around. They are overlapped with more, weird synthesizer sounds, steel junk, harsh bursts and iced, noise drones. This is repeated till the end of the track (also notice the short sitar interlude at the very last part, strange indeed).

The label on which this album is released is known for it’s brutal HNW releases, but this is not the case with this audio record. The sounds shift continually over into other noises and structures. Although it seems to be existing out of different parts it also exists as a whole. The artwork has a nice, tactile design, is straight to the point and somewhat shocking. A suggestion for those who like experimental and psychedelic (to a minimal point) noise.

Listen/download:
Bandcamp

Tongue Knax – Maxim For Subjugation (Cassette, C32, Stiff Sanctorum 2012)

It’ has been a long time since we have seen a new release from Tongue Knax and the one I’'m about to review already dates from the year that the world was supposed to end. (you can also check an other review from Tongue Knax I did a wile ago, overhere) Since than the world got a bit closer to the images that Tongue Knax evokes.

“Maxim For Subjugation” counts two tracks on each side of the cassette and begins with “Virtue Belongs To Vice”. Ringing and snarling feedback, distorted steel chains, crunched noise and anguished moans and screams form the basics for this nightmare of a track. Sometimes it sounds like the feedback is singing sinisterly. Very eerie. Everything here could be described as controlled chaos, which would be a contradiction. But you can clearly hear all separated sounds blending in nicely together to one big piece of ghastly terror.

The second track, “Pleasure Is Sincere”, has odd, oscillating, synthesizer sounds, bright feedback and delayed, wobbling noise(s). The noise is frantic but also subtle and compliant. The feedback is more orientated on the background than in the first track. And the synthesizer layers sound like aggressive wind, going through the windows and rooms of a ruin or house.

“Maxim For Subjugation” makes me think of a Jheronimus Bosch painting and evokes a world of struggle, pain and suffering. A world of nature colliding with each other and everything else. As always Tongue Knax provides the listener with lush nightmarish sounds and old-school, depraving noise.

No longer available on label.

Unless – Selftitled (File/download, Selfreleased 2014)

Unless is a fairly new project from the guy behind Black Thread (ambient, tape, loops) that is definitely also worth checking out, if you didn'’t do so already. With Unless he switches to a more brutal and harsh sound.

Just like in Black Thread, broken and fragmented textures return here, but in a much more violent and ravishing way. The noise that he produces in this selftitled album is crowded with strength and is equal to that of a merciless storm. It sounds a bit like HNW, but there are changes to be heard in this blackened mass of powerful noise. It’s also shifting to much to just be a wall of noise. The durations of the four tracks (named i, ii, iii and iv) are very long but don’t get boring at all. They shift from low, jagged and crunched out textures to a more fast and high blasting savagery. And just like with Black Thread the artwork is minimal but very beautiful, with lots of detail.

Listen/download:
Bandcamp

Moss Harvest ‎– Constructs Of Loss And Longing (Cassette, C26, Summer Isle 2014)

A new and mysterious project has risen from the depths of the earth. And it is called Moss Harvest. This seems to be the first solo release of this dark ambient project, out and for sale on Summer Isle. There is also a split release with DownFuckingHill, released on Aught Void.

The first of the two tracks is called “Abhor”. And it consists out of stark, convincing & thick layers of darkened ambient. The mood is utterly depressed and conceives hopelessness, but it’s brought with lots of vigor and flair. It’s much like standing on a mountain top, overlooking the scenery with awe, and having the feeling of just being a dot in this thrasher of a world and universe. The dark ambient than transits into what seems to be processed field recordings, sounding like a raw drone or living organism, slowly moving and crawling towards the end.

The second and last track, “Triage”, also starts with overwhelming and strong ambient. This time it sounds more like a humming drone but it has that chilling ambient density. It also doesn’t sound that bleak as “Abhor”, but rather indifferent, like nature. Just like in the previous track it also merges into new processed fieldings, this time sounding more low and machine-like. Than a new ambient layer comes in at a calm pase and in a more silent approach, still going togheter with the field recordings.

This is a great solo debut from a promising project, made with the elements and force of nature. The only dissapointing aspect about this release is that it all was over pretty quick, but that seems to be the case with all good records. Be fast if you want to buy a physical copy, for it only has an amount of 26. And I almost forgot to mention that there is also a zine included.

Listen/buy:
Bandcamp

Winters In Osaka ‎– Constant Fear (Cassette, C88, Fusty Cunt 2011)

For those who don’t know, Winters in Osaka is a now defunct project and was a gathering of several musicians, with Jim Haras from Deterge and also the owner of Fusty Cunt, and Adam Jennings from Urine Cop, among many others. “Constant Fear”, the full length album I’m about to review, is a compilation cassette with five tracks from four different CDr releases.

“Shiva Gives Me A Hand Whenever I Need One” is the first track. It begins with a large crowd of people talking/making conversations, rather distorted. A faint drone or scape comes trough the mob and gets more broken and noisier each second. All kinds of noisy effects come in as well, swirling around the voices of the busy and talkative people. The sound is gritty and sharp, slicing and cutting the protagonists in this harsh play. After a while the people dissolve and disappear into the dark and chaotic noise, to come back again in a different form. It’s hard to explain, so you got to find out for yourself. This is also where a new part starts within the same track. That is a part of noisy synth layers and processed field recordings.

It’s hard to know where the second and third track, “Satyr's Birth” and “In The Form Of A Siren And Foetus” ends and begin, so I won’t bother to find out. It starts out with soothing tape gristle and very minimal sounds, that goes into nice, low rumbling noise after two minutes or so, and continues for the rest of the whole track. Almost wall-like.

The fourth track, “The Portraits Begin To Mourn”, is a twenty minute, dark noise, drone nightmare and collection of many different sounds, like delayed voices, delayed guitars, .. It’s like being in a moist cave with very less light, in hope of finding an exit. Murky, primitive rhythms come in and the sound is getting more tense and scarier after a while. The hope of finding that exit is long gone.

“Norilsk City”, the last track, begins with calm, noise electronics, almost drone-like. They soon get distorted and are joined by repetitive, dark tunes and other, minimal noise clutter. After a while the dark tunes stop and the electronics continue. They get louder and more powerful in sound and turn into solid drones.

Except for the first track, the other four are very repetitive and meditative. Although there is much more underneath the surface after listening to it a second time. A very convincing and dark release.

Maybe it’s still available, I don’t know. But you can email Jim to find out:
jimharas [at] yahoo [dot] com

Weak Sisters – Subterfuge (Cassette, Basement Tapes 2006)

Weak Sisters is a kind of mysterious project. Not much is out there of info, as there is many of the new artists today. Bobby Worth seems to be the founder of this project and this is his first release, dating from 2006. The tracks on this record are all rather short; seven tracks, going from 00:27 to 04:53 as being the longest. But they are all very good.

Tape-manipulation and lo-fi noise mingles with voice samples and deranged synthesizer sounds. Weird loops are crashing into low ranged noise and decaying field recordings are giving up their last breath. Everything is broken here. Broken and covered with huge layers of dust. These sloped structures show no empathy or feelings at all. It’s just straight forward rubble and chaos.

Although with seven separated tracks and all different titles, this release should be seen as one continuous massacre of sound. The overall sound feels environmental, old and has a vintage esthetics to it, much similar to the works of K.P.. A short but strong release.

No Longer Available on label

Ryan Gregory Tallman - Muscle Memories (File/download, Selfreleased 2014)

This full length release is by the experimental artist Ryan Gregory Tallman, residing in Fresno, California, which is primary focused on the sound manipulation of acoustic spaces. I will be reviewing one of his new works called "Muscle Memories".

The first track, “A Wince”, provides us crunchy layers of rhythmic noise, sharp piercing tones, atmospheric effects and sinister static, all well placed and composed. “TwoTwo” is a mixture of wind-like gristle noise, harsh mid tones, controlled but loud feedback and wobbling drones. While the third track, “Of New Film Criticism”, brings agitated power electronics, drone-noise, crushed vocal-like beats and harsh static. “Your Throat”, the fourth track, begins with a repetitive, heavily effected & constantly shifting beat. It is followed by dissonant & reverbed tones and weird sounds that you might also hear inside of a spaceship. Everything is moving here, moving & pulsating. The bitcrushed tones that follow, give the track a nasty & unheimlich feel. Very nice.

“Scrod Reign”, begins with a looped voice sample and goes over into harsh noise layers with faint tones trying to break through the thick noise. Hardly changing in sound and structure, this track makes me think a bit of the ambient noise wall genre. “Rune Sot”, the sixth track, is good combination of noise salvo’s, distorted rhythms, dislocated machine sounds and other shrieking oddities. “Miscellany” is the shortest track and brings razor sharp static and short, interrupted ambient intervals. The last track, “Tendons”, is a heavy drone, monotonous monster with noise drenched electronics, not changing one bit.

With influences of power electronics, noise rhythms, HNW, ANW and even resemblances with Pan Sonic, Muscle Memories is a succeeded experiment of different genres that I really enjoyed.

Buy/download/listen:
Bandcamp

Immaculate:Grostesque – Lifetime (Cassette, C20, Truculent Recordings 2006)

This project is from Jeff Plummer, who also plays or played in Shallow Waters. Both projects seem to be on a hold though, or defunct. And for this release you had to be very quick. Only twelve copy’s were made. He also runned Truculent Recordings (also seems to be on a hold), the label on which this release came out.

Side A (Untitled) begins with calm & sensitive drone electronics, sounding a bit like a campfire that slowly starts to ignite. They get more fiercely and start to erupt into a more aggressive sound, of heavy, high ranged, frantic noise and hiss. Scattering bursts and chunks of harsh noise follows, and than ends abruptly.

Side B (Untitled) starts with sharp feedback hiss. The sound is full and room filling. This is followed by more distorted machine-like electronics, which sound a bit like deluded and manic Morse-codes, drenched in a good, crunched layer of harsh noise. Some nice, subtle blasts of noise awaits the listener at the end of this track.

It seems to be that there are several parts or tracks within these two tracks, which make a very good and solid whole. The artwork represents the sound: cold and sterile. This is for those who like their noise to be old school and dusty.

No longer available on label

Interview with Vulgar Disease

Vulgar Disease is the power electronics and harsh noise project from Mario Umberto Quiroga, who lives and works in Guanajuato, Mexico. Here he talks about how he started making noise, his numerous side-projects, influences and much more.


JM: First of all, What does your project Vulgar Disease stand for and what do you want to say with this project, and what are the themes of your albums?

VD: “REAL MUSIC, FOR REAL PEOPLE THAT MAKE REAL SHIT HAPPEN”.
Jared Russell [ex- Headless Rapist]

Vulgar Disease is a very personal project that contains a great deal of introspection; it is a portrayal of my entire personal debauchery, focusing on a general sense of delirium/”fantasies” However, I do not wish to make general statements about the recurring themes in VD or to declare that it deals with topics that are morally unacceptable or politically incorrect, or even to directly categorize it as something to be filed under the taboo/forbidden/censored/deviant section. For VD, all of this is a day-to-day, exciting flirtation, an ebb and flow of intrinsically normal parameters.
 “THE JOY OF BEING VULGAR”


JM: When did you start making music/sounds, and was it always one particular genre you were involved in?

VD: I started in the year 2000. My mother gave me an electric guitar on the condition that I performed my military service duties. That lovely guitar still exist  but i never made my word regarding to military issues. I have been involved in several genres, as well as in several bands, playing guitar, voice, bass, pre-Hispanic instruments, keyboards, and synthesizers. But my search for something beyond conventional melody/harmony hugely increased in 2002; this was the year in which I started flirting with noise/ambient textures. Working along only with an effects processor.
I landed some gigs in universities, sometimes I played at friends’ parties (houses, garages or backyards), not much really came out of it. When my father died in 2004, I decided to take shelter in music even more, and I moved to Puebla that same year to receive “music education”—which I would leave after 3 years. It was in that city where I decided to stop using my birth name and instead replaced it with a project moniker, and VULGAR DISEASE officially started in July 29th of 2009. As a listener, I have not been able since my childhood to spend a day without music; it was and still is an addiction. I have a somewhat eclectic taste, I can spend all day listening to pop music, and then move to power electronics, or some grunge, blues, slowcore, shoegaze, industrial, metal, all the different “–waves”, or something from the neo-indie scene, etc. 


JM: How are your tracks created and how is your working method?

VD: PLUG & PLAY CABRÓN!!!

There are no methods or structures; it’s a spontaneous form -ad-libbed, all recorded in one take with no post-production. It’s something very instinctive, just get into the brawl, vato–, I’ve always relied on instinct in that way. Brings me to head a quote by the good old dog Steve Bagman to specify my response: “Shit is played live, in one take, by one man”.


JM: Aside from Vulgar Disease, are there any other projects or bands you are/were involved with?

VD: I am currently active in several projects: AJOLOTE (formerly Vertex Germ), with EDWIN ARCE, is one of them. We decided to change the name of the project after using it for 4 years. The decision was mostly based on the huge ancestral connotation of this amphibian (MEXICAN SALAMANDER), which is now in risk of extinction, and also (why hide it) because of 
its impressively psychedelic morphology.

AJOLOTE is perhaps the most “relaxed” of my projects, possibly because of the focus on hallucinogenic plants, which has led us to create albums in relation with magical mushrooms and peyote (available in RUIDO HORRIBLE as Vertex Germ), as well as a small tribute to this mythical fish (available in INFRA EDICIONES, our formal debut as AJOLOTE).

DOPAMINE LARVAE is a project that has evolved in a blacker, colder way. At first, most of the content was strongly related to Satanism and synthetic drugs. In time, I moved on to topics like genetics and medical experiments. Perhaps some of my childhood mental whirlwinds are reflected in DL (possibly in the somewhat fantastic tone and a certain degree of “utopia”, which I believe can actually take place). I recently finished a work that finally explains quite well what DOPAMINE LARVAE has been so far, and possibly what this project will deal with for some more time. This release, called “SONIC COMPENDIUM”, is a collection of 3 works, 3 installations and 1 bridge (#1. FULL TRILOGY a. ENDANGERED SPECIES b. NOT A HIDDEN PLACE c. SONIC PRAYERS FOR THE END OF YOUR EXISTENCE #2. SWEET VICES (BRIDGE) #3. UOMO NUOVO #4. PAREIDOLIC NATION).

Right  now, I am working in a new concept, similar to “SONIC COMPENDIUM”. The first part is now available in free download format from TORN FLESH RECORDS: TRANSMITTERS I “SPIRAL STANCE”.

P13/PRISIONERO13 is the most militaristic of my projects; originally VULGAR DISEASE handled most of this topic, but I felt the need to create an exclusive project bound to the topics of political violence and its nature. With a heavy dose of nationalism, narrating & protesting what happens in this spiral of violence that has been swiftly unleashed in my country. But it must be said that this is nothing new, it has been going on for centuries…

“Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” 
Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás

The name PRISIONERO13 is taken from a Fernando de Fuentes Carrau film from 1933, which mainly deals with the corruption of the military elite and its conduct codes. As a project, P13 is the voice of just another citizen that joins the revolt against the role of the army in the infamous and failed war on drugs. 

¡NO PASARÁN! 

I am currently in the process of creating a project using field recordings in a more industrial (strict/pure) way, the details are not still fully realized. There are currently two P13 albums about to be released: PATRIOTA SUPREMO (L.WHITE RECORDS) SEMBRANDO TERRORISMO (OBRERO, formerly CRIMES AGAINST SKIN)

XIUHCOATL, where I play along with Edwin Arce, Alejandra Fuentes, Héctor Sánchez, Juan Manuel Castillo, Israel Xchell, means FIRE SERPENT in the ancient Náhuatl language. "Xiuhcoatl" was formed in 2008, and it was started with the purpose of fusing organic, experimental and pre-Hispanic American sounds, along with research on different ethnic groups in order to revalue folkloric traditions and languages/dialects. Therefore, by experimenting and using contemporary techniques, Xiuhcoatl was born in order to achieve our own original and histrionic sound. In order to reinforce the performance aspect, we utilize real-time projection of visuals, as well as pre-Hispanic masks and instruments. XIUHCOATL is recording new pieces and also presenting live performances in several parts of the country. Xiuhcoatl as band is generally associated with the folk/ethno genres, and to describe its sound I leave you the link of some home-made demos… 

DOOMBOX, with SASCHA ALEXANDER PLEIN, also has a huge “political” content, more focused on “global” situations. Sometimes the degree of “sarcasm” (produced by videos) is so terribly much that it can be taken as a joke…

”A BRUTAL JOKE, JUST LIKE LIFE ITSELF…”


JM: Are there other artists that you feel related to, or which inspire you as an artist?

VD: I do not see myself as being related/involved with the other artists that converge in this scene. 
I can say though that I have met great people, my “hermanos del ruido”, people that I have collaborated with or that I have had deep conversations with about noise or art. I mention most of these people in my blog. RESPECT! In terms of inspiration, it’s a very subjective issue. My mind is full of shit, to the degree that a simple conversation or a hard-hitting quote can detonate an entire album. I prefer to feel a personal experience, although I obviously never cease to become moved by other disciplines apart from music. For instance, the SERIAL album, released on 412 Recordings (which was the first physical release)aside from the personal issues, is also greatly based on the film DEAD MAN’S SHOES from SHANE MEADOWS, and it also portrays some of the life of the Mexican serial killer GREGORIO “EL GOYO” CÁRDENAS / “THE TACUBA STRANGLER”. For me the most important thing is not the “subject” of the inspiration per se, but how linked I am to that “subject”, in a personal/delirium-based level.


JM: Any other influences beside music (books, art...)?

VD: Personally, I am much more moved by artists that do not belong to the religion of sound.
Mostly my influences come through films and books, but also through the ancestral sculpture and architecture (MAYAN, AZTEC, BALINESE, EGYPTIAN, etc.), as well as some contemporary styles. Zoophilia/bestiality, sports (common or extreme), serial killers, body modification, natural disasters combined with sexual acts, among others, are key influences as well. “SIN CORRUPCIÓN NO HAY INSPIRACIÓN” / “NO CORRUPTION NO INSPIRATION”


JM: Can you tell me a bit about the equipment you like to use with Vulgar Disease?

VD: I try to keep it simple: My sound movements are destroyed digitally (laptop) o analogically, or a combination of both. I do not reject any “technique”. Everything is done live and in real time. I do not sit down in a chair to “retouch” or perform post-production work. I use second-hand keyboards, a small amplifier, a midi controller, microphones, hammers, oil drums and plastic bins, drills, pieces of metal I find in industrial landfills and a nice pair of balls.


JM: What can you tell me about the artwork you used for your releases (any personal favorites)?

VD: Honestly, all of the artwork from the VD releases is my favorite. I could personally choose the GANGLAND artwork, a photography that my friend Christina Viet took in the Czech Republic. The artwork for ODIO, CAOS Y DESTRUCCIÓN, handmade by Nicola Vinciguerra, it`s a killer. Likewise, the artwork for the ALARMA! album, a collage of the crime tabloid magazine in question, on MURDERABILIA RECORDS. Finally, another good artwork was used in the SERIAL album (412 Recs), the shovel that GREGORIO CÁRDENAS used to bury his victims, a picture taken from an exhibition dedicated to him.I am anxiously waiting for MANUEL PEREIRA’s (NARCOLEPSIA RECS) new artwork for the TESTOSTERONA album; Also the artwork for MÁS CONTAGIOSO QUE EL PECADO, which was carried out by a French brutist (FRANCOISE DUVIVIER/FULBERT DUPONT aka The Damaged Corpse Corporation)… It has several cover/cards shaped like post cards.


JM: You have made quite some releases already, how much time do you spend on making sounds or being an artist and is it your life or just a small part of it?

VD: I see it as my whole life. I dedicate a great amount of time to sound (from production to the ideas that detonate in my head). I have had some personal situations in the past 2 years that have affected my production, and especially my live performance work has greatly diminished as compared to when I originally started. But this has not stopped me. This year marked the fifth anniversary of VD, which pushes me forward to keep harvesting vulgarity for 5 more years. ¡HASTA LA MUERTE CABRONES!


JM: What are the future plans of Vulgar Disease and is there any goal you would like to achieve with this project?

VD: My album “TESTOSTERONA” will be released soon on NARCOLEPSIA. “MÁS CONTAGIOSO QUE EL PECADO” will be released in 2015 on LENGUA DE LAVA.
“GENDERCIDE”, a split album I am working on with EGOGOD, will be self-released. We have invested our time in order to collaborate as a unit in the disc production (artwork design, t-shirts, booklet). This project will be released in 2015. There are also several splits in the works. Some Live dates to perform on my country are on the target. I have also been thinking about playing outside of Mexico, and to play with some noise brothers , preferably the ones i have already collaborated 
with, playing in the moon, in the sun, in a cage full of hungry lions… So many goals to achieve yet…


JM: Any last words?

VD: Thanks to Jan Meiner at conflict & Gerardo Alejos at Lengua de Lava [translation].

“TODAY I’M DIRTY, BUT TOMORROW I’LL JUST BE DIRT“ 
 Carl Panzram

Lettera 22 - Lack Of Attention (CD, Ljud & Bild Produktion 2011)

Lettera 22 is a noise/electronics and field recording project from the Italian duo Riccardo Mazza and Matteo Castro. Both active in other projects like Drug Age, A Flower Collapsed, .. They are also owners of the Second Sleep label. “Lack Of Attention”, the album I will be reviewing,  seems to be their first release with Lettera 22.

The first and second track (all tracks are untitled) seem to be connected (in fact they all seem to be connected somehow) with each other and the first one opens with a dark drone, sounding like a humming generator or some kind, joined by all kinds of electronics and field recordings, bathing in a soft, spacious reverb, that also returns in most of the other tracks. It gets more chaotic after a while and the sounds that were mentioned are joined by harsh electronics and sharp feedback, descending into a violent display of nature. Track three is a twenty one second, short burst of brutal feedback salvo’s and harsh texture noise. The fourth track starts with field recordings of street sounds, ricocheting against the walls inside a building from were it seems to be recorded. Perhaps in the room that is shown on the cover of the artwork. It also sounds a bit like Arv & Miljö, but than more clearer in sound. Not for long, high ranged and corrosive noise joins in again. But the track ends were it began. Track five is a more psyche noise, orientated one, with delayed and reverbed sounds. But after a while it also succumbs under the heavy, decaying harsh noise.

Track six is the longest one, with a twenty two minutes in length. It’s an extension of the fifth track but actually also of all other ones. Underneath the defecating and claustrophobic noise you can hear people talking and other environment sounds are also to be heard, being swallowed in a sea of depraving nihilism. Around minute seven the sound gets more quiet again with a ringing scape/drone, more field recs (birds, church bells, ..) and rain like sounds. For some reason the drone has something ritual-like, but also meditative. Like a dark ode to our world and the nature outside of us. Here, the resemblances with Francisco Lopez's sound are not far away.

The sound of “Lack Of Attention is rough and fresh. Very Rough, like the artwork. But also sparse and hypnotic at some times, like the very last part of the last song. All six tracks should or could be seen as one track with different parts, instead of six individual ones. It also can be seen as a collision of the urban, human world with (other) nature. Anyway, it’s one heavy and dim ride I won’t forget.

Buy:
Ljud & Bild Produktion

Lock / White Resin / Interference / Marble Verse – Malediction (Cassette, C50, VAALD 2014)

Some new releases are out on the excellent VAALD label, so it’s time for a review from one of the more older releases; Malediction. Malediction is a compilation from four different projects. All of them residing in the mayhem department.

The first two tracks are from Lock. “Lavaliere” is the first one and starts with slow burning, dark feedback-like drones, musique concrete, oscillating synth misery and low ranged death vibes. Most of it is drenched in a cold and nice sounding reverb. The feeling you get listening to this track, is that from a chilly and icy winter evening. The next one in line is called “Scordatura”. More oscillating synths are to be heard here, but also chime-like sounds and more eerie drones, again drenched in that nice sounding and spacious reverb.

The third track, “Improved S Barb”, is by White Resin and kicks of with a determent sounding and hypnotic electronic loop, shifting gradually in shape and rhythm. This is repeated throughout the whole track, and worked well as sort of rough, meditative piece.

The fourth is by Interference and is called “Canine”. Dark, esoteric noise is a well suited description for the beginning of this track. Grainy, saturated death electronics come in, driven to cause infliction on the nerve system and shredding the man made illusions of life. Chaotic harsh noise follows up, fragmenting every last hope of structure. A very nice and basic sounding track.

“Divergent” is the last track, made by Marble Verse. With it’s brooding and melancholic drones/scapes, this track is somehow most suited for the exotic looking cover of the artwork. It has a dark eastern sound you can sometimes also hear in the Muslim Gauze records, but than without the beats. This is the most depressing and calm one of the five.

The physical copy’s seem to be sold out, but it’s still listenable and for sale on Bandcamp.
Highly recommended stuff!

Bandcamp

Arv & Miljö - Antropocen (Cassette, C52, Lust Vessel 2014)

“Antropocen” is the latest release from Matthias Andersson’s No-fi project Arv & Miljö, and it is one of his most remarkable releases so far. The title refers to the *Swedish term of Anthropoc emphasized for the current geological epoch by a Dutch-born German atmospheric chemist Paul Jozef Crutzen (* taken from Lust Vessel).

The first untitled track (all tracks are untitled) is a mixture of outside sounds (birds, ..), natural environment drones, construction works, scratchy noise and a high ranged loop, all well put together. At the end the track gets more noisier and it’s like everything is getting swallowed by the ravashing noise. The second one, “Untitled 02”, starts with scorching, high ranged electronics and crunchy, low, broken noise. This ‘broken’ concrete noise is also the typical sound of Arv & Miljö, that you won’t hear somewhere else. They are joined by what it seems to be moving metal objects of all kinds, going all over the place, but remaining on the background. “Untitled 03” opens with repetitive, high ranged electronics, drenched in hiss, sounding a bit like crickets. More sounds join in, but they are keeping a more low profile than in the previous tracks. The fourth track has a eight minute run of brutal harsh noise, metal and shrieking electronics. Field recordings of unplaceable sounds also come in. This track has a bit of a junk noise feeling, but than again it’s totally different than the mentioned latter.

Track five, on the other side, opens with a nice industrial drone, shifting in shape constantly (if you listen carefully). The drone is joined by violent noise jabs/slashes and other environment sounds that add up to a deep and utterly bleak atmosphere. Glass-like shattering noise is the frantic opener for the sixth track. You can clearly hear the sharp edges of the sound as they pierce the ear. The ending is cool to, as it seems to disappear into a more atmospheric field scape. Track seven has crunched and totally broken electronics, sounding like industrial entropy in full glory. The low rumbling on the background creates a nice and solid underlayer, which carries the other harsh sounds. The last track is maybe the least abstract one. It starts with heavy, brutal banging on metal objects and other aggressively, moving steel objects. A last venture into unremorseful chaos, you would think. But it ends with a field recording of the sea (with seagulls).

The most important thing about Arv & Miljö is that it all feels very natural, as if even the noise is taken right out of the environment and nature. Also, there are allot of sounds to be discovered in Antropocen, if you listen with full attention. This is truly recommendable stuff if you are into uncompromisingly noise.

Antropocen is sold out on Lust Vessel, but still scattered around on several distro’s.

Suizidality - Kristen (File/download, Selfreleased 2014)

This new project from Russia brings one track called “Kristen” and artwork of true ghastly and brutal nature: A dead and murdered child is portrayed on the cover art. Shocking and breathtaking.

A long sample of two children that have to sing songs from their mom or teacher opens the track. Shuffling noise than replaces the sample. The noise has a weird depth of faint, high ranged drones, as if they are singing morbidly on the background. They are followed by crunched but also muffled harsh noise and very faint vocal grunts that leap out from time to time. Than an abrupt stop and dark, etheric  soundscapes come in, joined again by a sample of singing children. The soundscapes turns into a more noise drone-like atmosphere, getting harsher after a while. Occasional sounds of feedback bursts, more samples and other unplaced noises are spread carefully along the rest of the track, which gives it a minimalistic but well dosed approach. At the last part we get to hear nice repetitive electronics, bathing in human filth and regret, ringing against the background of bleak atmospheric layers.

This is a release of utter hopelessness and doom. The dreadful sounds in combination with the child samples create a suffocating atmosphere and bring in the loss of innocence. Also worth mentioning: “Kristen” seems to be existing out of multiple tracks instead of one, as it are all different parts with sometimes sudden stops. It doesn't seem to be having a physical release, which is certainly a pity.

Listen/buy:
Bandcamp

Alleypisser – Tvang (Cassette, C30, Second Sleep 2011)

Today I will be reviewing ‘Tvang’ from the now defunct Alleypisser project, by Mikkel Rørbo. The release has two untitled tracks on each side and came out on the excellent Second Sleep label.

The first side begins with a continued metallic, almost drone like sound, occasional lurking feedback and washy noise. After a while the metal objects get treated more physical, with a repetitive industrial feel to it. At this part of the track the other sounds start to disappear and eventually you can only hear a car engine like drone, that is joined later by delayed, metal objects and feedback intervals. This continues for a while, till a new drone layer appears. Dark stuff.

On the other side the second track picks up where it ended on the first: dark, ringing drones that made me think of stretched out and desolate, industrial landscapes. Metal hits/banging and short feedback salvo’s come in to make the picture complete. It also made think allot of the recent movie ‘The Rover’, I have seen yesterday. It has much similarities to the threatening, hopelessness and bleak atmosphere of that movie. At the end of the track the sound gets harsher and noisier again, to than end abruptly.

The overall sound could be described as minimal, to say on the sources that is. The sound itself is very rich and full in sound. On both tracks you can also hear the presence of the room it is recorded in, so it has a bit of a live-performance feeling. The physical release is long sold out, but you can download it now on the artists Bandcamp, together with all other Alleypisser releases.

Download/buy:

Bandcamp

Empiric ‎– Familiar (Cassette, C20, Crown Tapes 2012)

Empiric is the drone/noise/ambient project from Jim Haras, also involved in other projects and groups as Deterge, Urine Cop, Winters In Osaka and many others. ‘Familiar’ is the only release under his Emperic project (released in 2012, but recorded in 2011). To bad, because it definitely makes me yearn for more.

The EP is counting two tracks, each on one side. The first one is “Languid”, which starts with dark, moodfull drones, delayed high ranged percussion (bells?) and dissonant ambient. The overall sound of the beginning is exotic and puts you right into bleak, Vietnam war movies like Full Metal Jacket, Platoon and Apocalypse Now. Than it gets noisier with crude, washy, concrete sounding noise and hissing sounds. But on the background the eerie jungle is still present. Out of the noise also arises new sounds, and other kind of drones, very hypnotic.

On the other side we have “Percolate”, which is also residing in the exotic area, at least to my experience. Heavily reverbed, metallic percussion and more waves of drones are tangling into each other, as if they are dancing with each other and create a beautiful and playful, yet sinister combination of sounds. Joined a bit later by strange synthesizer noises, the human world is not far away.

A very nice release for the dark drone/ambient lovers, who also like a more experimental style of music.

No longer Available on label

JOULUPUKKI – 1 (Digital/download, Selfreleased 2014)

JOULUPUKKI is a brand new project from Finland with only one release counting. On his Tumblr there is more to discover, like experimental video’s combined with noise. But I mostly liked his release that I will be reviewing today.

The album has four tracks and starts with “Krakh Bol'shoy” which could be described as sick noise. Harsh layers of shattering noise team up with ranting, primitive vocals. And as the track progresses, the structure changes into more rhythmic noise, but still very chaotic and aggressive. Especially the nihilistic vocals are worth mentioning here. The second track, “F60”, has high ranged, static noise and shrieking, distorted feedback and effected vocals, joined by moaning, low bee sounds, pressing hard against the speakers. ‘Vomiting noise’ comes to mind listing to this track. “Linnut, sylilaitteet“, the third track, exists out of a loop of sickening vocals drenched in lo-fi fuzz, crushing noise and other strange effects also join this mental party. At moments this track is very sick and disturbed, like the child-sounds that come in after a while. The last track, “Medved der'mo” (the longest of the album), has very nice layers of harsh noise, occasional sharp feedback and more frantic vocals (much less than in the previous tracks though). Sometimes it sounds a bit like a data processor that went wrong. Very solid and basic noise I must say.

This is a release that returns to the roots of noise. A No-fi nightmare of bleak nihilism. Deranged and sickening to the core. Definitely one of the best and underrated releases this year.

Buy/download:
Bandcamp

Andy Ortmann & The Cherry Point – Split (Cassette, C20, SRR 2004)

This is a split release from the old days. 2004 was a good year for excellent noise releases and this was one of them. It contains three tracks by Andy Ortmann & one by The Cherry Point. For those who don’t know, Andy Ortmann makes experimental music since 1990 & The Cherry Point is the moniker of Phil Blankenship, who is also becoming a pioneer in the scene.

The release starts with the tracks from Ortmann. “This Is What I Am” is the first one and consists out of drilling electronics, slowly shifting in sound and mostly unchanging which make it very meditative. The second track, “The Look Of Love”, is the longest of the three and is a collection of musique concrete, field recordings of outside sounds, messed up clutter, weird clock like sounds, dark scapes and industrial hits. A very interesting combination of sounds. The clock like sound is the most persistent here. “We've Only Just Begun” is the third and last one from Ortmann. It starts with the sound of a bird, and ends with a man talking. No further explanation needed here.

“Guts Bloody Guts” on the other side, is the track from The Cherry Point. This one starts with clattering racket noise and rusty electronics. I also seem to hearing a drone on the background that sounds a bit like stretched out sound from an airplane. Occasional blasts of vile noise and moaning feedback comes in, and towards the middle the sound changes it’s course into a more chaotic atmosphere. Busy factories come to mind in this industrial terror from The Cherry Point.

Although these two artists bring out a total different sound, they both fit very well together. This is experimental and harsh entropy on it’s best. And the artwork speaks for itself.

No longer available on label

Vongut – Demo 2014 (Cassette, Selfreleased 2014)

Vongut is a new HNW project that started somewhere in 2014. The release counts 3 tracks of brutal HNW, shifting between ear shredding mids and agitated, groaning lows. The pase is fast and manic, specially in the last track. Aggressive and sharp static can be heard on the background throughout all tracks, giving the whole a nice and crisp depth.

This release brings true HNW which makes your head spin, as you seem to be pulled in a whirlwind of nothing but relentless and unchanging noise textures. And the physical release comes with a nice cassette template & b&w photograph as artwork.

Buy/download:
Bandcamp

S.T.A.B. Electronics - Instrument For Operating On Mutant Women (LP, Urashima 2014)

For the ones that don't know, S.T.A.B. Electronics is a project from Keith G Finnan and dedicated to Marco Corbelli, who committed suicide on the age of 37, in 2007. He was also known from Atrax Morgue, a power electronics and dark ambient project.

Pitch black, very aggressive and right in your face is a good way to describe the tracks from this record. The vocals are violent, desperate and expressive. On most of them there is a nice reverb, which make them dark as the night itself. They also claim most of the attention, so you must really be into the genre to like this album. The intensity of them even comes close to death metal. Very impressive. They are accompanied by samples, low ranged darkened drone noise, bursting attacking harsh noise and sharp metallic feedback. The usage of synthesizer sounds are scarce, but well dosed. Or maybe they are just serving humble on the background. Variation is good description for the differences in each track. And hypnotic does sometimes come to mind also, like the militant drone electronics in “Ex Fat (For SGO)”. And the primitive sounds in “The First 45” on the other hand, are having a more exotic nature. The subjects of the tracks are nihilistic, bleak and come straight out of the underbelly of our society and the cruel nature of ourselves; humans. For example in “Defaced (Burnt With Acid)”, with the story of the woman that got her face burned by her boyfriend with acid.

The conclusion of this album is that there is enough variation in the tracks to keep it interesting, but there is also unity within all of these tracks, which is alltogheter an important combination. These are power electronics with true heart and for all the die hard fans within this genre.

The record is sold out on the label, but probably still out there after a good search.

Арсений Литвин и Лёгкий Крах – сплит (Cassette, Torga Amun Rec. 2014)

Арсений Литвин и Лёгкий Крах seems to be a new noise project, as I never heard from it or found another release by this artist. The label on which it has been released is not so new and in fact a recommendation for professional CDr releases.

The titles of the tracks on this album are long, very long, so I won’t be mentioning them. There are 3 tracks; two on the A side and one on the B side. The first track is pure junk esthetics, drenched in harsh noise. Nasty, sharp feedback salvo’s, occasional moaning, washy noise textures and strange keyboard sounds create a nice mess and chaotic bleakness. The second track contains more junk noise, with scraping, clanging metal and bristling, low ranged noise, it sounds like a rusted factory where you don’t want to work. Very nice.. The track on the other half is different from the other two. It’s more brooding with it’s dark power electronics and esoteric, repetitive synth noises. But than again, it also has that industrial feel with the metal and steel objects. Very impressive, as it comes very close to releases from the much respected Lust Vessel label, like Lebensfaden for example.

This is a highly rated discovery and find, that you can’t put aside in the list of greatest noise releases of the year. It has similarity to the early releases from Sewer Election and like I mentioned before, some releases from Lust Vessel. Also the artwork is outstanding in it’s design. True old school noise you must check out!

Buy/listen:
Bandcamp
Label

Bleak Existence ‎– One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (Cassette, C40, Waterpower 2013)

Bleak Existence’s records shift between harsh noise and HNW, but I guess mostly HNW. This one is released by Waterpower in 2013. But you had to be quick to grab this one, because it was limited to only 25 copy’s.

The album has two tracks. The first one is called “One Step Forward”, and exists out of one long wall, 20 minutes to be exact, which is the half of this record. The sound is most of all mid ranged, with nice sharp edges and low ranged curves. It sounds a bit interrupted throughout the whole track, something I never heard before in a HNW track, which gives it a kind hesitated feeling. You could say that it is a vulnerable wall of noise.

The other half completes the title of this album with “Two Steps Back”. Here the sound is totally different. It has low ranged static with background mid and highs. And like in the first half it’s one long continues wall of sound, with almost no change. It could resemble many things. But it reminds me mostly of a tropical rainforest or a waterfall. Anyway, it's for the listener to figure that one out.

“One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” is a nice and solid release with equally nice artwork. I recommend to Listen this on a rainy and grey evening.

No longer available on label

F.E. Denning – Rites Of Passage (2x Cassette, C22 & C16, Posh Isolation 2012)

This must be the first release of the mysterious project F.E. Denning, that found its haven on the label Posh Isolation. The release comes in an envelope/insert, with two white cassettes and four untitled tracks.

I listened this record outside, at train stations and other public places and it was like time itself had slowed down and put everything in slow motion. The tracks could be described as dark ambient, but they are actually drones. Bleak meditative sounding drones. Very bleak. The world seemed to be a nothing more than an empty shell, where everything was taken out of it’s usual context. And although all four tracks are really slow, they posses a underlying aggressiveness and violent character, like they could burst open any time. There also seems to be not much change going on, but that's not true. They are constantly shifting in sound, unnoticeable. Like the way cells are turning into an malevolent tumor, very sneaky and underneath the surface. The last track is bit different from the other three. It comes closer to noise than drone. But it fits perfectly with the other ones. What the tracks are made of is unclear to me. I heard industrial sounds in it, but also a manipulated gong. It could be anything. Although this album is not loud, it blew me away. Very recommendable stuff.

The album is no longer available on the Posh Isolation, but maybe there is still lingering a copy somewhere on a mailorder company. If not, there is a new release out from this artist, also on Posh Isolation. The new album is called “Cities Of Light”.

Foxconn - Managing One Million Animals Gives Me A Headache (Download, Coffin Birth 2012)

Only one release counting from this project, released on the HNW label Coffin Birth, although I wouldn't describe most tracks of this album as HNW. They all are monotonous and unchanging of nature, but they are not all harsh noise.

The first two tracks for example, are long meditative lines of static, transceiver noise and hiss. Like “Net Gains [Suicide Solution]”, which has a smooth, yet sharp and aggressive hissing sound. The third track, “Square Pegs, Square Holes”, comes close to HNW, but still has not that rumbling and merciless attacking of low, thundering, solid noise that defines the genre. That doesn’t mean I don’t like this release, offcourse. Otherwise I wouldn’t be reviewing it. But maybe their should be another classification for it (perhaps there already is, that I don’t know of). Anyway, back to this release. The fourth track, “Neoindustrial Dehumanizer”, is more aggressive than the previous one. And till now it looks like the album is building up in intensity throughout the order of the tracks. The fifth track (which has a long digit code as title) is a combination of sharp hissing and mid ranged noise. It has the same intensity as the fourth track but differs much in sound. The sixth track, “The Finger Farm Is Humming”, returns to the sound of the beginning, with a calm and soothing hiss. The last track, “Wyrm”, sounds more organic than all other tracks on this album. It sounds a bit like rain, that is heard from the inside of a building.

This is a nice release, but don’t expect harsh noise with ravishing intensity. With it’s unchanging sound we could call it ‘wall’ though. It lies somewhere inbetween, I guess. But it’s best to find out yourself, since all things all relative and subjective.

Place to be (free download):
Coffin Birth

Perispirit - Abysmal Penetrations (Cassette, C26, Hospital Productions 2010)

Perispirit is a noise duo that seems to be on a hold since 2012 now. They have quite some releases worth checking out (but hard finding them). “Abysmal Penetrations”, an EP released on Hospital Productions, will be on the board today.

“Abysmal Penetrations” has two tracks counting, “Obsolete Weather Procedures” and “Silver Bath”. They both have some scary electro acoustic sounds going on. Reverbed fieldrecordings, musique concrete, dark, distorted and harmonious drones, ill guitars and submarine sounds, you name it, it’s all there. The tracks have much layers and are very rich in depth and sound, which is a delight to be excavating in the content of these tracks. Like the first one, “Obsolete Weather Procedures”, is like you are sucked into a horror movie or B-film and into the shed of some serial killer with all kinds of tools hanging on the wall. But you could be in a dark space ship as well. Anyway, lots of imagination that can be evoked listening to this track. The second track, “Silver Bath”, is more dramatic and monotonous, with its thick drones and repetitive, ringing guitars, sometimes heading from harmonious to more dissonant tunes.

If one is into the exploring kind of noise, than this is definitely something to check out. The cover is also nice with it’s vintage look. Hospital Productions did a series of the same kind of artwork and layout, and this one is also a part of those releases. It’s no longer available on physical format but still as download.

Download/buy:

Boomkat

Clavicula Salomonis – Selftitled (Download, Infinite Undoing Tape Label 2014)

The selftitled album from this artist has two sides with untitled tracks, around fifteen minutes each half. The sounds of the first half are dark and murky electronics and crunched noise joined by chant like ambient and background drones. At the mid part of this track, the sound intensifies to a climax and than eases down, to than build up again with more low ranged noise (which seems to be another track).

The other half brings an post-apocalyptic atmosphere with nice, ill sounding drones and broken device electronics. They are joined by faint vocals (samples?) and other electronic loops. The other part has wind like sounds and fast, typewriter like noise. A storm is coming, surely.

Infinite Undoing Tape Label and the projects it releases seem to be all new. And the overall artwork that is used for these releases, makes me think a bit of the Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer. I’m not sure if the releases are also physical, but I assume they are, according the name of this label and there is a contact option for you to try out.

Download/listen:
Bandcamp

VA – Ten-Jin (LP, Vinyl, Urashima)

“Ten-Jin” is a sort of collaboration between the Japanese “Lust Vessel” and Italian “Urashima” label, two giants within the genre. It contains 6 tracks of various artists, of which some I know, but also some that are unknown to me.

The first artist on this record is “Tongue Knax”, a mysterious project from the underbelly of Japan, which already has some releases under it’s name. The track is called “Compos Mentis As Inkubus” and starts with transceiver like, synth noise and eerie, modeled feedback tunes. The sounds stay pretty much the same throughout the whole track, except for some subtle changes of more synth noises and very faint vocal samples. Nevertheless a very good sounding track. The second artist is called “Thug Ribs”, and the track “Life Sentence”. Thug Ribs brings horrorish noise with scorching and screaming feedback, joined by delayed synthesizer sounds drenched in sickness. Illness and death comes to mind, perhaps a plague of an incurable virus, ravishing human and land. Very visual evoking content. “Mordant Karma” is the third artist, with a track called “Pollution”. It’s much the same as the previous one, but it sounds more harsher on the edges. It’s also a bit more regular and basic than the previous track. Track four “Body Dysmorphic Disorder Blues” by “Les Champ Magnétiques” takes on a different path, with depraving power electronics and old school noise esthetics. A hellish ride of deafening, high ranged feedback and fragmenting harsh noise, maybe made by a microphone. “Ultimastanza” and the track “Temptation are next in line. Here, one can hear deep textures of analog synthesizer noises and other swamp like, muddy noise. The overall sound is like a storm, raging over rough and barren land. Visions of post-apocalyptic images and Radiated flesh after a nuclear disaster come to mind. Also a very visual track. The last one is by “Lebensfaden” and is called “Fall Into A Crevice, Nevertheless That Is My Closet”. Lebensfaden brings brooding, dark and slow electronics, warm and cold at the same time. Dreadful, yet with lots of vigor. This is the calmest track on this release but oh so nice..

Ten-Jin is true old school noise and existential bleakness. And it’s definitely worth the search, since it is no longer available on Urashima and Lust Vessel.

Constrain – Default Trade (2x cassette, C10, Compulsion Rites 2014)

Constrain is the power electronics project from Kevin McEleney, and doesn’t come kindly upon the ears. The tracks of this record are all called Default Trade (1, 2, ..).

The first track of this EP is pure hell. Metallic feedback blasts intertwine with heavy electronics that sound like decaying and malfunctioning machines, or machine guns. The speed is fast and there is hardly room to breath. Clattering and ravishing noise continues in the second track, with much similar aspects from the first one. No remorse is given to the listener. The third track starts with a loud feeback salvo, and is than followed by defected, scraping device sounds. Here the sound is more spacious, like it is recorded in a big room. The last track also continues where the last one ended.

This is modern, harsh noise on its best. The tracks are devided into 4, but could easily be seen as a whole. The physical release is long sold out, but it is still available as download. Not for heart patients!

Download/listen:
Bandcamp

Uniform Fasces ‎– Strength Through Feeling Nothing (Cassette, C20, COLONY 2012)

I never heard of this project before and that’s no surprise since Uniform Fasces seems to be a project on hold, with only one 2 releases out on the (defunct?) C O L O N Y label, which are “Strength Through Feeling Nothing” and “Mayan Transmission”. I will be reviewing the EP; “Strength Through Feeling Nothing”.

The release starts with “Loyalty”. Brooding electronics, detuned chords and distorted rhythms evoke thoughts of warzones and gritty combat, maybe a bit similar to the lofi releases of Vatican Shadow. The second track, named after the title of this release, has machine like drone loops and static noise. It’s monotonous sound works hypnotic and mesmerising. “Utopian Socialism “, the last track, attacks the listener with dark drones, harsh noise textures and storm like static. A bit short, but very nice.

Listening to this release, militant noise comes to mind and images of ravished battlefields. The overall sound is very minimal and monotone. A swell release indeed.

No longer available on label

Евтапийск 50 – Taganay EP (Download, Tatumentulab 2014)

Евтапийск 50 is a fairly new project and brings 4 tracks of darkened ambient with hopelessness as goal and desolate environments as visual, in this EP called Taganay. The songs have an outstanding soberness and minimalism which I appreciate very much in these times of over stimulation and production. Also the cover/artwork is fitting very well with the sound of this EP. Low and mid ranged frequencies are mainly to be heard, but also occasional hissing and other high ranged noises bring in some depth to these tracks that seem to be coming straight from the abyss. The overall sound and atmosphere is (very) threatening and similarities of Lull are not far away.

If you like some good, old black ambient, this is a project worth checking out.

Download/listen:
Bandcamp

Grim – 5 eyes (Cassette, C26, Rockatansky Records ‎2010)

Grim is a Japanese project that is around for quite a while now, and coming more to the foreground with the help of Lust Vessel’s recent releases. I will be reviewing “5 eyes”, an EP from 2010, with recordings from the 80’s.

The first track is called “Maya Song”, and begins with church like, synthesizer(?) music. Both beautiful and mysterious harmonies are produced, with much feeling for melody. They are followed by eerie wind chimes, orient percussion (bells, ..), weird vocal effects and fast tribal drumming. At the end the song returns back to the beautiful harmonies. In the second track, “Teleport”, more weirdness abides with strange effects, vocal chanting and other exotic bleakness. Also here tribal rhythms can be heard, but more remote and less compelling than in the previous one. In “Gewalt Fish” the industrialism, for which this project is known for, comes to the foreground, with mechanic rhythms and equal ranting vocals. “Animal F”, has dark, ominous drones, detuned mess and playful flute-like tunes, perhaps a tribute for a decaying world. The last track, “Odin”, joins the first track with harmonious melodies but now effected with distortion. Also the depraving and spastic vocal-percussion joins in again.

This project is probably nothing like you have heard before and quite unique. Very strange, abhorring and seductive at the same time. Be sure to check this out !!!

Buy:

RockatanskyRecords

Deterge – Peace Corps (Cassette, C10, Fusty Cunt 2012)

The short EP, "Peace Corps" from Deterge brings mental noise with an outstanding verve. Ringing, almost drone like, clusters of sound are to be heard in “Do As The People Do”. Very colorful, like the cover of this album. “Mission Statement” has ‘bad-receiver’ noise, (maybe looped but I’m not sure) while short vocal interceptions try to break thru, but fail in doing so.

On the other half we are having “Saving The Best Years”, with a deep sounding, metallic drone and reverbed environments. “Purposeful Actions”, the last track, attacks the ears with hypnotic,  swarm-like sounds, crunchy noise and revolting vocals. And as the track progresses it gets more aggressive in sound.

A very short but excellent release by the great Fusty Cunt label.

Buy:
Fusty Cunt

Rasthof Dachau – Prison Poems (CD, LP, Steinklang Industries 2006)

Rasthof Dachau is the power electronics project from M. Sägmüller & Max Presch. Their last release is from 2013, called “Zero Tollerance”, but I will be reviewing "Prison Poems", a much earlier one from 2006.

Dark and putrid drones call upon the mutilated in “The Sleeping Rose”, and so do the disfigured vocals with an violent tone. The ringing, low ranged, frequency drones and loud vocals of “A Prison Poem open up the gates of a Desolate and debouched world, while in “Catholic Youth” army troops are engaging in a forever lasting fog that clouds the earth. Total bleakness abides in the drones and harsh electronics of “Sixty Six Days”. And the flesh awakens in “Requiem For Barry”, with its bold, aggressive and distorded beats. The primitive rhytms of “The Cages Of Long Kesh” and its distant, preaching vocals bring obscure rituals and sodomy. “Weeping Winds” follows with slow, agonising beats, dark organ-like tunes and 'singing' vocals. The lingering and chaotic decline comes from “Lest We Remember The Truth”. And in “Modern Times” tribal rhytms team up with depressing vocal texts. “A Place To Rest” has a docile yet 'silence before the storm' kinda feel, or marching of boots cascading on the asfalt. “Torture Mill” spills bile upon the crowd of sorrow, with its frantic vocals and electronics bading in delay and fuzz. The last track, “The Rhytme Of Time”, plays one last drone seranade for a decaying world which rests itself in purgatory.

True contempt of the human soul has a face, and it is called Prison Poems from Rasthof Dachau. A great and powerfull masterpiece.

Buy:

Steinklang Industries

Disfigured Robot Child - Kegadoru 02 (Digital Download; Selfreleased 2014)

Disfigured Robot Child is a noise project from Thailand, that you can only find on Bandcamp. With the weird but strong artwork and strange titles it’s hard to get a grip on the subjects from this project, but it definitely gives it a mysterious aura. Kegadoru 02, released in April 2014, is a compilation of tracks from other releases by D.R.C., that goes from 2012 – 2014.

The first track, “Pure”, is a twenty two minute-long space, noise nightmare. Rich and deep textures of reverbed, static-like noise team up with stark, oscillating synth sounds. Near the end of this track, faint tunes can be heard, but they are only brief and momentary. Very good track. The second one, “Imanoanuj2”, brings looped drones and harsh noise to the mix. It’s actually a messy outlet of different chaotic sounds, cut-up voices, sliced percussion and glitch noise. “吐く”, the third track, is suffocating harsh noise with bleeps and clicks on the background. Looped noise sounds join in near the end of this track. The fourth one, “Meido II”, is a messed up mixture of singing feedback, occasional mono-synth sounds and gritty noise. Also very chaotic and mesmerising. “If You Die, I’ll Kill You”, is the strange title of the fifth track. Delayed percussion-like sounds, ambient and voices (also delayed) play on the edge between silence and chaos and create a great tension. This track has a dream like state, but not a comfortable one. “Pantsu I”, brings high ranged, sharp, airplane-like noise, while “Nasophilla” has glitched computer-like noise. “Nose Sucking”, the eight track, has nice, hard edged ambient going on, feedbacking silently. The ambient sounds quickly get overthrown by crude noise. “Missing” joins “Pantsu I” with the airplane sounds, but is more abstract. The tenth track, “♥♥♥”, has looped, static noise and frantic noise shism’s, with build up tones as well. And “I love you”, toys around with freezed loopes, to eventually disappear into a smear of metallic harsh noise and faint shopping mall tunes(?). “0202”, track twelve, is a nice composition of deranged noises (looped) and low ranged, rumbling noise. And the thirteenth track, “199x5”, is also very deranging and on the verge of mental collapse. But this one goes even deeper and further into the maze of insanity. If you are into the early works of Maurizio Bianchi, this is definitely a recommendation. “Give Me A Reason To Stop Making Noise”, is one of the shortest tracks residing on this album. It is a mixture of sharp and high ranged static with some mono synth action. And in “RIP  MSBR” the ringing noise sound is hypnotic and repulsive at the same time. The last track, “Dweep Tob”, with it’s spacious noise and everlasting strings of crunched feedback, gives one last push to this very long release.

This is a difficult album because of the length, but definitely worth a go for all the adventurous noise fans out there. The overall sound is slightly bleak and distopian. But above all, these are very odd and interesting sounds that need to be heard. And it definitely deserves a physical release as well. I hope this person pushes the limits and sounds even a bit further in the future, with perhaps some more ambient in the mix.

Listen/buy:
Bandcamp

Climax Denial – The Absolute Bottom (Cassette, C30, Husk Records 2008)

There are not much releases coming out anymore (since 2012 only one release a year, so it seems) from Climax Denial, and This one dates from 2008. The site from Alex Kmet is also not updated since 2012. Maybe this project is on its last breath and that would be a pity..

Anyhow, “The Absolute Bottom” is the album of choice today and starts with “What I’ve Seen”. The track exists out of distant screaming and hiss-looped electronics and is very short; only one minute. The second track, “Just A Body”, is much longer, around twelve minutes. It begins with Harsh, drone electronics with a flanger effect and high ranged drizzling. The flanger effect intensifies as the track progresses and is joined by sharp feedback, almost metallic sounding. Heavily effected screaming joins in as well. After a while the feedback gets more shape and turns into screaming and eerie tones. A twelve minute delight of dense power electronics and harsh noise, for sure.

The other half starts with “A Fear Of Life II”. A track with sinister soundscapes, delayed yelling and decaying sounds. Very dark. “Tapeworm Agility”, the second one, also lies in the delay spectrum, with looped chunks of low, rhythmic noises and high ranged oscillating synths and feedback. With its many different sounds going on, this track has a very nice depth and sucks you in it as well. It’s playful, but also very dark. The third track, “Hotmouth And Pussyfoot”, has echoing, low electronics and deranging race car-like sounds going on. And the last track, “Y Kan't U B Klean?” has bird-like electronics, snarling delayed vocals and glistering noise.

A very good release that should be listened into a darkened room.

No longer available on label

B.G. - Cascade (Cassette, C15, Under 2013)

New noise projects are arising every day, and this fairly new one is from Belgium. The project is called B.G. which should be the initials of the artists name: Bils Giel. The album is called Cascade and released on Under, established somewhere in 2013.

Cascade opens up with harsh processed sounds, perhaps made from field recordings or a microphone, its hard to tell. Throughout the whole track there are also vague vocal-like noises, which are followed by high pitched shrieks. The second track (a short one) begins with low rumbles, accompanied by brutal noise intervals and static. Track three (also a very short track) has also that low harsh rumbling and aggressive static sound. The last track is the most consistent of the four, sounding very harsh and monotonous; serving as an extend of the previous mentioned tracks.

This release, with four untitled tracks and a total time of 15 minutes,
is a very brutal and straightforward sounding release, which I like very much.
You really get sucked into its sound and it also kicks you in the head.
Some of these tracks get close to HNW, but the sound is changing to
much for just being a wall of noise. This is a promising project that
needs to be checked out for sure.

Buy:
Under

I Watched You Die – Backyard Decay (Cassette, Distorted Visions 2013)

“I Watched You Die” is the HNW project from Alex Nowacki, located in Iowa.

On this release he brings 2 tracks, around 22 minutes each. Both are static crushing HNW in its purest form. When I listened to this record I imagined shards of memories in b&w, flashing by and projecting like a film reel, with distorted and missing frames from the past. The second track is slightly sharper in sound but there is not much difference between both tracks. The overall sound is very indifferent, so it gives room to start fantasizing about subjects from your life, or the artwork chosen for this album.

Decaying memory or objects are the subjects of choice for me in this ever lasting wall of horrid bliss.
The artwork is also definitely an eye catcher.
Check this out if you like HNW in its most basic form.

Listen/buy:
Bandcamp

En Nihil / Filth – Black Earth Split (Cassette, C40, Out-Of-Body Records 2014)

En Nihil is the multi genre project of Adam Fritz, and goes along for a long time in the noise scene. Although his music covers different genres and sounds, its always dark, damp and heavy. On this split release he joins up with Filth, a noise project which goes under the name of Rob Buttrum.

The record starts with the tracks of En Nihil, and “Tribes Of The Black Ash” is the first one to kick off. The track begins with a calm, wobbly soundscape and heavily, reverbed percussion, joined by immersive, tribal drumming and some nice effects as well. Different noises and sounds come along and lift this song to an industrial, Amazon nightmare. The second track “An Infinite Void”, has slow hitting percussion, gristle noise and scraping, high ranged feedback. While “One Hundred Thousand Years” immediately sets the tone with some heavy, industrial patterns, harsh noise and ear scorching feedback tunes. The fourth and last track from En Nihil, “Why Did You Not Save us’, ends where it began. This time with field recordings of birds and river streams or waterfalls. No percussion though. Just a silent meditation to close off the first half.

The other four tracks are from Filth. “R Horizon”, the first track, starts with spring reverbed drums, delayed vocals and various looped effects/sounds. As the song progresses it gets more chaotic and messy. The second track, “Beneath The Vertisol”, has sharp and edgy percussion loops with an industrial feel to it, very menacing. Dark soundscapes (made from vocals?) join in, and oscillating synths as well. All kinds of sounds are going on in this track, which gives it a nice depth and atmosphere. “The Hollow Earth”, the third song, spills out some raw and aggressive rhythm's/beats with psychedelic noises and electronics. And the last track “A Silent Scream”, is a mixture of cut up noise and destructed beats. Siren-like sounds drenched in reverb and tape manipulation come in to participate the seductive madness.

This split release is modern, industrial noise on its best, and heavy as hell. Chaotic and destructive insanity, which shows great spirit and grinta!

Buy:
Bandcamp